Royal Library
The Royal Library is maybe the most famous library on this side of Sleetmouth lake.
The Royal library mostly owns its fame to the famous persons who have studied at the library, people like the famous general who would conquer the last city-state in Dercia and bring an end to the Unification war Cyna Astalles or Grand Prince Niko II who studied there under an alias.
The first few decades after the completion of the library, its main goal was the conversation of the Dercians own particular traditions and heritage. But when the first director of the library retired and the new one took over its mission changed more to that of the gathering of all kinds of information, from that of legends that had been written down or the schematics for old warships to that of old magic tomes with spells who may have been forgotten.
With the Unification war finally over the knowledge began to flow into Pearlhal and when the armies of Dercia returned home, they brought with them charts of the land previously unknown to those in Pearlhal. They brought countless books and scrolls and shortly after lectures, philosophers and scholars began to move to the capital Many of them ended up teaching and studying at the Royal Library there they studied and published several theories about magic.
In the decades after its construction, the library only contained a modest 42.000 books and scrolls but in the current year of 1285, the library is said to contain more than 700.000 books and scrolls even though the actual number is unknown due to items being rented out or simply getting misplaced in the vast collection of the Royal Library.
Alterations
The library has over the years received several restorations and renovations but the only major alteration done to it was in 1152 when extensions to the library were added to it.
Architecture
Outside: When looking upon from the outside the Royal library can be seen as a mix between the architecture of the entire Dercia, the purpose of it was to show that the library was for all the people living in Derica and that not one people's style should be preferred, so an onlooker can see the arches from southern Dercia mixed in with the columns from the west and the white and red painted marble of Pearlhal itself.
Inside: the inside of the library is dominated by 3 large reading halls with rows of books lining the walls and the halls along with rooms dedicated entirely to books or scrolls.
Defenses
Because of the content of the building, a great number of protective spells have been placed upon the building, such as warning spells for unauthorized persons or spells that prevent the use of open fire outside of special lamps.
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