The Great Library of Palanthas
An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.
Stories of Ansalon from the view of Misia.
A little gully dwarf runs by and says 'Wordwrap Off 65 80.'
The gully continues 'Eyes hurt? Turn Color OFF!! (regular story dates)
Astinus says 'Enter the main library here to view only the author list.'
Astinus gently places a heavy platinum-covered book on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Misia' scribed in deep orange ink.
Author: Misia Date: Mon Jul 14 20:20:16 2025 Subject Intellectual Endeavor, Pt.1
[Translated into Slowspeak by Nevermind Archives] The not-yet-begun conference was abuzz, but it was always thus for a life quest ceremony. The quester in question sat in the middle of the complex concentric circles of gnomes. Her parents sat behind her, beaming and as excited as the rest. The old gnome at zero degrees in the innermost circle, the chair, cleared his throat. The din of the structural engineering project at side of the hall continued, but no one in the conference even heard it, and they all quieted. "The quester in question is..." old gnome lost track of his notes and looked up at the quester. "Ah yes, Misianoastureisadharamirzamfurun..." The name went on further for some time. [Translator's note: "Misia" going forward.] Misia smiled eagerly. The old gnome continued, "Now, I understand that you have interest and talent in studying other cultures use of technology." Another old gnome from the Ethnography Department nodded. The chair went on, "We have insufficient understanding of that, especially with the war on the mainland, there is quest potential there." The Ethnography Dept gnome said, "The elves are most secretive." The chair said, "So focus on the elves..." A Geophysics Dept gnome interrupted, "As are the dwarves." The chair said, "True, add the dwarves." A Mathematics Dept gnome said, "From a chaos theory angle, the kender surprise everyone." The chair said, "Of course, so the elves, the dwarves, and the kender..." A Mechanical Engineering Dept gnome interrupted, "The dragonarmies over there are doing dangerous things." The chair nodded and looked at Misia, "He's got a good point, but that's dangerous." Misia was undisturbed, "I do have skill with magic." The chair said, "Good, good. You'll be fine. I'm sure you can pass the mainlanders' silly test." Misia looked confident, and her parents beamed again. A Philosophy Dept gnome from the back row shouted, "But what about..." The chair interrupted, "Enough already, the rigorous thing to do is a complete catalog of all people's use of technology." A Zoology Dept gnome coughed, "At the same time, many peoples use animals and plants to do their work for them." The Mechanical Engineering Dept gnome said, "Like dragons! Then we could build a mech suit for a dragon to wear!" Misia looked alarmed. The chair said, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. That, while an interesting question, is out of bounds for Misia, who has expressed a preference not to build things." Many gnomes in the conference murmured with disapproval. The chair said, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. That, while an interesting question, is out of bounds for Misia, who has expressed a preference not to build things." Many gnomes in the conference murmured with disapproval. The chair said, "But the Zoology Dept's point stands, an examination of both nature and technology seems the most rigorous thing to do. Besides, that fits in well with your grandfather's as-yet-incomplete life quest of dragon taming. What say you?" Misia said, "I agree. My life quest should be a complete catalog of the use of technology and nature by all peoples. Is that sound?" The chair said, "Most rigorous." The other gnomes in the inner circle all agreed. "All rise," the chair said. The structural engineering project silenced for a moment, then all members of the project used their tools simultaneously for a most satisfying BANG! to end the ceremony. The Ethnography Dept gnome approached Misia as the conference broke up and shook her hand, "Well done, and welcome to the department."
[Translated into Slowspeak by Nevermind Archives] Misia sailed from Sancrist and made her way eventually to Palanthas, where she had heard was a world class library. Obviously, the only place to begin field work was a library. She made her way through the city, expecting the library to be obvious. But the only obvious thing was a creepy looking tower with an equally creepy looking garden. The whole rest of the city seemed to be wealthy mansions and temples, not what she was looking for. It took a frustrating conversation with locals--she really needed to get the hang of speaking at their speed. The library turned out to be one of the temples that she had dismissed out of hand. Upon entering, Misia was impressed by the size of the place, the wings and halls and gardens were extensive. There were many researchers, but not the throngs of hungry readers that she was expecting. She spent a few days there, working late into the night and saying the night at an inn. She would ask other researchers about where to find this or that author, or what they thought about this or that issue. But most of the time they would give her a hostile look and ignore her. She even improved on speaking more slowly, but that didn't help. Misia resorted to using magic to help find things. She would magically examine books and shelves to ease searching. However, she ultimately had to conclude that the "Great Library" wasn't all that great. Sure it was big, but it sacrificed depth for breadth. Where were the excruciatingly detailed arguments on the ethnograghical questions that she needed? Not here. She expressed these thoughts, slowly, to a staffer, who walked off in a huff. Shortly after, a dreary looked human accosted her. "Who in the abyss are you?!" Misia started to give her name, but the rude human cut her off. "You're casting spells all over the Library. And you haven't taken the Test, obviously," shouted the human, gesturing at her clothes. "Why not?!" Misia was wearing normal gnomish working clothes, why wouldn't she be? And who was this manners-of-an-angry-rat guy to criticize her choice of clothing. "I'll take the test when I have time," she answered. "This is a warning," the human said, escorting her out of the library.
[Translated into Slowspeak by Nevermind Archives] After three similar encounters with dreary looking humans who were angry about her not having taken the Test, Misia decided the whole thing was taking up more time than not taking it. She travelled to Solace and then to Qualinost--she really needed to return to both places for her research--and then was directed to wander west through the forest until she found a tower. After losing her way several times, she stopped in a seedy tavern outside a little village. The innkeeper looked shifty, but she tried his stew, not great. There was a mysterious hooded man in the corner. Hadn't she read that book before? And there was an calm looking elf having argument with an angry kender about melody and rhythm. Misia asked the way to the tower, and kender simply pointed west without braking her angry argument with the elf. Misia went through the forest and had to use magic almost immediately. Lights went out abruptly, and detecting what was around her saved her from angry looking trees that were not always where she thought they were. Circles and circles later, a large gate emerged from around a corner. It opened after some effort, only to reveal another gate. The first gate closed and locked, and the second was immovable. Misia knocked and called for admission for an hour, to no avail. Was this the test, surviving being board to death? Maybe she should have brought the angry kender with her, she would be useful right now. After several hours, the gates opened.
[Translated into Slowspeak by Nevermind Archives] Misia walked through the second Tower gates, and somehow there were others also waiting in a little room. Things didn't look promising. Maybe this test was a waste her time, as she had first suspected. After more waiting--she really should've brought the angry kender--the word "Next" was heard and she was in a tiny office with an bored looking human. "Name?" he asked. Misia stated her full name, after which the human looked more bored than before. "The ethnographer, correct? Go back out and your test will begin soon." He gestured to the only door. Misia went through the door to find not the waiting room. The door was no longer behind her, and books and shelves surrounded her. "ThisPlace?!" Misia asked aloud not having time for Slowspeak. She was back in Palanthas library, and felt a restricting weight around her. She instinctive casted a defense spell and failed. A hostile researcher attacked her with a ball of energy and a question, "Why do you want to study use of technology and nature?" The ball of energy moved slowly toward her. "It'sMyLifeQuest," she answered. The ball hit her painfully. So this isn't illusion, not entirely anyway. The researcher repeated the question, sending another ball. This time Misia answered slowly "Because it's fascinating, endless creativity and inventiveness." The ball veered and missed her. She felt slightly lighter, less restricted. She tried the defensive spell and succeeded. She also tried to counterattack the researcher and failed. The researcher attacked again, "How do you know what you find to be true?" This time a bolt of electricity arced in her direction. More confident, Misia said, "Based on the evidence." The bolt hit her in the stomach, propelling her back through a railing that wasn't there before and into free-fall to almost land on her back on next floor below. She only avoided breaking her neck by casting a flight spell while falling. Misia stumbled to her feet, hurting everywhere. The researcher leaped from the broken balcony with red hot hands and the same question, falling slowly. She shouted, "By balancing sufficient justification and excessive inquiry!" Her hands, raised in defense, froze icily, and the researcher disintegrated on contact. Misia felt a little more free. Another researcher to her right pitched another arc of electricity and question, "How do know your inferences to be sound?" Misia said, "Constantly testing and questioning them." She blocked the arc of electricity and sent her own ball of energy, but researcher blocked it in turn. "Based on what?" the researcher resent the ball of energy back at her. Misia shouted, "On questioning my own assumptions!" and blocked the ball. The researcher snapped his fingers and vanished. She felt the weight around her lift, and felt herself again. She cast another spell to prevent those restrictions returning. She heard but did not see the researcher's next question, "How can you know that which you cannot perceive?" A wave of flame moved slowly across the library, consuming everything. Misia cast every every defensive spell she knew and called forth water all around, soaking everything and herself. "By seeking rising above my mental limits and valuing new ideas." The wall of flame came inexorably. The researcher's voice distorted to a mocking laugh and asked, "How do you know what you find to be true?" Misia frowned in suspicion, racing through the answers she had given. She looked at obvious not real library around her. Insufficient inquiry. She cast a detection spell and saw the Library, flame and all, ripple around her. Pushing the spell harder, she felt resistance. Pushing with all she had, the unreality of the library collapsed just as the flame almost had her.
[Translated into Slowspeak by Nevermind Archives] Misia stood in a large stone room that she had not seen before. She was drenched to the skin from using as much water as she had. In front of her were three people. An old human male in white spoke first, "Well done, one final question. No illusions. You must choose one of us, but which one?" "What am I really choosing?" Misia asked, clothes and hair dripping on the floor. A younger human male in black said, "If you're a scholar, you are choosing your moral philosophy of inquiry. For example, if choose myself and the Black, you could conduct your ethnographic research more efficiently in a lab with captive subjects, more fun that way." He grinned maliciously. "Sounds like playing with your food," Misia said. "Cruel and immature." "Insolence," the black robe said. "You will regret that." He vanished in puff of putrid smoke. The old human in white said, "Such drama. With the White, we try to teach unfortunate souls the merits of civilization, bring enlightenment to them." Misia frowned, "Civilized ideas like traditional gender roles? Your only female deity is in the mother and nurturer role. Sounds regressive and patriachal." The third person cracked a smile. Misia turned to her and asked, "What about you?" A female elf in red of indeterminate age sat writing at a desk behind the other two. At the gnome's question, she looked up and said, "The Red stands for free will and objectivity." Misia said, "Why didn't you say so earlier?" The old man bowed and left as the elf smiled pleasantly. The elf looked at Misia and asked, "Change of clothes?" She unfolded a red robe like her own from the desk and offered it to Misia. Misia took it and said, "Thank you."
The Storytellers of Ansalon, The DragonLance MUD
Astinus points to the massive wall of books behind him and bids you to make a selection.
Authors: All|A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z
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