Literature in Eberron [Archive] - Wizards Community

Literature in Eberron [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Decree Of Boredom
02-16-06, 06:53 PM In this thread, I'll explore what books and poems the people of Eberron might read. Feel free to comment, or post your own ideas.

Serpents of Flame, Tigers of Dust
This epic poem, completed in 379 YK, is one of the greatest literary works of the Church of the Silver Flame. It describes, in flowery, poetic verse, the war between Couatls and the Lords of Dust. The book, while considered canon by the Church, makes no reference to the modern-day Church of the Silver Flame, save for a few lines in which the coming of "a woman of the sword, in whose heart lives a mighty serpent of pure flames" is prophesized by one of the characters of the poem. While originally written in Celestial, this poem has been translated into Common, Elven, and Draconic.

Through the Mind's Crystal Lens
This lengthy work is a treatise on the philosophical aspects of psionics, scribed by a Kalashtar philosopher-psion in 150 YK. It describes the mind of a psion as a seven-walled fortress with seven gates, ruled by seven lords. The first six walls, gates, and lords are thought to represent the six disciplines of psionics, all centered around the highest wall, greatest gate, and wisest lord, all said to symbolize Dal Quor. While not known outside of Adar, the book has amazing popularity within it, and is said to have inspired many aspects of the Kalashtar Path of Light. The only language the book appears in is Quori.

My Conquest
This autobiography of Karrn the Conqueror was written by the ruler twenty years after his conquering of his namesake nation. While it uses rather dull and unimaginative language, and is generally considered a poorly written work, it is one of the best sources of information on that time period. Most editions of the book are in Common, though Dwarven and Goblin editions exist.

The Comedy of Shavarath
Consisting of three parts--Abyssal Slaughterers, Celestial Knights, and Infernal Tyrants--this magnum opus of the elven writer Daenti d'Phiarlan describes his fictional journey through Shavarath. In each section, he spends time in the camp of one of the three armies of the great planar battleground. While purely fictional, and wildly innacurate, this book has shaped the common perception of archons, demons, and devils. Traditionally, each section is written in the language of the folk it portrays, but translations into Common and Elven exist.

The Book of Wands
Written in 996 YK, this wildly popular tale of adventure has become a bestseller in a few months. It tells the story of twelve ancient artifacts, and the adventures of the heroes and villians who seek control over them. While somewhat controversial for supposedly basing the main villian off of Merrix d'Cannith, the book has been read by almost every member of House Cannith--and indeed, many teenaged artificers can recite it front to back. A sequel to the book, An Armory of Wands is planned, and is supposedly going to introduce a new character, a hero based off of Aaren d'Cannith.

999
999 is a tale of the far future, in which Khorvaire has been subjugated by the Lord of Blades, who has created a totalatarian, soul-crushing government. It details the attempts of Winston d'Cannith to overthrow the Lord of Blades' harsh rule--and the breaking of his soul at the hands of a warforged torturer. Though criticized for a strong anti-warforged sentiment, the book has been widely praised, and many have seen it as a rallying point to start a crusade against the Lord of Blades.

The Man Who Had Two Souls
This controversial novel, anonymously penned, is the tale of one of the artificers who created the warforged, and has taken up the path of the renegade mastermaker. The book follows him through life as he is persecuted by his fellows in House Cannith, serves under the Lord of Blades, seeks out the roots of the warforged race in Xen'drik, and is finally burned at the stake by a mob led by a paladin of the Silver Flame. The book has been denounced as a "glorification of a sinful life of crime", and banned in Thrane and Karrnath. However, a growing subculture within the artificer community--even within House Cannith--has embraced the book as a manifesto of their beliefs.

Above, Below, and Between
Above, Below, and Between is a recently penned play, and a very odd one. While on one level, it is a crass comedy depicting the rivalry between two siblings and the desperate attempts at peace by the third, it is also an allegory of the creation of the world by the Progenitors. While most famously performed in Gnomish in the theaters of Zilargo, it has been acted out in many theaters and many more languages. It is said that the dragons of Argonessen once hired a troupe of elite actors to put on a performance in the Draconic tongue.

The Doom That Came To Sharn
This tale, written recently by a young Gatekeeper, describes an apocalyptic series of events in which a god-like Daelkyr is able to, with the aid of twelve high priests of the Dragon Below, enter Sharn, and begin ripping the towers from the ground. The Gatekeepers consider it a grim dramatization of what would happen should they fail in their duties, and read it as a stern admonishment to never do so. If the book were read by other peoples, they might think of it as a thrilling tale of daring exploits and fantastic adventures, but the tale only exists in the Orcish tongue, and attempts to translate it are strongly discouraged by the Gatekeepers. A sequel entitled Madness at the Mountains is currently being written, in which the Daelkyr's trail of destruction and chaos continues on to the mountains of Mror.
Rosary
02-17-06, 05:08 AM Great idea, and some creative things you've posted!

The Trembling Leaf
This beautiful poem is by far the most translated and praised piece of elven poetry ever written, though only one among many on the topic - undying love. Written by the elf Eliharn Featherbow in 456 YK, the poem tells of an elf maid who is afflicted by a terrible disease, but her lover, an poor elven woodsman, prays for her life to all the gods with all his heart and love. He is heard, and the gods grant her life, but she is transformed into a tree, and him with her. Forever they are now entwined, lovers in eternity.
The Necromancer King
02-17-06, 07:50 AM Love the topic. Mmmm... Fluffy, sweet stories...

Scion
Born to an influencial branch of the Lyrandar family, Titusz d'Lyrandar is kept under the heavy yolk of family responsability for much of his early life. His father, a man possessed of his family's status, works day and night to ensure that his family is perfect, weeding out anything that might rear up as individuality. His mother, a meek woman, content to see to her family's needs, provides Titusz' only support; not everything that bends is weak.
Disillusioned about the life of a dragonmarked scion, Titusz leaves House Lyrandar, stowing away on a privateer's airship at the young age of twenty-five. When he is found, and his mark revealed, his begins his tutelage under Skand d'Lyrandar, a man infamous for his piloting skills, and entirely too much like his father for Titusz' liking.

The Many Things I Saw
The utterly fictitious and wildly overexaggerated adventures of Lint Dewyre, this tome details the misadventures of a gnomish chronicler following a group of adventurers through Xen'drik. Though the events detailed in the book are entirely too incredible to believe, Dewyre's descriptions of Stormreach, Kapaerian Island, and the Rings of Argarak are utterly breathtaking, and the book has become something of a guilty pleasure for literature buffs.

A Treatis on Romantic Love
With the Last War over, the trend for marriages of utility is comming to a slow close, and replacing it is the newly invigorated notion of romantic love. No longer does a woman have to marry a man just to forge some strange sort of alliance; they may both follow their hearts, instead, which has a tendency to be much more chaotic.
This thesis, written in 956, details romantic endeavors that happened "behind the scenes" between high-ranking nobles, dragonmarked scions, the occasional warforged. Though sometimes humorous, and often wise, the book serves as a warning against the trappings of romantic love as often as it describes the wonders inherent to it.

Stranger Than Me
Born in the jungles of Xen'drik, captured for slavery at a young age, and then set free at adolescence, Shi'an Morat is something of an enigma. Rising up from his humble beginnings, Morat quickly became one of the most recognized heroes of the Last War. And though the book does an admirable job of chronicling the young drow's life, the book is known for a much subtler reason: it details the life of a hero with an aberrant dragonmark. Though still far from being in vogue, these lesser dragonmarks have begun to capture public interest, much to the chagrin of those that wear them. Something of a work in progress, Stranger Than Me gains a few new chapters every year, as Morat continues to write it. The books are published by the Korranberg Library.

In the Shadow of Kings
Considered the premier modern work on the Dhakaani Empire, Professor Marnin Sint's historical work has begun to endear the goblin kingdom to the world, if slightly. His sympathetic look at the empire, it's rise, the peak of its power, and its fall, is both terrific reading, and great scholarship. He manages to keep readers entertained while talking about the utterly sterile and mechanical, and at the same time educates the reader about the world's least-understood historical kingdom. A must-read for all burgeoning scholars about to embark across Khorvaire.

That's all I've got so far. I could come up with more, but it's bed-time for me. I'll see what I can come up with tomorrow.
taski
02-19-06, 04:59 AM The Catacomb Woman
Set in 920's Karrlakton, this long, depressing novel details one week of a poor fisherwoman's life. The week begins, and she finds an injured Cyran hiding in her boat. She, loathing the worship of the "Great Heroes" whose statues line the city streets, does not turn him in. The week continues as she shelters him and nurses his wounds, dispite her suspicions of his true occupation. Nonetheless, his wounds mend, and he escapes, only to be caught by the city garrison. Though the fisherwoman longs to rescue him, to become one of those "Great Heroes" she so dispises, she fails to summon the courage. The week ends with his execution.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Decree Of Boredom 02-16-06, 06:53 PM	In this thread, I'll explore what books and poems the people of Eberron might read. Feel free to comment, or post your own ideas. Serpents of Flame, Tigers of Dust This epic poem, completed in 379 YK, is one of the greatest literary works of the Church of the Silver Flame. It describes, in flowery, poetic verse, the war between Couatls and the Lords of Dust. The book, while considered canon by the Church, makes no reference to the modern-day Church of the Silver Flame, save for a few lines in which the coming of "a woman of the sword, in whose heart lives a mighty serpent of pure flames" is prophesized by one of the characters of the poem. While originally written in Celestial, this poem has been translated into Common, Elven, and Draconic. Through the Mind's Crystal Lens This lengthy work is a treatise on the philosophical aspects of psionics, scribed by a Kalashtar philosopher-psion in 150 YK. It describes the mind of a psion as a seven-walled fortress with seven gates, ruled by seven lords. The first six walls, gates, and lords are thought to represent the six disciplines of psionics, all centered around the highest wall, greatest gate, and wisest lord, all said to symbolize Dal Quor. While not known outside of Adar, the book has amazing popularity within it, and is said to have inspired many aspects of the Kalashtar Path of Light. The only language the book appears in is Quori. My Conquest This autobiography of Karrn the Conqueror was written by the ruler twenty years after his conquering of his namesake nation. While it uses rather dull and unimaginative language, and is generally considered a poorly written work, it is one of the best sources of information on that time period. Most editions of the book are in Common, though Dwarven and Goblin editions exist. The Comedy of Shavarath Consisting of three parts--Abyssal Slaughterers, Celestial Knights, and Infernal Tyrants--this magnum opus of the elven writer Daenti d'Phiarlan describes his fictional journey through Shavarath. In each section, he spends time in the camp of one of the three armies of the great planar battleground. While purely fictional, and wildly innacurate, this book has shaped the common perception of archons, demons, and devils. Traditionally, each section is written in the language of the folk it portrays, but translations into Common and Elven exist. The Book of Wands Written in 996 YK, this wildly popular tale of adventure has become a bestseller in a few months. It tells the story of twelve ancient artifacts, and the adventures of the heroes and villians who seek control over them. While somewhat controversial for supposedly basing the main villian off of Merrix d'Cannith, the book has been read by almost every member of House Cannith--and indeed, many teenaged artificers can recite it front to back. A sequel to the book, An Armory of Wands is planned, and is supposedly going to introduce a new character, a hero based off of Aaren d'Cannith. 999 999 is a tale of the far future, in which Khorvaire has been subjugated by the Lord of Blades, who has created a totalatarian, soul-crushing government. It details the attempts of Winston d'Cannith to overthrow the Lord of Blades' harsh rule--and the breaking of his soul at the hands of a warforged torturer. Though criticized for a strong anti-warforged sentiment, the book has been widely praised, and many have seen it as a rallying point to start a crusade against the Lord of Blades. The Man Who Had Two Souls This controversial novel, anonymously penned, is the tale of one of the artificers who created the warforged, and has taken up the path of the renegade mastermaker. The book follows him through life as he is persecuted by his fellows in House Cannith, serves under the Lord of Blades, seeks out the roots of the warforged race in Xen'drik, and is finally burned at the stake by a mob led by a paladin of the Silver Flame. The book has been denounced as a "glorification of a sinful life of crime", and banned in Thrane and Karrnath. However, a growing subculture within the artificer community--even within House Cannith--has embraced the book as a manifesto of their beliefs. Above, Below, and Between Above, Below, and Between is a recently penned play, and a very odd one. While on one level, it is a crass comedy depicting the rivalry between two siblings and the desperate attempts at peace by the third, it is also an allegory of the creation of the world by the Progenitors. While most famously performed in Gnomish in the theaters of Zilargo, it has been acted out in many theaters and many more languages. It is said that the dragons of Argonessen once hired a troupe of elite actors to put on a performance in the Draconic tongue. The Doom That Came To Sharn This tale, written recently by a young Gatekeeper, describes an apocalyptic series of events in which a god-like Daelkyr is able to, with the aid of twelve high priests of the Dragon Below, enter Sharn, and begin ripping the towers from the ground. The Gatekeepers consider it a grim dramatization of what would happen should they fail in their duties, and read it as a stern admonishment to never do so. If the book were read by other peoples, they might think of it as a thrilling tale of daring exploits and fantastic adventures, but the tale only exists in the Orcish tongue, and attempts to translate it are strongly discouraged by the Gatekeepers. A sequel entitled Madness at the Mountains is currently being written, in which the Daelkyr's trail of destruction and chaos continues on to the mountains of Mror.
Rosary 02-17-06, 05:08 AM	Great idea, and some creative things you've posted! The Trembling Leaf This beautiful poem is by far the most translated and praised piece of elven poetry ever written, though only one among many on the topic - undying love. Written by the elf Eliharn Featherbow in 456 YK, the poem tells of an elf maid who is afflicted by a terrible disease, but her lover, an poor elven woodsman, prays for her life to all the gods with all his heart and love. He is heard, and the gods grant her life, but she is transformed into a tree, and him with her. Forever they are now entwined, lovers in eternity.
The Necromancer King 02-17-06, 07:50 AM	Love the topic. Mmmm... Fluffy, sweet stories... Scion Born to an influencial branch of the Lyrandar family, Titusz d'Lyrandar is kept under the heavy yolk of family responsability for much of his early life. His father, a man possessed of his family's status, works day and night to ensure that his family is perfect, weeding out anything that might rear up as individuality. His mother, a meek woman, content to see to her family's needs, provides Titusz' only support; not everything that bends is weak. Disillusioned about the life of a dragonmarked scion, Titusz leaves House Lyrandar, stowing away on a privateer's airship at the young age of twenty-five. When he is found, and his mark revealed, his begins his tutelage under Skand d'Lyrandar, a man infamous for his piloting skills, and entirely too much like his father for Titusz' liking. The Many Things I Saw The utterly fictitious and wildly overexaggerated adventures of Lint Dewyre, this tome details the misadventures of a gnomish chronicler following a group of adventurers through Xen'drik. Though the events detailed in the book are entirely too incredible to believe, Dewyre's descriptions of Stormreach, Kapaerian Island, and the Rings of Argarak are utterly breathtaking, and the book has become something of a guilty pleasure for literature buffs. A Treatis on Romantic Love With the Last War over, the trend for marriages of utility is comming to a slow close, and replacing it is the newly invigorated notion of romantic love. No longer does a woman have to marry a man just to forge some strange sort of alliance; they may both follow their hearts, instead, which has a tendency to be much more chaotic. This thesis, written in 956, details romantic endeavors that happened "behind the scenes" between high-ranking nobles, dragonmarked scions, the occasional warforged. Though sometimes humorous, and often wise, the book serves as a warning against the trappings of romantic love as often as it describes the wonders inherent to it. Stranger Than Me Born in the jungles of Xen'drik, captured for slavery at a young age, and then set free at adolescence, Shi'an Morat is something of an enigma. Rising up from his humble beginnings, Morat quickly became one of the most recognized heroes of the Last War. And though the book does an admirable job of chronicling the young drow's life, the book is known for a much subtler reason: it details the life of a hero with an aberrant dragonmark. Though still far from being in vogue, these lesser dragonmarks have begun to capture public interest, much to the chagrin of those that wear them. Something of a work in progress, Stranger Than Me gains a few new chapters every year, as Morat continues to write it. The books are published by the Korranberg Library. In the Shadow of Kings Considered the premier modern work on the Dhakaani Empire, Professor Marnin Sint's historical work has begun to endear the goblin kingdom to the world, if slightly. His sympathetic look at the empire, it's rise, the peak of its power, and its fall, is both terrific reading, and great scholarship. He manages to keep readers entertained while talking about the utterly sterile and mechanical, and at the same time educates the reader about the world's least-understood historical kingdom. A must-read for all burgeoning scholars about to embark across Khorvaire. That's all I've got so far. I could come up with more, but it's bed-time for me. I'll see what I can come up with tomorrow.
taski 02-19-06, 04:59 AM	The Catacomb Woman Set in 920's Karrlakton, this long, depressing novel details one week of a poor fisherwoman's life. The week begins, and she finds an injured Cyran hiding in her boat. She, loathing the worship of the "Great Heroes" whose statues line the city streets, does not turn him in. The week continues as she shelters him and nurses his wounds, dispite her suspicions of his true occupation. Nonetheless, his wounds mend, and he escapes, only to be caught by the city garrison. Though the fisherwoman longs to rescue him, to become one of those "Great Heroes" she so dispises, she fails to summon the courage. The week ends with his execution.