• Location • The Prime Atheneum

Viden's Academy's Library

Stronghold of education and learning, this fortress is in one of the coldest areas of Idalos and home to many knowledge seekers in a variety of disciplines. However, unknown to most, below the city are those who suffer for the sake of science. While all are welcome, not everyone will be treated as they expect.

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The Prime Atheneum

The Prime Atheneum
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The Atheneum is not just well known in the Northern Region, it is renowned throughout Idalos. Sizeable enough to be proportioned at approximately a fifth of the entire public areas of the Academy, the library’s catalogue of texts is both extensive and varied. Such is the quality of the tomes found inside the Atheneum that it is a land mark in its own right, for many have ventured to the city purely for self-study, rather than to receive formal instruction.

The library itself is situated above the main entrance to the Academy and is established over three levels, which begin on the first floor. The library, which is one long hall with shelves lining both sides, houses some three quarters of a million books. At each end of the shelves on the lower floors of the library, and at random intervals along the upper floors, are stone busts. These statues are placed in honour of various Immortals, the most common being Yvithia, of intelligence, Ziell, of winter, Xiur, of stars, Aeva, of Technology, and Treid, of knowledge.

The floors are divided into three categories, divided for ease of sourcing out knowledge. The first floor holds tomes with information relevant to the sciences, including any texts on technology and natural sciences. The second floor houses all books relating to the arts, such as history, languages, literature, philosophy and design. On the third floor any texts on arcana can be found, though some restricted texts on the history of Idalos and Immortals are also kept on this floor.

The library is open to all - not just those enrolled at the Academy. There is a real desire to make knowledge ‘free’ to all, and a belief that Viden’s great store of knowledge the world of Idalos for the greater. However, the third tier is closed off to the general public, with access only given to paying students and academics. Any texts that are restricted from students or certain academy staff are kept in a separate library.



There is a separate, closed off section of the Atheneum, referred to simply as the Archives. A much smaller portion of the library, it once shelved all knowledge on the history of Idalos, until arsonists targeted the section. The Academy issued a statement, which was repeated on several subsequent occasions, that all materials of value had suffered irreparable fire damage from the arson attack. The texts were transcribed once again and placed in the library proper, while architects constructed a wall, dividing the end of the library and creating the Archives.

There has been much speculation over what is housed in this section of the Atheneum, though any of it is theoretical debate. What was not theoretical was the pair of armed guards that stand in front of the entrance. They look distinctly unfriendly, and they are heavily armed with a longsword, spear, and a short bow with arrows. If one was courageous enough to speak to one of them, they would rarely get anything beyond a grunt or a nod in response -- and no one has ever been seen to be admitted through the only doors to this mysterious and classified. No one.


Note: Moderator approval is not necessary to RP in this location, unless seeking knowledge beyond unskilled or novice learning in a particular arcane art.
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