"The Lathra is a work so powerful and majestic that all its predecessors have prostrated themselves before it in inky adoration."
The Lathra (also called "The Word of the God-King") is the sacred text of most civilized Caspianists.
In addition to being regard as the holy scripture, the Lathra is also considered the centerpiece of all literature in the Kingdom.
The text of the Lathra has increased over the ages, and new chapters added up until about five millennia ago when it was declared to be finished by celestial proclamation.
The Lathra is currently 294 pages long, and divided into 25 "books", each averaging eleven pages in length.
Most of the text is written from the first person narrative, and contains a distorted version of the Kingdom's history; including descriptions of the God-King's birth and rise to power, the Great War, as well as commentary on acts that the God-King approves of, and universal laws and commandments that his followers are meant to obey.
Rumors of hidden messages describing secret rituals within the text itself persist.
The Lathra has existed in various forms since before the beginning of the Kingdom. It is understood that quotes from its text were distributed by the first followers in the form of religious tracts and pamphlets. Actual full chapters from the Lathra were entrusted to each of the early cults in either scroll or book form, and it was the duty of the Cult Leader to keep the writing safe, and non-members were forbidden to see it. Members of the cult typically only viewed the bound book during ceremonies, where it was placed in a prominent position usually atop a wooden or stone lectern
Copies were forbidden to be made, although acolytes above the grade of ___ were allowed to see and read the cult’s copy. This practice continued until the Great War was over, and the formation of the Kingdom a thousand years after. Since then, Lathras are typically hand-written, though the newly invented printing press is seeing Lathras being produced in great quantities.