The Princess of Books
Once the magical kingdom of Novela hovered above the clouds. The streets were paved with white marble that seemed to shine even on the dullest day. The buildings were grown from crystal and narrow, elegant spires littered the skyline.
In one such spire lived House Paperwork. A noble house of Bookwyrms. The Patriarch of House Paperwork was an old Chapterius, former Steward of the Archives. He was known for eating the poorly done drafts of young scribes of the Archives. A harsh but fair Bookwyrm. Even in his old age, families all across Novela would send their youths to Chapterius for proper training.
“Is this an C or a G?” Chapterius huffed at his student, Writem; a Bookwyrm from minor House Quill.
“I-Its a C, Sir.” The student sputtered.
“It doesn't look it!” With a sudden rush of air, Chapterius swallowed the parchment whole. “Start again!”
The lesson was interrupted by the classroom door swinging opening violently and a young Bookwyrm bursting through.
“Father!” She called. Unlike the other Bookwyrms, she was dressed for travel. She wore a utility belt with scrolls, potions, booklets and parchment and a tiny backpack for 'Stuff'. This was, of course, the oldest daughter of House Paperwork, Paperia but she insisted on being called Vaeryll, for reasons no one could adequately surmise.
She was a beautiful Bookwyrm with blueish-white scales and large, curious green eyes.
“What is it, child?” Chapterius grumbled.
“You must see what I've found.” From her tiny backpack she pulled out small bronze bowl with runes upon it.
She held it up to the light. “I found this in the Below-Lands in the ruins of a city. Isn't it wonderful? It was used in a ritual, I'm sure of it. I'm still working out the details.”
Chapterius leered skeptically at the bowl. “You really must stop with all this Stuff. Stuff is not important. Only the Word is important. Write about your Stuff but leave the Stuff behind.”
“But Father --”
“No buts! Put your Stuff away and do your duty. There is a city meeting happening and our House, YOUR house must be represented. Go!”
Vaeryll sighed and slinked off. No one understood the importance of Stuff and she couldn't make them understand. They thought it was old or boring. They all thought it had no baring on the present. That all you needed was books about it; that that would be enough but they were wrong. Stuff was good. Stuff was important. Stuff was needed.
Vaeryll entered the Gold Keep; a building of shining white crystal, gold and magical stain glass windows that changed appearance depending on how the Keep was 'feeling' that day.
The meeting was already underway. All noble and minor houses were present. In the center was a round, golden podium. Upon it stood a regal Bookwrym with gold and black scales; Tomeitus, Patriarch of House Indexium. His was the oldest House with the largest library. All other libraries in Novela derived their tomes from the Indexium library.
His words rolled out like gravel. “As such, too many Houses feel entitled to our books. We have worked millennia to build up our library, OUR work. It does not belong to everyone. It is ours! Too many Houses have forgotten that access to our library is a privilege. A mercy. An act of generosity.”
Vaeryll squeezed her way into a good spot to have a view of Tomeitus. He stalked around the podium, head held high.
“Knowledge should be shared.” Literatus, of House Research, piped up. A noble house, to be sure, but rumours constantly flew around that some members of the House wrote Fiction. It was a stain on their otherwise good name.
Tomeitus hissed back “You would say that, wouldn't you?! You've never had to work from scratch. You and yours always source their work from OUR tomes. But it ends today! Today, we take back our work. Today we show you who the true Lorekeepers are!”
The Bookwyrms all shuffled and muttered filling the Keep with sound.
“While you all gathered here for another useless meeting, Indexium prepared. As I speak, my kin are atop our spire finishing a ritual that all of you thought was lost to time!” The Keep started to quake as Tomeitus spoke but it was more than that; all of Novela seemed to shake.
The Bookwyrms clamoured and shouted their objections. It was too late. The skies above the Kingdom turned black. The walls of the spires cracked open and hundreds of thousands of books flew out and into the blackened sky.
Everyone rushed out of the Keep, pushing and shoving, trying to get to their libraries before everything was gone. Vaeryll pushed along side them to get home.
The noble elder Bookwyrms had gathered in the ruins of House Paperwork. Other Houses divided themselves into groups to scour the Kingdom for the injured that were caught under the rubble.
Chapterius huffed and puffed. “The scouts have returned. The Indexium library is locked down by some magic. All houses have lost their books. Even original works.”
“This is an outrage!” Classica said; Matriarch of House History. “They have taken everything and condemned us to squalor.”
The Elders all muttered in venomous agreement. Something had to be done.
“There is no way into the Indexium spire. This spell is unbreakable by any magic known to us.” Literatus said with a flick of his tail. “This is an ancient spell known as The Athenaeum. No magic can undo it.”
“I once read of a thing that could break the spell.” Classica chimed in. “It was called a Library Card. But the knowledge to make one has been lost and no one has seen one in generations.”
“...I have one.” Vaeryll said.
All the heads turned to look in the direction of the voice. A chorus of blinks followed.
“I have one.” She said again. “I found it decades ago in an old workshop. I didn't know it was magic. I just thought it was neat.”
“Show us, child.” Chapterius muttered.
Vaeryll tugged her tiny backpack off and dug through all the Stuff. It was, of course, all properly arranged and well kept but there was a lot of it to get through. Finally she drew a leather card holder that held a dusty, off white card. The lettering on the front was mostly faded but upon closer inspection one could see that it said “Library Card.”
The Elders broke into whispers and nods of approval. It was settled; Vaeryll would be escorted to the Indexium Library to rescue the books and free the Kingdom.
A cacophony of magic rang out around the Indexium spire as Bookwyrm battled against Bookwyrm. The vortex of black clouds swallowed up all of the books; even the spellbooks of all the Kingdom's wizards. The spells they cast to get Vaeryll to the doors were all the magic they had left.
The spire was locked by green, ethereal interlocking chains with a massive clasp hanging over the front doors. Before the team could get close enough, two massive book golems dropped from the spires balconies to block their approach.
Each golem was crafted from thick, leather bound tomes. Magic tomes.
“Hard covers.” Literatus gasped. The golems rolled into action; one swinging at the group while the other cast magic. A flurry of parchment shot out at the Bookwyrms.
“Papercut! Take cover!” Vaeryll called out as she dove for the nearest rubble to avoid the foul spell. A forbidden conjuration spell that was only used by the most wanton Bookwyrm.
The parchment lodged itself into every available surface. Cries pierced the sound of battle from the Bookwyrms that were too slow to react.
The Elders quickly ran into action casting Create Water followed quickly by Sunburst; the golem stiffened and cracked but didn't go down. It would take more than elementary tactics to take down a Hardcover.
Vaeryll leapt out from hiding to cast the very juvenile spell; Grease. Suddenly the area was coated in black viscous liquid. The dried golem slipped and crushed its brittle limbs against the surrounding rubble.
The other golem struggled against the greasy surface, trying to swing at the Bookwyrms.
“We'll hold it off. Go now!” Literatus called to her.
Vaeryll ran for the doors. As she reached the ghostly clasp, she pressed the Library Card against it. The entire thing exploded into sparkles and the chains vanished.
The magic holding the book golem together faded causing it to promptly fall apart. The party raided the spire and secured the ancient library under the protection of the Library Card.
The Indexium House was banished from Novela. Tomeitus had to be physically hauled off the floating Kingdom while yelling “I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for that meddling kid!”
Vaeryll was named Warden of Books. She changed the Indexium Library to include Stuff and renamed it The Phantasmagoria. Over time she saw to it that all the knowledge was shared. Any House could request a copy of a book or was permitted to apply to read the Forbidden Texts.
For her kindness, especially to the minor Houses, she came to be known, unofficially, as the Steward of Stuff, the Princess of Books.
Written by Takar Selorn of the Gossip and Trickery Clubhouse, Curator of Myon.