So, I thought that a little list of books that you might find in the library, or just around the realm might spice up RP a little bit, and so I wrote up a few examples, and made a place to put them! And a huge thanks to @TagTeamChampion for his thread on music, as it's what inspired me to make this.
Like its sister thread, this is a page meant to be built on by others, whether it comes to the contribution of book titles and descriptions, the contents of said books, or even the authors which have written them.
Biographical
My Search for the Hobgoblin by Lord DeBlois
The account of Lord DeBlois in his decade-long pursuit of a fae creature that terrorized people in their homes, making their chairs wobble, spoiling their milk, and staining their garments. He would often use his standing to enter peoples' homes, or simply break in, all in order to find this creature.
He concludes the story after having finally given up, only having seen glimpses of it or hearing its wicked laughter but a few times.
My Time with a Fae
An eerie book. While it is stated that the author is still alive, they are unlisted. The story's ending is rather abrupt and bears the signs of an inexperienced author.
A Mistan's Study by Gorand Albore
A study of the Arcane from a non-magical Mistan scholar. It details how magic affects an everyday person's life, and takes the form of an autobiography over a 15 year period, following Gorand's residency in a mage's tower, for the purpose of studying with them.
The Adventures of Ser Galwin
The book is marketed as tales of knighthood and romance. With Ser Galwin going from across the Valkian countryside, winning tournaments, defending the innocent, and winning maidens hearts. While these tales are of mediocre writing many wine enthusiasts have collected the book for its detailed descriptions of the different vineyards and wines across the Valkian realm. It has become an unintentional guide to those who are looking to expand their taste palettes.
Fairy Tales
Many Little Stories
A tome containing no more than 50 short stories and fairy tales, all somewhat light-hearted and whimsical in nature. However, the 32nd story in the collection, titled "Divinity Within Thy Eyes" is quite disturbing, and seemingly out of place from all of the others. The 42nd, “The Poisoned Dreamer’s Tale” is also rather grotesque, detailing a cursed boy's dying moments.
We're Going on a Bear Hunt!
A child's book, translated from ancient Greatling stone tablets. It crudely describes in playful rhyme how a small family are 'going to catch a big one' whilst encountering geographical obstacles along their venture. Unfortunately, the tale ends with the great bear eating the entire family for their hubris, giving warning to young hunters about overconfidence and how one should not go unprepared.
Guides
Tongue of the Arsa Sidhe by G. Hwo
A common-written guide to the Elvish language, by a renowned scholar of the realm’s languages and their variants.
Daro’s Alchemical Compendium by Daro
A book that builds upon many other alchemical works of literature to get a large body of knowledge in the practice of alchemy. The library’s copy is scorched, and too badly damaged to read in many places.
Devious Strategies for the Royal Game of Aedall! by Garth Bromhall
What it says on the cover, plus a guide on the general workings of play. Bromhall is quite passionate about the game.
Old Plants Poisonous Plants by Twoeyes Maica
A foraging guide written for the flora of the Midlands–giving fair warning of poisonous look alike plants, beasts to steer clear of, and signs of fey meddling. This should be of at least some use to those who live south of The Wall.
Boar Hunting for Beginners by Kore Gerdout
A guide detailing a successful boar hunt, and the weapons and tools needed, such as spears, arrows and the best breed of hound to track a boar, in addition to the best places to hunt the beast. Reading the book, one may also learn how to prepare, store, and transfer a boar's meat, hide, and carcass.
A Guide to Rodents by Flore Debousce
A Guide written by a Falstoner well versed in rodents; The work lists how to safely take care of them as pets, as well as the many unique breeds such as: Eiland mice, a pure white and intelligent breed, the Chinchillas of the Fireborne, the clever and large Crow Rats, and finally, Flying Squirrels, found in the western parts of Kor'am.
Dragons and Their Cousins by Verna Johnson
A book about dragons and their cousins; Cousins here referring any other beasts of fire. Hellhounds and Igneous Crawlers are included as such.
Bird Watching by Eileen Kirsten
A simple premise, acting as a guide to safe birdwatching procedures. The greater part of the book acts as a compendium of bird varieties and how to identify them.
Horses and Their Uses in Battle by Aoi Hojo
A book detailing the tactics that the Hojo clan, otherwise known as the “Horse Clan”, have for their renowned steeds in battle. Aoi writes at length about horseback archery, how to ready a horse for a cavalry charge, and other such techniques.
Cheeses of the Realms by Bert
An eccentric guide, written by a Walljack simply called 'Bert,' describes in painstaking detail nearly every single cheese in the known world as of 1639. Oddly, there are locations and cheeses detailed from lands yet unknown and even claims to have tried cheeses from 'the stars,' 'other Realms' and one odd cataelogue of a cheese from his dreams. Most cheeses detailed do actually exist and, historically, Bert has been known as a brilliant adventurer who is also a wanted criminal in the Dutchy of Rulan for illegally smuggling casu marzu.
Jvik's Book of Lust Magic by Jvik
An extremely rare and almost impossible to purchase tome that would cost a small fleet of ships or a bank of gemstones to purchase from collectors, who keep it in secret due the book being banned in almost all known Realms. Whilst no longer enforced, a few hundred years ago, Emperor Maxmillian of the Valkian Empire had every book of Jvik's creation burned. Jvik himself was burned at the stake, then his ashes thrown into the Void and a Fable paid to keep his soul from ever returning. Granted, this was because Jvik tried overthrowing in rebellion the Valkian monarchy to turn it into a magocracy-- but the book is still extremely rare as a result.
Despite its name, the "Book of Lust Magic" has only a few grimoire spells regarding mixing pleasure with the arcane. In scholarly and mage circles, it is most famous for its chapters on mundane magical utilizations, such as enchanting sinks to do the washing up or using Force magic to wash linens.
History
Names in the Faded Steppe by Andzo Kartop
The author was tasked at Stonebrook with traveling throughout the Faded Steppe and gathering the names and other simple details of his fellow Falstoners. Between the records there are accounts of travel, including being attacked by wild beasts, getting stranded in the hot midday sun with inexperienced foreign merchants, and a misunderstanding that led to Andzo being thrown out of a village.
The Path in the Fall of the Aedall by Kyda Vi’Igal
A text exploring the impact that the absence of the Aedall–framed as a prior, overwhelming force–has had for the Southern Reaches since their disappearance, and what it means for the Walljack people's future, as others pour into the Southern Reach. Vi'Igal calls for greater unity between Walljacks, in order to resist what trials may lay ahead in the uncertain future.
There is also brief speculation as to what may have happened to the Aedall, including such possibilities as a sudden plague, leaving to go to a secret land, something to do with The Spire, and a silent war with an unknown foe.
Worcs of Mine City
An account of the wondrously wealthy city of Dalondak, ruled by a powerful mage king who bathed in the blood of a slain legendary monster to become immortal. The book covers the city’s rise, its culture, its downfall, and its betrayal of its own people. By all means, there are no other records of Dalondok anywhere, and it's presumed to be a fictional account. However, this hasn't stopped many from attempting to find its ruins based on what little geographical hints the book offers, and pilfer them for their dubious wealth.
The book has been kept in circulation and copying for centuries through the legend it carries, and its original author or authors are widely disputed.
Rituals and Their Meanings by Valerie von Lorce
A simple book detailing many rituals by their cultures, often religious or spiritual in nature. Some are used by well known cults; Others, for use by "unsavory beings," whatever this may entail.
Out of Time
A relatively infamous novel from the 1100s about an accidental time-travel incident of an ancient proto-Arsa Sidhe from long before The Great Collapse appearing suddenly in the Valkian Capital of Mariza. It follows the whacky misadventure of Almer Ventari, a mage of the ancient world, not understanding 'modern' (whilst old, still relatable today) customs and innovations, despite his vast intelligence and mastery of the arcane. Over the course of the 651 page book, he gains a talking dog companion, meets the ghosts of Valkian Kings and accidently invents the sausage roll. Whilst an amazing piece of fiction, it holds no historical value and it is all made-up near nonsense, with the words "Arsa Sidhe" never once written in the entire book.
Prophecies of the Stars
Written shortly after the Great Collapse, this old tome has been rewritten and translated many times due to its odd popularity. Published by an Aedall seer in times long past, it cryptically predicts events in short statements that quite often have come true. However, the prophecies are written too vaguely and without geographical location for anyone to actually change their fates. Some prophecies include:
454, 4th Lowsun - Wisdom shall demish a great ruler's judgement, from which coldness of his heart shall freeze and shatter his Realm.
701, 1st Snowmelt - Hateful sails shalt bring song across the vast oceans, to lull Realm's doom back to slumber.
1240, 22nd Firstide - A seventh son, borne of stone, carves future destiny in mountain magicka.
1348, 13th Lowsun - One gambler's fortune will bring a thousand vermin home.
1496, 28th Reflection - Rich shall become poor and poor become rich, a rain of shimmering opulence.
1560, 21st Highsun - Unknowingly, unraveled mysterium, brilliance and hubris shall alter fates of all.
1640, 20th Falltide - A tale begins from anothers chapter closing through fire and flame, wonder like no other.
2012, 21st Darkmoon - The End.
Bennedictus Venenifer
After The Collapse, there was a brief schism amongst Nua Sidhe regarding magic. It was believed the Arsa Sidhe ruled over man with foul arcana from which sourced demonic and hateful spirits. As a result, one of the most famous works, the 'Benedictus Venenifer' was written. This wholeheartedly condemning text which describes the arcane as a plague from which all evil in the Realm is heralded. Despite this belief of malevolence, the book has a great deal of information regarding the innocence of Fey-Touched, the nature of Fey, the untouchable inhabitation of the Void and the potency of magic in the blood. The greatest barrier to any modern reader taking such knowledge is the language it is written in: a very, very old and dead tongue.
Poetry
Words of the Isles by Dalia Mourning
A collection of poems written by Dalia Mourning. The works are romantic, scenic, and a little bit tragic, pulling from both her personal experiences setting out from the Mist Isles over the yonder, and of those that she has met. A few of them could be described as unusual in their structure and writing style.
Daily Haiku (volumes I - CXXIX) by Tagai Monaon of Iria
364 Korami poems, one for each day of the 13 months. They are said to be some of the greatest Haiku's in the world with 129 volumes dedicated to every single year that the author, Tagai Monaon of Iria, was able to write before his death.
Lexiacana Arcanum
An eccentric wizard of the 1100's that lived in an isolated tower far to The North near Skykeep is the author of this infamous text. It is the ramblings of a madman, trying to explain the metaphysical nature of reality through constant comparisons to walnuts, snakes eating their own tails and Greatling stew pots. Most of the book is complete madness, with even one chapter written in a made-up language (or so people think). However, between the ravings of insanity, there is some intriguing revelations regarding Artifice constructs, golems and the best way to make a tower "teleport." Notably, said wizard and his tower did vanish in 1184, only to reappear again in 1484 at the bottom of the sea near Sirensong.
Unnamed Grimoire, Vol.CLXXVII by Many
Named 'the Unnamed Grimoire,' this tome is always made with a solid steel bookcover that can be unlocked with a key that goes through the entire length of the tome on the bottom-right side. It is a compendium is written by various authors over hundreds of years, with each edition written having more added to it-- never removed. Old editions will simply be lacking newer findings. The collection is of lost grimoires of unknown authors, often criminals that never signed their work or long dead witches that never published their personal diaries. Their work, findings, spells and notes are all added to the Unnamed Grimoire-- without any edits made to their lack of grammar, language or mistakes.
The tomes are universally published by a Guild of Scholars in Mariza known as The Enchanters, who are said to have enough commissions for copies of the Grimoire to last them another two-hundred years. It is a common joke that most people will die of old age before they get a new copy.
Romance
A Bosom At My Brow
A romance story about the love between a stonerunner greatling that has come down from the mountains and a human who longs for an easier life. It could be described as raunchy, but the writing holds up surprisingly well past the beginning.
The Blacksmith’s Fancy by Grantham Hearth
A novel about a humble blacksmith falling in love with a baroness who visits town one day. It is notoriously and laughably inaccurate in its depiction of metalworking, the author confidently having had not the slightest clue in how to do it.
Bleeding Hearts
To many parents of teenage girls, a considered 'must have' on their shelves (in literate families). Written in 1638, the book's popularity spread like wildfire over the Valkian realms. The contents of the book describe an average girl from the city falling in love with both a vampire and a werewolf, and the resulting plot revolving around this love triangle (the vampire wins). While romanticizing parts of Vampirism, the experts on the subject say it is surprisingly accurate to it and suspect its anonymous writer could very well have been a Vampire themselves.
Wedding in Grene by Hjoern
A story supposedly so vile, so foul, that it's rumored to have been the primary cause for a war to break out between two duchies, in times past, now long gone.
What begins as an unassuming story of romance between a queen and a knight of another kingdom (both characters having been very much real people who were alive at the time of the story's writing, even if exaggerated in their positions and some details of personality) quickly gives way to indescribable acts of passion, cruelty, and eroticism that would make even the raunchiest writer blush.
The book is not in circulation, all of the original 32 copies having been destroyed or lost long ago, though this is not to say that it hasn’t inspired a few niche writers and historians, trying to fill in the gaps. Thought to be penned by an anonymous writer, and signed by one Hjoern (executed expeditiously afterwards), only about one page and a two-paragraph quote of the text remains in record, which, while containing some details of history not preserved in other places, shall not be described further in this entry.
Miscellaneous
Agricultural Society and Its Future by Erebos
The book is hastily bound in scrap leather, on pages that look as if they were ripped from another source. It details the issues Erebos takes with society, what his belief system is, what the natural order and its will are, and how the people of the lands must go about returning to a natural society.
Feel free to submit other books, too, either by replying here or messaging me on Discord. I'd love to see what the community can come up with; I do however ask that you do not make use of generative AI to write anything, and that the book be "plausible" (no guides on how to enrich uranium, make firearms, etc.). Don't be shy! Just a title of the book and description will do (an author is optional, but preferred).
In the future, I also might make a separate section for books written by player characters. Watch out for that!
Credits
Drach @AzNihil for many contributions! Including A Mistan's Study, My Time With a Fae, Boar Hunting for Beginners, A Guide to Rodents, Dragons and Their Cousins, Bird Watching, Horses and Their Uses in Battle, Rituals and Their Meanings, in addition to Bleeding Hearts.
@Wake for Out of Time, Cheeses of the Realms, Daily Haiku (volumes I-CXXIX), We're Going on a Bear Hunt!, and Prophecies of the Stars. In addition to Jvik's Book of Lust Magic, Benedictus Venenifer, Lexicana Arcanum, and Unnamed Grimoire, Vol.CLXXVII!
@turtwigwins for The Adventures of Ser Galwin.
@CertifiedShrimp for Agricultural Society.
