MYCOM Library
One of Mythlight College of Magics' most prominent features is their library. The library itself is huge and expansive in content, and even more interesting to scholars is the underground archives, which are rumored to hold texts on magic found no where else.
One of the most unique features of the library at MYCOM is the staircase. There is one wide spiral staircase which services the entire library; and it moves up and down when someone is on it. You simply think of the level or the collection you are looking for, and the stairs will ferry you up or down.
Of course, there comes the conflict of when multiple people are on the stairs with conflicting interests. In that case, the strongest will prevails, and anyone else must simply wait their turn. It is also possible to get stuck on the stairs, if you are too weak of will or confused about where you are going. You could walk the stairs, if necessary, but they're strangely hard to walk on.
Once you leave the ground floor, you enter the library's collection. Each floor is filled with books. They are organized by frequency of use - more common sections of the library are closer to the ground, while less commonly used sections are on higher floors. Every year or so, the collections are moved to make sure they are still in relevant order. At the last time of surveying, some of the most common categories were as follows (a non-exhaustive list):
Floor 1: Spellbooks, Practical Magic
Floor 2: History of Magic, Theory of Magic
Floor 3: Cookbooks, Self-Help
Floor 4: Fiction (Romance, Adventure)
Floor 5: History
Floor 6: Religion, Prayerbooks, Poetry*
Floor 7: More History
Floor 8: Fiction (Everything Else)
Floor 9: Philosophy, Memoirs
Floor 10: Art, Hobbies, Humor
Floor 11: General Nonfiction
Floor 12: Creative Nonfiction
*Religion texts are always kept on floor six, as a nod to The Senary.
Below the library, you will find the archives. The archives are not accessed by the main stairs, but rather entered through a nondescript door in the back of the library, for which you must have a pass from the front desk. Not all patrons are allowed unfettered access to even the first archives. You descend down two flights of stairs and enter the first archives, which is the material most library-goers are allowed access to just by signing in. It's cool and dark without the assistance of the magic lights overhead, but not damp or musty. The room is two stories high, which explains why you had to come down so many stairs. The first archives use towering stacks on wheels to efficiently store all of the materials, and there are ladders stored near the door to help you get what you need. The catalog is upstairs, so hopefully you either know where you are going or looked it up before you came down. Archive materials are generally not permitted to leave the library, with the exception of some special permissions for faculty, awarded on a case-by-case basis.
At the far end of the first archives, there is an unmarked door with no handle. This is the door to the second archives, which is very restricted; patrons are not supposed to enter this section without permission from head archivist Desily Treethistle. The door is usually locked. When you enter the second archives, you notice that it seems to stretch for far longer than makes sense given the size of the building above you. Mage-lights turn on and off, triggered by your movement. The shelves here are not as high, and the ceiling is a normal height once more as well.
Along one wall of the second archives is another door, this one covered in symbols and runes, with "TREETHISTLE" carved in deep letters into the center. This is the door to Desily Treethistle's office. It is covered floor to ceiling in stacks of books, and there are books stacked on the floor. In the center is a desk, also covered in papers and books. It looks like the stacks of books could collapse at any minute, but they haven't yet.
Quick Facts
Purpose & Function
The library's primary purpose is to hold the books its own students and scholars might need. However, it is also famous for being a destination for scholars interested in the archives, and the archivist.Architecture
The library itself is built of stone. It is mainly a lobby and a towering middle section of many floors, with a short wing on each side. Below the library itself are the archives. The building has big windows wherever possible and the top of the tower ends in a glass dome. The main floor is marble, and the upstairs floors are carpeted to muffle sound.Alterations
The library building might once have been a beautiful, but basic feat of architecture; however, this is a college of magics. And mages aren't exactly known for their subtlety and conservative natures. Over time the library has come to have more and more magical and fantastical elements to it; it is one of the most magical places on the campus; it practically drips magic.Defenses
The defenses of the library are mostly magical and procedural. The building itself and the collections are dripping with magical protections, and like much of the library, it is often a place students are set assignments to practice spellcasting in renewing old magics. All patrons of the library must also sign the magic contract, and follow its stipulations or be cursed (or worse).Tourism
There is not a lot of outside tourism to the library, except those interested in specific books in the collection or archives. This is not helped by the fact that guests must be sponsored by a student or faculty member and may not utilize the library by themselves.Navigating the Library
Ground Floor
Outside Entrance
The outside entryway for the library building is wide stone steps, surrounded by the same manucured landscaping that graces the whole campus. In this case there are several green areas with large trees to throw shade when it's sunny. At the base of the stairs there is a plaza with an ornate fountain. The entrance to the library is a large set of double wooden doors made of Lumewood.Lobby
Just inside the doors, there is a desk. It's made of heavy wood, and stretches to discourage anyone from going further into the library without stopping. That desk is manned by at least one person any time the library is open; it is this person's job to make sure that no one enters the library without adhering to the Rules of the Library.Study Rooms
The rest of the ground floor is taken up by different sizes of study rooms; from individual pods to large meeting rooms. Some are even warded for safe magic practice and study.The Stairs
One of the most unique features of the library at MYCOM is the staircase. There is one wide spiral staircase which services the entire library; and it moves up and down when someone is on it. You simply think of the level or the collection you are looking for, and the stairs will ferry you up or down.
Of course, there comes the conflict of when multiple people are on the stairs with conflicting interests. In that case, the strongest will prevails, and anyone else must simply wait their turn. It is also possible to get stuck on the stairs, if you are too weak of will or confused about where you are going. You could walk the stairs, if necessary, but they're strangely hard to walk on.
The Collection
Once you leave the ground floor, you enter the library's collection. Each floor is filled with books. They are organized by frequency of use - more common sections of the library are closer to the ground, while less commonly used sections are on higher floors. Every year or so, the collections are moved to make sure they are still in relevant order. At the last time of surveying, some of the most common categories were as follows (a non-exhaustive list):
Floor 1: Spellbooks, Practical Magic
Floor 2: History of Magic, Theory of Magic
Floor 3: Cookbooks, Self-Help
Floor 4: Fiction (Romance, Adventure)
Floor 5: History
Floor 6: Religion, Prayerbooks, Poetry*
Floor 7: More History
Floor 8: Fiction (Everything Else)
Floor 9: Philosophy, Memoirs
Floor 10: Art, Hobbies, Humor
Floor 11: General Nonfiction
Floor 12: Creative Nonfiction
*Religion texts are always kept on floor six, as a nod to The Senary.
The Archives
Below the library, you will find the archives. The archives are not accessed by the main stairs, but rather entered through a nondescript door in the back of the library, for which you must have a pass from the front desk. Not all patrons are allowed unfettered access to even the first archives. You descend down two flights of stairs and enter the first archives, which is the material most library-goers are allowed access to just by signing in. It's cool and dark without the assistance of the magic lights overhead, but not damp or musty. The room is two stories high, which explains why you had to come down so many stairs. The first archives use towering stacks on wheels to efficiently store all of the materials, and there are ladders stored near the door to help you get what you need. The catalog is upstairs, so hopefully you either know where you are going or looked it up before you came down. Archive materials are generally not permitted to leave the library, with the exception of some special permissions for faculty, awarded on a case-by-case basis.
At the far end of the first archives, there is an unmarked door with no handle. This is the door to the second archives, which is very restricted; patrons are not supposed to enter this section without permission from head archivist Desily Treethistle. The door is usually locked. When you enter the second archives, you notice that it seems to stretch for far longer than makes sense given the size of the building above you. Mage-lights turn on and off, triggered by your movement. The shelves here are not as high, and the ceiling is a normal height once more as well.
Desily's Domain
Along one wall of the second archives is another door, this one covered in symbols and runes, with "TREETHISTLE" carved in deep letters into the center. This is the door to Desily Treethistle's office. It is covered floor to ceiling in stacks of books, and there are books stacked on the floor. In the center is a desk, also covered in papers and books. It looks like the stacks of books could collapse at any minute, but they haven't yet.
Rules of the Library
The rules of the library are unbreakable. Quite literally. All users of the library sign a magical contract with vaguely outlined consequences for breaking the rules. Vague, but dire. It has been likened to selling your soul. The students and faculty of the college, who sign it as part of their onboarding, don't think much of it most of the time, but visitors asked to sign it can be leery.Contract for Use of the Library at Mythlight College of Magics
Before you proceed further into these hallowed halls of knowledge, know this: the Library is both a sanctuary and a sentinel. Any breach of its rules may result in consequences that are as unpredictable as they are unforgettable. Previous offenders have reported experiences such as:
The Library is strictly reserved for:
Violators may find themselves hungering for silence or thirsting for wisdom in profoundly unsettling ways.
By remaining within the Library, you agree to abide by these terms and submit to its jurisdiction. Please sign below, so we may appropriately file this contract.
X_____________________________________________________________________________
- Being permanently bound to the Library as silent, spectral assistants.
- Developing an uncontrollable compulsion to alphabetize everything they touch, from spellbooks to their own memories.
- Hearing faint whispers of unfinished spells that never cease, even in their dreams.
- Awakening cursed tomes that cling to them, demanding their secrets be read aloud at inopportune moments.
- Losing their ability to read anything except arcane languages.
1. Admittance
The Library is strictly reserved for:
- Enrolled students, staff, and faculty of the College of Magic.
- Sponsored guests, provided their patron remains within the Library. Sponsored guests must not remove materials or linger after their patron departs.
2. Conduct
- Patrons must maintain respectful volume and decorum at all times.
- Disruptive behavior, loud speech, or any actions disturbing to the Library's sanctity will be met with swift correction, the nature of which will depend on the severity of the disruption.
3. Care of Library Materials
- Patrons shall not mark, underline, write upon, tear, fold, or otherwise damage any documents, tomes, scrolls, or artifacts.
- Mishandling of Library property, whether intentional or accidental, may awaken the materials’ intrinsic protections or summon the Librarian's direct intervention. Neither is desirable.
4. Removal of Materials
- Only materials designated as part of regular circulation may be removed from the Library.
- All materials must be returned within the prescribed period. Failure to do so may result in the patron:
- Falling under a binding compulsion to return the item(s).
- Being subject to an as-yet-unspecified curse, tailored precisely to the offense.
- Removal of restricted or forbidden items will result in punitive measures both immediate and ongoing.
5. Food and Drink
The introduction of food, beverages, or any consumables into the Library is strictly forbidden.Violators may find themselves hungering for silence or thirsting for wisdom in profoundly unsettling ways.
Enforcement
The Library reserves the right to enforce these terms through any means, mundane or magical. Consequences may range from temporary inconveniences to eternal scholarly penance.By remaining within the Library, you agree to abide by these terms and submit to its jurisdiction. Please sign below, so we may appropriately file this contract.
X_____________________________________________________________________________
MYCOM Library
The Library at Mythlight College of Magic
Founding Date
11540 CE
Type
Library
Parent Location
Owning Organization
Related Plots
Header photo by marco on Pexels.
Map: Floors 1-12
Map: Ground Floor
Map: Archives
Those rules (and punishments) are great. XD I love a library... but I would definitely find myself stuck on the stairs forever. XD
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
I think if someone was stuck on the stairs for too long, a librarian would come to their assistance!