# [[Books in the Alastroi Home]] Olivenka was a voracious reader; her parents probably were too. Lots of bookshelves in several rooms, profusely annotated and worn out by constant page-flipping. There are several religious books on the ethics and theology of the Morninglord Church. ## Religious Texts ### Pre-Mistfall #### **Hymns to [[Morninglord (Temple)|Father Dawn]]** by St. Ezra de Pious [[Morninglord (Temple)|The Church]]'s standard prayer book. It was composed in the early days of [[CoS 2026/Collective Wisdom/Factions/Morninglord (Temple)|the Church]] by one of its first saints, Father Ezra. The first section, _Folk Rhymes and Old Prayers_ collects the several poems, songs and chants that were used in tribes and towns that revered [[Morninglord (Temple)|Father Dawn]] as part of the old dualistic religion, it is highly eclectic in style and structure. The second section, _Church Psalms and New Prayer_ is made up of worship poems purposefully written by the Church Fathers to define a certain metric and aesthetic and fit the emerging theology. #### The Blade of Truth: Logic as a Weapon against Diabolist Heresies by Father Gorkyn A strange mix of logic exercises and soteriological reflections about the saving power of knowledge, discernment of falsehood and right thinking. #### **Corpus Libram** edited by [[Morninglord (Temple)#St. Ulmed the Sage|St. Ulmed the Sage]] A collection of the principal writings of the Church Fathers. Theological essays, recountings and analysis of [[CoS 2026/Collective Wisdom/Factions/Morninglord (Temple)|Father Dawn]] myths and memorable sermons. There's extensive commentary by the editor [[Morninglord (Temple)#St. Ulmed the Sage|St. Ulmed]], who seems to be the main founder of the Church as a coherent movement. #### **Doctrinae** by [[Morninglord (Temple)#St. Bogdan the Lawgiver|St. Bogdan the Lawgiver]] Compendium of the Church's moral teachings in the form of exemplary tales, debates and parables. #### **Tome of Law** by [[Morninglord (Temple)#St. Bogdan the Lawgiver|St. Bogdan the Lawgiver]] A heavily structured code of canon laws, legal archives and court precedents. ### Post Mistfall #### **Dialogues** by St. Andral the Dialogist This is the first book to expound the salvific doctrine that, in Accursed [[Barovia (the Land of)|Barovia]], the Church is the steward of hope that will herald the Restoration of Light. The author imagines himself speaking with the souls of past saints and finding solance in their advice and comforting words. #### **Conversions** by St. Andral the Dialogist Based on his own travels through the land speaking with heathens and those disenchanted by religion, St. Andral offers a number of arguments and strategies to convert the disaffected and the unbelievers. _Olivenka's annotations show she's unconvinced._ #### **Prophecies** by St. Andral the Dialogist Esoteric ravings written at the end of his life, St. Andral left a diary of visions and dreams he received on his deathbed. Interpretation is open but these are often consulted for signs of the upcoming Restoration of Light and for instruction on how to usher it. #### **Shake the Disease: The Everyday Miracle** by [[Father Luther Petrovich]] Recent and unopened, it's [[Father Luther Petrovich|Father Luther]]'s exposition of his own [[Light Within]] school of thought. It says the sun won't return to [[Barovia (the Land of)|Barovia]] until the inhabitants remember that the true light of reason and love is inside them and needs to be spread as a cure against the darkness. ### The Schism: Books by [[Brother Osybus]] ([[Sister Olivenka Alastroi|Sister Olivenka]] sent these to her friend [[Clavius]].) #### The Mode of Coping: Singing, Living, Mourning A young Osybus documents his own missionary work in the [[Barovia (the Land of)|Barovian]] countryside and the diverse ways that local communities engineer rituals to keep up their will to live. He says that the Church could learn a lot from some of these rituals--particularly the mountain clans, were it not so obsessed with orthodoxy. _Olivenka vehemently agrees in her notes._ #### **Struggle and Victory: Lessons from [[CoS 2026/Collective Wisdom/Locations/Svalich Woods|Svalich]]** A more mature Osybus retells his travels through [[CoS 2026/Collective Wisdom/Factions/People of the Woods|the wilderness]], his observations of nature and how, despite or even thanks to the Curse, the cycle of life and death, predation and prey, goes on and is even enhanced. He postulates the idea that too much rational thinking and disconnection from nature might be the main defect of the Church. He also tries to read wisdom into the wild folks' tales about spirit animals and landscape genies. #### Gainful Decay Osybus goes through the several pessimistic heresies that consider [[Strahd von Zarovich|Strahd]]'s Curse a form of divine test or punishment, and refutes them all. To him, the [[CoS 2026/Collective Wisdom/Factions/Morninglord (Temple)|Church]] should return to the primitive dualism or even to an earlier form of nature-worship. Entropy is the natural flow of existence, not a force to be resisted. By that token, [[Strahd von Zarovich|Strahd]] is not just a harbinger of balance but Mother Night's chosen representative on Earth to deliver the people of [[Barovia (the Land of)|Barovia]] from their separation from the Land. Return to instinct and acceleration of the End will bring deliverance, and Strahd should be admired for his role. #### Trials of the Goat-Demon His latest work, a retelling of a tribal myth about a goat-faced demon who lives in the mountains and tests the passers-by with riddles and torments. Through his occult lens, Osybus thinks there are spirits meant to retrian the Barovians into their baser instincts and cull the unworthy. ### Other books: ![[sherlockgnome.png|right|280]] #### **A Study in Darkness** by Arngol C. Davyd Mystery novel about a gnome detective duo, Sholto Holvich, his physician friend and narrator Yohann von Vatzen, solving a murder case involving a Vistani wagon-driver. #SherlockGnomes #### **Ilthazar and Elishka** by Zaanji e-Ruadri Forbidden romance between nobles of rival boyar houses in [[Vallaki]]. The tale involves witchcraft, a dark [[Strahd von Zarovich|Strahd]]-worshipping cult, politigal intrigue and a tragic suicide pact between the lovers. It's tame, not graphic, but very corny and poetic. #### **The Blood of Mazonn** by Zaanji e-Ruadri Historical novel based on the life of Mazonn, a warlord of the Terg dwarves, one of the oldest enemies of [[Strahd von Zarovich|Strahd]], who led a resistance against him from the northern mountains. It's very well researched and informative about the political landscape and cultures from early [[Barovia (the Land of)|Barovia]]. Also very spicy. #### **Parlay with a Ghoul** by Sar-Zevaoth A philosophical dialogue between a young, living human woman and an undead dwarvish man, with some romantic tints. #### **Paloma's Poetry Journal** by Paloma d'Astrey Haikus and short, free verse poems about the sights in Barovia written by a *skurra* woman. _Olivenka's notes shows that she shared Paloma's appreciation for Barovia's unique landscape and lifeforms._ #### **The Mischief of Castruccio** by Anjornio Dulocq An fictionalized auto-biography about a Vistani trickster who snatches valuables from outsiders. ![[twilight.png|right|250]] #### **Death's Kiss: The Romance of Tatyana** by Vasili von Holtz A fictionalized retelling of the life of [[Tatyana Ravenov]] and her dalliance with [[Strahd von Zarovich]]. The pages are torn apart and illegible. There aren't sufficient pieces to fix it by _mending_. #AndiFeelsTargeted #### **The Futures Forfeited** by Triana Bikari An intellectual history of [[Barovia (the Land of)|Barovia]] after the Mistfall, with an emphasis on the various schools of thought that try to rationalize or cope with the bleakness of the Land and the emergence of pessimistic movements.