The Tome

The library in Tor Celer one of the oldest parts of the city. It dates back to when Tor Celer was an elven city in which humans were trained to use magic both arcania and especially divinia.

1500BE: The first reliable written records suggest that the First Shrine was already built at this date. At this time the location was an elven city not a human one. It appears as though their archives which later were named the Tome were of similar date as they used much of the same strange rock used in the shrine.

800BE: Under the leadership of a human Praetor of Knowledge Evenknown Tor Celer becomes the capital of its own city-state. This grows to be a powerful nation known as Vale Celer . The official church of Celer is founded here upon the First Shrine. By this date humans are the majority of the inhabitants of Tor Celer but not fully in control of the state of Vale Celer and much less in control of its places of power such as the shrine and the archives. This builds resentment against the remaining elves.

795-770BE: The humans of Vale Celer take the elven archives and oust the elves who they claimed were hiding the most powerful knowledge from them. A civil war ensues resulting in a racial divide. Much of what was once in the archives may have been destroyed, damaged or taken by the elves during this struggle. It ended however with the humans in power and the archives started being known as the Tome.

760PE: The Tome becomes a human only archive.

750BE: By this date Tor Celer was a human only city and non-humans were barred at its gates.

4BE: Vale Celer joins the Aurian Monetary Union when the union officially adopts the Cellan as their common currency instead of the Mark. In the Union Tor Celer is a balancing force to the wizards of Tor Armakan. The wizards have a great thirst for the knowledge contained in the Tome and the clerics guard it jealously. In return the wizards restrict access to their libraries and archives. Jomark himself tries to negotiate this but it proves difficult. He uses the library in Tor Honarik the Scroll of Honour as a bribe to both sides.

505-507PE: The Wargak Invasion is turned back by Aurian Forces. Wizards and clerics were very useful in the war and become more rigorously controlled by the Organiser the Emperor Aluap. To reward them he organises the planning of the Blue Crystal Palace for the wizards and the creation of the Cellestine Cathedral for the clerics. The Cathedral is made on the site of the First Shrine but is so much larger than this initial plot it brings its walls and spires right up to the Tome. This sparks a large increase of pilgrimages to Tor Celer and increases the uses of the Tome as a place of religious learning by a factor of eight.

662PE: The Emperor Peter II publishes his life's memoirs and though this act sponsors the three Great Libraries one of which is The Tome at Tor Celer. The building is now made part of the hugely expanded Cellestine Cathedral complex. This infusion of money and staff allows the contents to be significantly added to, reorganised and enhanced. Importantly this now brings the First Shrine and The Tome into a single extended building area. It gives over control of these two vital sites to the church, which can then govern access to them and allows the church to profit from both of them.