Library Duarte

The Library Duarte is a humble library located within the Fairmarket district of Aurel, in the Kingdom of Arsavela. Owned and operated by Tenilon Duarte, this establishment provides educational resources to the local population at no cost.

No Regal Archive

Considering the royal roots of its owner, the Library Duarte is a far cry from the archives once available to the population of Aurel. Certain individual selections from Castle Amsa, whether tomes of history or geographical encyclopedias, could inform more about the world than the entirety of Duarte's collection — but it is the best that the city now has available.

Preserving What Was

Opening this library in Fairmarket was Tenilon Duarte's first objective following his severance from the royal family and associated professions. When the Alabaster Hand rose to power and took control of Castle Amsa, it was immediately understood that the archive's days were numbered. This understanding was further cemented as the Hand restricted civilian access to the castle's libraries and records, a restriction which was later extended even further to the city's nobility.
In an endeavor to preserve the accessibility of knowledge to residents of the city, Tenilon worked tirelessly to procure any materials he could from the archives prior to their restrictions, and transcribed all of what he could from memory alone. Thus, his collection remains sparse in comparison to what once was, but has succeeded in the preservation of some knowledge which may otherwise have been lost.

Strength in Knowledge

The library was frequented by many residents of Aurel, in spite of its small size, as those with a thirst for knowledge would visit to sate it and take quiet moments to read and reflect, as well as complete any pressing work. The library was a safe haven for the open mind, and Tenilon was its eager custodian, ever endeavoring to seek and provide whatever knowledge the people sought. Numbers have dwindled as of late, as the Alabaster Hand grew to scrutinize those who participated in what they considered to be an overconsumption of written material.
As books grow to collect more dust on the shelves with time, Tenilon now faces the struggle of a population coerced to abandon academic pursuits. The joy he feels as new visitors arrive at his library quickly sours, as he realizes most come to learn more of the Alabaster Hand and Atreimus, than they do to learn more of the world around them.