Along the Silvercut Roadway is a five story tower that is known by many names. Whether you know it as The Crown Athenaeum (it’s founding name), Ista Haura (It’s Elvish name, meaning Knowledge Store), or the Traveling Scholar’s Library (it’s colloquial name), all recognize it as a beacon of rest, hope, and knowledge among the emptiness of the Dividing Plains.

Whatever it’s name, the library was founded by Sybil Earnester, an elven artificer who sought to provide knowledge and education to those who were typically seen as less than or undeserving by the larger cities and many of his own folk. The tower was built as a beacon of knowledge and safety in the small farming village of Farinnel and has maintained that reputation to this day, helping local famers and people thrive during the hardships of life on the Dividing Plains.

The Crown Anethaeum includes a wide variety of collections, including topics like magic, artifacts, legends, growing and farming, history, religion, local records, and fiction. The library is architecturally beautiful, but not very spacious, with heavy dark academia vibes and only a little natural light. Various nooks contain old and overstuffed armchairs, with piles of books to navigate before you can clamber in. The quiet, sedate atmosphere is soothing more than creepy, thanks to the shuffling of robes, the crinkle of turning pages, and the irrythmic thudding of books on shelves or desks.

The head librarians for the last 15 years recently passed away, appointing their deputy, Zeremas Degrath, to lead the library. This has not resulted in too many changes to the library’s management, but it’s still a bit of a shock for returning visitors to not see the familiar faces of the previous librarians there.