Literature

The world of Aloria is filled with written documents, some produced in recent years, others lovingly or obsessively kept secure for centuries if not millennia. Some are written in languages well-tread and commonly understood, while others are archaic and written in now dead tongues from groups similarly rendered extinct through all manner of mechanisms. The variety of writing in these texts is also as broad as any can imagine, and while each Heritage or cultural group has their specialties, there will always be outliers and fringe documents delving into subjects not supported by the core of scholarship among these groups. Literature, read or created, can be a hobby, a duty or a job, and is thus enjoyed across the world. Below can be read a selection of different texts that exist in Aloria. OOC NOTE: The section has been divided into two subsections for each of the four Literature categories. The linked pages are full pieces of text that can be read right from the Wiki, while the information in the tables reflects up to ten important or varied works relevant to that section. If players wish to write out one of these table documents, they should create a RP Comm Discord Ticket, and they will be guided through the process.

Poetry

The art of poetry is varied across the many Races and Cultures in Aloria. While it can vary in length, it is often a piece of short literature. From there, every group has devised new and different systems of creating harmony in the writing, and helping an author express themselves. Some see strict rhyming in a solid structure, others see rhymes skip a line or slant them for the purpose of comedy, some poems merely sound harmonious when spoken, and others are meticulously constructed to adhere to a limited number of syllables. Poetry is perhaps the biggest medium to suffer when translated from its original language, as rhymes and structure break down, though the very best translators and adaptors do their best to maintain the elements that made the piece great.

| The Merriment of Thieves | These Cold Hands | Shanties from Across the Empire | The Sack of Havenreach | The Stork and The Baby | A Knight’s Fall | Vasty'naar Verses: A Regalian Selection |

Title	Description	Date Published
Reflections on Autumn	A Sihai text compiling dozens of poems from a trio of poets related to each other by blood. The text is unique for dating prior to the formation of the Jade Wall, and covering some 400 years of time.	Est. 340 BC
Moonlight in Phases	Another Sihai collection, these poems are curated from a single Archon poet reflecting on the cyclical nature of the world, and Sihai existence following the formation of the Jade Wall and the threat of the Akula.	102 AC
Mechanisms of the Heart, Soul and other Parts	A collection of satirical poetry, the writing here leans into the perception of Skyborn as machine-obsessed. It was written by a Skyborn though, and some traces of ancient poetry styles do remain in their work.	241 AC
Many Horns	Songaskia in origin, this text collects samples of poetry from each Pearl City of the Songaskian Masaya to create a tapestry of unity among their Race.	196 AC
The Deep Will Never Die	A Dwarven epic, this piece describes the fall of the Dwarven Hold responsible for much of the old Dwarven Empire’s subterranean fishing.	133 AC
Of the Icen Moon	A long-form Isldar poem, this text has an uncertain date, but seems to be an account of the Cataclysm but from afar. It is oddly not from Ellador, but instead appeared in Anglia in more recent decades from an unclear source.	Est. 5 AC
The Sisters, Brothers and Siblings	A collection of Maquixtl poetry from across the different divisions of their societies, they are rich with Maquixtl folklore imagery and often describe semi-mythical interactions of the past.	127 AC
Odes to the Night Queen	An ancient Narim text, these collected poems evoke beauty from what most Ailor would consider a hideous environment while also praising the Queens, the long-term rulers of Narim society.	Est. 1000 BC
Weeping in the Sand	A collection of poems from formerly oppressed Asha, the book has been highly controversial and its publication successfully reduced in the Regalian Empire by Ithanian nobles.	165 AC
New Things, New Words	One of the first books to have been produced by a Bralona, it is a series of poems both exploring the writing form, as well as describing many first experiences in the realm of food, drink and the wider world.	311 AC

Nonfictional Prose

Facts over fiction reign in the scholarly realms of Aloria, and nonfictional prose encompasses all of these. From treaties on the process of dying cloth, to the making of food, to grand academic papers on the history of a now extinct people, to short pamphlets seeking to directly impart practical information on an imminently important topic, the ways Alorians engage with the hunt for knowledge is varied. The greatest of the scholars were the Allorn, at least in their heyday, but Regal Ailor and other groups look to soon pass them as mysteries of the past are unearthed, put to bed, or otherwise theorized on in more practical, authentic ways than Allorn grandstanding or racist dogma. Additionally, the Regalian Empire in support of knowledge has rarely banned particular subjects of study, with even Magic now more freely explored, and greater realms than the mortal plane slowly more understood by once restricted scholars.

| The Feud of Llortalle and Augall'hau | The Many Wars of Southwynd | The Traditional Two |

Title	Description	Date Published
On the World’s Insects: The Master’s Edition	Perhaps the most complete catalog of insects known in Aloria, this Regal text took the author thirty years of fieldwork, and led to the discovery of nearly a hundred new species.	309 AC
Imperial Histories: Ninth Edition	This text is the latest edition in a now long-running series that originally began as an academic discreditation of the Ivraes during the reign of Morgan Kade. It has since evolved to be much more even-handed.	307 AC
In My Travels: Eastwynd	The last document written by a notable Regalian explorer, it covers the many mysteries of Eastwynd. The series has since been continued by the man’s son, who has begun to return to the sites of his father’s voyages for retrospective analysis and modern assessment.	299 AC
The Weight of Seawood	A Fin'ullen-dictated military text on the benefits of a strong navy, as well as the author’s opinion on Regalian naval vessels over the past 200 years. The Fin’ullen “author” was not native to Corontium.	302 AC
The Debate of Days	A version of the famed Estelley prophet Fenhellëy's notable eight day conversation with the Dragon known today as Regulus. It escaped destruction millennia ago, and is popular among the Lanlath.	7900 BC
Text on Demons / “The Sihndaremicarn”	A field guide to Demons and Drowda published decades ago, it has seen amendments and edits for years in subsequent editions, with many Sihndar including their own notes in the pages of their own copies.	191 AC
On the Vulgar Races	An extremely haughty, Allorn-positive text outlining the many Races the ancient Empire oppressed. The book does not properly note that almost 3/4 of those mentioned were made extinct by the actions of the Allorn Empire.	113 AC
I Know My Flora, Do You?	Written by an Ithanian Yanar, this text explores the growing of a vast array of ornamental flowers and plants, their possible symbolisms, while including anecdotes from the writer’s life.	257 AC
Knowing the Mind of the Estate Tenders	A noted work written by a similarly noted Eronidas philosopher, the individual made great strides to catalog, and then argue against, the beliefs of other populations in Aloria, set as a series of dialogues in and around an Eronidas Estate.	81 AC
The Meat	Dictated by an Urlan to an Ailor scholar, this book is a deep analysis of hunting and butchery, while also giving information on the “author’s” life in the Cain Free Jarls.	236 AC

Fictional Prose

Fictional Prose in Aloria is a tricky subject compared to others, as while there are many fanciful or strange stories in a world of constant intervention by gods, and beings from other worlds, alongside the entities they foster or who follow them, there are still fictions to be found. Many take the shape of regional folklore, and can be accepted as generally truthful, though far removed from what authentically happened hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Some create beasts so strange and weird, they could only be fiction, but others craft detailed parallels to Aloria in alternative histories, or exploring the lives of people who exist in times long past or in a few cases, into the future. Fictional Prose has sometimes been sold as truth in Aloria, but the truth is that for as wondrous as Aloria can be, the minds of its inhabitants can sometimes be even moreso.

| Greenface | The Tale of Karl Ørretsund |

Title	Description	Date Published
The Kade Dialogues	This text is a fictitious dialogue the author had with a high-up member of House Kade, where the speaker espoused the virtues of the Kade Compendium, the family’s internal document of conduct and order.	279 AC
Witch of the Westwood and Other Fables	A collection of folktales collected from Oldtera before the Destruction of Ceardia. They are considered a time capsule of a different age, and preserve now scattered traditions.	251 AC
To Daenshore!	A rousing tale of merchant travel by a Cearden crew set around the year 160 AC to Daenshore, and the trouble three crew members encounter even after their sea voyage is complete.	197 AC
The Wild Threats to Love	A heavily Wirtem story set in the era of the Wirtemcaller Kingdom, and featuring a rugged hunter and his son traversing the heathen frontier to return home to their beloved wives.	229 AC
Records of the Tohn Qarma	A document most traditional Maraya consider a violation of their culture and privacy, this text is a record of over two dozen ancient stories scraped from a Tohn Qarma, a Maraya device storing the folktales and children’s stories of now long-dead civilizations.	Est. 50 AC
Mirthful Mysteries	A collection of comedic tales with open endings more along the line of complex riddles from Maquixtl society, which allow people to invent their own endings or messages from each story.	216 AC
Seascapes	A collection of Fin’ullen folktales. While much of it is formally considered fiction, many Fin’ullen swear by the experiences mentioned, which would be quite concerning if true given the many undersea horrors, kingdoms, and more present.	294 AC
Fanciful Fictions and Fantasies	An ancient Teledden book collecting dozens of stories from across the Allorn Empire, it was comparable to a joke book of its day, allowing the reader to laugh at the foolish beliefs of other Races. The beliefs mentioned are almost all exaggerations as well, making it nearly useless to scholars of real history.	Est. 4000 BC
Dreamworlds of Delight	This collection of short stories was compiled by Slizzar over 200 years ago. What the source or sources are is mysterious, but wild, irrational worlds exist in every tale, mirroring but also befuddling the conceptions held of modern Alorians.	94 AC
The Book of the Lost Threads	A magical tome said to contain the mental fantasies of hundreds, from lowly laborers, to great leaders. Why exactly it exists is unclear, but it has been weaponized in the past for the purposes of blackmail and manipulation.	???

Drama

One of the most ancient forms of art, Drama was birthed from many different sources in many different places. In some cases, it was purely entertainment, emerging from music or song to gain more structure, and stripping out the harmonies for tragedies. In others, they were rituals, reenactments of events for a faith or group that with time grew more complex, and the act involved fading into the background. However they came about, ultimately drama became a form of art seen across Aloria. The most well known form of Drama is perhaps the Cantaluna Opera, grand sweeping emotional stories accompanied with singing and music. The less known are the local plays, put on every year to honor this god, or that founder, while others are grand exhibitions that draw hundreds for a limited run in theaters, amphitheaters and opera houses. Drama can make one laugh, cry, reflect, or rage in real time, and is preserved by being put to page as can be found recorded here.

| The Tale of Sir Eamon and the Serpent | There be the Mist Beast |

Title	Description	Date Published
When Love Leaves	A notable Ithanian romantic-comedy play centered around misunderstandings of affection caused by a misplaced kerchief.	262 AC
Nights of Sorrows	An Aetosian tragedy about the death of Emperor Justinian II’s sons. The play is highly moralistic and had to change the names of many secondary characters as they were often based on still-living nobles of the Empire.	285 AC
Allestrain and Eolaria	An Aetosian drama about the lives of Emperor Allestrain I and his wife. The play is disliked by some for its explicit affirmation of only friendship between the Imperial couple and the Kade couple they are said to have been romantically involved with. In 311 AC, their relationship has been openly accepted, and the play is now seen as dated.	240 AC
Of Winter Blossoms, No One Knows	This Sihai epic drama tells the story of a dancer rising up to defend her village during a chaotic war in Jadeheart. It is notably modern, though it draws from older local folktales of its author’s birth region	301 AC
Battle of Solar Oceans and Torrents of Hate	A Suvial epic, this play is intensely complex, weaving battle scenes through a narrative of loss, love, and self-discovery, while rarely depicting the Kathar as anything more than monstrous Demons.	250 AC
Nica and Ariston	An Eronidas comedy, this play tells the amusing journey two Eronidas take across Aloria. The play pokes fun at all subgroups of Eronidas, and is highly irreverent.	155 AC
The Complexities of Line 462	This exploration of clashing personalities among scholars at a Skyborn Academy is meant to show the importance of machinery, as the entire play is performed by machines, who are themselves characters responding to the drama of the living.	300 AC
Glory to the Empress	This dramatic play crafted by a Kathar tells the final day of one of their less well-known Empress, and is essentially a guide on what not to do in politics.	176 AC
Bliss in Gold	A recently written Asha play, the story follows three new families, all connected to each other, living out a series of dramatic and comedic episodes over the course of twenty years.	299 AC
The Joys of the (Chrysant) Flower	Written during the era of the Essa Empire, this Allar-focused play has been heavily edited to now focus solely on a pair of lovesick alchemists working for a temperamental client.	273 AC