Codex Rosmanicus: Twelve Tales of Enchantment

The literature of the past fascinates the modern reader. Part of this fascination is the paradox of the time and distance that creates a sense of the alien while remaining relevant in the present. Some of the most interesting examples of such work can be found in the codices, such as the Exeter Book, that are frequently compilations of anonymous older texts. Codex Rosmanicus (“The Book of Rosman”) is modelled after such works. The codex is a collection of writings compiled by the fictitious narrator/compiler Jaren the Traveller. The lines between fiction and reality are nebulous as the book contains personages/settings from the real world as well as those that are fictitious/fantastical. No attempt has been made to separate the two. In keeping with the feel of an ancient compiled work, the codex contains a mixture of literary forms: poetry, a play (a dramatic tragedy), and short stories. A death knight, an Ice Maiden, and a collection of the denizens of faerie lurk within its pages.