This article belongs to the lore of Astyria.

Nortish scrivenry

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Scrivenry forms an important part of the Erbonian domestic industry. The Compagnie of Scriveners is a powerful national guild which controls the sale of scrivenry as well as the printing, engrossing and illumination trades. Scrivenry includes all paper, parchment, ink and stationery productions used for printing, engrossing, illumination and writing purposes.

Paper sizes

Relative paper sizes used in Great Nortend.

The sizes in which paper is sold or used in trade and commerce are prescribed by the Compagnie of Scriveners, which standardised the paper sizes in use in 1855. Paper sizes are named by reference to „base”, or „plano” paper sizes. The terms „folio”, „quarto”, „octavo”, „sextodecimo” and so on are used to refer to halved, quartered and eighthed sizes of the base paper size. These are abbreviated „2o”, „4to”, „8vo”, „16mo” and so on. Larger sizes may be named using the terms „double”, „fourfold” and „eightfold” (and so on) for doubled, quadrupled and octupled paper sizes; however, it is more common to refer to these larger sizes by unique names.

Table of common Nortish paper sizes
Size Inches Centimetres Ratio Name
FOOLSCAP SERIES
Eight 36 52 86.11 124.38 1.44 Double Soleil
Four 26 36 62.19 86.11 1.38 Soleil
Double 18 26 43.06 62.19 1.44 Demy
Plano 13 18 31.10 43.06 1.38 Foolscap
Folio 9 13 21.53 31.10 1.44 Foolscap Folio
Quarto 9 15.55 21.53 1.38 Foolscap Quarto
Octavo 10.76 15.55 1.44 Small Card
POST SERIES
Eight 42 60 100.46 143.52 1.43 Double Imperial
Four 30 42 71.76 100.46 1.40 Imperial
Double 21 30 50.23 71.76 1.43 Medium
Plano 15 21 35.88 50.23 1.40 Post
Folio 10½ 15 25.12 35.88 1.43 Post Folio
Quarto 10½ 17.94 25.12 1.40 Post Quarto
Octavo 12.56 17.94 1.43 Large Card
CROWN SERIES
Eight 46 66 110.03 157.87 1.43 Double Atlas
Four 33 46 78.94 110.03 1.39 Atlas
Double 23 33 55.02 78.94 1.43 Copydraught
Plano 16½ 23 39.47 55.02 1.39 Crown
Folio 11½ 16½ 27.51 39.47 1.43 Crown Folio
Quarto 11½ 19.73 27.51 1.39 Crown Quarto
Octavo 13.75 19.73 1.43 Crown Octavo
ELEPHANT SERIES
Eight 56 78 133.95 186.58 1.39 Double Hartroyal
Four 39 56 93.29 133.95 1.44 Hartroyal
Double 28 39 66.98 93.29 1.39 Crossmarten
Plano 19¼ 28 46.64 66.98 1.44 Elephant
Folio 14 19½ 33.49 46.64 1.39 Elephant Folio
Quarto 14 23.32 33.49 1.44 Elephant Quarto
Octavo 7 16.74 23.32 1.39 Elephant Octavo

Paper in the four common series of foolscap, post, crown and elephant paper are commonly available at scriveners around the country. Foolscap paper, especially foolscap folio and quarto, is the typical personal writing paper series. It is quite similar to the international A-series, being only slightly larger than corresponding A-series sizes. For example, foolscap folio is slightly taller and wider than A4 paper. Post paper, also known as brief, is commonly used for legal or office documents. For instance, business letters are commonly written on post quarto paper, while deeds and contracts are typically written on post folio sized sheets (hence the practice of charging per folium. Many books are printed on crown sized paper and folded into quartos or octavos, although it is commonly also used by artists, draughtsmen and the like. Elephant paper is mostly used for newspapers, where a broadsheet is an elephant sheet folded once into a folio (hence the name, „elephant folio”), and a halfsheet folded twice into quartos. Elephant paper unfolded is commonly used for posters and bills.

Mourning scrivenry

Mourning scrivenry is available and commonly used during periods of mourning, or to shew grief or sorrow at the death of a person. The distinctive feature is the black border which is applied to cards, paper and envelopes, in addition to the customary use of only black ink. If special stationery is not available, it is usual to draw a black line around the border of the piece of paper to indicate mourning. The use of mourning scrivenry is tied to the wearing of mourning dress, and generally ceases when one leaves full mourning. However, it is also used when the subject of the document relates to the death, or when one is sending letters or cards to the bereaved.