Overview
Beneath the school’s library lies a hidden archive known as the Restricted Section—a spiraling, three-level repository of arcane knowledge, forbidden experiments, and secrets too dangerous for public shelves. Each level sinks deeper into mystery, protected by increasingly strange wards and watchful custodians.
Levels
Level One: The Watchful Stacks
The uppermost level of the Restricted Section is a wide, circular balcony hidden behind illusion and warded passageways. It rings the library’s highest shelves, invisible to those without proper credentials.
Silent suits of animated armor patrol the stacks, ever-vigilant for intruders. The air here is hushed and dense with the scent of old ink and binding glue. Books contain banned spell theories, altered histories, and magical formulas deemed unstable or unethical.
Level Two: Agatha’s Hall
A colder level, where the temperature drops noticeably and sound seems dampened. The books here are tightly chained or sealed with iron clasps, their covers etched with runes that shimmer when touched.
This floor is overseen by Agatha, the spectral remnant of a former head librarian. She drifts soundlessly through the halls, appearing as a tall, translucent figure with a stiff collar and ever-watchful eyes. Trespassers are dealt with quietly and severely; Agatha’s presence alone is enough to sap the will of most intruders.
Despite her stern manner, Agatha maintains the space with fastidious care. The shelves are immaculate, and the candles never burn out. Those who treat her with respect may find her helpful, if not exactly kind.
Two side rooms branch off this floor:
- The Auric Vault: A chamber of locked cases and glowing containment fields, where the library stores magical artifacts deemed too unpredictable for circulation. The items within are not necessarily powerful, but they are strange and include half-tested inventions, forgotten heirlooms, and items that defy simple categorization.
- The Indexarium: A softly lit, circular room with a central pedestal holding a glowing orb. The walls are covered in drawers, scroll tubes, and scribbled annotations. This room serves as a semi-sentient search engine for the library’s deeper contents. It responds to spoken questions but often answers with cryptic directions, poetic riddles, or unsettling clarity.
Level Three: Living Quarters
In stark contrast to the rest of the Restricted Section, this level feels lived in. Narrow stone halls open into a modest kitchen, two cozy bedrooms, and a common room crowded with overgrown potted plants and half-finished tea cups.
This floor is home to two eccentric long-term residents: Bixby Wizzlethorpe and Blithe Thimblethorn. This level functions as a sort of house for researchers deemed trustworthy—or too entangled in their work to be relocated.
The Firefly Cellar
At the far end of the third level lies a single spiral staircase that descends into darkness. The air shifts here. Dust hangs motionless, and the walls are overtaken by ivy and pale fungus. The shelves lining the cellar are filled with books so old their titles have vanished.
At the center of the room stands a door. It has no frame, no hinges, no visible supports. It simply stands, weathered, solid, and still. Around it, golden fireflies drift in slow orbits, shedding soft, pulsing light.
This door leads to Seylon’s Tower.