Dragons of Tirenia

Sherryl Jordan is one of New Zealand's greatest writers of young adult fiction, and I loved her books as a child. Recently I discovered that she'd written a new book and that it was set in a magical-realism version of Renaissance Italy! Giovanna's father performs a play that angers the tyrannical Prince Savernola of Goretti. With innocent lives hanging in the balance, she travels to Goretti in an attempt to appease the prince and becomes caught up in the intrigue there. Giovanna struggles with issues of free speech and the power of words. This is the most perfect Dragon Princes novel I've read. Giovanna and her love interest Raffaele are both wonderful player characters, with interesting personalities, skills, and relationships. The story poses moral questions without providing easy solutions, and the characters must navigate a morally grey world while trying to remain true to themselves and each other.  There is magic, but there is also a deep grounding in historic...

Every good Dragon Princes adventure should feature most of these following elements. 1. A mysterious world Tirenia is a world where everyone has a hidden motivation, and nothing is as simple as it seems. There should always be some sort of mystery for the players to uncover, or a twist that changes how they view what has been happening. 2. An imperfect world Characters in Tirenia often have lofty goals, but reality means that they will be forced to compromise. Whether choosing the lesser of two evils, or deciding what they will sacrifice, players should be struggling to get the best possible results. 3. A changing world The world is on the cusp of the Tirenian Wars, and nothing will stay the same ever again. Every adventure should upend the status quo, and have lasting changes. Whether it's political upheaval, new discoveries, new inventions, or something else, characters should be able to see how the events that they have been involved in will have effects on future ga...

Lent is the story of Girolamo Savonarola. This real-life charismatic preacher and prophet briefly took power in Florence before being excommunicated and burned at the stake. Jo Walton's book Lent is a character study of Savonarola, in a world where the demons that he was said to exorcise really exist, and Hell is demonstrably real. In the first half of the book, his life plays out more or less as it did in real life, until his fiery death. Then things get really interesting, as Savonarola is given the chance to relive his life over and over again. Walton's strength in this book is her characterization, of Savonarola and the people around him. Through them, she shows how the Renaissance mind worked. Savonarola is an wonderful character for a Dragon Princes game, either in his historical form or the more fantastical version that is revealed over the course of the novel. It's also extremely readable, and I look forward to trying her other novels (which I understand have a lo...

Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld books are set in a fantastic flat world that flies through space supported on four elephants that stand on the back of a giant space turtle. They are parodies of fantasy literature and the real world, and are recommended reading for anyone with any interest in fantasy as a genre. For a Dragon Princes campaign, Pratchett's books set in Ankh-Morpork are particularly relevant. They are without equal at showing how a fantasy metropolis might function, warts and all. The city (a mix of renaissance Prague, Victorian London and modern-day New York) has a filthy vitality and character all of its own. Pratchett's characters are exceptional and worth adapting for any roleplaying world. Furthermore, a major theme in many of Pratchett's later books is how the world reacts to technological and cultural developments like the printing press, a modern police force, multiculturalism, and more. This should also be a theme in any Dragon Princes game. Th...

I often feel like there's three genres of historical books. If it's for men, it's a war story; if it's for women, it's a romance. If it's for everyone, it's a murder mystery. The Phoenix of Florence  starts off as a murder mystery. Onorio Celavini investigates the brutal murder of a serial seducer and his latest mistress in Renaissance Florence, but soon the investigation starts to feel personal. About a third of the way through, there is a massive revelation about the character - so massive I wonder if it should have been revealed on the back of the book, because it's what the entire rest of the book is about. The middle third gives us Onorio's backstory, and the final third wraps it all together. It's also at this point that the genre changes: ultimately, this is an action novel with a fairly straightforward revenge plot. I can't help but feel that this book is inspired by  A Song of Ice and Fire.  Its main character seems highly inspired...

I recently finished reading this lesser-known work by Lois McMaster Bujold, better known for her multiple award winning series, the Vorkosigan Saga. She wanted to try her hand at a fantasy novel, set in an alternate-reality Renaissance Italy. Apparently, it wasn't a very big success. I find this strange because I absolutely adored it! Fiametta Beneforte, daughter and unofficial apprentice to a powerful artificer-wizard, and Thur Ochs, a Swiss miner whose main talent is how immensely reasonable he is, meet when Montefoglia is taken over by Uberto Ferrante, a neighbouring lord with a penchant for black magic. They have to save Montefoglia, but more importantly save the soul of Fiametta's father Prospero from an evil ritual. McMaster Bujold has a lovely writing style. Chapters are alternately from Fiametta or Thur's point of view, and really help to illustrate two highly likeable characters. Either of them would be a wonderful PC for a Dragon Princes game. In addition,...

I just finished watching The Agony and the Ecstasy, and wanted to talk about it! This is an old movie from 1965 about Michelangelo and the painting of the Sistine Chapel, based on the book by Irving Stone. Michelangelo is forced into undertaking a mammoth commision that he doesn't want from Pope Julius II  He ends up creating one of the most sublime works of art ever made. The highlight of this movie is its amazing visuals. Every scene is sumptuous with colour and detail. From the assembled cardinals, to armies at war, and the tavern that Michelangelo visits, every scene is full of life and detail. This is, of course, to say nothing of the art that is the true star of the movie. There is also a wonderful look at what life was like at the time. The costuming and scenery are incredible, and the movie also shows a lot of how art was made - in particular, the stonecutters' quarry and the methods for painting frescos. The central relatonship triangle is also very compelling, since...

The Renaissance is an extremely popular time period, and there is a lot of very readable and informative popular history books that are readily available, ready to give more details about any topic in which you are interested. There are books about the artists, the politicians, the warriors, the famous men and women; there are more specialised works about different aspects of society. (An article about shopping, inspired by one of these books, is coming down the pipeline!) In addition, modern travel writing can be very good for talking about the feel of a place, what the most important locations are, and giving an overview of the history and personalities. I am not going to touch on those topics because there's far too much out there! Instead, these are my favourite overviews of the entire Renaissance. The Renaissance in Europe  by Margaret L. King This book is intended to be an introductory textbook for university students or just those who are interested in th...

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. T he 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. The 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) immen...

I've been reading a lot of books set in Renaissance Italy. Dungeons and Dragons has a famous appendix of recommended reading: this is the beginning of a similar list for Tirenia! Here's the first group: a series of excellent books for younger readers that are great inspiration for players and Dungeon Masters alike! As I find more recommendations, I'll update this list. The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones Anything by Diana Wynne Jones is always worth reading on principle! But this story is particularly relevant for us, set in an alternative world where magic is commonplace. It's part of a series, but no prior knowledge is required, and tells a Romeo and Juliet inspired tale of feuding wizard families. Diana Wynne Jones is always superb at making magic feel unique, alive and quirky. The Italian setting is also very well realised. While not set in the Renaissance, there is a lot to recommend this book! The Stravaganza  series by Mary Hoffman ...

Yesterday Claire and I went to the Auckland Art Gallery to see the Corsini Collection. It's amazing and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The art is incredible, and it's amazing to be able to see individual brush-strokes on the canvas from 500 years ago - it really connects you to the past. Seeing it as one family's collection also adds to the atmosphere: there are paintings throughout of members of the Corsini family, and you get to see their stories: it really makes them come alive. Here are some pictures that we took from the collection that we felt were particularly interesting from Dragon Princes (or that we just liked a lot!) There's a lot more amazing art that we haven't got in pictures. The Corsini family tree Detail from the Corsini family tree: a dedication to all their pet dogs. Naso is in fine company! A door hanging with the Corsini crest on it. We should come up with the Benicio crest! Florence, by the banks of the Arno Ri...