Bards tell of battles won through gallant deeds or skill at the lance, but in a world riddled with suspicion and secrecy, the instruments of the scribe are truly the most lethal weapons, and their purposes are truly many. Letters between lovers, the machinations of ambitious courtiers, feeble attempts at poetry - all are preserved in ink, just as are the treaties and charters which govern great kingdoms, or the libraries and archives guarded jealously by rival churches. Gallant deeds, the bards say. But one might wonder if history is truly made at the point of a sword, or by the humble scribe who labours quietly to tell the tale.
Below you will find a list of tools and materials that were used to write in the Medieval times of our own world, and therefore in Altera. When reading, remember that it is not so much a rulebook as a reference point for those with an interest.
WRITING
SURFACES
• Parchment – A material commonly made from goat, calf, or sheepskin which is limed, scraped and dried under tension. As it is not tanned, it is different to leather and thus suitable for writing on.
• Papyrus – A thick kind of paper, papyrus is made from pressed reed pith, but while it is stable in dry conditions, it becomes weak and susceptible to mould growth in damper or more humid climes.
• Slate - Not widely or formally used, but for the less wealthy seeker of literacy, Slate is the stone which provides a naturally rather flat, smooth surface which can easily be written on with Chalk.
• Vellum - This is simply a variety of parchment, generally of finer quality, made exclusively from calfskin. For the best grade of vellum, this is taken from a calf foetus.
• Wax Tablet - Often presented as two 'pages' which can fold like a book, this writing surface consists of a wooden tablet with a wax coating in which writing can be inscribed with a Stylus. Their primary convenience is that they can be reused, provide a more certain surface than Slate, and are easily portable.
INKS
• Squid Ink – The cheapest kind of ink, it is made from a mixture of a dark natural pigment dye (precisely which varies by region) and mucus from the squid. As Spear puts it, "kinda gross".
• Irongall Ink – A much finer ink, it is favoured by Alteran scribes, scholars, and artisans. It is made by combining Green Vitriol with Tannic or Gallotannic Acid (the former resulting in a darker black ink while the latter is slightly brown). The solution is then filtered and a binder such as Gum Arabic is added. Though it initially appears relatively pale, the ink darkens upon exposure to oxygen when it is used, and is reasonably water resistant.
ACIDS
• Green Vitriol (AKA Iron Sulphate, Iron Salt, Iron Vitriol) – A mineral substance formed by the decomposition of iron pyrite ore by moisture from the atmosphere. It forms as a crust on the surface of the ore, which can be scraped off, dissolved in water, and recrystallised by evaporation if required. It which has a bright green appearance and astringent taste, and can be combined with Tannic or Gallotannic Acid in order to produce a dark ink.
• Sulphuric Acid (AKA Oil of Vitriol) – This acid can be prepared by roasting iron salts (Green Vitriol) in an iron retort. Can also be found forming naturally where water meets iron that is exposed to air, this allows pools of it to slowly form in damp, mineral rich underground caves.
• Gallotannic Acid – Extracted from Oak Galls (AKA Oak Apples), it is an organic acid, weak in solution, which can be used in the production of inks and similar products.
• Tannic Acid – This acid can be obtained by fermenting Gallotannic Acid to yield a purer product. It is a weak acidic solution used in the production of inks, as a mordant for dyes, and of course for tanning leather.
GLUES AND BINDERS
• Animal Glue - This is obtained from prolonged boiling of animal connective tissue, usually from horses.
• Fish Glue – Similar to Animal Glue, this is made by heating the skin and bones of fish in water. The purest form of fish glue is made from the membrane of the swim bladder of the sturgeon fish, which is called isinglass, which is sometimes used to preserve parchment.
• Acacia Gum (AKA Gum Arabic) – A binding agent made from the hardened sap of the Acacia tree, Acacia Gum is most useful to scribes in the production of Irongall Ink. It can be imported from the southernmost reaches of the Kingdoms and beyond, where the trees grow in relative abundance.
WRITING TOOLS
• Chalk – A form of limestone, found in marine conditions, most commonly the base of cliffs around sea level, chalk is traditionally used as a convenient means of writing something impermanent on a flat (usually stone) surface such as slate. It is also used in the production of sealing wax.
• Quill - A writing implement used to apply ink which is fashioned from the moulted tail feather of a large bird. Typically it would be a goose feather, but the feathers of other birds (crows, eagles, owls, and hawks) may also be used, as can the more expensive swan feathers.
• Reed Pen - Produced by the correct cutting and shaping of a reed stem to allow it to hold and deposit small amounts of ink, the reed pen has been somewhat outmoded by the quill, but it remains the implement of choice in certain regions.
• Stylus - Far less fancy than it sounds, a stylus is more or less a sharp stick used to engrave lettering onto wax tablets. This implement requires the use of more pressure than others to successfully write, and it must be lifted from the wax surface each time the scribe would wish to change the direction of a stroke.
WAXES
• Beeswax – Collected from bees, this is a source of basic wax which can be used to make Sealing Wax and Wax Tablets to be written on.
• Sealing Wax – This useful little substance is made from a combination of Beeswax, Shellac, Larch Resin, and Chalk/Plaster, the latter of which can be used in varying proportions to give a product with a coarser or finer grade. It can therefore be used for jobs such as sealing wine bottles and jars or (with finer grades) for sealing documents and letters. It can also be dyed and stamped with a signet to assist in proving a writer's identity.
Credits
Spear for the initial kick up the arse.
Spear for the vast majority of research.
Spear for the first draft and listing.
Cherry for tweaking, formatting, and introduction.
Below you will find a list of tools and materials that were used to write in the Medieval times of our own world, and therefore in Altera. When reading, remember that it is not so much a rulebook as a reference point for those with an interest.
WRITING
SURFACES
• Parchment – A material commonly made from goat, calf, or sheepskin which is limed, scraped and dried under tension. As it is not tanned, it is different to leather and thus suitable for writing on.
• Papyrus – A thick kind of paper, papyrus is made from pressed reed pith, but while it is stable in dry conditions, it becomes weak and susceptible to mould growth in damper or more humid climes.
• Slate - Not widely or formally used, but for the less wealthy seeker of literacy, Slate is the stone which provides a naturally rather flat, smooth surface which can easily be written on with Chalk.
• Vellum - This is simply a variety of parchment, generally of finer quality, made exclusively from calfskin. For the best grade of vellum, this is taken from a calf foetus.
• Wax Tablet - Often presented as two 'pages' which can fold like a book, this writing surface consists of a wooden tablet with a wax coating in which writing can be inscribed with a Stylus. Their primary convenience is that they can be reused, provide a more certain surface than Slate, and are easily portable.
INKS
• Squid Ink – The cheapest kind of ink, it is made from a mixture of a dark natural pigment dye (precisely which varies by region) and mucus from the squid. As Spear puts it, "kinda gross".
• Irongall Ink – A much finer ink, it is favoured by Alteran scribes, scholars, and artisans. It is made by combining Green Vitriol with Tannic or Gallotannic Acid (the former resulting in a darker black ink while the latter is slightly brown). The solution is then filtered and a binder such as Gum Arabic is added. Though it initially appears relatively pale, the ink darkens upon exposure to oxygen when it is used, and is reasonably water resistant.
ACIDS
• Green Vitriol (AKA Iron Sulphate, Iron Salt, Iron Vitriol) – A mineral substance formed by the decomposition of iron pyrite ore by moisture from the atmosphere. It forms as a crust on the surface of the ore, which can be scraped off, dissolved in water, and recrystallised by evaporation if required. It which has a bright green appearance and astringent taste, and can be combined with Tannic or Gallotannic Acid in order to produce a dark ink.
• Sulphuric Acid (AKA Oil of Vitriol) – This acid can be prepared by roasting iron salts (Green Vitriol) in an iron retort. Can also be found forming naturally where water meets iron that is exposed to air, this allows pools of it to slowly form in damp, mineral rich underground caves.
• Gallotannic Acid – Extracted from Oak Galls (AKA Oak Apples), it is an organic acid, weak in solution, which can be used in the production of inks and similar products.
• Tannic Acid – This acid can be obtained by fermenting Gallotannic Acid to yield a purer product. It is a weak acidic solution used in the production of inks, as a mordant for dyes, and of course for tanning leather.
GLUES AND BINDERS
• Animal Glue - This is obtained from prolonged boiling of animal connective tissue, usually from horses.
• Fish Glue – Similar to Animal Glue, this is made by heating the skin and bones of fish in water. The purest form of fish glue is made from the membrane of the swim bladder of the sturgeon fish, which is called isinglass, which is sometimes used to preserve parchment.
• Acacia Gum (AKA Gum Arabic) – A binding agent made from the hardened sap of the Acacia tree, Acacia Gum is most useful to scribes in the production of Irongall Ink. It can be imported from the southernmost reaches of the Kingdoms and beyond, where the trees grow in relative abundance.
WRITING TOOLS
• Chalk – A form of limestone, found in marine conditions, most commonly the base of cliffs around sea level, chalk is traditionally used as a convenient means of writing something impermanent on a flat (usually stone) surface such as slate. It is also used in the production of sealing wax.
• Quill - A writing implement used to apply ink which is fashioned from the moulted tail feather of a large bird. Typically it would be a goose feather, but the feathers of other birds (crows, eagles, owls, and hawks) may also be used, as can the more expensive swan feathers.
• Reed Pen - Produced by the correct cutting and shaping of a reed stem to allow it to hold and deposit small amounts of ink, the reed pen has been somewhat outmoded by the quill, but it remains the implement of choice in certain regions.
• Stylus - Far less fancy than it sounds, a stylus is more or less a sharp stick used to engrave lettering onto wax tablets. This implement requires the use of more pressure than others to successfully write, and it must be lifted from the wax surface each time the scribe would wish to change the direction of a stroke.
WAXES
• Beeswax – Collected from bees, this is a source of basic wax which can be used to make Sealing Wax and Wax Tablets to be written on.
• Sealing Wax – This useful little substance is made from a combination of Beeswax, Shellac, Larch Resin, and Chalk/Plaster, the latter of which can be used in varying proportions to give a product with a coarser or finer grade. It can therefore be used for jobs such as sealing wine bottles and jars or (with finer grades) for sealing documents and letters. It can also be dyed and stamped with a signet to assist in proving a writer's identity.
Credits
Spear for the initial kick up the arse.
Spear for the vast majority of research.
Spear for the first draft and listing.
Cherry for tweaking, formatting, and introduction.