Ancient Library

Second only to the royal palace in scale, the @Ancient Library of @Alendria stands out proudly in @Sphaira with its sweeping domes and celestial architecture. Built in reverence to Eremos' Song, the library's layout follows a series of embedded spheres, each chamber nested within another like the harmonics of a sacred chord. Scholars say the design itself is a mnemonic device, echoing the layered truths of Alendrian philosophy.

The halls are vast and echoing, lined with scrolls, tomes, and codices from every written age of Skybride. Marble shelves curve along the spherical walls, and staircases spiral like constellations between levels. The ceiling of the central dome is painted to resemble the night sky, with constellations that shimmer faintly in the dark, responding to the breath of visitors.

Light within the library comes not from flame or sun, but from perfect spheres of illumination that float gently through the air. These orbs drift silently, casting soft light and rearranging themselves according to the hour and the needs of the scholars below.

Beneath the library lies the Vault of Ginomai, a sealed archive containing the most ancient and delicate texts in Alendria.

Notable figures in the Ancient Library

@Chloe Iphimedeia - Curator of the Ancient Library, balancing cooperation with the Hesan Empire and protecting valuable texts, known for her intellect, diplomacy, and dedication. Has sole access to the Vault of Ginomai.

@Mnemosyne - Mnemosyne is an ancient automaton, created in a forgotten age to serve as the ultimate archivist. She has spent millennia within the hallowed halls of the Ancient Library of Alendria, meticulously cataloging every shelf, receiving new texts, and repairing old texts.

@Irmelin Eckehard - Member of the Hesan Occupying government and naval arcane specialist, Irmelin Eckehard is a precise and ruthlessly composed censor of Alendrian literature, valuing intellectual rigor over sentimentality. She oversees the review and classification of Alendrian literature, believing Alendrian sentimentality is dangerous and beauty can be weaponized. She is currently in a stand-off with Mnemosyne, the Ancient Library's Index Eternal, who undoes her censorship efforts. Irmelin has asked Chloe Iphimedeia to turn Mnemosyne "off", but Chloe politely says this is impossible.

Frequent Patrons

@Leandros Hieron - An Alendrian scholar and scribe who now finds himself serving the Hesan Occupying government in Sphaira, despite his personal feelings. He spends all of his spare hours in a small alcove of the Ancient Library conducting his own personal research. Leandros once served House Landon and harbors deep unrequited feelings for the now missing @Princess Elara of Alendria .

@Sophron Alkaios - Popular street philosopher who is dedicated to the works of ancient Alendrian heavy weights such as Eremos and Thalor the Interlocutor.

@Lina Underbough - Archeologist interested in Alendrian relics and ruins.