Library Of Babel

The Library Of Babel, at one point, was often lived in by folks. Alongside the fact that you had folks of a spiritual nature become attracted to it due to it's connection to the Stars, it appealed heavily to those who enjoyed reading books and as such, you would have people living in the Reading Rooms, sleeping in the sofas or in sleeping bags that they brought in. A few folks were even able to bring in their own beds for living in them, too.

After The Withering, people were forced out of the Library Of Babel by a multitude of struggles and problems that developed afterward. Along with the risk of becoming lost in the Nullpoint, the arrival of the Tower Of Babel within the Library resulted in people being thrown out by them or else face a risk of death, or worse. The Minotaur's arrival within the Library Of Babel as well, becoming locked in the one place that he's allowed to exist, has further complicated matters; as his rage has brought his hammer down on unsuspecting individuals.

Now the Library is only inhabited by Agents, of whom are not considered to be alive or sentient as they wander through the halls.

The Main Chamber

IN OUR FOREVER WORLDS, KNOWLEDGE LAYS
EVERYWHERE AT THE END OF TIME
WORLDS UPON WORLDS UPON WORLDS IN YGGDRASIL
WORDS UPON WORDS UPON WORDS IN HANDS ENTWINED

— Inscribed above the entryway into the Library, author unknown.

The Main Chamber is where one will find themselves when they enter the Library Of Babel. The walls stretch up high, beyond sight and disappearing into the fog of magic and energy high above. If one manages to get lost within the Library Of Babel, they will always find their way back to the Main Chamber. It's the one section that the Minotaur cannot gain access to.

On all eight walls, there are massive doors on each one that leads into one of eight different massive, sprawling Chambers filled to the brim with thousands of books. These doors are filled to their absolute limits with Mana, and as such it's hard for one to predict where they'll ultimately take you. However, no matter what, they'll never take you to the far reaches of the Library.

Chambers

The Chambers of the Library Of Babel are large and expansive, surrounding the Main Chamber on all sides. Each Chamber connects to the ones next to it, and to further rooms beyond them, with each of these rooms taking on a different shape and being substantially larger with each layer deep.

The Ninth Chamber

Supposedly, there's a hidden Ninth Chamber that exists within the Library Of Babel, containing the darker secrets of the universe within it. Tales of this chamber can be traced back to the early expeditions into the Library Of Babel after it was discovered in 1993, when an explorer by the name of Arnold Jeffries disappeared in the Tower Of Babel. Search efforts for him were in vain, as he had remained missing for about a month before suddenly appearing within the Main Chamber. He had described being trapped in a Chamber that had been untouched for ages, with no light to guide him:

Books from the Ninth Chamber are suggested to be heavily spiritual in nature, originating from the realms of Strakh, Sheol and Blackstar. This includes countless bibles and tales from these realms, as well as powerful spell-books that gives the reader an immense amount of power. However, given the fact that some of the books originate from such realms, it's possible to end up reading a book that results in you communing with one of the entities of Strakh, or worse.

Reading Rooms

With painted, chevron floors and blue curtains surrounding you on all sides, with books and other materials stocked away behind the curtains, Reading Hovels are small spots where one can find refuge within the Library Of Babel. They're effectively reading nooks that are tucked around corners, where one can rest and quietly read whatever books they've found. On the shelves, one can find lanterns, smoking cups, bookmarkers, and writing utensils for whatever uses they need with them. In the context of the modern day Library Of Babel, however, when one is exploring it while avoiding the Agents and the Minotaur, it serves as a safe refuge, as the Reading Hovels actively prevent hostile beings from entering them.

After The Withering, these Reading Rooms have become much darker than normal, with bright, sudden flashes of light occurring at random. No one is quite certain as to what is causing this to occur, though some have suggested that it's due to the presence of a spirit wandering through the Reading Room.

Nullpoint

The Nullpoint is a term given to when one reaches far beyond the ordinary limits of the Library Of Babel. When accessing this point, the shape and form of the Library begins to distort, with stairways that lead to nowhere, halls that bend at unnatural angles, holes in the floor that lead to different parts of the Library, and even mismatched floors and walls compared to the rest of the Library. Although it was originally believed that the Nullpoint did not exist until The Withering, the discovery of various books authored by the Stars lead credence to the idea that they have existed since the creation of the Library itself.

Books that originate from the Nullpoint are not particularly well understood. Attempts at writing down the contents of the books are often met with the writer experiencing intense headaches and cramps, with an increasing difficulty at remembering what they were to write down. They tend to get easily misplaced, and have oftentimes vanished, never to be seen again. Interestingly enough, however, is that Machina are able to perceive and recite the contents of these books without issue.

Unfortunately, Machina are not able to delve into the Library in their physical forms, requiring themselves to be bound to a mechanical body to travel within it. Otherwise, they will pass through the walls and books as if they were completely intangible.

One such book suggested having come from the Nullpoint is The Red Bible, due to the effects it has on the readers being akin to that of books found throughout the area, though how it ended up in Acreslia to be found remains unknown.

The exact date that the Library Of Babel was constructed is unknown. Supposedly, it was built sometime before the 10,000 Days, before the creation of the realm of Blackstar & The Second Cycle Of Strakh. Stars were able to traverse the Library and share the knowledge of both their own culture and the cultures of the other realms. They would actively search through the hundreds of thousands of books of gibberish for entertainment, sharing the funniest or strangest sentences and phrases that they found in the books with their companions. The Reading Rooms were often packed with artists and researchers joining together to read and expand the knowledge they had, improving their own fields with the knowledge of the others.

This, of course, changed when the 10,000 Days happened, resulting in The Schism. All of the Stars left the realms, with a majority of them either splitting off into Blackstar or Terra Eclipsis, or letting their magic die out on Earth. When this happened, access to the Library Of Babel became much, much harder, especially as any Bifröst Keys linking to the Library were sealed in Vaults. It wouldn't be until the late 1990s came around, when the Library Of Babel was discovered once again by a group of explorers.

ARC had maintained the Library up to The Withering bringing about disastrous change to the realms, and as resources were needed elsewhere, they were forced to pull out of the Library Of Babel. Unfortunately, this gave the opportunity for the Tower Of Babel to invade and take control of the Library, for purposes that remain unclear to this day. How the Minotaur came to be within the Library Of Babel remains unknown as well, as he is not affiliated with the Tower Of Babel.

One goal that remains unfulfilled by all parties, whether it was the prior inhabitants of the Library or the Tower Of Babel, was to reach the absolute end of the Library Of Babel. The farthest end of the Nullpoint, the edge of infinity, as it were. Some say it's impossible, while others say that it's so close, though with the Tower Of Babel in the way, it's hard to tell if that goal will ever be reached.