paragraven

Paragraven is a term used in fantasy literature and role-playing game lore to describe a special class of inscribed artifacts and texts that fuse prose with stylized symbols, runes, or marginal diagrams. It denotes inscriptions meant to convey information on multiple levels, sometimes with protective or introductory spells.

Origins and usage vary by work. The term is a coined concept rather than a single canonical tradition, and different authors attribute it to different historical cultures within their fictional worlds. Etymology is usually given as para- (beside, alongside) and grav(en) (engraved), signaling a text carved beside or beyond the main body.

Form and function describe appearances that range from manuscripts and tablets to jewelry and stele matrices. They typically combine a primary narrative paragraph with ancillary glyphs, diagrams, or color mappings. Decipherment within the fiction often requires context, knowledge of the symbolic system, and sometimes ritual acts.

In narrative and gameplay, paragraven serve as lore devices and plot catalysts: they may reveal hidden histories, unlock secrets, or warn of dangers. Some settings treat them as dangerous or cursed, while others present them as trusted repositories of lost knowledge.

See also: marginalia, runic inscription, magical text, cipher.