The Interplanar Athenaeum
| Type | Scholarly institution, observational |
| Charter | To record what exists; to intervene in nothing |
| Reach | Every plane the institution has confirmed |
| Headquarters | The Athenaeum proper (location not published) |
| Personnel | Correspondents, archivists, indexers, a small custodial order |
| Standing With Hjarn | Long-standing; transactional; cordial |
Overview
The Interplanar Athenaeum is the closest thing the planes have to a shared library. It is older than most nations and younger than most gods. It maintains a complete catalog of every plane its correspondents have entered, of every divine and divine-adjacent being those correspondents have documented, and of every culture currently producing records of its own that the Athenaeum has been able to acquire copies of, by purchase, exchange, or — when nothing else works — patience.
The Athenaeum does not publish. It holds. Its collections are open to any scholar who can reach the building and demonstrate the wherewithal to use them responsibly. Most who arrive do so with the help of an existing correspondent. A few arrive on their own. The institution does not ask which.
Charter
The Athenaeum's charter is one sentence in three clauses. The official translation reads:
To record what exists; to intervene in nothing; to lose nothing it has been entrusted with.
The three clauses are weighted equally. Correspondents who violate the second clause are usually reassigned to archival work. Correspondents who violate the third are politely escorted from the building and not replaced.
What an Entry Looks Like
Athenaeum entries are not encyclopedic. They are documentary. A typical entry on a god, a creature, or a place will include:
- A summary of established record
- Direct observations by the correspondent of record, flagged as such
- Source attribution where possible (clergy, witnesses, prior correspondents)
- An honest accounting of what is not known
- Cross-references to related entries
Entries are not finished. They are current as of the most recent revision. When new information arrives — and it always does — the entry is updated and the prior version retained in the archive.
Relationship with Hjarn
The Athenaeum's ability to operate across realms depends, more than its correspondents like to admit, on its long-standing arrangement with the Slumbering Gate. Hjarn does not grant Athenaeum personnel automatic passage. He grants them consideration, which is a different thing.
A correspondent traveling on Athenaeum business may present a sealed letter of introduction at the valley entrance on a waking night. Hjarn reads each letter personally. He has refused some. Most are stamped, and the correspondent passes.
In return, the Athenaeum forwards Hjarn a copy of every published entry concerning him, his location, or his work. He has never requested a correction.
Personnel
- Correspondents travel, observe, and write. Vel Asharen is the Senior Correspondent for the Yggy collection.
- Archivists maintain the records and the indexes. They do not travel. They do not need to.
- Indexers cross-reference. They are paid in tea.
- The Custodial Order maintains the physical building and the gate-relationships that allow it to remain accessible. They speak rarely. They are the only personnel who carry weapons.
A Note from the Correspondent
I have worked for the Athenaeum long enough to have outlived several of the institutions whose records I helped preserve. The work is unhurried. The records persist. — V.A.