From the post I wrote regarding tomes:
QUOTE
Also, how you handle the tome is up to you. This is where the story becomes significant and a character's actions could be reflected in the actual game (Age of Arcana) when it is released. You could keep the information to yourself and try to secure your own relative superiority in knowledge (and keep hidden quests away from others), try to create your own library accessible by others, or whatever else. You can even twist the tomes and give your enemies false information to throw them off. The only thing you cannot do is resell the information within an already used tome. You can sell a tome if it was not yet used, but if you use it do not forward the information for a profit.
Basically, you can do what you'd like with the information. The info in an already used tome cannot be sold simply so a person doesn't buy a tome and resell it infinitely for a profit (more so those who aren't in DStorm don't use the tomes in a marketing scheme).
They can, however, be distributed among players if no profit is involved. Doesn't mean you'd necessarily want to though...
- Keeping info to yourself will give you an advantage when it comes to locating quests, or perhaps where to take unrelated quests when opportunities arise. Other players may have have no idea what you're doing, but the NPCs I create could, so if you're a treasure hunter or one to go on personal quests of significance, it is advised that you keep info quiet.
- This can be expensive though, which is where a library such as Denirik's may be useful. Players could share information and ideas, and therefore possibly progress the story more quickly... but this would also introduce much more competition.
- It is possible for someone, also, to alter the tomes and "redistribute" false ones to throw others off who had not purchased a necessary tome. This means that you must be careful in accepting and giving information, especially in exchange for other information if applicable. This could also involve libraries, you need to be careful in terms of who to trust.
So that's basically it.
By the way, if you're one to keep the info to yourself, I'd recommend focusing on a single volume. I will make it so an entire volume would be affordable for an active member in the long run, but beyond that may be a struggle.