Books!

1. Books!

   #1

   Well, do I need to tell what shall be this Idea Scroll about? But let me do it anyway:
   
   We seek books, books that might be found in a library, on the shelf somewhere, or even lost in that dungeon. Required is the title and author, a thourough report on the contents, the percieved and true usefulness, a bit of background won't hurt either. Please try to avoid the obvious "fillers" (30 volumes of Elvish heroic poetry, etc). Remember that in many settings books are very expensive; they better be worth it! (For someone, long ago, hopefully...)
   
   You may also include books mentioned in other sources, books the players never may lay hands on. Their (reported) usefulness can be supreme, and any sage worth his salt craves them desperately. Yes, those books. A very nice and complete example is M.J.Young's Cults of the Past
   
   On the other hand, please avoid too magical or intelligent books, as they have a strong tendency to get cliche. (Not to speak of those oh-so-overdone demonic books possessing the reader...) We seek interesting, but still ordinary books.

2. Books!

   #2

   (A few examples to begin with. Hopefully the others will be better...)
   
   ---
   
   ??? (author not mentioned, but it is signed by some "Nicholas Perfecto")
   Magical Rituals and Ceremonies
   
   Surprisingly, the book says little about anything magical, but it rather describes how to make rituals visually more appealing, including tips on choreography, choosing the right clothes and words, with a few tiny special effects (flashing powder, etc). While many would throw it away, as soon as they find its true contents, wizards may improve their magical abilities (OK, give them a better image), and others may learn to fake spellcasting. The small book has flamboyant language that uses too much words.
   
   ---
   
   Gerard Millc
   The beauty of the written word
   
   A very nicely-decorated compact tome, describing in detail the art of illuminating books (for those uninitiated, it is the art of decoration and illustration). It is quite favoured by the few masters of this art, being well written, with good examples, etc. Simply put, a solid work to consult if you are interested. There exist several copies, and some artists make their students create a copy as the final test of their apprenticeship.
   
   ---
   Londival
   The truth about Dwarven Smithing
   
   The book attempts to prove that Dwarves are actually lousy smiths, but their inborn magical potential makes up for it. They show off their talent only because their small brains don't get it (yes, the author was quite a racist). The books is largely useless; however it sums up nicely the smithing styles and typical marks of items from several traditional smithies. Given a really thorough study, one may have a slightly better chance of noticing such an item even between normal ones.
   
   ---
   
   Kelvart
   The Basics of Scribbling and Drawing
   
   The legendary and highly sought work, not for the instructions, which are too boring to read, nor for the exercises for a beginning artist, which are too tedious for most to endure. It contains a few sample drawings though. Especially noteworthy are the studies of anatomy, like the famous "Bathing Nymphs Having Fun", all wonderful and erotic (but not pornographic) paintings. Rumoured to cause a statue redden with shame, many wealthy collectors would pay any sum for it... it's just finding it is a problem.

3. Books!

   #3

   Vanikquen's Big Red Atlas.
   Contains colourful and informative maps of the World and its countries. Two of the pages are stuck together. When pried apart they reveal a map of a continent no-one knew existed.
   
   Trivulo's Compendium.
   A dangerous book of maps...(See item)
   
   Zalrid the Mad's tome full of illustrations of the patterns of light he saw when he closed his eyes. He hoped to develop a system of divination from the study of these patterns, but went mad after illustrating plate #927. They are quite psychedelic patterns and most people suspect he was a little bit unstable beforehand.
   
   Harmannh's Universal Translator.
   A half-empty book (most pages only have a few words written on them). You write on a page the sentence you want to be translated and close the book. When you reopen it, the ink has copied onto the opposite leaf and the words have been translated. Useful, but alas the translation is unreliable, so "Phurmuz ak-itasa, kusalakor nam-un kot" ("I'm taking a bath, removing the grime of the day" in Modern Heric) might become "Submersion at me is being, of today emanating slurry". About half the book has already been used, mostly student looking up rude words.
   
   I'll also put in a link to Ars Dracapodemiae, a tome on the migration of dragons.
   
   ephe!

4. Books!

   #4

   Loremaster Muriumer
   Wings and Talons
   
   A detailed treatise on the art of Falconry, it attempts to cover all of its aspects; from the basic care and feeding of birds of prey, through an insight into their habits and thinking, up to their basic training. Although the author certainly took great care, and obviously consulted experts on the field, he has never tried anything himself, having a great respect of these wonderful birds. As a result, there are a few misconceptions any hawker can recognize. If the book is or was owned by one, the respective places will be overwritten. The book is respected in other matters. A large grey feather is stitched on its foreside.
   
   ---
   
   (authored by the barony's Fowl and Livestock Office, not existing anymore)
   Burning Marks of the Barony
   
   Displays all the burning marks local landlords used on their cattle, along with a short description of each, and its owner. Since by law no two may be the same, the book is partially usefull even today, a hundred years after it was made public. Some burning marks are not valid anymore, others have new owners. The office that registers them today still tries to keep it up-to-date, but does not publish it anymore. The pages have a tendency to fall out due to regular use.
   
   ---
   
   Gardan, the Royal Master of Arms
   A question of honour
   
   A very thin book, with large friendly letters even impatient nobles may bother to read, contains the rules for a fair duel. Described are also the three basic dueling forms of the aristocracy, Fencing (often to the first blood only), The Sword and Dagger, and The Knight's Battle (mounted, with heavy armor). However elegant it may look in its red leather and golden letters on the cover, it is made and sold for profit, the nobility regularly buying it. It is likely the well-known "author" never wrote it.
   
   ---
   
   Conallion
   Herbarium Medicus
   
   Carefully avoiding any herbs that might be harmful, it is a fine resource none the less. The drawings are very precise, and herbs on most common ailments can be found here. Mind you, most potent magical herbs have also nefarious uses, thus are not displayed here. The book is worn with much use, it is both large and heavy due to its binding. The author was an apothecarian, and many simple brews are mentioned.
   
   ---
   
   On The Roads Of Dhurtania, with Inoxim Frappel
   
   A traveller's guide to a country that is supposed to lie a thousand miles to the east. The author was apparently a forerunner of roleplaying (or smoked something...), because it is completely fictional! Numerous local customs are described, with cities and villages, historical monuments as well as exotic foods. The author friendly warns of anything he might have overlooked as a foreigner, and the possibility of change over the years, but hopes the guide is good enough... the book is twenty years old and no one has discovered the truth yet. It is already quoted in several other books as a reliable resource on exotic cultures.

5. Books!

   #5

   Anjets Bestiary
   Compiled by the adventurer turned sage, Anjet, this bestiary is a listing of the various beasts and monsters that Anjet encountered during her extensive travels through the jungles of the Wylden Coast. Weaknesses, and effective tactics to defeating some of the more dangerous monsters can be quite effective for begining to intermediate adventurers.
   
   The Queens Codex
   The Queens Codex is an old, and badly damaged spellbook. Many of its surviving pages have been taken up with the personal ramblings of the unknown mage who fell in love with the Queen of a great and powerful nation. There are even some well done sketches that depict a queen who ruled some 300 years ago. Some regard this work as an incomplete tragedy, others view it as a waste of a spellbook, and others wonder where the last third of the book has vanished to.
   
   The Lady of Hawkes
   A collection of childrens stories that details the adventures of the Lady Hawke, an early adventurer who had the magical ability to turn into a hawk to escape traps, spy on foes, and occassionally be captured again. The work is well known and copies of this work range from newly made on block presses to copies that are dated to several hundred years old. The word is accredited to the Lady Hawke, though most sages agree that she is a fictitious creation of an author who wished to remain anonymous.
   
   The Lay of Night and Day
   This 4000 page, 8 volume work hails from the arid wastes that were once civilized and occupied by men and women. The work is a historical epic of the nation as it was back during one of its golden ages, and given its size and quality it was the work of a literary master. Many of its elaborately detailed stories deal with couples in love overcoming many hardships including great distances, outside harassers, infidelity, and even love overcoming the bonds of death.
   
   In the Temple of Aphrodite
   This work is considered one of the most risque books that a collector can own that is not openly heretical/evil/magical. The book details the inner working of the Temple/lodge of Aphrodite, and is always illustrated with various nudes in varying explicit positions. The book is quite expensive to make and commands a high price on the market.

6. Books!

   #6

   Tomu's Pillow Book
   by Tomu (?)
   Tomu is a popular Barbarian deity of love, sex, and women. This book is a description of the godly dalliances and trysts of Tomu (with no details left out and explicit illustrations), with a description of the sexual techniques and poses used by Tomu and her lovers therein. The last section of the book is an explanation of the theories of sexual power and the magic it provides, as well as techniques for getting and giving the most in a sexual encounter. The book is said to have been written by Tomu herself, though it probably was not; in the country it originates in, it is common and perfectly exceptable for authors to attribute their works to a famous hero or God. Tomu's Pillow Book commands high prices on the market of books, and is very popular with the nobility. All courtesans and concubines inevitably possess this book.
   
   The Book of Happy Hours
   by Bullfrog's Shout
   This book is a series of humorous illustrated stories about the characters Rabbit, Snake, Crane, and Frog, with an appearance from Bo'te (a guinea-pig like animal. See The Empire in Setting Forge; if you like, make it Rat instead), Grasshopper, and Eagle. The book is much like a book of comic-strips (as in a newspaper). The Book of Happy Hours is popular with the lower economic class, and it illustrates the aphorism "Count only the happy hours".
   
   The Journey of Red Salmon
   by Gazes at the Moon
   The Journey of Red Salmon relates a well-known folktale about a man named Red Salmon, who, losing his dog, runs into the wilderness searching for it, and becomes himself lost. On a long journey back to his home he encounters many dangers, including a raging Urwhor, evil brother Fire Spirits, a great Centipede who awakes only every ninety years, and man-eating Barbarians. Red Salmon begins the tale as a bumbling, incompetent fool, searching for his dog, but by the end, he is a strong, resilient adventurer. Red Salmon eventually finds his home once again, and finds that in his absence, his dog has come home, and his family, thinking him dead, have had a funeral.
   
   The Visage of the Demon
   by Stay At Home
   Stay At Home was a well-known artist and illustrator of books, and it is widely held that his finest (but most gruesome) work is the Visage of the Demon, a frightful series of paintings of various mortals that Stay At Home had encountered, shown in such a manner as to make their images monstrous and evil in countenance, and surrounded by images of horror and war. Within, there are images of several Imperial Governors of Stay At Home's day, as well as an image of many common criminals, and even a painting of an Urwhor, and of a Duerga. The most evil-looking image is that of Shards of Basalt, once the Governor of Red Coast, who was known to be a cruel and draconian man; Stay At Home depicted him standing in his finest robes while horrible demons devour children around him, and a starving man tugs at his robe. Stay At Home intended the Visage of the Demon to be a scathing attack on individuals who he considered to be "Demons among Men", that is, evil. The book was a popular political statement in Stay At Home's day, but it has now become little more than a book of particularly frightening images.

7. Books!

   #7

   Roshellion's Posthumous Book of Images:
   
   Foremost poet of the past 500 years, Roshellion (pronounced "rose-hell-eeon") is known for masterpieces such as "Carelie et Adanare", "Sojhuanika" and "The Lectern". But equally fascinating are his notebooks, filled with half-written sentences and thoughts, images and metaphors that came to his mind to be jotted down, never to be used again. And yet among them are strands of coherence, arcs of concept which led him on a journey through many beautiful images before he left the arc without reason and moved on. Collected and edited by Hejintson, they form Roshellion's Book of Images.
   
   A real-world example: Mediaeval Books of Hours. The Visconti Hours, the Duc de Berry's Hours, etc. These were beautifully illustrated tomes produced by mediaeval artists to list all the stages (hours) in the monastic prayer cycle. A similar idea could be used to provide a novel presentation of a gameworld's calendar.
   
   See for example:
   http://humanities.uchicago.edu/images/heures/heures.html
   http://library.willamette.edu/project/index.cgi?work=BoH
   
   ephe!

8. Books!

   #8

   Unnamed Tome of the Dwarves
   
   Unearthed from a long ruined dwarven hold, this book is immense, bound in thick leather and brass. There are well over 2,000 pages of then vellum, crisp and dry with the passage of time. The survivable condition of the book is accounted to the unnaturally dry nature of the chamber it was discovered in. Indeed, the bodies of the dwarves felled in battle with orcs were dessicated into withered mummies, still clutching at mortal wounds, and weapons. such is the tenacity of the dwarves.
   
   The book itself has suffered several strikes from a bladed weapon that cut at least two inches into the five inch thick book. It is likely the dwarven scribe responcible for the book used it to parry attacks in the last few minutes of his life.
   
   The contents of the book bely its estimated wealth. Written in carefully scripted dwarven runes, the book depicts the reclamation of the long abandoned dwarven hold by the dwarves following brave colonists and explorers from distant mountain holds. Most of the book involves the minutae of recolonization, and the restoration of the mine works at the hold as well as repairing damage inflicted by the ancient foes who destroyed the inhabitants of old.
   
   The last chapter chronicles the fall of the hold once again. The dwarves fought the deep orcs for each inch of the ancient hold, grudging only surrendering each chamber and hallway over a pile of their own dead. Despair overcomes the scribe in the last few pages as he writings become less precise and legible. Claustrophobia and morale collapsed as the seeminly unlimited orcs drove them back into a last stronghold, the tomb of the Dwarven lord who lead the reclamation. In hastily scribbled low dwarven, his last words have resonated with every -person who has read them.
   
   ...They are coming

9. Books!

   #9

   Dursten Picat
   Of Truth And Duty
   
   The grey book is old and little used. Starting with the discussion of a few laws, the reader slowly learns who the author was: an executioner. Gradually, the book reverts from fair treating of prisoners to their correct execution, up to the extraction of truth from unwilling individuums. Torturer devices and techniques are described too. There are few pictures, but softer natures may feel quite disgusted. Some sick, but otherwise harmless individuums have a certain unhealthy fascination for it. There certainly exist books both more cruel and bloody to indulge in, but its calm, factual language has its own appeal.
   
   ---
   
   Chrasselin Elbert
   The Haunted Woods
   
   Turns out to be something like a meditational handbook. Leading the reader through a large forest, where many creatures and spirits dwell, friendly and hostile, one can face various enemies in his imagination. There is no solution given, but the book claims that through finding a way to defeat these mighty enemies that corresponds with one's soul, one can attain a larger control about his life, and be empowered to achieve more, overcome fears, etc.
   
   Note: the Western Woods are a good example of a haunted forest. If the place actually exists in the game world, and is as described, the value of the book is many, many times higher than it seems.

10. Books!

    #10

    I just want to say that this is great and I have adapted a few of these to work in my world. The difference being I have made some of these tomes magical in nature and the reader actually gains a benefit from reading it, or a curse in the case of one of the unlucky tomes I created. This was an aspect I had long forgotten as a supliment for magic items.

11. Books!

    #11

    There are a number of important, influential, or interesting books of Midian, compiled here together for the first time.
    
    By far the most widely read is The Book of the Cannon. This is the holy text of the Temple of Light, the official state religion of the Kingdom of Formour.
    
    An Illustrated Gallery is a recent book by an unknown author &/or artist. It focuses on the art scene in and around the city of Citadel, both before and after its status as a necropolis. There are numerous full-colour plates depicting dozens of pieces, in remarkably exacting detail. In addition to its uses as a cultural or scholarly work--or the incredibly precise replications of paintings--the book is useful in that it is the most complete collection of Volgor's paintings ever in one place. As the paintings themselves were scattered across three continents shortly after each was painted, they have never before been gathered together like this, even if only in book form. Volgor's paintings are notable for his tendency to incorporate mystical symbols within, especially those related to summoning. The replicates in the book are fully safe to peruse, unlike the genuine articles. Several have come forward claiming to be either the author or illustrator, but no one can yet match the artistry of the reprints, especially as each copy must be repainted by hand...
    
    Told as a first-person perspective, My Journey Through the Night chronicles its main character through various minor adventures. The book reads like a section of an autobiography. The setting is sometime centuries past in what is now the Byzant Empire. Those who do more than scan through the book quickly hope that this is not autobiographical, or non-fiction of any sort, as there are small suggestions throughout the narrative that hint darkly about the main character (known only as 'John'--a name which is common among Ghouls and Formourians). The book hints that 'John' is a Vampire, and other-than-Human besides, despite that the book describes several scenes that take place in the sun.
    
    An untitled series of books, primarily by the Dwarven pilot of the Boat of the Undead (no one calls the boat by its proper name) contains various drawings suited for a lonely Dwarf on a long voyage--a Dwarf that is crippled & does not enjoy shore leave. These started as a collection of loose-leaf pencil & charcoal sketches by various artists, and have been compiled and ammended by Ahn (the aforementioned Dwarf), who has become something of an accomplished artist himself for anatomical accuracy... and tentacles.
    
    A book that was commisioned, but never completed as the purchaser died prior to its mass publication, My First Wittle Spellbook was to cover the basics of summoning (notably protection circles), and to act as a primer on psionics. The books were designed with blank space & blank pages, for discussion & essay questions, and as space for notes & to work out problems.
    
    Written in many languages, and several varieties of codes, Agon's Journals covered such diverse topics as: the history of the western edge of the Heldannic Confederations (with useful insights to the Hobgoblins & Changing Folk), nethermancy, demonology, architecture, technomancy, and military strategy. They also contained the most complete and accurate description of the Hephaestus Device, and all of its various pieces & components.
    
    The Mnima was believed by loremasters to have been a fictional story, handed down orally, until first written much later in the now-dead language Nocturne. However, this book has become the holy tome of the secret-society-come-cult the Church if the Rising Night, Atrum Ortus. The player that created the Autrum Ortus also wrote quite a few stanzas of The Mnima. It';s good stuff.
    
    Another popular journal, now recopied and mass-published, Last Journey was the surviving parts of the diary of an Elven sailor, and the few remaining scraps of the logbook. The surviving text was recovered from the final resting place on a coral island of those lost sailors during a global mapping expedition. Any reference that might tie the book into an historic perspective was lost. As these voyages took place over several millenia, and several ships did not return from each, there is no way to know the true identity of the author--positions on the crew rather than names are used in the journal. The last of these trips took place nearly 3000 years prior, so it is remarkable that anything survived in the salty air.
    
    Enlightenment was a book used as both the final prize in an international tournament held by a monestary in the Killian Empire, and the symbol of that monestary's master. Beyond the title, there are no written words, and no illustrations; all pages are blank, save for the next-to-last page, which is a mirror. The book was lost during the escape of the current master from the monestary, and its (and her) current whereabouts are unknown.
    
    What looks very much like an illustrated childrens' book, Happy Bunny & Friends is actually a rather chilling read. The book was designed as both entertainment and education in the harsh ways of the world. For example, during the section that teaches wilderness survival to young unwitting minds: "Oh look," said Sunny Puppy, "these berries look red and tasty." "Oh no," said Happy Bunny, "Sunny Puppy is gone," as the illustration shows Sunny Puppy lying comatose under the bush with a foam-flecked and berry-smeared snout, feet straight up in the air. The next illustration shows the surviving '& Friends' walking away, with Sunny Puppy's corpse in the background--Sunny Puppy is never mentioned in the story again.
    
    Court of the Wise seems to be a dramatic thriller with subtle political overtones. However, it is believed by some loremasters, nethermancers, and conspiracy buffs, that the book's true author was a Demon, and that the book is acutally a political satire of Hell.
    
    Going quickly from dry autobiography, to pedantic description of building a house, to horror/sci-fi, House is the story of the author's descent into madness. As the titular house continues to expand beyond the original architectural designs, it seems (at least to the author) to expand into other realities as well. That the author's mind became unhinged during the building process is evidenced by personal daily details becoming fewer (wife, mother, and children aren't mentioned past page 405), with more minute details of the construction process taking the fore. By the end of the book the author has lost all sense of time and reality, and is fully convinced that the house has become a living evil thing.

12. Books!

    #12

    Nymphs and Satyrs at Play: an illustrated guide to the social interactions of two reclusive woodland species
    
    Although the tome was put forth as a guide for cryptoanthropologists (people who study magical sentient races), most of the copies in existence are currently in the possession of adolescent male wizards, regardless of their field of academic study. To be sure, the author was very thorough in his documentation of the aforementioned "social interactions", but the main features in this book are hundreds of pages of detailed illustrations of both species, alone and together in various postures and positions to demonstrate their energetic social interations
    
    Despite the fact that he suffered a mental breakdown shortly after returning from his research trip, the author went on to publish another book, entitled Nymphs and Satyrs: the Author's Cut, which is currently banned in nine duchies.

13. Antioch Books (Scroll)

    #13

    In Antioch, since the invention of the impressor (the printing press), books have been the "in thing". Here are some of the most common ones.
    
    Spells of the Circle #1-10
    Spells of the First Circle was the first book legally printed in Antioch. Spells are skills which utilize mystical talent in Arth, so those with the talent who study the books should be able to learn and cast these most basic effects. In fact, an average mage or wizard should be able to manage spells up to the Fourth Circle. The Spells of the First Circle is 64 pages in length, while spells of the near mythical 10th circle runs a whopping 270 pages. Impressed spellbooks are bound in a thick red cardstock cover with silver inking expressing the title and providence of the spells within.
    
    The Twenty Second Guild Councils Laws of Magick:
    These are the defined laws of magic which all magical principals and spells are based. This 84 page booklet (traditionally bound in Green cardstock with silver letters) defines all the current definitions of the laws. It also includes some guides on how to teach them and a few short pieces on alternate views.
    
    There are plans to republish the Twentieth Guild Council's Laws of Magick. Many Wizards still use it to this day, and Elventi practioners consider it the best since the Fifth Edition.
    
    Pathfinder's Ways: (Currently there are Ways for FirstLand, SecondLand, ThirdLand, MasqueLand, and the recently completed FourthLand. There is no imperially accepted Way for NorthLand or any Ocean Biome)
    Most large area maps are books with flip pages, using a page and grid system that attempts to handle some of the odd functions of the Biomes. Each biome is mapped on one to 18 pages, with linking cross references to related pages. Way charts explain your probable exit destinations.  If you have ever seen a Thomas Guide flip book ( http://www.thomasmap.com/index.htm ), these books are similar.
    
    Let me explain... Pathfinders have the knack of navigating on Arth. Arth is made up of semi-continuous biomes. If each biome map was a cut out, you could not put them together as a puzzle as there is always some overlap. Crossing biome boundries can lead you slightly astray. Biomes within themselves are continous.
    
    There are Ways for Oceanic Pathfinders, but each one is a carefully guarded gift made of water solvable ink, jelously guarded by each Ocean Clan and Pilot.
    
    Optics:
    An early folio of Impressor notes. This hundred page book is filled with images explaining the rules behind how light energy can be focused, deflected, and moved by material objects (which are nothing but constrained magical energy). It has laid the ground work for all work in the field of optics and lens making since its release. The telescope and heating mirrors are directly pulled from this work.
    
    Emperor's Genelology:
    Compiled in three volumes, this book details the blood and marital relationships of all the Imperial Nobles, with an emphasis on the High Elventi. The bloodlines can actually be explained in three pages, but listing the names of every imperial noble does take up a great deal of space.
    
    A Way of Looking at Things:
    This is the masters thesis of Ariones Impressor. It is the key work behind the impressors. Impressors take their name from the Impressor (printing press). The Theory that lead to the press was that all matter was nothing more than constrained magical energy, therefore one should be able to use the magickal laws to determine how to use magic.  This view has led to the invention of optics, clockworks, advanced metalurgy, the printing press, etc.  Impressor thought is being applied to the creation of material things that will focus magic as well.
    
    History of Humanti:
    A very impressive work by a council of Humanti and Elventi in WhiteCliffs of FirstLand ( http://www.rpgcitadel.com/guild/index.php?topic=1319.0 ). It combines the history of Humanti from its stone aged SecondLand origins to its expansion as the most populous race in the Imperium. It is very carefully written, as to not be seen as Humanti Independence propaganda.
    
    MasterOfAllWeaponsWoodLeatherStoneandMetal's Weapon's Guide:
    Several servants of Lord Masterofallweapons.. brought their master's notes to the impressors to be bound.  This three hundred page folio lists every kind of weapon know to the world, several that could be created, lists on how they use, and their good and bad points.  It is the WarCrafter's master guide.
    
    to be continued....

14. Add to Antioch Books Scroll

    #14

    Bloodsmith's Way of XXX, unilluminated
    Bloodsmith is an High Elventi who has served as the master physician of the Imperium since the year 102 (it is currently 4000 something). These are some of the most magnifcent renderings of the Elventi, Humanti, Dwarventi, and many other races forms... both inside and out.  He calls them his doodles. Each species' Way books details the physiology and energy pathways of the species and some solid cures for various common ailments (and a few exotic ones).  The Healer's Guild was one of the first to come to the Impressors to "mass produce" these texts, since there was only one set per Civilized Region  (that makes four in ThirdLand).
    
    Guild Law, edition III
    The Master Lawbook of Antioch. Currently on its third update in three years.
    
    The Danu
    This is a book of philosophy behind the MaskLander worship of the Master of Masks. It is quite enlightening to those who can not see beyond the alien costumes and makeup of the MaskLanders.
    
    The Deal of Cards
    This book details the three aspects of cards in magic. Mages/ wizards and such use cards (playing cards or tarot cards) as training tools. The patterns created by certain layouts of cards are mnemonic devices to teach key elemental associations and paths. With such interesting names as the Tree of Life, Phoenix's tail, Rythm of Heart, and Balance of the sphere, there pattern represent the matrices used by magic users to focus and present power. Spell processes can be represented by a sequence of cards. So mages will often be seen handing around hands of cards. Wizards will have a deck of cards with them.  
    
    Tarot Cards are used by Magic folks to predict the future (cartomancy). Since the present becomes the future through the interplay of elementally alligned forces, the tumble of cards can give clues to the way the pattern of elements will be in the future.
    
    Cards are also used to train wizards in Legerdemain. Since they have cards with them, they know how to use them. Guild magic users often have a knack for fancy shuffles, palming cards, and a variety of card tricks and games. Never play Poker with a Wizard.
    
    Heart's Call
    This 1200 page epic is the story of two Elventi Lovers who are caught between duty, honor, and obligation. The complete edition is quite thick. There are editions that break the story down into three books. There is a short version Heart's Call in Humanti, which is watered down version of the original and a mere 350 pages.

15. Codex Seraphinianus

    #15

    This book actually exists in our world (believe it or not) but is so weird that it would probably be more believable in roleplay world where it had popped through a magic gate to another world. Who knows, maybe in a role play world, the bizarre things it depicts can actually be reached. (Incidentally, I haven't read it, though I would like to at some point) - it's quite hard to get hold of.
    
    Codex Seraphinianus
    
    Essentially a fictional encyclopedia, depicting the bizarre fauna, flora, geography, culture and history of an imaginary world. Covered with detailed illustrations and scientific drawing and annotated in a bizarre fictitious language and a bizarre numbering system (mainly base 21 with some added weirdness; also some base 27). To make things even more bizarre, at one point there is a "Rosetta stone" depicted in the book - however, this just translates the fictitious script in which the book is written in to another, even weirder fictitious language of heiroglyphics.
    
    The book is divided in to sections (e.g. fauna, history, language). To quote someone who's read it:
    "After sections on flora and fauna, there is one on a genus consisting in of pairs of legs, which support not bodies but various surprising terminations such as umbrellas, balls of yarn, striped pods out of which tigers burst when ripe, numerous free-form shapes. There is a relatively abstract section on natural (or from our point of view unnatural) elements, along with scientific machines for analyzing them. There is a section depicting variations on parts of the human body as these are exhibited by sundry species.
    
    There is a section on races, civilizations and customs of the countries shown on a map of the world, a world whose continents and islands seem to have the ability to rearrange themselves at will; there are sections on food, clothing, games, and urban architecture. Perhaps the strangest section is the one on language, where the materiality of the letter is taken to the extreme. Here letters and words proliferate into different species beyond our own world's superficial differences of language."
    
    http://www.io.com/~iareth/codindx.html
    http://faculty.msvu.ca/pschwenger/codex.htm
    http://www.math.bas.bg/~iad/serafin.html

16. Books!

    #16

    Incidentally, another similar (and older) manuscript on which Serafini's was based was the yet-untranslated medieval 'Voynich' manuscript, which is available in scanned form from the Yale Rare Books Library.
    
    http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/brbldl/SearchExec.asp
    
    How Cthulhu!

17. Books!

    #17

    Ah, yes, the mysterious Voynich Manuscript. A riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in vellum.

18. Books!

    #18

    I've included non-translatable texts into Midian before, in my home campaign. I've even toyed with the idea of including the Voynich Manuscript itself, but realised that the reference would likely have been lost on the players.

19. And after all those dirty books...

    #19

    Father Amerk
    On amorality of the printed word
    
    A rather slim book, written by hand, with hand-painted illustrations. It is propaganda against the unclean and primitive new invention: the printing press. All fine readers should ally against dirty writing, and the low quality produced for people that cannot enjoy the real value of a book. While written by a sharp pen, the theological arguments are of rather low quality.
    
    ---
    
    Eduard Zibilaus
    War Of The Three Summers, a brief history
    
    The large book was originally bound from the notes of a young scribe, a servant of the legendary commander Valus Lefthanded. Besides the naive admiration of a young officer, it describes in solid detail the battles as they happened, with sketches of the units and their movements, and tries to determine the reason for success or defeat.
    
    While there now are better books available on the topic, this is actually the first treatise on the strategies of war. Consequently, it is owned or sought by collectors and/or experts on the field.

20. The Red Hand's Guide

    #20

    This is one of the twelve original hand written copies. The Red Hand were noted torturers, able to break anyone with scientific precisions and get what they want, inflicting just as much permanent damage or pain as they wished to inflict. Each member of the order either copied their own copy as they were being trained OR inherited a copy from a retired/ expired member. Then "mass production" of sorts occured and scribes of questionable nature produced more copies (then the inventing of the printing press expanded this).
    
    The book is highly illustrated. It shows dozens of accurate, though grusome, diagrams. It is very matter of fact about the subject, called pragmatic by some, sociopathic by others. Various techniques are rated for intensity, effectiveness and lasting effect. (The margin notes can be frightening to those "not in the business"). There are a few spells to assist in the process included as well, in addition to a guide on how to allow people to recover quickly. Some copies have additions on how to condition and train people to do what you want (once they are healed and released).
    
    This single book has been credited for changing the way confessions are obtained in every civilized country, changing the way spies are trained, and has changed the entire process of imprisionment and punishment in every country. It has been been studied by healers and warriors to pick up the some of the finer points that can be applied to their crafts. The book is illegal in most "good" countries (those with a pretense of moral superiority) and is actually a death sentence by torture in a few. The irony is not lost on many.
    
    http://www.strolen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=31636#31636

21. The Banned Book of Hell

    #21

    Perhaps the demon relam's first graphic novel,this collection of badly drawn illustrations parodying the Lord of the Desolate Shore and the other arch-fiends of Hell,enjoys a huge following among the imps and other lesser demons that resent the sometimes brutal and always heavy yoke imposed on them by their superiors.
    
    The identity of it's author is unknown,but it is widely held that he was a disgruntled minor demon in the service of the Lord of the Desolate Shore. His master,when hearing about the existance of this most disloyal document from a loyal boot licker,had it's creator put to death,so the popular story goes,but unfortunately not before it was borrowed by a group of the imp's cousins. The most outrageous scene in the book is a particularly lewd one that touches on the famous impotency of the Lord of the Desolate Shore. It depicts him trying to get aroused in the company of his wives,but failing pathetically.

22. DogBounds (Scroll Arth to Free-Text)

    #22

    Before the invention of the printing press, books started with leather binding. Yet books are being produced at such a rate and the leather being used for their binding so thin, that people are making the joke that they are bound using dog leather. DogBounds are the pulp magazines and books of their day: cheap, lurid, with a charm of their own.
    
    Karenia Series
    This is a modern day soap opera of Karenia and the trials and tribulations of her life in high society. (She was a lost daughter, raised in poverty as an inn girl, found by a loyal retainer, and brought back to her elite clan). It is insanely popular, almost a craze. Women are wearing their hair (and clothes) based upon the illustrations and description of her clothing in the book. There are 8 in the series so far and the soap opera continues.
    
    Kerenia is of slightly above average height, with long wavy chestnut hair, that has a bundle of curls. She uses a hair clip or even an Antioch hair band (scrunchy). She wears bodice detailed blouses with skirts, sometimes even dresses (one piece dresses not being the fashion anywhere at the moment).
    
    Shalmar's wandering
    This is a travelog of places Shalmar and his faithful WolfDog travel to. Most of the geographic and social information for the places is fairly accurate (so the authors must talke to someone from the area).  Every book he travels there, finds people in trouble, and with his quick wit solves the problems. There are 33 in the series. (There must be a number of people writing these things).
    
    Edwinius's Tale
    Also known as the Knight's Tale. It is the action soap opera set in "The Villages", as highly balkinized section of ThirdLand where feudal lords fight it out for square feet of territory and peasants live in some squaller. The fight/ battle sceens are quite admusting. It paints a romanticized view of life in The Villages.  There are 12 in the series.
    
    GoodWife's Cookery
    This is a listing of about 30 recipes from a given district in the city. Most of these recipes are pretty good. There is one book in this series published every third of a year or so. Once a year there is a "cook off" where several Goodwives (or foodsmiths) present their best in a competion judged by the Guild Council. The best recipes and all the runner ups are published in an overpriced  Gold Ribbon Recipes volume.  Since the Goodwife series has been running for only two and a half years, there are only 9 total in the series.
    
    There are Goodwife books to cleaning, laundery, sewing, and ettiquite. These are single volumes.
    
    Soldier's tale
    This is a compendium of tales from soldiers, sailors, guardsmen. Put out every month or so, it comes with one to five stories about warriors of all types. Supposedly the stories are all true, plied from soldiers over a tankard or two. They might be. The stories seem mostly factually, but the details have been obscured and the action increased to make it more exciting. Every few books have a informational articles on weapons, weapon use, tactics, horse care, and "secret of the Imperial larder" - recipes soldiers actually eat in the field).
    
    SpellSmith's tales
    Building on the success of Soldier's tales, the same press is trying to do it for magic users. These are stories about apprenticeship, scholarship, and the occasional odd theory or research accident.  They tried the ambitious once a month format, but it did not sell well. So now it is published every half year to modest sales (mostly guild members).

23. The One Hundred Upright Actions

    #23

    Often simply referred to as the Hundred, this is a dry and uninteresting book on the proper methods of warfare. The book has no interesting battles or illustrations, rather it deals with the precise operations of troop formations, the most effective methods to maintain a good camp with excellent sentry protection, and the like. It is standard issue to newly commisioned officers, though few read it during decadent times. Most good officers have read the book and understand its protocols and procedures, while those who havent are generally sloppy officers who can make crucial and expensive mistakes.

24. These are two books submission, each linked, each with Arth Free-text

    #24

    The Way of the Magical Hand by ArchMage Cragius Archerous
    
    This is his master tract on the use of gestures in spell casting.  This three hundred page volume shows every hand gesture that could be used in spell casting. Each gestures has instructions on to properly perform them as well as their their meta-magical meaning, their meanings in ancient and modern cultures, and some of the ways they can be used to enhance spell casting. Studying of this tract will allow a spell caster to learn how to cast silently, with just perfect gestures, or give them bonuses when casting normally and using the perfect gestures.  In the list of motions includes "showman" motions, used to disguise the purpose of the spell, make the casting of the spell seem more dramatic/ important/ difficult, and some slight of hand tricks to do "magic" without expending energy.  
    
    There are hundreds of these tracts in existance, as many guild hall instructors make their apprentices hand copy each page so they will learn the components of magic properly.
    
    As a historical note: He was said to be a master level harpist, a human capable of playing for the Imperial Court as a player, rather than a polite novelty. He supposedly wrote several great works and a tract of harping under the name Curtus HarpCrafter. There is much debate about his being the identity of Curtus HarpCrafter and if he should be stripped from the guild of magic for being in more than one guild.
    
    It is a pity that an experiment with alchemical solvents cost this master mage his hands.
    
    On Flesh and Regrowth by by ArchMage Cragius Archerous
    This tract was dictated by the master (though some said he used a magically enhanced quill rather than a scribe/ student). Healing is normally the providence of Priests (mages of the spirit the 5th elements (which is actually two elements light and dark... but this gets confusing so we move on). Cragius Archerous spent the last half of his life working on ways to "get around" the great compact, the meeting that defines what is mortal and what is spiritual/ divine (thus what is safe and not safe for mortals to do).  A devout man, who had seen the results of experiments of a magical nature using the 5th element (his own uncle, one of his sponsors, had a number of terrible incidents and was changed afterwards), worked within and around the sane restrictions.  
    
    His work centers on breaking flesh and life down to its elemental and mystic components. He experimented with flesh still animated by spirit, leaving the spirit untouched. He explored how the elements of life (cytons in his vocabulary) work. Most importantly, the tract (which was never completed) included how to cast a weave of micromagics to effect the components of an element of life. This technique of cascading micromagics is the master work which enshrines him in the Hall of Magic.  His magnification spell (which he included the hand work for), which he developed for his work, is still taught to this day (though mostly used by healers who have access to standard magic). Some say that his work laid the foundation for Ariones of Antioch brilliant and world changing work: A Way of Looking at Things   ( http://www.strolen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=28362#28362 )

25. The Scrolls of the Crimsom Eye (I will have to dig this up)

    #25

    http://www.strolen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=32897#32897
    
    Despite the title, the Scrolls is a thin book with a brown leather binding with a red embossed eye on the cover. The Eye is the symbol of a holy order of Evil Cult Hunters, those that hunt the Demon Cults.  
    
    I promise to write up the organization. I promise to write up the organization. I promise to write up the organization. I promise to write up the organization. I promise to write up the organization. I promise to write up the organization. I promise to write up the organization.

26. Books!

    #26

    The New Atlantis
    A utopian and visionary essay, left unfinished; its plot structure has been frequently recycled for formula science fiction novels. References to the philosophy of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons are abundant. It is maintained that the New Atlantis was the blueprint for the founding of new countries of the realm. "This fable my lord devised, to the end that he might exhibit therein a model or description of a college, instituted for the interpreting of nature, and the producing of great and marvellous works for the benefit of man, under the name of Solomon's House, or the College of the Six Days' Works.� This book must be read by anyone interested in mystical history.
    
    The Sylva Sylvarum: Or a Natural History in Ten Centuries
    One of the greatest repository of scientific ideas, facts, beliefs, fables, conjectures, covering all fields of nature. Part III of the Great Instauration. Foundation stone of the Royal Society.Originally published with the New Atlantis, but most later editions exclude it.
    
    Advertisement Touching A Holy War
    Published 10 years after its writing, by a foreign pressman who did not know what he published. This book argues that a society dedicated to science and technology would "relieve the human estate," providing a longer, healthier, more informed, and more ennobling life for everyone. This remarkable work stands as a document of major historical importance and intense current relevance because it offers an additional reason for the modern revolution. In it, the author dares to suggest that a revolution in thinking and acting is necessary because European intellectual and spiritual life as well as European politics had been captured by religious fanaticism that threatened to plunge Renaissance Europe into another dark age. The Author chose the old literary device of dialogue to present his argument for wholesale change indirectly. In the conversation of his characters he allows readers to see the reasons for kindling spiritual warfare against the spiritual rulers of European civilization. An Advertisement Touching a Holy War gives a great philosopher's reasons for initiating the war between science and religion that was actually fought in the coming centuries in Western civilization and of which we are the heirs.
    
    The Advancement of Learning
    A report on the deficiencies of learning in the current century, along with possible approaches for overcoming them. (see an excerpt on the transmission of knowledge) This seminal philosophical treatise, originally penned in 1605 and considered the first major philosophical work written in English, also offers the first description of science as a tool to improve the human condition. This breakthrough work of the English Renaissance hailed new times and new possibilities for the human species.
    
    De augmentis scientiarum or Of Arguments Scientific
    The Author distinguishes between duty to the community, an ethical matter, and duty to God, a purely religious matter. Any moral action is the action of the human will, which is governed by reason and spurred on by the passions; habit is what aids men in directing their will toward the good. No universal rules can be made, as both situations and men's characters differ.
    Note: This work, and works of this author were banned in several countries and listed as "proscribed" by several churches.
    
    The Essays:
    The collected essays written by The Great Philospher Lord Bashonis. The fifty papers covers a wide variety of topics from Truth, Love, Proper Manners, Friendship, Travel, and the correct way to Groom.

27. Books!

    #27

    The Hilbus Series
    Penned by a famed artist/naturalist who was known for his wide travels is a series of illustrated books detailing vegetation, animals, and insects that he had studied. Each manuscript has a very detailed picture of the subject with appropriate labelings accompanied by a recourse on the observations and/or uses of the subject.
    
    The bland titles belie the wealth that is hidden amongst them. His first book was the vegetation which led him into his detailed exploration of the insect world.
    
    There are only two original, color volumes of each of the books. He did those 6 volumes himself. Keeping one and presenting the other to kings or libraries. From there they were duplicated, to a point, by the best scribes and artists that could be hired so that the other volumes are still fairly accurate (mostly). Some may be found to have glaring mistakes as any work that is transcribed may have.
    
    Vegetation of the Lands
    About 125 pages of detailed pictures of various types of plant life. Many pages hold multiple pictures with short descriptions on the facing page. The listings show any known medicinal or cooking uses as well as climate information and any specific regions where the vegetation is most prevelant.
    
    Insects of the Lands
    Hilbus was fascinated with the insect and this volume shows how infatuated he was with it. In this volume are some of the most detailed, multi-angled drawings in the collection. A surprising amount of insects are edible or used for their medical properties which are as detailed as any of his other listings.
    
    Creatures of the Land
    After seeing the detail a king hired Hilbus to create this volume which quickly became his most popular. In fact, it is the most poorly written and researched of the three as he was on a deadline for its completion. Even though Hilbus' rushed completion of the book is obvious the volume still contains a wealth of information and some beautiful renderings. Many only know of this single books existance and may not know of his other volumes.
    
    Notes 18 volumes
    These 'notebooks' hold some of the deepest and most interesting rough sketches of his travels including diary type notes and many sketches and information that did not make his public volumes. Many things he left out because he would not put something not thouroughly researched in his final cut so there could be literaly thousands of extra sketches and notes available. He was not afraid to sketch mythological or rumored subjects from descriptions in legend either along with all information he could get on them. Each notebook is simply labeled in numbered order, Notes 1, Notes 2, etc.

28. Add to the Antioch Book Scroll

    #28

    Movements and Manuvers in the Landing Wars
    The M&M gives a detailed account of the various battles, intrigues, alliances, and betrayals that have marked the last 120 years of the Landing Wars (up to that time). It is filled with clarified accounts of units involved in and their movements upon the field, with occasional maps and diagrams. In addition to the martial acts, it includes much of the notable political and social manuvering performed over the course of the Wars. In fact, the powers diagram for the Bedroom Manuvers (use of marriage and romance to foster power) is enlightening. Thought  written 26 years ago, the books is still remarkably useful to understand the history of The Villages, the North Eastern Segment of the Antioch Region of ThirdLand.
    
    Music of Rejoycing
    A compilation of sixty prayers to be sung for the following of Andoran religious tennents. The notations include both the words and the bardic notes to perform the prayers.
    
    The Grimms Book
    This book binds together the hundreds of "fantastical", "fantasy", and folk  stories for all of the Western World. In the dark and grim world of reality, these stories both illuminate and engage the sleeping soul.
    
    The Walks of Amarian Princes
    The Walks is a detailed biography of all the Amarian Princes that have reigned over The Region for the Emperor since the city's founding. It excludes the last two Amarian Princes, who ruled since its publishing. What makes this work more interesting than the normal propaganda such works normally are, is that this is the first analytical biography. This works investigates and explains why the princes took the actions they did. It has become the benchmark for scholarship on the subject of leaders and biographies.
    
    The Wylds of the Dark Cults
    This work details the conspiracies and possibilities of Dark Cults thoughout the ages. Dark Cults are defined as cults that do not worship conventional Deities, but worship (and perform for) Deamons and other spirits for the direct benefits they can provide. While some of the "scholarship" sound like flights of fancy, the book is thoughtful and insightful. This book would of been lost with the "mysterious deaths" of the author and scribe on the same night and the two fires (one of the author's house and one for the printer's warehouse), but miracuously copies survived to be mass published.

29. On True Power

    #29

    "On True Power", Phobi-can's thesis on "the ultimate weapon" and man's natural state. It made such a powerful statement that the man's name came to mean a fear (Phobica or Phobia).
    
    Exerpt from the Introduction:
    I know the ultimate weapon. Humans commit folly after folly because they are afraid. Fear was once Humankind's most powerful ally, giving enormous potency to the instinct for suvival. Now, fear has become Humankind's greatest enemy, and such is the obtusemenss of my species that is members do not realize it is the most powerful element of Human existance.
    
    It is what drives them to embrace leaders who offer nothing more than false promises of security and doctrines that assure them that they are exempt from the inevitable consequence of being born, and to destroy the planet with insane consumption that does nothing more than distract them from their own mortality. They venerate charlatans and deny what is necessary to their own well-being because they are afraid. The situation is exacerbated by one of evolution's cruelest jokes, the capability to deny to themselves what they are doing even as they are doing it.
    
    I have taught the followers of the crown that to overcome fears they must first face it. Once cannot change until one has accepted oneself fully. I have also instructed the minions in manipulating the enemy's fear, in the use of fear as a tactical weapon. With it, the minion of the crown are invinsible.
    
    Fear is my weapon. I shall use fear.

30. More Thesis

    #30

    The Forgotten Element - On Water Flow
    The author laments about the power and usefulness of the water element, but how it is underutilized by the (then) modern mage. There is a great deal of symbolism and imagery dealing with the smooth flow of water, magical, metaphorical, and physical. The work includes how water symbolism is used through out history. Of special note is how to handle water energy threads and how it is different than other elemental threads.
    
    The Kelchius Works
    The author of this work is unknown. The work was discovered by in the Library at Kelchius, stuffed deep in the archives. The work hold a number of unique effects and how to achieve them. It also includes some alternate ways to achieve standard effects that are more difficult to dispell (though harder to do).
    
    Rogerian Path
    The author walks the magician through the symbolism of the cards and how the elements build upon each other. It is a primer for the empowered symbolism of the cards, but it can be used to enhance the symbolism and initiation of an Adept.
    
    The Phantasmal Path
    A work by the Classic Author Tricerus, the Phantasmal Path discusses illusion, the theories behind them, and a very detailed not on the most effective tips and tricks to utilize illusions to their maximum effect.

31. Two famous Centasi operas

    #31

    Among the Centasi, especially those of the northern regions (a peculiar debased form of opera is performed among the islands of the north of which we shall not speak), there is no more beloved, ancient, and respected art than opera, that wondrous blending of theater, song, and orchestra. And there are no more respected composers of opera among the Centasi, whether ancient or contemporary opera, than the late masters Signore Anlar Parlat and Don Hazhizhab Takl. Their masterpieces, Phantom Snake and Don Han, respectively, are iconic to all Centasi.
    
    Phantom Serpent, by Signore Anlar Parlat
    The masterpiece of the renowned opera composer Anlar Parlat, and one of the only works to survive the tragic fire which slew him, Phantom Serpent (or, more formally, the Tragedies of Emmia and Phantom Serpent) is the tale of mysterious events occuring in an playhouse of the Old Kingdom which is the entire setting of the opera.
    The main character, the beautiful Emmia, is a young singer in the chorus of the playhouse, whose singing talents overshadow those of the playhouse's prima donna, the arrogant Avluttia. One of the producers of the playhouse, Menclai, discovers that he has fallen in love with Emmia, and gives Emmia the starring role in a new play, where she is to sing a magnificent aria. Emmia's beautiful voice also catches the attention of the playhouse's secret owner, the bizarre and mysterious Phantom Serpent (a genius who is a master of Old Kingdom architecture, music, philosophy, and design; every year, the producers of the plays in the house pay him a salary of 6,000 lucreti and allow him a private box for the viewing of all plays). Phantom Serpent abducts Emmia into the vast, shadowy underworld of his lair, a partially flooded maze in which he hides his deformity.
    Emmia discovers that Phantom Serpent has been watching her since her childhood, and has fallen in love with her. However, when the mysterious man removes his dark armor and cape, he is revealed to be a deformed lie of nature, a man with the scaled skin and fangs of a serpent. Emmia flees him in terror, becoming lost in the catacombs. Phantom Serpent, enraged and heartbroken, pursues her and himself becomes lost.
    On the stage above, Menclai becomes frantic, searching for Emmia, and knows that the mysterious master of the playhouse has taken her. He discovers one of Phantom Serpent's trapdoors and proceeds into the dark catacomb.
    Emmia, Menclai, and Phantom Snake all wander through the catacomb, following each other in circles, only able to hear the voices of the others. Eventually, Phantom Snake becomes insane, and, encountering Menclai, attacks him. They battle; Phantom Serpent is killed, but gives out a dark curse before he dies. Menclai is mortally wounded. Emmia finds him, and falls down beside him. He gives her one last kiss and one final request- that she sing for him the aria of the play. She begins to sing, just as Avluttia on the stage above does; Emmia's vastly superior aria, heightened by the heights of her sorrow, overshadows Avluttia's voice.
    The end of the opera sees Emmia lying down alongside the dying Menclai, and Avluttia being honored as the greatest singer and actress ever to have graced the stage.
    It is to be noted that frequently, contemporary productions of this play have made Avluttia a more sympathetic character by making her envious of Emmia and despairing of ever gaining such skill. Also of note is the fact that the scene in which Phantom Serpent explains his origins is probably a later addition, possibly by a different author, because it contains references to political events (such as the Orange Navy Fiasco) which were not common knowledge when Parlat wrote the opera. Finally, the original costume which Parlat advised for Emmia has become so iconic that it is almost cartoon shorthand for a beautiful, innocent woman (a black girdle, white blouse, and a single yellow, ruffled skirt), and something of a metaphor for a woman who is unaware of her sexual attractiveness.
    
    Don Han, by Don Hazhizhab Takl
    Don Han is the partly fictionalized tale of Don Han Jhaklab, a noble of the Jhini Islands of the northwest. It is a partial tale; Hazhizhab Takl fell prey to a mysterious death before finishing part two, thus, it is much shorter than most operas and more fast paced.
    Don Han is an appreciator of the famous Belath Dancers of the northern land, and every day goes to watch their sinuous ballet in the Square of Makhla. One day, as he views the dancers, he sees Methi, a beautiful northern girl. Going later that evening to the tent of the Belath Dancers, Don Han accidentaly views Methi bathing, and is immediately enamored.
    The next day, he goes to the Belath camp before breakfast, awakens Methi, and seduces her. He asks for her hand in marriage, but the Belath Dancers are departing on a ship to return to the north, and she is dragged away before she can answer him.
    Heartbroken, Don Han spends a week seducing women of his town and wasting his money on prostitutes. But one day, he awakens to discover that he has bedded every woman in town.
    Gathering his things, and taking with him his manservant Hetrio, Don Han boards a ship for the northern lands.
    When they step off in the northern port, they are, in quick succession, robbed, beaten by fanatics, accosted by soldiers of the black empire, and swindled into purchasing a "magic compass" which the salesmen tricks Don Han into believing will lead him to Methi.
    Hetrio leads Don Han from the town, where Don Han discovers that the compass is a fake, and doesn't even work as a regular compass. This is the last straw, and Don Han's former dreamy optimism breaks. He sings long and sad about all of his life's troubles, and about his broken heart.
    The end of the play (or rather, the end of the single part of the play which exists) features Hetrio singing another long explanation- Hetrio comforts his master, and then sings to the world about his master's virtues and follies, revealing that Methi was perhaps a figment all along, as Don Han is a man of strange mind and all his life has seen visions.
    The play generally ends with Hetrio sitting down beside his weeping, dejected master and giving him a comforting pat on the shoulder; this has become synonymous with uncertain endings, and most stories, plays, and other operas whose endings are ambiguous feature this action in some way.
    The name Don Han has become shorthand for both "seducer", "promiscuous man", and "dreamer". The costume tradition for Don Han has changed little since the days of Helbed Raan, producer during the 1320s at the famous Opera Glorious in Simblios, had Don Han's costume set as a traditional Jhini lord-cloak and black jumpsuit, as well as a red headband (which has become a symbol for a promiscuous or sexually-skilled man).

32. A BOOK OF COOKRYE

    #32

    A
    BOOK OF
    COOKRYE
    
    Very Necessary for
    all such as delight
    therin.
    
    Gathered by A. W.
    
    And now newlye enlarged with the serving in of the Table.
    
    With the proper Sauces to each of them convenient.
    
    AT LONDON
    Printed by Edward Allde. 1591.
    
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The order how Meats should be served to the Table, with their sauces
    
    The First course.
    Potage or stewed broth.
    boiled meat or stewed meat.
    Chickins and Bacon.
    Powdred Beefe.
    Pyes, Gooce, Pigge.
    Rosted Beefe.
    Rosted Veale.
    Custard.
    
    The second course.
    Rosted Lamb.
    Rosted Capons.
    Chickins.
    Pehennes.
    Bakte Venison, Tart.
    
    The service at Supper.
    Potage or Sew.
    A Sallet.
    A Pigges petitoe.
    Powdred Beef sliced.
    A shoulder of mutton or a brest.
    Vele, Lamb, Custard.
    
    If you want to read the entire book (it is not long), it is found at
    http://jducoeur.org/Cookbook/Cookrye.html
    This should give you an idea what people in your historical analog/ fantasy worlds should be expecting to eat.

33. Books!

    #33

    The Good Housewife's Jewell
    Wherein is to be found most excellent and rare Devises for conceites in Cookery, found out by the practise of Thomas Dawson.
    
    Whereunto is adjoyned sundry approved receits for many soveraine oyles, and the way to distill many precious waters, with divers approved medicines for many diseases.
    
    Also certain approved points of husbandry, very mecessary for all Husbandmen to know.
    
    Newly set foorth with additions.
    
    1596.
    
    Imprinted at London for Edward White dwelling at the little North doore of Paules at the signe of the Gun.
    
    A booke of Cookerie
    
    To boile Larkes
    To boile Conies
    To boyle a Cony
    To boile Chickens
    To boile mutton and Chickens
    To boile Chickins
    An other way to boyle Chickins
    To boile Plovers
    To boile Teales
    To boile steakes betweene two dishes
    To boile a neates tongue
    To boile a capon
    The boyling of a capon
    To boile a Capon with Orenges and Lemmons
    To boile a capon in white broth with almondes
    To boile a capon in white broth
    To make boyled meates for dinner
    To boyle meates for supper
    To boyle a legge of Mutton with a Pudding
    To boile pigges feete and petitoes
    To make a mortis
    To boyle a Lambes head and purtenance
    To boyle Quailes
    To make stewed Steakes
    To stewe Calves feete
    To stewe a Mallard
    To make Aloes
    To make Fritters of Spinnedge
    A Fritter to be made in a Moulde
    To boyle pigeons in blacke broth
    To smere a Conie
    To boyle a Mallard with Cabbadge
    To boyle a Ducke with Turneps
    To make white Estings
    To make blacke puddings
    To make strong broth for sicke men
    To boile a Breame
    To boile Muskles
    To boile Stockfish
    To make bake meates
    Another bake meate
    An other bake meate
    To make Marie pies
    To boile pie meate
    To make fine Cakes
    To make fine cracknels
    To bake Connies
    To bake a brest of veale
    To make a pudding in a breast of veale
    To bake a Gammon of Bacon
    To make fine bisket bread
    To bake a Turkie and take out his bones
    To bake a Kidde
    To bake a Mallard
    To make a Pye of Humbles
    To bake a Red deare
    Another bakemeate for Chickins
    To bake Calves feete
    To sowce a Pigge
    The order to boyle a Brawne
    To make Almond butter
    To roast an Hare
    To make Fritter stuffe
    For to bake a Hare
    To preserve Orenges
    To make all maner of fruit Tartes
    To make a Tarte of preserved stuffe
    To make a Tarte of Prunes
    To make a Tart of Ryce
    To make a Custard
    To make a Tarte of Wardens
    To make a tarte with butter and egges
    To make a tarte of Spennedge
    To make a tarte of Strawberries
    To make a Tarte of hippes
    To bake the Humbles of a Deere
    To make a veale pie
    For to make mutton pies
    To bake calves feete
    To bake Chickens in a Cawdle
    To bake pigeons
    To bake a Conie
    To bake a Gammon of bacon and keepe colde
    To bake a Fillet of beefe to keepe colde
    To make fine bread
    To bake a Neates tongue
    To make muggets
    To make fillets of beefe or clods instead of red Deare
    To make a tarte that is courage to a man or woman
    To stewe a Cocke
    To preserve all kinde of fruites, that they shall not breake in the preserving of them
    To make a sirop for bake meates
    To roast a Carpe or Tench with a Pudding in his belly
    To make a fresh Cheese and Creame
    
    THE NAMES OF ALL thinges necessary for a banquet
    To make Manus Christi
    To make a Caudle to comfort the stomacke, good for an olde man
    To make a Trifle
    To make Marmelat of Quinces
    To make butter paste
    To make Fritter stuffe
    To make a dishe of Artechokes
    To frie Bakon
    To frie Chickins
    To make a boyle meat after the French waies
    To make a Sallet of all kinde of hearbes
    A sauce for a Conie
    To make a Sallet of Lemmons
    To make a sausedge
    To make a pie
    To make white broth with Almondes
    To make pottage to losse the bodie
    To make another very good potage to be used in the morning
    To boile divers kindes of fishes
    To make broth for one that is weake
    To boile a capon with a sirrop
    To dresse a hare
    To bake a hare
    To rost Deares tongues
    To make Blewmanger
    To make peascods in Lent
    To bake Quinces, Peares and Wardens
    To make a tarte of Spinadge
    To make blame mangle
    To make a Tarte of an eare of Veale
    To make a Tarte of Strawberles
    To make a close Tarte of Cherries
    To make a close Tarte of green Pease
    To make a Tarte of Damsons
    To make a florentine
    To make Almond butter after the best and newest fashion
    To make Oister Chewets
    To make a Tarte of Medlers
    To make Hypocrase
    To make an other pretie dishe, with dates, and the juice of two or three Orenges
    
    Order of Meats
    
    The first course
    The second course
    The first course at Supper
    The second course
    The service at Dinner
    Service for fish daies
    The second course
    Service for Fish daies
    The second course
    
    If you want to see the entire text or individual entries, this is found at
    http://www.harvestfields.ca/CookBooks/003/07/00.htm
    Like above, this should give you an idea what people in your historical analog/ fantasy worlds should be expecting to eat. Or at least if they are English. I am looking for an Italian or Chinese cook book from the periods.
    Here is an article about food as well:
    http://www.rpgcitadel.com/guild/index.php?topic=1962.0
    

34. Books!

    #34

    Perias Amnil
    One Tooth Or Many
    
    The works of a lone genius and an obsessed tooth collector, it is a true foundation for the science of paleontology... that may arise one day. A thick tome contains vast knowledge on identifying the properties of a tooths' original owner - what does it eat, how big is it, and even how it looks. No easy read, though, it takes time to find the needed information.
    
    
    Marney Helder
    To Leech Or Not To Leech
    
    Recommended for all that want to call themselves doctors, the small thick book is the result of long research on using leeches on many common ailments. Besides slightly dubious uses, it concentrates on serious wounds and ways how leeches can help curing gangrene, even poisoning. Many doctors and healers have leeches and treat patients with the help of this book.
    
    
    Marney Helder
    The Animal Healing
    
    A much rarer and less known work of this author, it is about animals, but also lesser creatures such as spiders and insects, the ways they heal and how they could be used to heal people. It is mostly composed of observations, and theories, with a few experimental treatments. Speaking about dogs licking their wounds, and whether it helps if they lick their masters' wounds, about poisons helping the sick sometimes, serious healers should be very careful about trying anything from this book.
    
    
    Cheldan Morodday
    The End By Dragon Kinde
    
    Another apocalyptic scenario. The author argues that dragons as a race are actually social creatures... so much that they live in gigantic communities in thousands, like bees in a swarm. These communities (or it may be only one) move across the world and settle for a time in one place, live in it until they consume all resources, and leave it a complete wasteland, then move on.
    
    The terrible creatures known as dragons are only outsiders, expelled from the swarm and roaming on their own. Alone, they may be killed. But when they COME, it will be all over... all civilisation, and most life will be erased from the surface. It may come back, in a few thousand years. There is also a theory, that such a thing has already happened, and tries to find evidence, but with little success yet.
    
    The book itself is mostly to be found by various sages, and many keep this knowledge out of the reach for common people, just to be sure. (The inspiration)

35. Encyclopedia Geographica (One Item Post, as is) linked to Society

    #35

    Encyclopedia Geographica VOL I - III, ED I 1572
    
    Encyclopedia Geographica VOL I - IV, ED II 1580
    
    Encyclopedia Geographica ED III 1590 (It is one massive book! A full 10 Kgs, 23 lbs)
    
    Encyclopedia Geographica VOL I-VI, ED IV  1600
    
    A Brief Encyclopedia Geographica ED IVa 1605
    
    Encyclopedia Geographica VOL I-VI, ED V 1610
    
    A Brief Encyclopedia Geographica ED Va 1615 - Accepted as a primary text at the Great College of Collon!
    
    Geographica Historical VOL I-X ED 1618, a complete history of the world known to date. It takes all the historical data collected by the Society and collates it in one place. This series has been banned in one country because it honestly reflects some politically embarassing history. To be fair, many criticized it in the Order's home country because of certain notations in its history.
    
    The Encyclopedia Geographica is the seminal work of Civilization. The Books are bound in Geographic Green textured leather, with brass accents along the spine. They also have a green ribbon attatched to mark one's place.
    
    This book has a map of every civilized and most uncivilized places in the world with articles that explain the peoples, societies, governments, flora, and fauna,  found on those maps. It also includes a world map, showing which areas are mapped. While the current edition is very "terse" in its write ups, it is very complete. One can honestly say, you are holding the known world in your hand when holding this book. In fact, governments across the known world "subscribe" to the Encyclopedia, so they can have several copies for government use.
    
    (It is the CIA Factbook of its day http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ )
    
    The Encyclopedia Geographica is the product of the Royal Geographic Order.  The Order sponsors fact finding expeditions across the world, exploring new territory and doing research in old ones. The order brings together all this knowledge. Every decade or so they summarize it and publish an Encyclopedia. The Order publishes more books and is one of the largest publishers of books in the Known World.
    
    Editions in various foreign tongues come out one to three years after the primary versions do. They are fairly translated, but some countries do their own translations (sending copies back to the Order).
    
    note: One is currently being produced as a gift for the Warlord of the Reach Nomads, so The Great One can learn all about the rest of the world beyond the Reaches.
    
    Reference
    http://www.strolen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=35367#35367

36. Books!

    #36

    Of Metals and Their Uses
    ~by Eye Yorn Darksmith
    
    This 56 page phamplet is one that is quite useful to a smithy and wanted by most, yet hard to come by due to each copy being handwritten. The author is one Eye Yorn Darksmith, a certain psuedonym. While not willing to publish with his true name, the contents of the phamplet are very informative, listing almost every metal known to civilization, their properties (as ascertained by him), and their common/not so common uses within a mere 44 pages.
    The final 12 pages list some mythological metals and their supposed properties, as well as a few potential applications should the metals truly exist.
    This is a fairly recent work, dating back only a few decades.

37. Books!

    #37

    The Praise of Folly (Erasmus 1511).
    
    The essay is filled with classical allusions delivered in a style typical of the learned humanists of the Renaissance. Folly parades as one of the gods, offspring of Inebriation and Ignorance, whose faithful companions include Philautia (self-love), Kolakia (flattery), Lethe (oblivion), Misoponia (laziness), Hedone (pleasure), Anoia (thoughtlessness), Tryphe (wantonness), Komos (intemperance) and Eegretos Hypnos (dead sleep).
    
    It starts off with a satirical learned encomium after the manner of the Ancient satirist Lucian, whose work Erasmus had recently translated into Latin. It then takes a darker tone in a series of orations, as Folly praises self-deception and madness and moves to a satirical examination of pious superstitions and practices in the Church and the folly of pedants (including Erasmus himself).
    
    The Praise of Folly is considered one of the most influential works of literature in Civilization and one of the catalysts of the Reformation.
    
    (Based upon a real book)

38. Utopia

    #38

    On the Best State of a Republic and on the New Island of Utopia
    Or known is less Elven areas as Utopia. (More 1516)
    
    A depiction of a island society and it compares that land's unusual political ideas with the contemporary politics of the Known World. The book is a collection of letters between a known minister and a king of a few centuries ago. They discuss the state of things there and the known world. It is sometimes a biting discussion/ condemnation that has caused the book to be disavowed in many places.
    
    The island was originally part of the mainland of a distant but known cotinent, but a large channel was dug by the community's founder Utopos to separate it. The island contains fifty-four towns, each with about 6,000 households. 30 households are grouped together and controlled by a Syphograntus or "Styward" and 10 Stywards are overseen by a Traniborus or "Bencheater". Each town has a mayor elected from among the ranks of the Bencheaters. Every household has between 10 and 16 adults and people are re-distributed around the households and towns to keep numbers even. If the island suffers from overpopulation colonies are set up on the mainland. The native of the mainland are invited to be part of these Utopian colonies but if they don't like it they are ejected from the land. In the case of under population the colonists are re-called.
    
    There is no private ownership on Utopia, with goods being stored in warehouses and people requesting what they need. There are also no locks on the doors of the houses. Agriculture is only one job on the island. Every person is taught it and must live in the countryside, farming, for two years at a time, with women doing the same work as men. Parallel to this, essential trades are taught such as weaving and carpentry but there is deliberate simplicity about the trades; so for instance, all people wear the same types of simple clothes and there are no dressmakers making fine apparel. The people only have to work six hours a day—although many willingly work for longer—and this helps prevent over production. More does allow scholars in his society to become the ruling officials or priests, people picked during their primary education for their ability to learn.
    
    Slaves are a feature of Utopian life and it is reported that every household has two. The slaves are either made in some obscure process or are criminals of Utopia. These criminals are weighed down with chains made out of gold. The gold is part of the community wealth of the country, and fettering criminals with it or using it for plates and cutlery gives the citizens a healthy dislike of it. It also makes it difficult to steal as it is on plain view. The wealth though is of little importance and is only good for buying commodities from foreign nations or bribing these nations to fight each other. Slaves are periodically released for good behaviour.
    
    Other significant innovations of Utopia include: a welfare state with free hospitals, euthanasia encouraged by the state, priests being allowed to marry, divorce permitted, pre-marital sex punished by a lifetime of enforced celibacy and adultery being punished by enslavement. Meals are taken in community dining halls and the job of feeding the population is given to a different household in turn. Although all are fed the same, Raphael explains that the old and the administrators are given the best of the food. Travel on the island is only permitted with an internal passport and anyone found without a passport in placed into slavery. In addition, there are no lawyers and the law is made deliberately simple, as all should understand it and not leave people in any doubt of what is right and wrong.
    
    There are several religions on the island: moon-worshipers, sun-worshipers, planet-worshipers, ancestor-worshipers and monotheists, but each is tolerant of the others. Only atheists are despised in Utopia. They are not banished but encouraged to talk out their erroneous beliefs with the priests until they are convinced of their wrong. Raphael says that through his teachings Christianity was beginning to take hold in Utopia. The toleration of all other religious ideas is enshrined in a universal poem all the Utopians recite.
    
    Women are given a high degree of equality in the society with women able to become priests and trained in military arts but they are still subordinate to men, with women confessing their sins to their husbands once a month. Gambling, hunting, makeup and astrology are all discouraged in Utopia.
    
    (Also based upon a real book)

39. The Elven Identity

    #39

    This book, penned more than 300 years ago has been repeatedly attacked as nothing more than a hate motivated attack against the elves. The book describes how the elders of the Elven race seek to dominate the world, and bring humanity to it's knees and serve the elves. The book details how the humans were once the slaves of the elves and how they escaped their bondage. It also draws correllations between the elves and the orcs, as well as the elves and every single magical or enviromental disaster to afflict humanity. Oddly, the normally aloof elves harbor a strong grudge against this book and hunt it quite vigorously.

40. Books!

    #40

    Apicius: Cookery and Dining in Imperial Times.
    (Edited and Translated by Dommers 1468) Second Printing
    This is the second printing of the first new tongue translation of Apicius de re Coquinaria, the oldest known cookbook in existence. It is also one of the few translations of this original Imperial cookbook prepared by a profesional chef. This book will appeal to gourmets, professional and amateur chefs, cultural historians, and others who want to see, first hand, the foods on which Imperial peoples dined. This in the unabridged republication of the original 1436 edition.
    Printed in Newbury by the New Blue Press 301 pages. 80 Illus
    
    Empire of Pleasures: Luxury and Indulgence in the Imperial Realm (Dahlus 1428) .
    A geography of luxury runs through the literature of Imperial Times-- Persica the golden peaches whose Imperial name pinpointed Persia as the source of their world-wide migration -- Caecubum, a fine, rare, dry red wine from Campanian vineyards that were once prized, afterwards neglected; these flavors were identified, evaluated and tasted in a single work. Empire of Pleasures presents an evocative survey of the sensory culture of the Imperium, showing how the Imperial themselves depicted and visualized their food, wine and entertainments in literature and in art. With numerous illustrations, and recipes to conjure up the luxurious flavors and aromas of Imperial literature, Empires of Pleasures will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in classical literature and culture.
    Printed in Newbury at the Blue Press 304 pp. 37 plates and figures
    
    Galenus on Food and Diet (Granus 1430)
    A modern translation of Galenus . At the apogee of ancient medical advances stood Galenus, one of the first founder of the Seven Stars and the personal physician to the Fifth Emperor. A prolific writer, among his surviving works is what he believed to be the definitive guide to a healthy diet, based on the theory of the four humours. In these treatises Galenus sets out this theory, which was to be profoundly influential on medicine for many centuries, and describes in fascination detail the effects on health of a vast range of foods, from lettuce, lard and fish to peaches, pickles and hyacinths. This books provides many captivating insights into the ancient understanding of food and health.
    Printed in Newbury at Blue Press 120 pp. 50 plates
    
    Of Agricultura (Pilfany 1465)
    This work of Caton the elder is essential to our understanding of classical Imperial domestic economy, as well as being the first extended Imperial prose work to have survived to this day. Caton has information for everyone: on planting and maintaining olive groves, on supervising the staff, on making various loaves or gruels out of grains, on the manifold curative properties of cabbage, on getting good prices at market, and much, much more. This is a new translation and detailed commentary composed with a mind to the culinary and cultural historian, who may not be familiar with the byways of early Imperial agriculture. .
    Printed in Newbury by New Blue Press 243 pages. Illus.
    
    Author's note: Look at the tiny bit of versimiltude attached to this. Older editions are printed at the Blue press, the "newer ones" are at the New Blue Press- as obviously something happened to the Blue Press over that time. It is these tiny "easter eggs" of continuity that make players go "cool".

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