Library of the Long Forgotten
"When the cities of man lie in ruins and their works have eroded from this earth, only their knowledge will remain."
These are the words inscribed upon the archway in the Library of the Long Forgotten. Nestled amongst the cramped streets of Mordehan lies what at first appears to be an unassuming building. If one wasn't careful, they might assume it to be another rundown housing unit, as is common in the Carvian Corridor. Those who have a thirst for knowledge, however, know better. For this is a place for lore once thought to be lost and a refuge for those who seek to understand that which cannot be explained.
Once the seeker of knowledge steps into the halls of the library, you will find yourself on a branching path. one of these paths leads to the loft, where regular visitors can find tomes that are better remembered and more widely printed. On the other hand, if one wishes to discover what secrets lie in store for them, they must pay tribute.
In order to pay tribute, one must provide a service to the archivists. This can come in the form of performing a task for them, like transcribing some of their aging works into a fresh copy, or a personal mission from the guild, like recovering a piece of lore they've heard about. Most commonly though, you offer up a piece of lore that they do not have. Once you have gained entry, the gatekeeper will brand their symbol, the quill crossing parchment, on a place of your choice, usually the back of the palm. They will then activate the entrance, moving the bookshelf to reveal a stairwell extending down into the depths of the library.
When the seeker of knowledge first enters the bowels of the of the library, they will first notice the illogical construction of the whole place.
The halls of the library branch off at random and the floor's height varies as much as half a man's height as if these floors were adopted by man rather than created by them. The first floor of this labyrinth is dedicated to the written word, with the many smaller rooms serving as a sorting method of sorts, with different clusters dedicated to different areas of text, such as religion or folk legends. Descending further into the Library, the second floor is wrought with artifacts from distant excavations, brought back by adventurers in return for knowledge. Once the Seeker of Knowledge reaches the third and final floor, the truth of the construction reveals itself as the carved corridors give way to a cavern, with all the twists and turns one would expect from nature, and it is here that the most ancient and useful artifacts are safely stowed.
Alternative Name(s)
Hall of the Archivists
Location under
Owning Organization
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Hey swi, here's the feedback :)
This part is a bit awkward and a bit passive-voice-y. Consider changing it to "The library is nestled". Surrounding it* This is a pretty long sentence. Consider splitting it into two or reworking it a bit. Consider scrapping the "however" and splitting it in two after "better". "The library is a place for.." There's a bit of a split here. The rest of the article is written from a different tone than this line. "the visitors" and "those seeking knowledge" capital O on one :) The word recalled is a little odd. From the title, I assume the library either gathers or spawns books that pass from time and are forgotten. Maybe "better remembered" would flow more neatly, so I don't think the books are getting recalled for fatally papercutting people. This part flows a bit awkwardly with the pause in the start and a third comma after.. Consider giving it a second go. :) This also reads a bit strangely. "Tribute come in the form of service or favors" or something might flow better. You can get rid of this comma. Another skip to "you" here. Also, don't think you need the "though" word here. :) There's 4 commas in this sentence which makes it read kinda fragmentary. This is another really long sentence. This also sounds like the most intriguing part of the place! Split up a bit and expand on it, I'd love to hear about the weird layout of it all. :) The place sounds like it has real potential to become a great piece for your setting! I like it and think it can become real awesome!Creator of Araea, Megacorpolis, and many others.