Location The Bharani Library

A crystalline building full of knowledge and home to the Seekers.

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The Diamond of Kalea is located on Kalea's extreme west coast and called as such because its completely made of a crystalline substance called Skyglass. Home of the Alvina of the Stars, cultural mecca of knowledge seekers, and rife with Ethaefal, this remote city shimmers with its own unique light.

The Bharani Library

Postby Mirage on January 19th, 2015, 4:29 pm

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The Bharani Library itself is located on the Tenten Peak, specifically on the third tier overlooking the vast majority of the Misty Peaks. Grand, glittering skyglass steps lead to an equally grand and glimmering set of doors, with a Shinya guard stationed on either side. The Library opens up into a grand hall, with stairs allowing for access to several higher levels, and hallways leading off into the rows of bookshelves.

The architecture inside is framed with skyglass crystals, with shelves upon shelves stocked neatly with books, artifacts, and even the occasional map. Directly upon entering, set in the center of the main hall, is an ornately carved desk, behind which usually sits a blonde woman in white robes; her name is Silvya Toha, and she most frequently greets visitors to the library and offers them help should they need it. To the immediate left down a short hallway is the office of Elren Sosho. Various white-robed figures can be seen passing through the assortment of shelves, restocking and reorganizing, but ready to help any visitor who enters their sanctum.

Anyone, resident or visitor of Lhavit, is welcome to the Library; the caveat is that for unrestricted access to the books and materials, every visitor must provide information to a Seeker to be recorded and added to the Library in exchange. This can be anything from a song, to a story, to advice on a skill. Visitors may choose to either write down this information so that a Seeker can then copy it, provide it if it is already written (in which case a Seeker will copy the material and return the original to the visitor), or transcribe the information to a Seeker.

Once a visitor has done this, they will be given a small white pebble stamped with a symbol of a book in silver ink; those familiar with Eyris will recognize this as her symbol. In the future when visiting the Library, all one must do is show the pebble as proof that they have given their contribution, and they will be allowed access. If one loses this pebble, gaining another one is as simple as sitting down with a Seeker again to share more information. In fact, the Seekers always welcome additional information, whether a visitor has lost their pebble or not.

The Bharani Library is a thing of beauty and knowledge that has grown from its humble beginnings 500 years ago into what it is today. As the city itself grew, the architects of this structure felt there was a need to continue expanding, and so with each successive year more and more was added onto the Library until it became a monument to the power and design of those who craft skyglass more than anything else. Many consider this structure one of the finest in all of the city, its graceful curves and steep points leading one to recognize the skill and mastery of its builders. It is a representation of one of the founding principles of Lhavit, that from the stars true beauty can be created.

While it is not well known, the Library began its days as a temple to Zintila herself, however the former goddess did not feel it was appropriate to have such a grand and elaborate temple devoted to her any longer, and she instead suggested it be made into a source of collected knowledge for the city as a whole. Thus began the Library, and over time books that were saved from the fires of the Valterrian, and others created by individuals in the city itself, were brought together and stored here where all could gain access to them.

An order was created to watch over the Library and the knowledge within, and this order became known as the Seekers, the current Head of which is a man named Elren Sosho. The Seekers as a group have dedicated themselves to adding to the Library as much as they can, and so often they venture out into the city itself to talk with and learn from the various people of Lhavit. Once they have the knowledge they seek, the Seekers then prepare all they have learned into written documents that are then stored in the Library's vast halls.

Because the source of many of their books come from within the city itself, the Library holds a large amount of texts that cover many common subjects such as blacksmithing, tailoring, and even architecture and other forms or art. Several times a year Seekers will return to their sources of knowledge to see if there are any updates to the texts that need to be added, and so it is not uncommon to have one of these white-robed figures come knocking at random hours in search of more to add to their stores of knowledge.

Many subjects can be found in the Library, mostly those of a more mundane background, but all are written from the perspectives of those who actively practice these trades. Because of this, some books are biased toward certain traditions and techniques, and almost no two books describe the same trade the same way.

Those who are curious or wish to broaden their horizon by studying a new subject are welcome. The list of what one might find is large, and can be anything from how to sew a new scarf to local tales and legends. Seekers within the Library are happy to help citizens find what it is they are looking for, or let them wander the shelves if they aren't looking for anything in particular.

Hidden within the depths of the Library, scattered among the shelves, one might be so lucky as to occasionally stumble across a book that discusses magic of one sort or another. However, these books are few and far between; they are very rare, and for some reason or another never quite where they should be within the Library.

Location credit: Kelpie

 
Silvya Toha
ImageName: Silvya Toha
Race: Human
Birthdate: 494 AV
Birthplace: Lhavit
Occupation: Savant Seeker and receptionist at the Bharani Library
Gnosis: 1 mark of Eyris (Lykata level 1)
Skills: Calligraphy - 32, Copying - 30, Intimidation - 20, Investigation - 25, Organization - 86, Writing - 40
Languages: Common (Fluent)

Silvya is polite and welcoming, but just shy of friendly; she greets those entering the Library, offering her assistance or letting them wander as they please depending on a few factors.

As a member of the Inventory department, when she not at the front desk, Silvya is most often organizing or filing various books, scrolls, and artifacts. She is very strict about the system she has in place, and prefers to work alone because of this. If her system is interrupted or otherwise upset, she can become very irritated, and she doesn't hesitate to make this known with a sharp tongue.

 
Elren Sosho
ImageName: Elren Sosho
Race: Human
Birthdate: 472 AV
Birthplace: Lhavit
Occupation: Priest of Eyris and Head Seeker at the Bharani Library
Gnosis: 3 marks of Eyris (Lykata level 3)
Skills: Anthropology - 62, Archaeology - 75, Leadership - 86, Mountaineering - 43, Reimancy (Earth) - 23, Weapon (Shortsword) - 50, Wilderness Survival (Forest, mountain) - 45
Languages: Common (Fluent)

The current Head of the Seekers, Elren previously worked in the Enterprise department, but is often too busy keeping things running smoothly to do so anymore.

Looking slightly older than he really is, Elren is rugged, with salt and pepper hair and a mostly grey beard that he keeps neatly trimmed. He often looks to be scowling, and may seem intimidating at first glance, towering over many at 6'2" with his surly expression; despite this, Elren is incredibly friendly and jovial. He often cracks jokes, and anyone who enters his office will find themselves staying at least 20 chimes longer than they meant to, more often than not with a cup of tea and whatever goods his wife baked that morning.

Elren can also be very serious and contemplative when needed; he has a deep, incessant curiosity about the world around him, and finds all things fascinating. He loves to learn, particularly about new cultures and races, and will unashamedly pester those he deems fascinating or interesting to him.

 
OOC Info
The Seekers are disciples of Eyris, a group of intellectuals dedicated to restoring and maintaining the knowledge of the world. They can be anything from scribe to spellsword. They are most renowned for their use of Lykata, the ability to unlock an object's hidden past through its djed.

The Seekers were founded around 261 AV, shortly after the construction of Lhavit. All previously existing libraries in the area were long since immolated, wiped away by the wrath of the Valterrian. After conferring with Aysel and Talora, the city's Ethaefal patrons, it was decided that this travesty should never again come to pass. With the aid of Zintila, they constructed a library from skyglass. Since then it has flourished, accumulating knowledge for over one hundred years, for all that wish to borrow from its halls.

The Seekers are not exclusively interested in the past, making the Library incredibly useful for everyday citizens and scholars alike. Though they still have interest in recovering lost information, information itself is what truly strikes their fancy. Thus, if it weren't for Kalea's terrain and their subsequent isolation, they would receive a far greater degree of attention than they do.

Both the Library and the organization sustain themselves through contribution. During the cataclysm, most of the world's books were lost in the raging storm, very few making their way below-ground and even fewer back up again. Therefore, most of what populates the shelves of the Library are texts that have been written within the last hundred years, more often than not at the behest of the Seekers themselves. The Seekers highly encourage those who make use of the Library to give back in kind by offering stories or information; this has been in part, the saving grace of the Library, and has ascended many native members of Lhavit into prominence due to their extensive donations.

Likewise, the organization in no way limits themselves to books or literature. Thanks to the gift of Lykata, they are able to glean information simply through analyzing the djed of an item. Objects, ancient or otherwise, are always welcome, so long as there is something to be gained within them.

The faction itself sprang from a bid for organization. Initially, the Seekers were nothing more than librarians, maintaining Bharani's shimmering halls and little else. In 260 AV, Eyris approached what is considered the very first Seeker and offered them a deal. So long as they completed an assigned task, they would be rewarded with favour and further, this task would help to uncover what was lost in the cataclysm and hidden throughout the land. The man eagerly agreed. Thus, the religious order was born.

The Seekers are advocates of culture, very often dreamers, and they are fascinated by the human condition. They are broken up by rank and department; very simply, those higher in rank are considered the supervisors of their lesser charges, encouraging growth and maintaining order. Heads of the departments meet twice a season to discuss the current state of the Library.

Within the purview of their departments, individuals rotate tasks. For example, an individual in administration might work payroll for two weeks, then the desk for two weeks, and so forth, though it isn't unheard of for a person to be stuck on a specific task for a whole season. Some claim this practice is used to help the person learn the skill, while others assert that it is a perverse form of punishment inflicted on the lower ranks for "mucking up."

In regards to lifestyle, there are very few restrictions placed on a Seeker. When within the library they are required to wear white, though as they ascend in rank they often don colorful accents to set themselves apart. White signifies the absence of knowledge, a void they constantly endeavor to fill. Seekers are permitted to lead normal lives, to marry and have children, and to drink and celebrate along with the rest of the city. Their only requirement is to serve the city and the will of Eyris by completing their assigned duties.

Those who achieve the rank of Savant have the option of choosing a primary focus for their research, which can literally pertain to any subject in the world. They apply for this focus by presenting it to the Disciples and either get approved or denied. Savants sometimes attempt three or four different foci before they're finally approved. The focus is granted based on the abilities of the individual and just how feasible their research can be.

The Departments of the Seekers

Administration: The administrators run the front desk. They set and deliver schedules to the newly inducted and assign living arrangements for Neophytes, whenever the need arises. They interact with every department, Inventory most of all. They have several sub-departments; the desk, payroll, and scheduling.

Enterprise: These are usually the most combat-oriented of the Seekers, as they travel the most often. While members of this department primarily lead expeditions into the wilderness, there are some that actively travel the world in search of rarities, in the hopes of returning them to the library. Their sub-departments are expeditions (short-term projects) and undertakings (long-term projects.)

Intake: These Seekers focus on the intake of artifacts and ancient texts. They're the most scholarly of the departments, and they spend a good deal of their time unearthing insights through the power of Lykata, and work side by side with Inventory. Intake helps determine the facts of the object or text and then Inventory makes copies and designates it to the its rightful place. Intake is the only department that does not have a sub-division.

Inventory: This is by far the largest department. Many Seekers choose to limit themselves to the simple, scholarly pursuit of filing. They collect the findings of Intake and determine just where they go in the Library. They're responsible for shelving and organization, and work closely with administration by compiling a catalog of which books the Library has and where they go. They're also responsible for upkeep, maintaining the Library and its treasures. The sub-departments are scribing, shelving, maintenance, and cataloging. They're also considered specialists in a sense, cataloging in particular being splintered further into subjects such as art, science, and mathematics.

The Ranks Within the Departments

TitleGnosis (Eyris)NumbersWagesDescription
Disciple3 marks815 Ki/dayThe truly gifted will ascend to Disciple. Their proficiency in Lykata often makes them the final authority on just about everything. Disciples routinely meet with one another to discuss pertinent matters, such as which sections of the library they'd like to expand or where the budget is going for the upcoming seasons. There are usually two Disciples per department in order to keep things properly organized.
Savant1 - 2 marks7512 Ki/daySavant is the most common rank; those who work most of their lives in the organization usually end here. They often choose a focus or field of study, and compile it almost exclusively while acting as a mentor to their peers. The Savant is well rounded, usually proficient in at least one paramagic discipline, and they almost always continue research on the side, regardless of what their focus may be.
Neophyte1 mark308 Ki/dayNewly inducted and blessed with Lykata, the Neophyte chooses a department and begins their work as an officially marked Seeker. They are too new, and often too young, to choose their focus, something reserved for those of a rank higher; but through their respective fields they begin to discover just what captures their interest.
Novitiate0 marks503 Ki/dayThese are the unmarked. They work throughout the various departments, growing their skills until they are marked by Eyris. The Goddess tends to approach most within the first year, though those who are not approached may still remain in the library. "Late bloomers" as they're termed, are not unheard of.


Joining the Seekers

Joining the Seekers is a three step process. The individual goes to the library, submits an application, and undergoes an interview by a Savant of any department. Once accepted, Novitiates will work until chosen by Eyris. This can take any length of time, but typically not more than a year. Once an individual chooses to join the organization, they're on her radar and will either be accepted or denied. If a person happens to already have a mark from Eyris, they are accepted without question and as a Neophyte.

Each initiation is different but it usually revolves around some sort of puzzle, usually at the Novitiate's expense. Some examples include: riddle contests, creative problem solving, spacial/mathematics problems, and tests of will/leadership.

While these are just a few, they're usually in the midst of some embarrassing circumstance, such as being made late to an appointment or being half-naked for one reason or other. This is why most members of the Seekers either laugh about their initiation openly, or never speak of it again.

Joining the Seekers has no specific set of required skills; as long as a PC has at least a few points in one or more appropriate skills for the organization (writing, copying, organization, etc.), they may be accepted into the Seekers.

If you wish to join the Seekers as a Novitiate, ie without a mark of Eyris, please contact your ST for a moderated initiation thread. PCs who already have at least one mark of Eyris may join the Seekers as a Neophyte after discussing it with their ST.

If you wish to move up in the ranks of the Seekers by obtaining a(nother) gnosis mark from Eyris in-game, discuss this with your ST.


This location is free to self-moderate; if you wish to search for any books on magic, please contact your ST for more information and permission. A dice roll in the presence of your ST will likely be required to determine whether or not you are successful.

If you have questions regarding what sorts of books may be available in the Library, ask your local ST.

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Mirage
Truth is never certain
 
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