#nicked

nicephorus, wayfinder, navigator, the lowliest monk in bari, friend to dog-men and treasure hunter alike

non filter/mosaic version below the cut :))

This week, we're joined by author M.T. Anderson as we dive into the thrilling tale of Nicked, the true story of a medieval heist to steal the holy body of Saint Nicholas and save Bari from plague. We take a step-by step approach to the heist and use it as an example for how you can adapt real relic thieves and heists into your TTRPGS & stories.

Check out Nicked here! Find MT Anderson's works on his website, here.

Transparency Statement: the Maniculum does not take sponsorships or paid promotions. We are excited to share Nicked with our audience because we loved the book and believe it is a perfect example of what we strive to do on the show: bring medieval tales into the modern day. We were gifted a copy of Nicked from Penguin Random House as part of the interview process.

Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here!

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Citations & References:

Nicked, MT Anderson - at your local bookstore & Bookshop.org, a storefront for small bookstores - find it here!

Anderson, M. T. Nicked. Pantheon Books, 2024.

Anderson, M. T. Yvain: the Knight of the Lion. Illustrated by Andrea Offerman, Candlewick Press, 2017.

al-Jawbari, Jamal al-Din ‘Abd al-Rahim. The Book of Charlatans. Translated by Humphrey Davies, edited by Manuela Dengler. New York UP, 2020. Library of Arabic Literature 64.

Birrell, Anne, translator. The Classic of Mountains and Seas. Penguin, 2000.

Christopher of Mytilene, “To the Monk Andrew…” The Poems of Christopher of Mytilene and John Mauropous, edited and translated by Floris Bernard and Christopher Livanos, Harvard UP, 2018, pp. 240–51. Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library 50.

Einhard, “Translation of the Relics of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter.” Translated by Barrett Wendell, edited by David Appleby. Medieval Hagiography: An Anthology, edited by Thomas Head, Garland Press, 1999, pp. 199–225.

Farley, David. An Irreverent Curiosity. Gotham Books, 2009.

Geary, Patrick J. Furta Sacra: Thefts of Relics in the Central Middle Ages. Princeton UP, 1991.

Guibert of Nogent, “On Saints and their Relics.” Translated by Thomas Head. Medieval Hagiography: An Anthology, edited by Head, Garland Press, 1999, pp. 405–27.

Kurtz, Katherine. Saint Camber. Ballantine Books, 1978. Vol. 5 of the Deryni novels.

Map, Walter. De Nugis Curialium / Courtiers’ Trifles. Edited and translated by M. R. James, revised by C. N. L. Brooke and R. A. B. Mynors, Clarendon Press, 1983.

Novik, Naomi. His Majesty's Dragon. Del Rey, 2006. Vol. 1 of Temeraire.

For spelling reference

Bari

Manzikert

Myra

myroblyte

Seljuk

Good details from Nicked we never got around to mentioning:

Appearance of the historical Norman Reverse Mullet

Books Shania Read In 2026 – Nicked by M.T. Anderson

Books I Loved in 2025: Nicked by M.T Anderson

For contemporary gay fiction set in Italy, click here. Vesuvius by Cass Biehn (YA, 79) Nicked by M.T. Anderson (1087) The Ballot Boy by Larry Mellman (1368) Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine (1717) Eight Strings by Margaret DeRosia (19th c)