![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Fantasy Novel Excerpt
Apr. 20th, 2009 10:36 pmOnce the librarians realized Bergen respected both the physical objects and the knowledge they contained, they proved surprisingly helpful. While few could actually work magic, many were thoroughly familiar with it. Unfortunately, there were limits to what they could do.
"We've lost so much," said Julian, one of the most senior archivists on the spire. A pleasant, slightly pudgy man with short, grey hair, he could occasionally be found clambering around on high shelves like some oversize squirrel. "Through fire, flood, vandalism, the activities of 'collectors' and simple misfiling. Fire and flood are why we have many small libraries instead of one great one."
He tapped a finger on the volume Bergen was returning.
"The next of her journals in sequence to that one has been missing for at least a century and a half. And who knows how long before that. The last time it was seen was over a century before the loss was discovered. Worse, it was never translated, so there was only the original..."
"So there's not much hope," said Bergen, sadly.
"The Grand Regent and head archivist of the time the journal was discovered missing even tried divination," said Julian, with a tired shrug. "The answers they received were vague and not helpful. Still, they were recorded, and are a part of what each archivist and librarian here at the academy are required to learn in their training. So we know to be aware if a clue ever turns up.
"There's also some hope that a project of mine might help," said Julian, when he saw the disappointment in the physical adept's face. He seemed a bit eager to share, perhaps wanting to brag.
"How's that?"
"I'm working with an alchemist, a scryer, two wizards and a tanner to create a way to recover the previous writings on palimpsests," said Julian. He shook his head, looking mildly outraged. "Idiots. I keep finding important, significant works only partially known from other sources scraped away so the parchment could be used for some noble's favorite recipes, or some accountant's records of wheat sales. Our methods have only been partially successful so far, but we have already filled in gaps in several records."
"We've lost so much," said Julian, one of the most senior archivists on the spire. A pleasant, slightly pudgy man with short, grey hair, he could occasionally be found clambering around on high shelves like some oversize squirrel. "Through fire, flood, vandalism, the activities of 'collectors' and simple misfiling. Fire and flood are why we have many small libraries instead of one great one."
He tapped a finger on the volume Bergen was returning.
"The next of her journals in sequence to that one has been missing for at least a century and a half. And who knows how long before that. The last time it was seen was over a century before the loss was discovered. Worse, it was never translated, so there was only the original..."
"So there's not much hope," said Bergen, sadly.
"The Grand Regent and head archivist of the time the journal was discovered missing even tried divination," said Julian, with a tired shrug. "The answers they received were vague and not helpful. Still, they were recorded, and are a part of what each archivist and librarian here at the academy are required to learn in their training. So we know to be aware if a clue ever turns up.
"There's also some hope that a project of mine might help," said Julian, when he saw the disappointment in the physical adept's face. He seemed a bit eager to share, perhaps wanting to brag.
"How's that?"
"I'm working with an alchemist, a scryer, two wizards and a tanner to create a way to recover the previous writings on palimpsests," said Julian. He shook his head, looking mildly outraged. "Idiots. I keep finding important, significant works only partially known from other sources scraped away so the parchment could be used for some noble's favorite recipes, or some accountant's records of wheat sales. Our methods have only been partially successful so far, but we have already filled in gaps in several records."
