Molten Library
Deep beneath the volcanic expanse of Emberfall, buried in a fortress of basalt and fire, lies the Molten Library—a secret and sacred archive of ancient draconic knowledge. Accessible only through narrow magma-choked tunnels and sealed by elemental wards, it is said that those uninvited will burn long before they glimpse the first vault.
Contents & Furnishings
The Molten Library contains some of the rarest and most dangerous lore in the known world:
- Scrolls etched in dragonbone – Writings of elder wyrms, including pre-Cataclysmic magic, political records of dragon courts, and ancient declarations of war.
- Memory-Flames – Suspended motes of enchanted fire that contain the living memories of dragons. To touch one is to witness the thoughts of a being who lived through history.
- Obsidian Tablets of the Draconic Schism – Firsthand accounts of the great divide between elemental dragon factions, the betrayals that followed, and the magical pacts made in blood and flame.
- Flame-Aspected Necromancy – Forbidden rites that bind soul and ash, long banned by most mortal mages. These writings are said to blur the line between life, fire, and undeath.
- Pre-Sundering Cartography – Maps of continents and ley-lines long altered or destroyed, providing glimpses into the world’s true shape before the Cataclysm of Flame.
Alterations
Carved into the heart of a dormant volcano, the library is a marvel of elemental architecture. Its halls twist like veins through obsidian and molten stone, shaped by the hands—and claws—of its warden, Ashvek, the reclusive elder Fire Dragon. Lava channels illuminate the chambers with a constant orange glow, and runes inscribed in ever-burning flame keep the air breathable and intruders repelled.
No two visitors walk the same path twice: the corridors shift at Ashvek’s will, the very rock obeying his flamebound command. The temperature is blistering; only fire-resistant beings or magically protected mortals can withstand prolonged exposure.
Defenses
Ashvek, known as the Keeper of the Molten Library, is both curator and sentinel. Though ancient and withdrawn from worldly affairs, he allows rare seekers entry—usually only if they offer a suitable gift of knowledge, or if the balance of flame and time demands it.
Fire elementals, ember spirits, and living glyphs patrol the deeper levels, and it is whispered that Ashvek has bound a piece of his own soul into the library itself, making destruction or theft near-impossible.
History
Among fire-worshipping cults, the Molten Library is considered a holy site. Among scholars, it is legend. Among dragons, it is sacred. It is not merely a storehouse of knowledge—it is a living flame of history, burning with memory, warning, and power.
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