Reading this book is an evil act and will permanently slide the reader one alignment slot toward evil. If the user is good, they become permanently neutral. If neutral, the user becomes permanently evil in nature. Any change in alignment back toward good undos the effect of reading the tome.

Stygian the Euthanatos was an ancient wizard of the empire of Acherousia known for his work in developing magical artifacts imbued with the life-force of innocent beings. These artifacts were always constructed with faces on them which emitted blood-curdling screams of pain and agony when the artifacts were used. Several of these artifacts, still remain. Using these artifacts is considered an evil act once the user realises that its use consumes the eternal soul of a sentient being.

Completeing the studies within this tome gives the user a permanent +2 boost to intelligence and a permanent -2 penalty to wisdom. Any spellcaster reading this tome immediately gains 1000 experience points, and any good-aligned being who destroys the book gains the same. The book can only be read once by a particular being. Complete reading of the tome also allows any spellcaster to cast the following spell:

Stygian's Unholy Ritual of Binding
Universal
Level: Brd 5, Clr 5, Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell aids in the creation of magic items. When this spell is cast on an item meant to become a magic item, it lessens the experience point cost for creating the magic item. The spell requires the ritual murder of a sentient being. The experience point cost of creating the magic item is lessened by the following formula for the creation of the magical object:

XP cost to create item - (XP cost to create item * Level of sacrifical being)/ (Level of sacrifical being + 5)

Breaking or destroying the magical artifact releases the soul trapped within. Those killed by the ritual cannot be raised from the dead until the artifact they were killed for is destroyed. Only one such ritual can be cast on each item creation.

The material requirement for the spell is a masterwork dagger made of volcanic glass which is used to ritually slay the sentient being.