Index

• Introduction
  
• The Living Library
  
• Graveport, the Castle Town
  
• Roles
  
  1. Bastions
     
  2. Whispers
     
  3. Echoes
     
  4. Scribelings
  
  

Nestled on the crook of the Crescent Lake lies a sprawling fortress, circling around a bustling town. Held within the walls is the town of Graveport, founded by Antler in the Autumn of Year 5. The residents there live content lives, happy to survive in their new world, but all are aware that their little village is much more than meets the eye.

The not-cats that settled the town did not build it from scratch, unlike many of the villages built by the other pioneers that came through Nestor's gate. Instead, they stumbled upon the ruins of a castle town lying quiet on the shoreline. The castle had long since vanished, and most of the walls were falling in on themselves, but it was a suitable skeleton to begin their new life.

It did not take long to find the dim stairs within the walls, leading down into a pitch black underground that snaked underneath the village. Bringing torches down revealed a winding labyrinth of bookshelves, stuffed full with volumes of all shapes and sizes. The books were largely written in languages the not-cats did not understand, but they fully understood the whispers that pressed into their minds while they perused the dark library.

Now, they all hunger for the same stories the Living Library desires. Though ominous and even more eerie than their first patron, Nestor, the Living Library provides protection within the walls of its now rebuilt town. In exchange, it requests only one thing: the continued growth of its contents. It accepts all works that are created in good faith, from the scribbled journals of a young kitten to the magnum opus of an exhausted career writer.

"All are Welcome. All will Remain."

Underneath Graveport lies the Living Library, a name all too fitting for the eerie entity that rests below. It exists in the pages, in the words, in the binding of each book within its shelves. It is the cumulative collection of every mind and soul that has passed through its halls, remembering all and yet nothing at the same time.

It watches and grows with a certain detachment to the world around it. It is curious of the not-cats and the world they come from, but it leaves few opinions on the tales they give to it. It accepts them with grace and hunger, but it does not itself vocalize any thoughts on them. It merely accepts and lies in quiet gratitude.

The Living Library does not seem to be on the same level as Nestor in terms of its power, but it is capable of fending off outside creatures from entering either its tunnels or the area around the castle town. When asked, it explains that it has the ability to bend minds to its will. It refuses to elaborate further, something that leaves some of the not-cats of Graveport unsettled.

It has a grudging respect of Nestor, though it seems reticent to talk about the Guardian.

Graveport's grim name was suggested by Gybrush, as it was found as an abandoned ghost town on a lonely port of the lake. Graveport thus references their thriving fishing trade as a port city, but also the fact that they found the town as a grave for whatever lived there before them.

The city sprawls out from a now rebuilt marketplace, spreading out into housing before hitting the imposing walls that mark the town's limits. The residents have begun to expand it outward, creating walls that closely fit next to their foundations but are just slightly off, a permanent reminder that they can never quite replicate what was originally there. The expansion efforts have continued, though some wonder how far they can go before the Living Library's influence can no longer keep them safe. As a result, Bastions have mostly chosen to take up the outermost residents in an effort to test the limits with as few casualties as possible.

True to its name, when they aren't busy with the Living Library, Graveport's residents mainly make their living off fishing and the lake. A close-by quarry helps bolster them with riches from mining, giving the town a thriving trading scene. Because of their proximity to the lake, it is common for residents to give particularly beautiful lake bed rocks and shells as tokens of affection, forgiveness, and respect. A large collection is seen as a sign of a well-known not-cat, and is equally treated with respect.

The Living Library speaks of the creatures that inhabited it last, and how they would split their duties among roles that best suited them. One such of them is the Bastion, the unyielding protectors and the last line of defense...

While the Living Library's influence is usually enough to scare away most creatures, not all are so easily bent to its will, and some more concentrated efforts rise with the full moon in attempts to desecrate and ransack the library's contents. Where the Library's influence is not enough, the Bastions take up as the secondary defense to protect Graveport. Bastions are typically strong, brave and healthy, allowing them to take punches and dish them out twofold in return.

Most Bastions are nocturnal by necessity, sleeping sporadically during the day and prowling during the night. While some still choose to keep day schedules, they are rarer but still play a critical role as watchers when most of their comrades are resting. Daywatchers, as they are called, are typically alarm systems. As such, not-cats who are particularly loud yowlers make the best daywatchers.

To other not-cats, Bastions are stereotyped as serious, dutiful and grumpy. Jovial types are the least likely to be Bastions, while Protective not-cats flock to the role like moths to a flame.

The Living Library speaks of the creatures that inhabited it last, and how they would split their duties among roles that best suited them. One such of them is the Whisper, the loyal librarians who organize, search, and tend to the physical library...

Despite being called the Living Library, the entity itself has very little power over the physical world. It cannot move or handle the books within its library, instead merely reading and studying them. Whispers take up that job instead, constantly evaluating the books within the library and reshuffling them as the collective's ideas of how to organize the library changes. Whispers are typically clever, perceptive, and dedicated, allowing them to commit hours upon hours of time in their labyrinth.

Whispers, by necessity, have good vision in the dark, as the library does not have any natural lighting in it. Some are simply born adept at seeing in low-light, while others adapt their vision over time as they work. Due to the lack of sunlight, Whispers have erratic schedules that aren't based on the day-night cycle, instead sleeping and working as they please. As a result, Whispers are typically committed to their own inner circle, sometimes going days on end without speaking to any not-cat who isn't a fellow Whisper.

To other not-cats, Whispers are viewed as reclusive, tireless and off-putting. Commanding types find their collective nature difficult to work with, but Mysterious not-cats thrive in the role.