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[azraeldestiny]

Slab necromancer. Any utility?

My dwarves treasure hunters brought a "slab necromancer" artifact from a goblin city. I have it stored on a pedestal to prevent tampering.

It is the first time that I have "a contact" with the concept of necromancy and I would like to learn more as a player about this concept. I have a library built with scrolls and blank books but stopped since I did not assign any dwarf to the development of books apart from having the library stopped.

My question is if there is any way for my dwarves to write a necromancy book using the Slab Necromancer that my dwarf skirmishers brought.
Or is it just decorative?

I can think of some ideas for the forgotten beasts that usually appear in caves using some necromancer dwarf.

[delphonso]

So, a necromancer's slab is totally safe in fortress mode. Dwarves will only read scrolls, codices and quires (namely, books.) They won't pick up a slab and read it - so nothing is going to happen unless you want it to.

You can make an adventurer, visit the fortress and read the slab - thus uncovering its secrets. Then you have a few options. Have the adventurer write a few manuals - and you'll end up with a book that has the secrets of life and death in it, which your fortress dwarves will happily read.

Having necromancers in your fortress is a double-edged sword. Necromancers use their abilities whenever threatened - so basically any time something is dead around them. Unfortunately, zombies will still hate your dwarves - and will keep attacking, dying, then being raised again by the necromancer.

The exception is Intelligent Undead - who retain whatever loyalty they had in life. This means a necromancer might bring one of your militia dwarves back from the dead - now a much hardier undead soldier. It also means they might bring goblins back to life during a siege, making it very difficult to...stop the siege.

[Thisfox]

Just so you know, I have stuff stolen from pedestals regularly. To prevent this, I chain a tamed animal over the pedestal, or wall the pedestal in entirely so no one can reach it.

[Amaranth]

So, a necromancer's slab is totally safe in fortress mode. Dwarves will only read scrolls, codices and quires (namely, books.) They won't pick up a slab and read it - so nothing is going to happen unless you want it to.

This is partially wrong @delphonso.
You are technically correct by your observations though I have noticed visiting Dwarf scholars and they seem to read slabs if they can read and are inclined to do so. This could lead to hostile resurrections as they seem to hang about while their minds are sundered by the knowledge.
You are correct about controlled dwarves not reading it and they will just vibe with its quality.
I just wanted to jump in and correct the safety part. Nothing is safe with the powers of undeath.