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The Great Library of Parthos was originally built by the humans several thousand years ago before it was destroyed around 15.000 years ago. Some of the books were rescued by a priestess and then located underneath Griffin Antiquities.
General Information[]
The Great Library was located at the edge of the city of Parthos, overlooking the marshes to the north. It was a massive, columned complex of several buildings. It was not only a place for books, but housed several academies for various fields of study, including the arts, sciences, mathematics, and philosophy. It was a treasure trove of thousands of years' worth of learning. An amphitheater was in the center of the complex.
The Library of Parthos contains books on evolution, mathematics, and theories to disprove the superiority of the Vanir and Asteri. Some books are from philosophers who claimed there was existence on Midgard before the Asteri arrived. The Asteri banned the books in the library for people to read and own, so that the only existing copies should be in the Asteri Archives. Humans died for the books in the library to be kept safe from the Asteri. Nevertheless, the Asteri tortured the humans who defended the library. They were burned alive with the heretical works used as kindling. With all the knowledge of the ancient world, where there was no Vanir and no Asteri only humans. The Parthos books are "one of the few remnants of the human world before the Asteri's arrival."[1] The books are magical and seem alive. A third of the books want to escape, kill someone, or eat them.
History[]
Unknown to most, Jesiba Roga was a priestess at the original Library and when it was attacked by Vanir and Asteri, most of the Library was destroyed and the priestesses killed. Jesiba was able to rescue some of the books, boarded a ship, the Griffin, to smuggle some of the books out. She slipped through the Vanir nets and sailed across the Haldren Sea and found safe harbor in Valbara. She was aided by the mer across the sea, at the behest of the Ocean Queen. But before she was able to reach the Sea, Apollion found the Griffin. He had heard about the doomed stand at Parthos, and the ships, and the priestesses burned with their books. He was curious about what might be so valuable to the humans that they were willing to die for it. He didn't understand when Jesiba told him it was no power beyond knowledge, no weapon beyond learning. He refused to believe her and instead cursed her for her impudence in denying him the truth. Her curse was to live, unchanging, until she showed him the true power of the books.
Jesiba founded Griffin Antiquities and used it to store the Library underneath. However, the library has since had to be moved into a nondescript warehouse after Micah Domitus discovered its location.
House of Flame and Shadow[]
After the death of Jesiba, former priestess and caretaker of the remaining collection during the Asteri's 15.000 year reign, Bryce Quinlan took over the library's protection. After defeating the Asteri, Bryce decided to bring the books of the Library forth and making them available to the world.
Known Books[]
- Great Romances of the Fae
- On the Divine Number
- The Book of Breathings
- The Queen with Many Faces
- The Walking Dead
- Words of the Gods
Trivia[]
- The priestesses of the library used to wear Archesian amulets as a form of protection.
- The Book of Breathings is originally from the Fae Homeworld. It is unknown how Jesiba got her hands on it.
- The Walking Dead presumably originates from another world. It is unknown how Jesiba got her hands on it.[2]
References[]
- ↑ House of Sky and Breath, Chapter 1
- ↑ Throne of Glass, Chapter 27