We need a books & stories list

[mistshadow2k4]

I was just re-reading a bit of VRGtWD and it mentioned a story called "The Scrawls". It occured to me that this is one thing we could really use, a list of the books, plays, operas, etc,. mentioned in canon sources.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Mangrum put one together a while back that I have on my computer... I'll post it when I get home. It's in sore need of updating, though.

[Nathan of the FoS]

The first BoS had an article on the "Ravenloft Bookshelf" that had a considerable number of in-game books; any list we make should start there.

[mistshadow2k4]

The first BoS had an article on the "Ravenloft Bookshelf" that had a considerable number of in-game books; any list we make should start there.

Yeah, I remember that too. But that was written in 2nd Ed. days, IIRC, and there have been quite a few more mentioned in 3rd Ed. sources since then. I'm willing to help out by going over the newer VRGs.

[mistshadow2k4]

Mangrum put one together a while back that I have on my computer... I'll post it when I get home. It's in sore need of updating, though.

Wonderful. I can update it after I've finally finsihed my submission for QtR unless someone else would like to volunteer. I have all the 3rd Edition rulebooks except Secrets of the Dread Realms and Legacies of the Blood, so far as I know.

[Catman Jim]

Mangrum put one together a while back that I have on my computer.. It's in sore need of updating, though.

Is that "The Complete Ravenloft Pseudobibliography" by Mangrum? I printed that out in 1998 when it was hosted on the Alanik Ray Library website & still have it in my files, along with most of the other items from that site. I just tried finding it on The Wayback Machine, none of the linked items were saved. Wish I had saved the Word files like you did!

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Not sure what I've got here, actually.

This may have been a precursor to the file that was at Alanik Ray's, or it might even be the same. I got it as an email on the old RL mailing list. Hope John doesn't mind me posting it...

Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 19:03:02 -0400
From: "John W. Mangrum"

<email address deleted> wrote:
> You know i was wondering if there was ever a Ravenloft Bibliography...
>
> I mean about books that EXIST in the game.
>

Let's see here. I don't think this is complete, but here you go. Most
of these books should be considered quite rare...

These were found in Castle Rvaneloft:
The Art of Kalimar Kandru
Barovia: Year 15 to the Present
Coats and Arms of the Von Zarovich Line
Legends from the Circle
Skin and Steel: A History of the Ba'al Verzi
Tales of the Night
Words of Wisdom
Embalming: The Lost Art
Life Among the Undead: Rules of the Game
The Nature of Blood: An Apprentice's Handbook
Masonry and Woodworking


These were found in the library of Baron Lyron Evensong:
Great Composers
Form and Line in Music
Physical Properties of Sound Production
Musical Instrument Construction
Modes in Music
Poetry of the Masters
Sonnets
Assonace and Alliteration in Poetry
Advances in Anatomy
Vertebrate Biology
Sketching Nudes
Portfolio of Birds
Principles of Perspective
Art of Architecture
Treatise on Free Government
Decline of Feudal Holdings
Philosophy of Death
Study in Darkness
Diary of Baron Lyron Evensong, Vols. 1-5
Poems of Baron Evensong
Imbuing Instruments With Magic


These books were found in the lair of a lich calling himself Nightblood:
Corpus Libram
Gainful Decay
History of Death in Thay
Machination of Mortality
The NecroCompanion
Nightblood-An Auto- Necrography
Catalogue of Undead
Death Magicks
(These aren't books you're just going to find sitting in someone's
parlor. At least, one would hope not.)


As for one-of-a-kind books, don't forget that everyone ever "claimed" by
Darkon has their life story up to that moment sitting in Avernus. Other
books in Avernus library (this list is not exhaustive)

The Waning of Aerdy
Rulers of the House of Rax
The Age of Sorrow
The Rain of Colorless Fire
The Battle of a Fortnight's Length
The Battle of Shamblefield
People of the Blemu Hills
Unique Creatures of the Adri Forest
Wee Folk of the Flinty Hills
My Travels Down the Teesar and Harp Rivers
(these books are all about the Flanaess, and thus of limited interest)


Here's a book likely found only in Castle Tristenoira:
The Purification of Corrupt Flesh, by an unnamed cleric of Diancecht


These come from Van Richten's library:
Divers Meditations Upon the Higher Magicks, author unknown
Foundations of Morality, by Dr. Wilhelm Kohl
The Gnomics of Bilerius, by Bilerius
Haedritic Manuscripts, by The Dweller in the Jacinth Chamber
The Isolation of Evil, by Ansolm Haas
Journal of Moritavius Jovanovitch. Autobiography
The Open Palm, by Taynesbert
The Life of Alanik Ray, by Dr. Arthur Sedgewick
Illustrated Manual of Linguistic and Scriptual Aberrations Indicative
of Psychopathology, by Dr. Ottiele Farringer
The Madrigorian, by the Madrigore family (actually Drigor). 16 volumes.
Heightened Reality; The Sensory Powers of Sentient Non-Humans, by
Ephraim Joonker & Legothlin Greenleaf
The Beast of Ehrendton, by Sir Armand Ironhand (very popular book,
generally thought of as fiction)
Wizards, Magic, and Magical Items; A Primer for the Serious Scholar, by
Archmage Jacktin Terelleian
Philosphical Discourses Among Supernatural Beings; Higher Truths or
Tribalism?, by Dr. Jacov Bluemenstin
Comparitive Toxicology; Pesitlence, Poisons, and Plague Between the
Species, Dr. Daffyd Kelman
Silent Speech; Mental Communication Among Supernatural Beings, by
Glental Grimfoot
Desire; The Unconscious Guide, by Dr. Jethra Kilday
Premises of Magickal Study, by Dr. A.R.H. Tellurian

Van Richten also had a vast collection of journals. Here are the ones
mentioned specifically (not to mention his own extensive journals):

Terrence Crannock
De'rah (a wandering priestess and medium)
Evania Fairwind
Thor Hessen
Gregorri Kolyan, a bard held captive by Strahd more than 300 years ago.
Mirinalithiar, a lich
Matthew Swiftsinger, concerning a mentalist lich
Kilrinia Trynar, "master of the mental arts"
Anani Mahss, concerning the ghostly lord of a number of goblyns (hmm...)
An unsigned journal found by a sailor.

Also, Strahd has his journals, and a few are directly contradictory of
the others (for disinformation purposes). Actually, it seems that many
Darklords keep journals in some form or another.


These were found in Rook Hill Manor (in the village of Delmunster):
The Lady and the Vamp
101 Damnations
Creeping Beauty (all are "charming children's tales)
Sergei von Daragor's Tales of Terror (a cursed tome)


Here's a few from Schloss Mordenheim:
Grave's Anatomy
The Polarization of Bi-Directional Current
Nucleic Acid and Cellular Structure
Observations on the Effects of Lightning Upon Living Tissue

And a couple from Markov's manor:
Volo's Guide to Waterdeep (badly damaged)
Aurora's Catalog (just as badly damaged)
A copy of one of Van Richten's journals detailing the Order of the
Guardians
Guide to the Known World (an atlas from Mystara)
50+ surgical & anatomical texts in a number of languages
Encylopdedia of Common Knowledge, 5 volumes. (from Palanthas, and very
badly damaged)
The Wisdom of Lord Toede, as transcribed by Bunniswot the scribe.
A number of cheaply-made children's primers.
Book of Insufferable Darkness (unreadable *wink*)


And one you can probably find pretty easily:

The Dead Travel Fast, A Romance from beyond the Grave. A tawdry novel
published in the fall of 735.

[mistshadow2k4]

Thanks, gonzoron! I remember putting some of these to use IMC; for instance I had Desire: The Unconscious Guide being the fundamental book on psychology in RL. I love the titles of some of the others, such as "Grave's Anatomy".

I'll attempt to compile a list of those in the 3rd Edition books I have and I'll add the list from the Kargatane too.

[Lord Cyclohexane]

I'll attempt to compile a list of those in the 3rd Edition books I have and I'll add the list from the Kargatane too.

Would you like a hand with this? I can take a few of the 3rd Ed books and scan through them, and actually am doing so with GazI right now just out of boredom.

[Lord Cyclohexane]

To help out, I did a scan of GazI, then continued through the Darkon section of GazII.

Gazetteer I

--- Blood of Mazonn - Barovian epic ballad (p16)
--- The Exile and the Return by Petre Raluca - Barovian book (p17)
--- Flight from the Balinoks - Barovian epic (p27)
--- Dust of Empires by Madeline Galbraith (p45)
--- The Soulless Crown by Berdarik - Kartakan epic tragedy (p95)

Gazetteer II

--- The Third Horseman by Erryl Goucus - Darkonian book on military history (p20)
--- Fourth Book of Ezra - Revelation of Ezra to Teodorus Raines (p30)
--- Doctrinae - Holy text of the Faith of the Overseer (p32)
--- Martyn Smitskopf - Author of fiction novels about diabolism (p83)
--- The Silberkudexa by Zeitsgraeng - Historical book on Falkovnia's Silver Falcon Kingdom (p92)
--- The Waning of Leybria and Others - Fall of the Silver Falcon Kingdom


[Editted to add three more to the GazII section.]

[mistshadow2k4]

Thanks, Lord Cyclohexane! I've only got the following so far:

Tales of the Vistani, Author Unknown (Van Richten's Arsenal)
Malleus Umbricon, "Hammer of Shades"
Marcusen Manuscript (Unique, VRttSF)
Bestiary of Artak (VRttWD)
Hammer of Light, the, by Cletus von Sarr (VRttWD)
A Love Beyond Death, Romance Beyond the Grave series
"The Scrawls", short story


But I haven't gotten to the Gazetteers yet. There might be a few I've missed too.

[Lord Cyclohexane]

Cool, I'll try to go through the Gazetteers as I can, then. Do note that I editted my above post to add the other three that I found from GazII.


Gazetteer III

--- The Dead Travel Fast - From Mangrum's list, but referenced on p19
--- The Tainted Writings of Blackcomb - Arcane text (p21)
--- Sources de Puissance - Arcane text (p21)
--- The Madrigorian - On numerous lists, also on p21
--- Third Book of Ezra - Revelation of Ezra to Joan Secousse (p21)
--- The Forgotten Sensations by Francois de Penible - Dementlieuse book (p23)
--- La Mort de Mon Coeur ("The Death of My Heart") - Dementlieuse opera (p24)
--- Courage - Dementlieuse play about workhouses (p24)
--- Struggle and Victory in the Animal Kingdom by Inard Milhavet - Naturalist text (p86)
--- The Vessels of Mercy - Holy text of the Echansons/Cupbearers (p93)
--- The Life of Alanik Ray by Arthur Sedgewick - On Mangrum's list, also p128
--- The Casebook of Alanik Ray by Arthur Sedgewick - Book of short stories (p128)

Gazetteer IV

--- The Exile and the Return by Petre Raluca - Original reference in GazI, here on p15
--- First Book of Ezra - Revelation of Ezra to Yakov Dilisnya (p16)
--- "My Bones Will Rest for Me" - Borcan folksong (p20)
--- Catalogue of the World Entire* - Lands of the Core as of 711 BC (p69)
--- Allandar's Travelogue - "Gazetteer for supernatural events" (p88)
--- The Tales of Ages - History of the Halan faith; p104 refers to an "ancient copy"
which hints that there should be newer transcriptions as well

* Catalogue of the World Entire - As per GazIV, this was "commissioned by Camille Boritsi shortly before her death." As she died in 711 BC, several familiar Core domains had not yet been revealed by the Mists by this point. These are: Hazlan (714 BC), Dorvinia (715 BC), Sithicus (720 BC) and Verbrek (730 BC). It would also include several non-familiar Core domains, like Bluetspur, the Nightmare Lands, G'Henna and Markovia, all of which left in the Great Upheaval. See Jester's pre-Great Upheaval map

[Lord Cyclohexane]

Gazetteer V

--- Sir Archer Fleming - Mordentish poet (p10)
--- Fare imod de Aften by Ansgar - Vaasi epic poem (p28)
--- Den Bjaergekesjer by Ansgar - Vaasi epic poem (p28)
--- Haldor og Gudrun by Ansgar - Vaasi epic poem, greatest of Vaasi literature (p28)
--- The Beast of Ehrendton by Sir Armand "Ironhand" Rivtoff - On other lists, here p42
--- The Truth of Iron - First holy text of the Church of the Lawgiver (p125, p126)
--- The Fetters of Bronze - Second holy text of the Church of the Lawgiver (p125, p126)
--- The Black Trials - Third holy text of the Church of the Lawgiver (p125, p126)
--- Crimson Faith - Fourth holy text of the Church of the Lawgiver (p126)
--- The Book of Stone - Fifth holy text of the Church of the Lawgiver (p126)

[Rotipher of the FoS]

This sounds like the sort of thing that would make a better spreadsheet than a list, IMHO. We could list the entries by title, type (book, play, etc), writer, domain of origin (if known), subject matter, and game-product source. Much easier to search that way.

Are non-canon materials elidible for this list, BTW? Or should those be a separate list (or distinguished by another spreadsheet-column)?

[mistshadow2k4]

A spreadsheet is a great idea, but I'm afraid I'm not that exerienced with making them myself.

I'd actually like having non-canon stuf listed too, but I guess it would be a good idea to keep it separate. I've used quite a bit of non-canon books and operas as background material, but not all of it was suitable for my campaign, so it should be considered optional.