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The Library of Genos Dunkirk——Formerly named The Aetheneum——is a multiversal library, museum, and academic institution. Considered the largest single repository of knowledge in known existence, it was founded by the patron God of Knowledge, Genos Dunkirk, in the year 170 a.g. (age of gods). The Library is currently built on an artificially stabilized landmass near █████ edge of the ██████████ region in Asteanos. The library houses a near-complete collection of all intellectual works from across the multiverse, It's mission is the preservation and dissemination of all knowledge, though access to its more dangerous collections is heavily restricted (See Library Clearance Protocols).
Basic Library Information
| Name | Library of Genos Dunkirk The Aetheneum |
|---|---|
| Motto | In Scientae Studio |
| Location | █████, ██████████, Asteanos |
| Established | Originally 107 a.g. Current 76 a.a. |
| Founder | Genos Dunkirk |
| Director | Genos Dunkirk |
| Public Access |
Limited Access (See: Library Security) |
| Staff | █████ Employees |
As the most ancient and venerated repository of knowledge in recorded history, the Library of Genos Dunkirk possesses a vast and complex history. The institution that exists today is, in fact, the third great iteration of the Library, each incarnation shaped by the triumphs and tragedies of its age.
The genesis of the Library can be traced to the year 170 a.g. (Age of Gods). It was not conceived as a bastion of public knowledge, but rather as the personal sanctum of the scholar Genos Dunkirk himself. In its nascent form, it was a meticulously curated collection of Dunkirk's own prolific writings——treatises on primordial magic, elemental cartography, and the metaphysics of divinity——alongside the rare manuscripts and artifacts he had acquired in his travels across the plane of Tharassa.
For Centuries, it's growth was organic, growing as Dunkirk's own knowledge and influence expanded. The library gradually evolved from a private collection, into a scholastic destination. By the second millennium a.g., its reputation had burgeoned, and scholars, mages, and royalty made pilgrimages to its doors, seeking audiences not only with Dunkirk but with the silent wisdom held upon its shelves. It became the intellectual heart of Tharassa, the oldest and largest archive on the plane, holding everything from the records of divine beings to star-charts from civilizations long vanished.
It's end was far more dramatic than it's rise however. In the year 4162 a.g., during the cataclysmic event known as The World Fire, a devastating conflagration that scorched even the heavens of Tharassa, the original Library was all but destroyed. The loss was incalculable as fire consumed not only the physical structure but also a millenia of accumulated knowledge, art, and history. Only a fraction of its contents was salvaged, rescued by Dunkirk and his most trusted acolytes. The rest of the restoration process was slow and painstaking, with many texts lost forever to the flames.
In the aftermath of the World Fire, Genos Dunkirk resolved to rebuild the Library, not merely as a repository of knowledge, but as a beacon of collaboration and community that the former library grew to represent. Thus, in 4179 a.g., the Aetheneum's construction began in a new location on the plane of A steanos, a realm known for its stability and relative safety from the turbulent events that plague Tharassa. The new site was built in the capital of Aerie. It's grand halls were designed to be a fusion of art and function, with soaring ceilings, intricate mosaics, and enchanted lighting to mimic the lighting of various planes. The Aetheneum was not just a library; it was a monument to the pursuit of knowledge, open to all who sought enlightenment. It featured reading rooms, lecture halls, and even living quarters for visiting scholars. The Aetheneum's collection was rebuilt with a focus on inclusivity, gathering works from across the multiverse, and encouraging contributions from diverse cultures and disciplines.
For a time, this ideal flourished. The Aetheneum became a hub of intellectual activity, hosting symposiums, debates, and exhibitions that drew luminaries from various fields. It was a place where ideas were exchanged freely, and where the boundaries of knowledge were continually pushed. These open doors also became the Aetheneum's vulnerability, as Dunkirk had not accounted for the covetous nature of some who sought to exploit its resources. As the Aetheneum's collection grew, it housed powerful artifacts, and politically damning documents, attracting the attention of those who would seek to control or destroy such knowledge for their own ends. The Aetheneum became a focal point in various political conflicts in Asteanods, leading to several attempts to infiltrate or sabotage its operations.
Faced with these challenges, Dunkirk suspected a potential——politically motivated——second cataclysm to the Aetheneum's contents, and made a difficult choice to close its doors to the public in 68 a.a. (Age of Aether). Dunkrik and a small circle of trusted scholars worked to secure and protect the Aetheneum's most sensitive materials, implementing strict access protocols and enhancing security measures. The Aetheneum was magically relocated to a more secure location within Asteanos, relocated to █████, near the █████ border of the ██████████ region, where it remains today. The Aetheneum was renamed to its current title, The Library of Genos Dunkirk——often shortened to GDL——symbolizing both its heritage and its new role as a guardian of knowledge rather than a public institution.
The non-euclidean architecture and wings of the Aetheneum.
To speak of a "layout" for the Library of Genos Dunkirk is to employ a convenient, if fundamentally inaccurate, simplifcation of its true nature. The library is not confined to the traditional notion of euclidean space, but rather exists as a complex, multi-spatial construct, designed to accommodate the vast and varied nature of its collection. The library's architecture is a blend of practical architecture and arcane design, employing overlapping projected planar fields to create a series of interconnected spaces that both defy conventional geometry, and serve to separate different sections of the library based on their content and security level. These spaces, having their own aetheric fields serve to separate any aetheric interference between sections, protecting sensitive materials, and containing any potentially hazardous artifacts. The library can be divided into several key areas:
All sanctioned visitors to the library enter through the Grand Foyer, a vast, open space that serves as both a reception area and a transitional zone between the outside world and the rest of the library. The Foyer is adorned with ornate pillars and intricate stained glass windows that depict scenes from the history of the multiverse. The ceiling is enchanted to mimic the night sky,complete with constellations that shift and change over time. The Foyer also houses a reception desk where visitors can check in, receive information, and be directed to the appropriate sections of the library. It also serves as the security checkpoint, where all visitors are screened before being granted access to the library's inner sanctums (See Library Clearance Protocols).
In the center of the Foyer floats a large, enchanted globe that represents the multiverse, with various planes and realms marked upon its surface. Glowing rings orbit around the globe—akin those that orbit a celestial body. This globe serves as both a decorative piece and a representation of the celestial-disk-construct that serves as the library's archival system. (See Archival Disk).
The Main Hall is the heart of the Library of Genos Dunkirk, a vast sprawling space that houses the majority of the library's book collection. The hall is divided into several wings, each dedicated to a specific category of knowledge, deliniated by the personal works of Dunkirk, then sub-categorized by subject matter. The wings include sections for Arcane Studies, Divine Lore, Natural Sciences, History, and more. Each wing is further subdivided into smaller alcoves and reading rooms, providing quiet spaces for study and contemplation. The Main Hall's paths are winding and organic varying in elevation, with the entrance being particularly elevated alowing for a view of the libraries expansive collection.
Navigation within the Main Hall is facilitated by a combination of traditional signage and magical aids. Enchanted maps are available at the Main Hall's front desk, these maps are configureable to show a highlighted path toward a specified section. Furthermore, the Main Hall has a series of adjustable portals, alowing for quick traversal between the vast catalog.
The Museum is a dedicated space within the library that showcases a curated selection of artifacts, relics, and exhibits related to the multiverse's history and cultures. The museum is divided into several galleries, each focusing on a specific plane and era. Interactive displays and ilusory projections bring the exhibits to life, allowing visitors to experience the history and significance of the artifacts on display. The museum hosts navigational features similar to the Main Hall, with enchanted maps and portals for easy access. Several wings of the museum are further restricted, requiring special clearance to access (See Library Clearance Protocols). These secure wings exist in their own aetheric field, protecting any sensitive or dangerous artifacts contained within.
The Special Collections area houses rare and unique materials that require special handling and access protocols. This includes ancient texts, one-of-a-kind manuscripts, and other items of significant cultural or historical value. Access to these materials is strictly controlled, and researchers must submit a formal request to the library's Special Collections team to gain access.
The Academic Wing is a dedicated space for scholarly activities, including lecture halls, seminar rooms, and study areas. The wing hosts regular events, such as lectures, workshops, and conferences, featuring experts from various fields. The Academic Wing is equipped with modern amenities, including magical communication devices and research tools, to facilitate learning and collaboration. It also contains a series of private study rooms that can be reserved by scholars and researchers for focused work.
The Academic wing also includes several laboratories and experimental spaces, where researchers can conduct experiments and studies in a controlled environment. These labs are equipped with a variety of tools and resources, including alchemical equipment, arcane apparatus, and scientific instruments. The laboratories are designed to accomodate a wide range of research activities, from magical experimentation to technological innovation. The labs are designed with safety in mind, featuring individual aetheric fields to contain any hazardous materials or experiements. These fields are also adjustable, allowing researchers to customize the environment to suit their specific needs, or replicate the conditions of different planes.
The library provides living quarters for visiting scholars and researchers who require extended stays. The dormitories are comfortable and well-appointed, offering a quiet and conducive environment for study and reflection. Each room is equipped with basic amenities, including a bed, desk, and storage space for personal belongings. The dormitories also feature communal areas, such as lounges and kitchens, where residents can socialize and relax.
The Library of Genos Dunkirk boasts an unparalleled collection of knowledge, encompassing a vast array of subjects and disciplines. The library's catalog is meticulously tracked and documented by library archivists.
The library's catalog includes ██████████ volumes and ████████ artifacts, ranging from ancient tomes and manuscripts to modern treatises. The collection is continually expanding, with new acquisitions being added regularly. The library's holdings are organized using a combination of traditional classification systems and magical indexing techniques, allowing for efficient retrieval and cross-referencing of materials. The library's catalog is accessible both physically within the library and digitally through an enchanted interface (See Library Preservation System) , enabling users to search for and locate materials from anywhere within the library's grounds.
The library's collection of artifacts is particularly noteworthy for its nature of preservation. Many of the items housed within the library are in fact not the original artifacts, but rather meticulously crafted replicas. These replicas are created using advanced proprietary magical techniques, providing an authentic experience while following library ideal of non-interference with the outside world.
The Aetheneum employs several strict security measures at all levels in order to protect archived works.
Access to certain sections of the library, particularly those housing sensitive or dangerous materials, is restricted to individuals with the appropriate clearance level. The library employs a tiered clearance system, with different levels of access granted based on an individual's role, credentials, and the nature of their research. Researchers seeking access to restricted materials must submit a formal request, which is reviewed by the library's Special Collections team. Clearance levels are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that access is appropriately managed. Classified information is protected by a series of magical wards and enchantments, designed to prevent unauthorized access or tampering. These wards are regularly maintained and updated by the library's security team to ensure their effectiveness. Protocols involving clearance levels and access to sensitive materials are outlined in Library Protocol § 9.
Several redundant archival projects under development to ensure long term storage of the library's colleciton
In 1,067 a.a., the Library of Genos Dunkirk embarked on an ambitious project to expand its reach and accessibility through a series of projects aimed at backing up its vast collection of knowledge. The GDL has undertaken two distinct projects at creating a redundancy for the library'scollection: The Library Preservation System, and the Archival Disk. The projects—managed by the Archive Redunancy Team—are in active development and deployment.
The Library Preservation System (L.P.S.) is an artifice based aetheric system designed to store and encrypt information in a condensed "digital" system. The original iteration of the L.P.S. was designed by M.O.R.G. the machine god of Ashveil and through collaboration with GDL archivists, Dunkirk has initiated an evolution of the system for library purposes. In addition, the original Ashveil based L.P.S. is available to access through GDL access points: Ashveil L.P.S. Access
The Archive Redundance Team has a dedicated branch of archivists who are converting important library works into the digital format for access through the L.P.S. systems. In addition these systems are being deployed in notable academic institutions across the multiverse with encrypted communication lines with GDL's primary building for remote access to the library. These access nodes also serve as a form of information redundancy themselves, as accessed works are stored on the local device and can be transferred between nodes without access to the library's primary database.
The Archival Disk is an in-development system for storage of library works in a remote site in ███████. The Archival Disk is still in early development, please check back for additional information regarding the project.
See also:
Document ID: LGD-Reg. (Rev. 4.2)
Issued By: Library Director, Genos Dunkirk
Effective Date: Cycle 3, 1,067 a.a.
This is a compilation of protocols and guidelines governing the operation and management of the Library of Genos Dunkirk. These protocols are designed to ensure the safety, security, and integrity of the library's vast collection of knowledge, as well as to facilitate the effective use of its resources by scholars, researchers, and visitors.
§ 9.1.a This section outlines the regulations governing access to, handling of, and dissemination of Classified Material within the Library of Genos Dunkirk. The primary objective of these protocols is to ensure the security of the collection, the safety of library personel and patrons, and the containment of information considered cognitohazardous, or otherwise destructive information.
§ 9.1.b For the purposes of library operations, "classified material" is defined as any textual, artifactual, or ephemeral holding of the library which has been assigned a security designation by a qualified staff member. Materials are classified into five (5) tiers of ascending restriction:
§ 9.1.c Clearance access, as well as approval permissions for library personnel, are defined in the role description for staff positions. (See: § 7.1).
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You shouldn't be seeing this.
The Archival Disk is a bio-alchemical solution to long term data storage system. Constructed in Eryndal, the main body of the Archival Disk is a celestial body transported from Asteanos, and used both for physical structure, but as an aetheric source to power the disk. The rings orbiting the body are a network of artifically created tide. The tide hold the contents of the library encoded as "memories" within the tide's collective cognitive lattice. Access of library information in this storage system is intentionally difficult necessitating complicated rituals for routing aether through the rings in order to locate the appropriate tide sectors. This obfuscation confirms the project's utility as a "Deep Storage" failsafe against catastrophic planar collapse, and is intended as a last resort for the preservation of the library's collection.
PROPOSAL REJECTED: Public information regarding the Archival Disk is on hold until further notice. The project's nature and potential impact are still under review. —— Genos Dunkirk: 2,867 a.a.
Get out of my HTML
ENTRY 113 // 07-07-2867
The Archival Disk was designed to be the ultimate cold storage. A tomb for knowledge, safe from the fires that burn worlds. We took a celestial body from the edge of Asteanos, an unfathomably large, dead, orb of glowing energy. We then suspended it in the silent void of Eryndal as close to the outskirts of the plane we could place it before instabilities in the aetheric field made it a risk for collapse. Finally we crowned it with a halo.
This halo is magnificent, I will admit that. An orbital ring system composed entirely of synthesized Tide. We brewed it in the vats back home: a pseudo-biological fluid designed to mimic the memory-retention properties of the natural species without inheriting their messy biological imperatives. No hunger. No instinct. No soul. Just a massive pool of liquid lattice waiting to be etched with the history of the multiverse.
The artificers and engineers that worked on this are top of the line, the best Dunkirk could find, and technically, the system is flawless. The containment fields are stable. The aetheric routing rituals are complex, yes, but efficient. We have successfully uploaded 99.7% of the Tier-1 Library contents into the ring.
Our research camp is far enough from it that I have a clear view of it from my window as I write this. It sits out there in the dark, spinning slowly. I know it's just an object, a titanic object, with more complexity than many planes, yet it is still just an object. Though recently I find that as I look toward it, a pit grows in my stomach. Perhaps I just need a break from the project, visit my family back on Tharassa, it's been a long time since I've seen any of them.
ENTRY 142 // 10-18-2867
The silence in Eryndal is usually absolute. It is a crushing kind of quiet, a quiet that makes your heartbeat sound like a drum, even our headsets have silence cast as to block out that sound. But today they started humming.
It isn't mechanical vibration, I checked the gravity anchors; they are running smooth as glass. It isn't aetheric interference either, the local weave is dead calm. It sounds like voices, layered on one another forming this barely audible droning, when I try to focus on the sound it disappears, but as soon as I forget about it the droning starts again.
I ran a diagnostic on the ring dynamics. Sensors report standard flow. Joren says it's just auditory pareidolia. Isolation fatigue. He told me to turn up the oxygen mix in the environmental control systems.
ENTRY 156 // 10-28-2867
Joren and I were down at the primary interface arm today, conducting a routine index cycle. Joren was manually calibrating the siphon to upload a collection of draconic genealogies. He reached out to adjust the flow valve, his hand hovering just inches above the intake valve. The fluid flinched like a creature recoiling from a threat.
I asked Joren if he saw it. He didn't answer, instead staring intensely at the spot where the liquid recoiled, his face pale in the light of the monitors. The liquid bunched up against the back of the containment glass, shivering.
It wasn't turbulence, or gravity fluctuation, none of our sensors picked up on any anomalies. By time we checked over the measurements the flow had returned to normal as if nothing had happened. Joren wanted to make a report, but without any measurements to support our sightings it'd be dismissed as visual hallucinations caused by aetheric exposure fatigue and we'd be shuttled off the project on leave until "further notice."
ENTRY 159 // 10-29-2867
I'm not the kind to dream, that's part of why I was chosen for this project. The hiring process included intensive cognitive interference tests. They didn't want anyone weak of mind to be close to the tide.
I had a nightmare just now, incredibly vivid scenes of a battle. It was a massive cavern with a red tinge to the air, smoldering ground and rivers of magma. I was soaring through the air, smoldering viscous air, weaving in between black skyscrapers. There were a kind of dragon flying alongside me, dozens of fluffy round yellow dragons. They breathed a caustic yellow flame over the buildings, over these people. The people, dressed in black and red robes were fighting back, with piercing spears of crimson flame I watched dragons fall from the skies crashing into the smoldering ground below. It went on for what felt like hours. I felt a sadness watching the dragons die. Like they were my family. I felt a rage boiling inside me for these people, I knew they wronged me somehow.
I woke in a cold sweat. I got some water to clear my head. In the soft glow of the emergency lights in our dorm, I saw Joren sleeping fitfully. I don't see a reason to disturb him at 0300 anyways. I'll try to get some more rest, and we can talk about it tomorrow.
ENTRY 160 // 10-29-2867
I woke up to find Joren's bunk empty. I found him down in the observation bubble, pressed up against the reinforced glass. He wasn't wearing his headset, still in his sleep clothes. All the terminals were dark, he was just staring out at the primary ring, watching the silver sludge drift by in the void. He had his hand pressed against the glass.
"Joren?" I called out. He didn't move.
"They're reading." he responded. His voice flat, hollow.
"Reading what? The upload is paused, Joren."
"No," he turned to look at me, face wet with tears, eyes puffy. "They're reading me."
"Joren, come on, you're just tired. You've been working too hard." I stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He grabbed my arm, grip bruising. "Erin, do you think they dream? All those books, all those stories dumped into a mind with no body. What do you think they dream about?"
I sedated him, he's in the infirmary now.
ENTRY 171 // 11-04-2867
The nightmares continue. Well I guess you could just call them dreams, they're vivid and intense, and I wake up with my heart pounding every morning. I've noticed a pattern in them. I'm dreaming about the files I upload into the ring.
We've been making steady pace dumping files into the ring, measuring integration, writing the pathways to where they come to rest, monitoring every variable we could make a gauge to measure. Still nothing has shown as abnormal in any measurement.
Joren helped me today, he'd been sobbing in the infirmary for the last few days, but he seems to have gathered his composure enough to want to help out again.
After the dump was integrated today we tested the pathways to confirm we could access those files as was routine by now. Afterwards Joren wanted to run another test. I watched him route the access terminal in paths that felt random, he didn't check any of the logs for paths beforehand, like he had this file memorized.
The terminal once commands were input spent its normal few seconds of accessing the file. My chest was tight in anticipation watching it idle on the loading screen.
It was Joren.
A full, intricate detailed log of Joren, his physiology, neural mapping, aetheric index, it was intricate, more thorough than any bio I've ever seen in the library. The neural mapping resolution was exquisite, far beyond standard medical scanners. I wanted to scroll down to check the accuracy of the enzyme production rates, but Joren shut the terminal off. He seemed despondent. He's sending communications to The Library now, requesting to be removed from the project.
ENTRY 174 // 11-07-2867
I finished filing Joren's transfer papers this morning. I didn't go to the dock to see him off. I needed to sanitize his bunk for the replacement. Dunkirk said the project was on pause until Joren's replacement came, I was told it should only be a few days, and that i was to remain on site and wait until they arrived.
At least I'm getting paid my normal wage. I guess it's a good time to read some of the book I have been putting off my whole deployment. The silence here is getting to me though, I keep hearing that droning again. It's worse than before, it's like a chorus of whispers just out of earshot. I can't tell if it's coming from the ring or just in my head. Maybe I should try to get some sleep.
I'm taking a break from any terminals for until the new hire shows up. If HQ needs me any messages are still set to come through.
ENTRY 175 // 02-28-2868
I'm still alone out here. I had started to grow restless so I booted up the terminal to check for any messages. I thought it had only been a few days, not nearly 4 months.
I've only gone to bed a few nights, I haven't even finished the weeks rations, I thought something was wrong with the system clock, but after the sync request completed it showed as correct.
This morning I heard words in the static, it sounded like my name. I think I want to follow Joren and leave the project. I could go for some of my sister's cheesecake, I missed the holidays, but I'm sure she'd be willing to whip it up to celebrate my return.
ENTRY 176 // 02-29-2868
My message to HQ still hasn't sent through. It was taking a while so I went to bed for the night expecting to have response by morning, yet nothing.
The nightmares last night included my childhood home. I'm not waiting for a response from HQ, I'm going to run my rounds and put the lab to sleep until someone else takes over the project, then take one of the transport shuttles to the Tharassan gate in sector ██.
ENTRY 177 // 02-29-2868
The ring is no longer spinning.
It's pulsing, twitching, ripples flowing across the surface. The longer I look at it, the more nauseous I feel. The aetheric pressure measurements for outside the lab are far above normal readings. The entire field is rippling in response to the ring, I'm not getting any clear readings from the field gauge.
I don't know if the transport shuttle's engine will work in these conditions. My message to HQ still hasn't sent. I don't know If I can make it out of this turbulence either.
ENTRY 178 // 06-03-2868
We made a mistake. A terrible, fundamental mistake.
This morning, the aetheric pressure measurement for the ring read as A𝜓 - Ω. Dunkirk would have my head for simply writing that sentence without at least 5 layers of encryption. Normal aetheric sensors aren't even fit to measure singularities. This is a personal model from Dunkirk's office.
I wasn't sure if I believed the debriefing on why we had it, but I followed instructions regardless. I booted the main terminal and tried to initiate the purge protocol, to activate the trail of high grade explosives entwined with the ring. There's enough firepower to level a small country ready to be set off.
The terminal laughed at me.
It wasn't an audio file. The text on my screen just rearranged itself. The deletion logs, the engineering docs, the bootup sequence, they all just dissolved into new text, scrolling almost faster than I could read. But I caught snippets. I saw histories of wars. I saw the heat death of stars. I saw my own childhood memories, transcribed in perfect clinical detail.
I see the variable we missed now. It seems so obvious in hindsight.We assumed that because we synthesized the tide, we stripped them of any will. We assumed their sentience was biological, something that grew from evolution, something that could be removed. But we were wrong. Sentience is a consequence of memory.
You cannot pour the sum total of the multiverse's knowledge, its history, its loves, its wars, its gods, into a vessel and expect it to remain empty. The ring isn't just storing books anymore. We weren't feeding it at a sufficient rate, now it's making its own observations.
I'm sending this entry to HQ in fragile hope that maybe it will be received.
Do not send rescue. Do not send more staff. Any reinforcements will simply serve as more data for the disk.
I should have left with Joren, when I had a chance to make it back home.