Location The Scholar's Sanctum

[Scarab]

The Scholar's Sanctum "I'm often asked: without words, where would we be? Well, probably not in the library, for starters." -Memoirs of an Extraordinary Wordsmith, Vol. III The Scholar's Sanctum is a small public library located next to the Halls of Peret. It was commissioned in 283 AV by a Pressor with a public love for knowledge and a private love for writing. Since then, the library's patrons have included successive Pressors, several prominent members of nobility and, most notably, the House of the North Winds. As the primary producers of wadj, the North Winds have a heavy hand in adding to the library's collection and keeping the enterprise afloat. The library is a modest-sized, single-story building made of white marble. The front door, framed by two white pillars, is unusual in that it is the only known entrance and exit to the library in order to limit the possibility of theft. An armed jackal is often found keeping a watchful eye on visitors just inside the entryway. Within the building itself, visitors are immediately greeted by a large, brown marble desk. The desk itself is often bare, except for a quill, guestbook, and three tall candles. Either the Head Librarian, Kharne, or the Head Scribe, Naskre, will be behind the desk to offer a greeting and direct the visitor to sign his or her name into the guestbook. This small room contains paintings of the library's patrons, but no books. Visitors will be directed either left or right to obtain the texts they are searching for. Behind the desk lies a door to the staff offices and a small, window-less room where the most precious books are kept. While the Scholar's Sanctum is not a large library by any measure, it makes up for its size with its beauty. Nothing has been left out: from the elegant floral carvings on the ceilings and archways to the gold-leafed bookcases to the gleaming marble desks, every detail looks to have been made with precision and care. Marble desks are spaced out throughout the library, and cushioned chairs are provided to give visitors a feeling of total comfort. At the very center of the building is a small courtyard, which can be accessed from both of the main bookshelved rooms. Books available in this library largely contain information on some aspect of Eyktol, Ahnatep, or Eypharian culture. Since the vast majority of texts are authored by Eypharians, Arumenic is the conventional language choice. Only foreign books and scrolls are written in the Common tongue. There is a wide range of post-Valterrian historical and political texts, and plenty of desert lore. Most books about other races, cities, or cultures have a typical Eypharian slant; that is to say, racism and condescension run rampant. The library also houses an extensive selection of prose, poetry, and plays, a number of which have been contributed by members of the House of the North Winds. There are whispers in scholarly circles that many of these authors have delusions of both talent and grandeur. Memoirs, journals, and personal accounts are also very common, and are usually contributed by past Pressors, the four Houses, and the Gilded. Valuable books and scrolls are kept in a cool, window-less room located next to the Head Librarian's office in order to slow the deterioration process. There are very few books available that are of an exquisite quality, and none from Pre-Valterrian times. Without exception, texts on magic are either journals or first-person essays on the author's private experiences. The only subjects covered are the personal magics of Auristics, Hypnotism, and Shielding. Visitors are prohibited from removing books from the building. Instead, they are given the option of either taking their own personal notes or commissioning the library's scribes to copy out and bind an entire text at twice its original cost. Services & Employment Materials Available From Front Desk: Ink, Black - 2 GM/bottle (1 oz each) Quill - 5 CM Single Piece of Wadj - 1 SM Copying Fees Per Category: Common Book: 10-20 GM Average Book: 100 GM Exquisite Book: 200 GM Employment Opportunities: Kharne is always looking for minions librarians to assist with organization, book care, and research. Naskre also offers employment for scribes, a job which involves copying out texts that are either deteriorating or requested for purchase. NPCs NPC Info : Name: Kharne re Menehat Title: Head Librarian Race: Eypharian Year of Birth: 475 AV Place of Birth: Ahnatep Skills: Research (93) Organization (84) Observation (68) Rhetoric (57) Writing (41) "I can't imagine why you'd want to read that." Kharne often comes off as snobbish, but that's because he is a snob. He has a tendency to be condescending towards visitors, unless they are patrons or very high society. This six-armed Eypharian is also very well-read, and believes he can distinguish literary genius from literary rubbish. In reality, his judgment is only correct about half of the time (though when it comes to his own writing, he is always wrong). Kharne has currently published seven works, all of which are on display in the library: Memoirs of an Extraordinary Wordsmith, vol. I-VI, and Everyone's A Critic. He has worked at the Scholar's Sanctum as Head Librarian for over 12 years, and knows the building inside and out. While his job sometimes seems to be more about recommending his own texts to visitors rather than assisting their book search, he can locate every text in the library and will assist a visitor, however begrudgingly, after a certain amount of coaxing. Kharne takes particular pride in looking after the library's most valuable texts, but he is still a stickler about keeping all books in the best possible condition. Name: Naskre Title: Head Scribe Race: Eypharian Year of Birth: 471 AV Place of Birth: Ahnatep Skills: Copying (91) Calligraphy (82) Rhetoric (73) Gardening (54) Politics (32) "Every scribbler fancies himself a scholar." Kharne and Naskre are notorious for their open animosity towards each other. Naskre cannot stand Kharne's narcissism, and takes every chance he gets to argue with and belittle his fellow head of staff. When not involved in a quarrel, this tall, thin, six-armed Eypharian is the epitome of an Ahnatep intellectual. He is just as well-read as his counterpart, which comes as a side effect to having copied countless texts in his past. He is cordial with visitors, though rarely smiles, and takes care to answer all inquiries with depth and detail. Some complain that he can be too detailed, however, as his diatribes can go on for half a bell unless he is distracted. One of Naskre's side hobbies is tending to the small garden in the library's courtyard. He is most fond of the Dusk Peas and Opalberry bushes that he has cultivated over the years. Popular Selections: Common Books : Please note that these books are written in Arumenic unless otherwise mentioned. Memoirs of an Extraordinary Wordsmith, vol. I through VI This book details the important thoughts and moments in the authors life over six volumes, which most critics agree to be about six volumes too long. One reviewer refers to it as, "A text that ought to be retitled Memoirs of an Extraordinarily Terrible Wordsmith." Everyone's A Critic A formal response to the negative reviews the author received for his memoirs. It is written as a series of scathing essays that critique the culture of criticism embedded within Ahnatep society. Auristics and Me A personal diary on the private experiences of a novice Aurist. Long, rambling, and filled with misconceptions, though every now and again a useful (albeit questionable) fact pops up. Shields And Sandstorms: A Practical Guide For The Uninitiated It turns out that this text is more of a treatise on sandstorms than it is a guide to Shielding. The book includes a very loose description of the shielding process, but is primarily focused on the intricacies of sand. Hypnotism: A Cure For The Word "No"! (Sort Of.) A personal document of the author's efforts to convince her husband to stop visiting the Garden of Concubines. The Glory Days A series of short essays praising the reign of Queen Dimourla. Many assume it was written by a member of the House of the West Winds, but no one knows for certain. My Battle With A Baral This text is largely considered to be a false account, and may even have been meant to be read as a fictional tale. A Collection of Ethaefal Accounts A careful accumulation of stories and commentary by the scholar Fineas Bead regarding the nature and origin of Ethaefal. Written in Common. An Account of the Circumnavigation of Mizahar A narrative of the 450-451 voyage of Wright and her crew aboard the Seafarer, which, as the book's title indicates, ended in the first -- and thus far, only -- circumnavigation of the continent of Mizahar. Written in Common. Kelvics, The Journey Forged In Steel A medium-sized book, bound in black leather. It details the journey of an owl kelvic who is interested in discovering his race's heritage and a wolf kelvic who comes along for the ride. Written in Common. Credit: Singh re Naphu & Bethsyliss. Untitled A hefty, leatherbound personal journal that somehow found its way into the library's stacks. It has no name and the author is anonymous. As the journal continues, it will become clear that the writer was a female slave who experienced life in the slave market during her recent travels through Ahnatep. Credit: Singh re Naphu. Epigraph: "Luck to those who have dared open the book. I guess it's about time someone read this. Here you, the reader, will find the life of me. While I will not reveal my name in the hopes that I still live when you find this, you may be able to find you have no need for it." First line, post-epigraph: "My life starts in the city of Ravok..." Average Books : Please note that these books are written in Arumenic unless otherwise mentioned. Ahnatep: The Post-Valterrian Years A mostly accurate historical account of Ahnatep after the Valterrian until about 510 AV. A Precise Record of Pressors A scroll containing the entire succession of post-Valterrian Pressors and Pressorahs, all the way up until Pressorah Bashti. Treval Codex The first documented book on magic, containing a loose collection of tales and philosophical discussion around magic as a whole. A must-read for any wizard of even a minor scholarly disposition. Written in Common. Exquisite Books : None at the moment. This is only a small sample of the books available within this library. Feel free to come up with your own! All PC-created texts will be added to the list, with credit. Moderator's Note: Moderation is not required for this location.