Zorrilskin (Tome of Annihilation)

A book made from simple parchment with 200 pages in it. Bound in the hide of a fox.

If anything is written on its pages, and an beast of INT 3 or higher views it, the animal gains the capacity to understand the phrase written and its contents, regardless of the writers own knowledge. However, the beast does not return to its previous state, remaining instead to think. It’s mind has skipped many necessary steps and developments. Simple phrases or commands may be considered and followed, only resulting in abnormal behaviours or anti-social behaviour among there kind after many “teachings”. While advanced concepts may only hold for but a moment before annihilation.

[Zorrils - Kin] Tome of Annihilation is Zorrilskin translated from a language that best fits your setting. In mine, Deep Speech.

Conceptually this is all I have, feel free to use this as a cursed item in your game and invent what “annihilation” means here. I’m leaning towards a cosmic horror route (brain melting) but a wild magic affect could work for a light hearted campaign.

And be sure NOT to explain this all to your players unless they go digging in the library or something. Part of a good scare with this one is not knowing before experimenting. You MUST be willing to “annihilate” a party pet if they make bad choices. Again, whatever you let that mean...

As DM, it’s also up to you how a given phrase affects an animal, and if anybody has ideas where this line of thought could go, put it in the comments. What could be done with this? Or would your party destroy it after discovering its power?