Recommended Reading: Period Sources

There is a huge amount of literature from the Renaissance that survives to the modern day, and it is all worth reading to get into the head of people living at the time, and to add the small details that can really make a game pop. Here are four works that I particularly recommend for Dragon Princes.

Image result for penguin classics decameronThe Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio

This book is a collection of a hundred short stories told by a group of young nobles while they hide away from the Black Death. The description of the plague is horrific and excellent for Dungeon Masters who want to include it in their games. But the hundred short stories, in a wide variety of genres, are great for understanding Renaissance social life and attitudes, and seeing a huge range of possible NPCs for a game.





Related imageThe Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso) by Dante Alighieri

This poem is the story of a mystical trip that the author takes from the depths of Hell to the heights of Heaven. It was (and is) immensely influential for the popular image of what the Christian afterlife looks like. As a result, it is a major inspiration for the religion of Tirenia as well. It's very rich with allusions to Dante's times, however, so you may need to refer to the explanatory notes!





Image result for penguin classics machiavelliThe Prince by Niccolo Macchiavelli

Machiavelli's work on power and rulership is one of the most famous works of political theory ever written. It shapes modern ideas about the political struggles between the powerful rulers of Italy, and is essential reading for understanding the dragon princes of Tirenia.







Related imageHonourable Mention: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Shakespeare was writing at the end of the Renaissance in England, but many of his iconic plays are set in a fictionalised Never-Never-Land version of Italy - Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew, and more. Even many of the ones that are not set in Italy can be used as a rich source of inspiration, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream or Macbeth. Using characters and situations inspired by Shakespeare can make Tirenia come to life.

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