Hundreds of tomes fill a library, each placed in a specific order, thousands of pages filled with history, science, herbology, whatever grabbed interest at that moment. Each page was perfectly transcribed in large, leather-bound tomes, each letter in the
Elvish script pristine with no room for error. This library of perfection is the crowning jewel of the
Northern Outposts, a collection of history that few others can say was within their grasp. Other than the histories kept by the
Dragons and the
Sphinxes, this might truly be the most complete recollection of the world in mortal hands.
Yllvalion has made its name in many ways, the white city of the north, the center of the
Knights of Yggdrasil, home of the
Ylyndar Clan, but there is one other thing that is tied closely to the name of the city. A library so massive and complete that it dwarfs those at academies the world over. No one is entirely sure why such a library exists in a place far removed from most of what is called “civilized” society, but the library exists in the cold north, safe from nearly everything. The members of the
Ylyndar Clan serve as stewards of this library, protecting it in case that history is ever lost.
For nearly as long as the city has existed, so too has the Yllvalion Codex. It was once believed that the library was originally started by the founder of the
Knights of Yggdrasil, but the magic of the library seems to contradict that. As the centuries passed, more tomes appeared, and the other books shifted in order to accommodate the newest arrival. Nearly five thousand years have passed since the Order was created, the magic of the library indescribable, or at least unknown to anyone alive.
Soon after the building of
Yllvalion and the formation of the
Knights of Yggdrasil, a room was designated in the
Ylmaris Citadel to hold texts of history and other subjects that would serve the Order in all pursuits. Early on, this room had little in it other than a handful of scrolls that had been gathered from other places or had been loaned by the
Academy of the Scroll. Slowly, the room began to fill with tomes written in beautiful calligraphy on a number of topics.
Upon the death of
Eldrin Ylyndar, the founder of the
Knights of Yggdrasil, the room was only about half full, hundreds of tomes filling the shelves. Many thought upon his death, the project would end as
Eldrin was the driving force, but soon after, more tomes slowly appeared, filled with the same perfect penmanship that set the Yllvalion Codex apart from others. This caused rumors to spread about the true author of the codex, something that is still debated in modern times.
Some believe that the true author of the Yllvalion Codex is a
Steel Dragon that
Eldrin befriended during his time leading the
Knights of Yggdrasil.
Steel Dragons, especially those in the
"Metallic Council", were known for their shape-shifting abilities and their love of the
Elder Races. It is likely that a
Dragon of this type could have continued
Eldrin's work, adding to the codex long after the
Elf had passed.
After five thousand years, the Yllvalion Codex has become the most complete encyclopedia of the world outside of those supposedly held by the
Dragons or the
Sphinxes. That being said, many have questioned why such a wealth of knowledge was held by a
Paladin Order in an out-of-the-way town, believing that such a location hindered access to the masses. Some have even attempted to convince the
Elven King of the merits of moving such a library to the
Academy of the Scroll, but these efforts have been futile.
Yllvalion remains one of the few strongholds of the world believed to be mostly impenetrable, having survived both the
Giant Wars and the
Eldritch War relatively unscathed. Because of this and the city’s construction, many
Elven monarchs have believed the city to be one of the safest locations for one of the
Elven Kingdom's crowning achievements.
This sounds like the best library, I want to visit so bad and look through all of the volumes. I like the idea of it being a giant encyclopaedia.