Paper and Parchment

“There will never be a demand for printed books, let alone ones using Kuslik Signs.”
-Overheard in a debate at the University of Methumis, modern

Paper and parchment are common in temples, mage’s academies, counting offices, town halls, libraries and other places of learning, and even in the backpacks of traveling explorers, and while both terms are often used synonymously in Aventuria, they refer to different writing materials.

Parchment comes from untanned animal skin. Hides are softened with water, limestone, and other alchemical substances, shorn of hair, and then stretched flat and scraped. Delicate skin produces the smoothest writing surface, which is why the best parchment is made from the skins of newborn lambs. Naturally, the upper size limit of a sheet of parchment is restricted by the size of the source.

Parchment does not tear easily and does not deform as quickly as paper when wet. It also is less suitable for book printing and binding. However, rolls of parchment that contain a single text are often referred to as books. Paper is well suited for book binding and is excellent for printing. Paper is made from crushed rags or plant fibers (such as rice, straw, or hemp) that are soaked in water, turned into pulp, and pressed into sheets.