Great Library

Historically, the Great Library was created as a bastion of literomantic knowledge that was shared by The Great Houses and all Literomancers. As persecutions against literomancers began to escalate in the late Renaissance, and Literomancy began to wane in power, the Great Houses realized they might need a place to store their vast libraries, should their significant House libraries be lost. Efforts to create the Great Library were redoubled when several of the European monarchies began to tax possession of books as luxury items, leading to financial ruin for many Houses and the forcible seizure of their land.

The library's interior is primarily constructed of rich wood in a variety of shades, mostly in chestnut tones. Older rooms, however, seem to be built of spruce or even oak. Vast curved beams of wood arc overhead like flying buttresses, and indeed, the impression is much like a cathedral built of wood and books. Occasionally, the ceilings are painted plaster frescos instead, and in at least one floor, the walls are entirely composed of glass windows, with a full view of the landscape surrounding exterior of the structure, as if viewed from perhaps eight stories up.   There is surprisingly little art in this building, especially when the time period of its likely construction is considered. This is because most of the wall space is occupied by shelves and shelves of books. From time to time, these are broken up by elaborate hearths and beautiful tapestries, but there are almost no paintings or portraits.   The one exception is the Research Hall, as the Librarians call it, which is an enormous lounge area filled with couches, tables, comfortable chairs, and even day beds. Here, the portraits of all previous Great Librarians are displayed, depicted in their Librarian's robes. This appears to be a magical property of the Hall, as portraits of Senna Nightshade, Sable Aradia and ShyRedFox simply appeared once they became Great Librarians. They are all depicted in their shapeshifted half-beast forms.   The floor is built of beautiful gilded tile and marble, and much of it, especially any room that requires a Librarian be present within it for any length of time, is covered wall to wall with beautifully woven rugs in the Persian style.   Illumination is expansive for a structure of the time period, and is provided by lanterns that seem capable of burning any fuel. Once lit, they do not seem to actually consume the fuel they are burning, and will continue burning until extinguished. However, once extinguished, more fuel will have to be added before a lantern can be relit, if the fuel it contained would have been consumed in the time that it was burning for.

The Great Library is primarily occupied by the House Librarians and the Great Librarians, and not at all times. Other literomancers visit for research from time to time.   The Library is said to be occupied by cats as well, though what they eat remains a mystery, since no rats have been seen in recorded memory.

The Great Library is far too vast to be fully categorized, especially since a floor plan is unavailable and it clearly is bigger on the inside than the outside. Instead, it seems to work on a principle something like the Room of Requirement in the Harry Potter novels. When one is navigating the library, one thinks about where they wish to be or what they need, and then the next time one enters a new door or hallway, one has arrived where one needs to be. Fortunately, this also seems to work to find other people within the building, and the exit, so one is unlikely to get lost or separated from their companions.

It is likely the Great Library was constructed primarily through literomancy. From the outside, it is a surprisingly small stone building, simple and unassuming, almost seeming to blend with the surrounding landscape. On the inside, however, it is a vast, multi-storied building, beautifully constructed of wood and fine fabrics, with warm stone fireplaces provided in every room in the labyrinthine structure. The wood provided for burning constantly replenishes itself. Where the fireplaces vent to remains a mystery.

The primary defense of the Great Library is its isolation and its camouflage. From all appearances, it seems to be a simple stone building that might have been constructed during the period, perhaps once a meeting hall. Non-literomancers entering into the building see only what might be expected from such a place, remarkably well-preserved, but certainly nothing of interest except to history buffs and the superstitious. When a literomancer enters, however, they find themselves in the vast temple of books and knowledge that is the Library.   However, it is almost certainly provided with significant magical defenses that have yet to be fully discovered.  

It's warded six ways to Sunday, I can tell you that. Don't try to break anything if you want to live.

— Sable Aradia, Great Librarian

Iceland was chosen as the site of the Library's construction, mostly due to its relative isolation in the late Renaissance. An informal agreement to ignore each other's activities was reached between the Great Houses and the Danish-Norwegian Crown during the Danish-Icelandic Trade Monopoly, and ironically, the mercantile exploitation of Iceland by the Danes/Norwegians served well to hide the construction of the Library, and to protect the Great Houses from notice by the other European monarchies.   Over time, since the Great Library is the mutual jurisdiction of the Great Houses, and literomancers as a whole, it also became a refuge for literomancers on the run, and a preferred site for diplomacy; a form of neutral territory, or holy ground.   Today, since its rediscovery in 2021, the Great Library is once again serving as a depository of the collective knowledge of the Great Houses, as well as a site for diplomatic events that are best done on shared or neutral ground. It was the site of the peace negotiations between Queen Siobhan the Writer of House Chiroptera and Queen Sable Aradia of House Lapin during The Second Word War, and it was also the site of the Woodland Family Alliance's ceremony to honour King Bob and House Sauropoda in April of 2023 for rescuing them from the Undead Horde in The Third Word War.