Legend has it that Maralisandra Alstashevana Trientanis, Sarn of Sarns, Savior of the Nation, founded the first Great Library of Istavara soon after she united the hundred or so warring city states of the first continent into one nation.
Legends also agree that one copy of every written or recorded work, whether Istavaran or from any other part of Jhrin, whether counted as classic, bodice ripper, or just plain tripe was stored within it’s walls for all to view and read, study and debate, and that the footprint of the building may have even been big enough to cover up to a quarter of the capital city.
Unfortunately, legend is all that remains of the original. During the Sundering, much of the original city and it’s knowledge was razed to the ground.
During reconstruction, some centuries later, workers stumbled across and excavated the last remnant of the Great Library, which appeared to be some sort of suterranean storage chamber. All modern historical theory about life and learning in Istavara prior to the Sundering comes from that last, mostly undamaged, cache.
In honor of finding the chamber, Telus Sarn, ruler of Istavara at the time, laid the foundation for a new Great Library to rival the original and honor the history lost during the Sundering. It has grown by leaps and bounds since, and is the one of the most celebrated endeavors of his reign.
The current Librarian and Acquisitions Director, a coveted position earned over a week of competitive exams, is Rivka Lowe. Rivka has been one of the most successful in the position since the new library began construction, and has found more pre-Sundering texts in obscure, out of the way places to add to the Great Library than any librarian to date.
Hope you enjoyed the Great Library of Istavara. Stay tuned for H!
Dover Whitecliff 