The Great Library of Birohhal
Purpose:
The largest home for stories, textbooks and ritual instructions in all of the Magic Realm, originally built a few years after Birohhal was erected by scholars from the University, who were unable to keep track of all the spell books they had. A hundred years later they opened the doors to the public who donated many books and the ownership of the Library was transferred from the university to the ruling leader of Birohhal, passing it down from one leader to the next (currently Mayor Duella).Alterations:
Over the years as more books have been needing a home, the library has had many expansions, the most common and accessible books still housed in the original temple-esque structure but attachments such as the story corner, towers of runes and even the sealed basement for the forbidden rituals and the vault of extreme powerful scripts have been constructed, giving the building a very large map of interconnecting buildings with different types of architecture. Another alteration came in the form of repairs after the battle of the Birohhal, in which The Ivory Champions saved the city from the armies of the undead. Leaving many buildings including the library damaged in the process. The repairs were built with a different material to preserve the history the building.Architecture:
Original building:
The original structure was designed to be large in scale to house all the books the university had possession of. But it also needed to stand out in the city as something which held importance. So the decision was made to make it a pure white stone building. Complete with wide steps that lead to the massive archway that would become the main entrance. A roof to protect the books from all kinds of weather sat on top, suspended in the air with more white stone pillars carved with simple vertical lines. The triangular roof would just about peak over the landscape of the city at the time of its construction and stand out brightly in the bustling city of scholars.Higher Floors:
Almost a century later, when the ownership of the library was transferred, the ruling council of Birohhal decided that the library needed more storage capacity. So working alongside magical architects and masonry experts, they shaped an extension of two more floors that sprouted from the original triangular roof. Square based towers with extending pyramids now sat on top of the library, decorated in more complex patterns within the stonework and large stained glass panes to let the natural light inside. The final touch was the gargoyles of stone animals were positioned on the corners of towers, to watch over the library in case of intruders.Story Corner:
The back right corner of the original building was destroyed during a battle between the Ivory Champions and the undead armies of Necromancers attempting to locate the Necronomicon. The damage was so severe that a new extension made more sense than attempt to repair the original bricks. Thus, Story Corner was introduced as the latest edition to the library in the year 4598. The design of this was more simplistic compared to the higher floors, adding more colours and support beams similar to the other buildings on the street. Giving it a medieval style with the ground floor made from cobbled grey stones and the first floor jutting out to give the floor an overhang. Finished with terracotta tiles layered to create a pattern that resembles snake scales.The Shine of Scryptia
: The final expansion of the Great Library came in the form of a single tower, starting from street level and working its way past the tallest central tower. This simple circular tower had a spiral staircase leading all the way to the top, where visitors would find a golden statue to the Acuran of Language, Scryptia. Built to honour the Acuran and her contributions to the world of Violem. In secret it holds an artefact locked inside the statue which is said to have the ability to rewrite the fabric of reality.The Under Library:
Sometime during the first hundred years of the library's existence a secret under library was carved out by miners from Drovvin. Tasked with creating a vast, almost dungeon like maze full of dead ends and cages to house books and artefacts that were deemed too dangerous to be left upstairs. A copy of the under library map is hidden in a particular book inside the library itself and can only be accessed with a special medallion acting as a key. To guard these dark writings and items of great power, stone golems roam the corridors, covered in metallic armour to further impose a threat to unwelcomed visitors. It is said that it was here where the original Necronomicon is locked away.Potential plot hook: You and your party find yourself in a race against necromancers to find the legendary Necronomicon and stop the resserection of an evil force from the past. Your travels have led you to the Great Library of Birohhal, where rumour has it the book of darkness is hidden in a secret basement prison underneath the building. How will you get in? How will you get around the security? Perhaps the recpetionist could help...
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