"I always sez books are evil. Fill your head with strange ideas, they do. They make you dream of strange places and even stranger people. I’ve never allowed no book in my house. Last time my boy brought even a stack of papers home, I beat him near an inch of his life. Sez he was to use them for kindling. Just imagine! All them haunts getting loosed from the papers! He learned, he did. You spoke to Mikel? They’ve been saying he’s a Mutant. I believe it too, wot with that bulge an all..."
- —Johans the Crier[4a]
Some grimoires are not for the weak of will.
A Grimoire or Spellbook[3a] is a tome of arcane knowledge, used by wizards to study the magical arts. Usually massive tomes bound in strange leather (sometimes Human skin or dragon hide), they are heavy, cumbersome, and inappropriate for long travels.[2a] Most grimoires are secured with at least a lock, and sometimes also various magical wards and alarms.[3b]
Grimoires are not magic items as such, but they fall into the category of magical treasure. They are books of spells, and spellcasters can attempt to learn new spells from them.[1a]
Many wizards own a personal grimoire, in which they transcribe every spell they known. They get their start as an apprentice, copying spells from their master, and as they themselves increase in rank, they may seek out new spells, trading them with their fellow wizards for other favours.[3a]