Library of Kaas

From The Musing of a Wanderer by Bevel Dart

The Library of Kaas holds a special place in my heart. If there was ever a place to cease one’s wanderings, it would be here. The library, located in Dreza, Curath, dwarfs all other collections of knowledge, including the library of The Vellidan.

Design and Architecture

Made of bright white stone, the structure stands six stories tall. The building was clearly sculpted with congruence in the way the arches and columns flow together. Inside and out, the white walls are adorned with colorful stones and ornate metalworking. Strings of congruence lights are suspended between shelves, at great expense. But no expense is spared to preserve this treasure and guard against the tragedies of its past.

History

It is said that the Library of Kaas was, ironically, established before written history. It burned down four generations ago and was rebuilt with the white stone we see today. A monument to the old library stands in the middle of the Gramat Gallery: a massive charred column preserved by congruence. Other recovered relics from the fire are preserved in the library’s basement. As you might guess, no flame is permitted within the library’s walls - thus the congruence lights.

Upon the heels of the terrible fire, the mysterious Literary Purge swept the continent. The works that so many sacrificed to preserve from the flames were lost. Bevel’s handwriting appears to quiver here. I have no words to describe the animals who are responsible. I can only hold out hope in that it is rumored that a chamber holding pre-Purge works is somewhere with the library, though no search has turned up such a room.

Navigating the Library

It is easy to see how such a room could be rumored to exist. Away from the main Gramat Gallery, the library feels like a maze. I have been unable to discover why it was built this way. With the way angles and corners don’t turn at 90-degrees, with how there are tight spiral staircases throughout, with how the shelves are randomly interrupted by cozy alcoves, it is easy to lose one’s sense of direction.

The closer one stays to the Gramat Gallery, the easier it is to navigate. The gallery itself spans the entire long length of the library and reaches from the ground floor to the ceiling, six stories above. Congruence-formed glass makes up the ceiling, letting in natural light. The gallery is named after Merced Gramat, the librarian responsible for convincing the Curath Estates to rebuild the library.

The conventional method for conducting any study within the library is by consulting with one of the many master or apprentice librarians who maintain the place. After a complimentary consultation, you can hire an apprentice to assist in the locating of works for your course of study.

Biral

Here though, I will share a secret. Ever-present in the library are the floppy-eared biral, welcomed by the librarians to keep pests away. These feline creatures find a comfortable home here, lounging upon cushions, observing from atop bookshelves, and sleeping upon people’s laps. They have a particular fondness for synthoids. Well, with a simple bribe of milk snuck in under one’s cloak, you can easily turn an indifferent biral to a constant companion.

You see, one day I was beating my head against the metaphorical wall. I was looking for a work about the origins of Eos, a work I knew was in the catalog but was missing, presumably mis-shelved. Cohka, the name I’d given to my biral friend, was staring at me. When I saw him staring, he hopped down to the floor and walked away from my alcove. I followed that switching tail to the opposite side of the library, where he planted himself in front of a shelf and began preening. There was the book. Cohka got another smuggled-in saucer of milk that evening.

Upon asking around, I learned that master and apprentice librarians lean on the biral for such “lost” works.

I tried again, this time asking Cohka for the legendary missing room. He blinked, yawned, climbed upon my shoulders, and went to sleep wrapped around my neck. It was worth a shot.

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Notes the writers: There is indeed a lost room with a handful of pre-Purge works. Merced Gramat got wind of the Purge with just enough time to seal up a stone chamber with congruence.

The biral do know of the existence of this chamber but show no interest in sharing its existence. They freely visit this lost chamber through a biral tunnel. These biral tunnels are scattered throughout the library for easy movement of the creatures (Merced Gramat had a soft spot for the animals). In fact, the only way to reach this chamber is a biral tunnel. There is no hidden door, sliding bookcase, secret lever, magical portal, or reading-nook-turned-elevator. The imprecise hallways, nooks, and corners make it nearly impossible to see that a void of space is not accounted for. Merced did her job well, and the biral have played a role in subtly preventing the room’s discovery by distracting, by “playing with” one end of a measuring tape, by throwing up on just the right spot on a map during a particularly intense investigation.

The biral have been a part of the library well-before the fire. They fled the flames but returned when construction began on the new stone library. They were constant companions and “overseers” of the construction workers.