Scrimshander, the City of Remembrance

At the center of the Sea of Lilies lies the great library known as Scrimshander. Ivory in foundation and construction, its curved and alien bone spires jut sharply from the sea as they reach towards the false stars above. A place of knowledge, of history, of memories: here, within the halls and vestibules, the archivists toil to preserve that which the sea would wash away from the collective mind of the Neath.   Although it is a library, Scrimshander houses no books or scrolls. Here, it is the bones themselves that bear knowledge, etched with steel and blood into the very walls. All are welcome here, but none may depart without leaving a part of themselves behind: the Archivists and Boneweavers see to this. Although the Sea of Lilies is technically within the Khanate's domain, Scrimshander exists outside the realm of political and territorial squabbles. Even the most war-hungry captains of the Neath recognize its importance, and thus the races that inhabit Scrimshander's are extraordinarily diverse. Within these halls Drownies, Chelonites Londoners and Khaganians toil shoulder to shoulder, all working towards the common goal of preserving that which must be remembered. While the naive might posit this peace is borne out of reverence for Scrimshander and its neutral status, the truth is much more complicated. The Archivists and the Boneweavers are the two primary factions and de facto residents of Scrimshander, acting as the "librarians" and "architects", respectively.   The Archivists, sometimes derogatorily called "Bone Scratchers", wear ashen robes and carry steel tipped quills as sharp as any knife. Their main duties consist of inscribing and maintaining stories in the bone that makes up Scrimshander's walls, though overseeing visitors falls within their purview as well. Every visitor will find themselves trailed by at least one of these monks. Their restorative efforts are mostly targeted towards the Ivory Archive, the "heart" of Scrimshander, which is located at the base of the tower. The stories and etchings located there are quite important, according to the Head Chronicler, and the Archivists work incessantly to ensure all etchings are properly preserved. As the tower rises the stories become older, and archivists at its base can be found etching new stories into pristine ivory walls.   The Boneweavers, meanwhile, are architects and engineers of Scrimshander. Using new shipments of bone and ivory donated by the Chelonate, these mages fuse the new with the old to grow the citadel and provide room for future historical etchings. This is an arduous and draining process which often results in the Boneweavers resembling the material they work with. When the last of their power is gone, they are joined with the tower and become one with their work. The waste products from their efforts are gathered and used to make bricks that, in turn, are used to construct huts for the Archivists. Who knew that ash and bonedust could be combined into such sturdy bricks. Although it should seem clear that annoying an entity capable of altering the very framework of ones body would be unhealthy, a surprising number of Archivists and visitors have also found their way into the walls of the library after annoying a Boneweaver one too many times.   The inhabitants of Scrimshander spend much of their time praying on the mysteries of the past. They spend almost as much time arguing about their interpretations. Salted residents often collect nearby salvage, studying the results and inscribing their interpretations on any skeletal remains. But those who leave too often are easily recognized by what they have left behind in their travels: memories, personalities, and bones. Otherwise, they rarely consider the present - certainly not with the same focus they give to the histories buried within their tower. Recent world events are met with polite silence, unless it prompts an anecdote about similarities with antiquity. Apart from old grudges and new theories, very little changes here.   Historical tales are played out nightly in the amphitheater of the tower, much to the delight of the residents. Although these productions tend to get bogged down in heated debate about the portrayal of the events they depict, this does not seem to detract from the enjoyment. While the residents of Scrimshander are librarians, of a sort, they also like to drink and these affairs tend to get quite rowdy as nights progress. To this end, the amphitheater has its own bar. When two archivists disagree... strongly... with one another during such a performance, the broad stage is cleared and the two are allowed to argue. The audience is the judge, with monks throwing knuckle-bones at the impassioned orator that they believe prevailed. The winner receives an ivory crown for and is given front row seating in a makeshift throne, where they remain until the next disagreement occurs and another is crowned.   Deep beneath the Ivory Archives, the towers and huts, and the toiling Archivists and Boneweavers, the Catacombs await those brave enough to seek stories left forgotten. The winding passages here constantly shift, reformed and altered by cave-ins and bonequakes. A few species of unsavory creatures call the Catacombs home, too, though the Archivists do their best to keep them under control and out of the sight of visitors. Somewhere in its depths, its location always changing as the bones shift, lies the Stygian Repository. In this place the bones subject to carvings are those of sea beasts from the darkest depths of the Undersea.