Community:Scholars of Novia

The player-run Scholars of Novia are devoted to the promotion of a rich literary culture in New Britannia by encouraging player-authors, compiling and curating a collection of canon- and lore-consistent literary works in New Britannia, and providing in-game and out-of-game resources which foster the development, study, and enjoyment of in-game literature. To this end, the Scholars will offer services to allow those who choose to have their literary works peer-reviewed, recommended as consistent within the loric framework of the game, published and cataloged. The Scholars also wish to provide an opportunity for authors to interact with a large community of readers and authors throughout New Britannia. The Scholars have been featured on Portalarium's Community Spotlight.

Charter
September 5, 2014

Definitions
Lore: A body of knowledge, especially of a traditional, anecdotal, or popular nature, on a particular subject. May contain Canon, Fan fiction, Wiki entries, and in-game content.

Canon: In fiction, canon is the material accepted as part of the story in an individual fictional universe. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction. The term "canon" can be used either as a noun, referring to "the original work from which the fan fiction author borrows," or as an adjective to describe whether or not certain elements are accepted as authoritative parts of the fictional universe.

Fan Fiction: Stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator. Fan-fiction would be described as "non-canon," while an event from the official source material would be "canon."

Vision
We envision a New Britannia filled with great player-created literary works to entertain, educate, and inspire people for many, many years. We seek to foster a community which loves to read and write. We are committed to discovering and documenting lore for everyone's enjoyment.

Mission
The player-run Scholars of Novia are devoted to the promotion of a rich literary culture in New Britannia by encouraging player-authors, compiling and curating a collection of canon- and lore-consistent literary works in New Britannia, and providing in-game and out-of-game resources which foster the development, study, and enjoyment of in-game literature. To this end, the Scholars will offer services to allow those who choose to have their literary works peer-reviewed, recommended as consistent within the loric framework of the Shroud of the Avatar game, published and cataloged. The Scholars also wish to provide an opportunity for authors to interact with a large community of readers and authors throughout New Britannia.

Organization

 * 1) The Scholars of Novia are a purely player-run group of people.
 * 2) We are led by three Grand Masters:
 * 3) Grand Master of Scholars - ensure The Scholars of Novia operates smoothly.
 * 4) Grand Master of Scribes - receive and discover player-written lore.
 * 5) Grand Master of Lore - discover and research all lore.
 * 6) Masters directly support the Grand Masters as needed.
 * 7) Scholars include the Scribes and Lore Keepers who do the detailed work of the Scholars of Novia.

Methods
(prior to persistence in game)

Prior to persistence in New Britannia, player-written lore will be received, discovered, reviewed, and recommended via the SotA Scholars of Novia forum.


 * 1) We will issue Calls for Submissions to the public on the forum.
 * 2) We will receive author submissions via the forum.
 * 3) We will review the submissions for literary quality and consistency with lore.
 * 4) We will work with authors as desired to enhance the quality of the work.
 * 5) We will add books to our recommended reading list on the forum.
 * 6) We will publish books into a repository (Wiki Library) and an in-game library (when available).

Future Methods
When more capabilities are available in New Britannia for testing and eventually persistence, we plan to have one or more in-game libraries where we publish and put books on display. We intend our library to contain high quality works that will be enjoyable to be read by many people across New Britannia.

Membership

 * Winfield -- Grand Master of Scholars


 * Amber Raine -- Grand Master of Scribes
 * Unseen Dragon -- Scribe
 * Wahooka -- Scribe
 * Miracle Dragon / Iazon Paragon -- Scribe


 * Malchor2 -- Grand Master of Lore
 * Balec Fares de Cani -- Lore Keeper
 * Bowen Bloodgood -- Lore Keeper
 * Browncoat Jayson -- Lore Keeper
 * Grant MacGregor -- Lore Keeper

Council of Scribes Era

 * August 1, 2014 - Formed as the Council of Scribes
 * August 1-17, 2014 - Some statistics:
 * 52 books submitted by authors
 * 28 books pulled in for review (review capacity was about 10 per week)
 * August 22, 2014 - Council of Scribes halted

Scholars of Novia Era

 * September 5, 2014 - Formed as the Scholars of Novia
 * September 7, 2014 - Published the Scholars of Novia Charter
 * September 24 to October 6, 2014 - Contest #1 "The Sisters Grim" Submissions Period
 * 20 books submitted by authors
 * October 6, 2014 - Contest #1 Winners announced
 * 5 books selected as contest winners
 * December 13, 2014 to January 15, 2015 - Contest #2 "Valorbook of the Vale: The Courage of the Outlanders" Submissions Period

External Sites

 * Scholars of Novia SotA Forum