It's been some time since Prevalian boots stomped through the once-great Prevalian Library and carted away books and resources at the decree of Chancellor Xibald. What could be rescued, smuggled away, was hidden for its own safety. When the great temporal disturbance occurred that brought the Wildlands and Time into Avadon, it also brought an opportunity. This great temporal anomaly prompted exploration, study, and analysis, resulting in the discovery of many small "pocket shards", small fragments of larger shards scattered after the great Shattering.
Within one such alternate space, a new realm for knowledge was built. The scholars and mages displaced by the overzealous Chancellor and his edicts found a new home here, and brought with them the books and writings that they managed to secret away. Other professions joined and help establish this new world of information, knowledge, and sharing of ideas that was free from the influence of the Avadonian kingdoms and politics. And now this new realm is ready to share that knowledge with everyone who is willing to learn it.
Welcome to the New Lycaeum!
How to Get There and Back Again The primary entrance to the New Lycaeum lies just north-west of the Prevalia Bank, outside of the former Prevalian Library. There are multiple other entrances and exits around the world for players to discover.
Note: There is a regular moongate located in the New Lycaeum. If you have an active quest with the "no recall/gate travel" failure condition, using this moongate will cause failure. Instead, use one of the multiple other exits that will not trigger this condition.
The New Lycaeum Structure, Exhibits, Museums, and Spaces The New Lycaeum was not raised as a single building, nor meant to be taken in at a glance. Its structure is layered, with public spaces given to gathering and study, quieter wings set aside for record and display, and deeper sections reserved for work that requires patience and discretion. Visitors will find rooms meant for teaching and debate, galleries arranged for preservation, and wide commons where players may meet, plan, or linger without agenda.
The wards that protect the Lycaeum serve to keep its halls safe, but they are not absolutely infallible, and those who spend time here will come to understand that not every door is meant to open easily, and that some knowledge rests below the floors by design, waiting for those who know how, and when, to seek it.
The following is a list of exhibits, galleries, museums, and other academic spaces you can explore at the New Lycaeum.
- The North, East, and West Libraries: Each of the three main, largest buildings holds multiple floors of books across a large variety of subjects, alphabetized by title. Thousands of books are available for your immediate perusal, with tens of thousands more needing to be added to the shelves over time (we have a very, very large number of player-written books to read and approve!). Within each of these buildings also resides many of the academic Offices that help keep the New Lycaeum functioning. You will also find communal spaces here that can be used at your discretion for any purposes you wish. There is a network of tunnels, exhibits, museums, and galleries that connect these buildings together underground. Of note, this is the largest collection of player-written works in all of UO history, and maybe of any online game.
- The Planetarium: A circular chamber and adjoining hall built around a central dais, the Planetarium serves as a space for the study of Avadon’s skies, moons, and the greater cosmological record. Suspended orreries, stellar projections, and calibrated viewing instruments (including a large roof-top observatory) allow visitors to observe mapped constellations, planetary movements, and recorded anomalies tied to shard phenomena. This space is used for both quiet study and guided instruction, and it plays a central role in research concerning alternate world spaces, temporal distortions, and the broader structure of the Shattered worlds.
- The new Lycaeum Zoo: The Zoo is a controlled exhibition space dedicated to the observation and study of living creatures drawn from across not just Avadon, but from shattered fragments of Britannia, ancient Sosaria, and even other worlds entirely. Its enclosures are arranged to prioritize safety, visibility, and long-term habitation, allowing visitors to examine behavior, physiology, and environmental adaptation at close range. Specimens housed here are curated for educational value and research relevance, with ongoing efforts to expand the collection through exploration and scholarly cooperation. The Zoo functions as both a reference space for natural study and a quiet place of observation, intended to support learning. New specimens are added to the zoo periodically.
- Bagball Field: Once a favored pastime of old Britannia and remembered for its enthusiasm, Bagball has been given a permanent place within the New Lycaeum as a communal sport. The field is laid out for casual play, demonstrations, and organized gatherings, allowing players to engage with the game at their own pace and according to their own rules. Should interest and use warrant it, additional mechanisms for field preparation, scoring, and structured play may be introduced over time, but for now the space exists to encourage participation and shared amusement.
- Human Chess Board: A broad, open space set with an oversized board and marked squares, the Human Chess Board is designed for games played by people rather than pieces. Participants may take the roles of pieces themselves, moving, coordinating, and adapting as the match unfolds, or repurpose the space for other structured games that benefit from clear positions and turn-based play. The area is intended for both casual amusement and organized events, offering a flexible venue.
- Museum of Osteology: The Museum of Osteology houses curated skeletal remains drawn from a wide range of creatures, cultures, and historical periods, arranged for study and display. Complete skeletons, partial assemblies, and comparative specimens are presented with attention to structure, variation, and evidence of age, injury, or alteration, offering insight into anatomy, conflict, ritual, and burial practices across Avadon, Britannia, ancient Sosaria, and even other worlds.
- The Statue Museum: This museum contains sculpted figures representing individuals, ideals, and moments drawn from across Avadon’s, Britannia's, and Sosaria's recorded history and cultural memory. Each piece is presented with minimal embellishment, allowing form, posture, and material to carry meaning and lend the work to open interpretation. Some statues commemorate known figures, others depict allegorical concepts or anonymized subjects whose significance lies in what they represent rather than who they were. This space is intended for reflection and comparison, offering visitors a quiet opportunity to consider how events and values are preserved.
- The Geology Exhibit: The Geology Exhibit presents a structured survey of Avadon’s stone, crystal, and mineral formations, arranged to emphasize origin, composition, and transformation rather than rarity alone. Rock strata, ore samples, and crystalline growths are displayed alongside representative formations recovered from varied regions, caverns, and dungeons, illustrating the forces that shaped them through pressure, heat, and time. This exhibit is for comparative study and practical reference, particularly for those interested in mining, alchemy, geomancy, and shard-related phenomena, and serves as a stable record of materials whose sources may shift or vanish as the world continues to change.
- The Arboretum: The Arboretum is a curated living collection of plant life drawn from across Avadon and select alternate environments, organized to reflect differences in climate, soil, and growth habit. Enclosed garden sections house trees, shrubs, fungi, and rare flora under controlled conditions, allowing for long-term observation, propagation, and study. The Arboretum allows research into botany, alchemy, druidic practice, and environmental adaptation, while also providing a quiet, walkable environment where visitors may observe living systems that continue to grow and change. Of note, every plant that can be grown from seeds found around Avadon is on display here and categorized by seed rarity.
- The Arms and Armor Exhibit: This exhibit presents a broad survey of martial equipment drawn from across Avadon and Britannia, including most known types of weapons, armor, shields, and magical staves. Displays are arranged by function and form, allowing visitors to compare design choices, materials, and intended use. The majority of items represented remain in active use among modern militaries, Condottieres, and adventuring companies, while select cases preserve obsolete, rare, or region-specific arms no longer commonly seen.
- The Aspect Lore Exhibit: This is dedicated to the study and documentation of Aspect Cores and the forces they represent, tracing their emergence after the Shattering of the Gem of Immortality and their continued influence upon Avadon and connection to the Elemental Titans of Pagan. Displays outline known Aspects, their attributed domains, historical discoveries, and the varying interpretations held by scholars, cults, and institutions over time. This exhibit serves as a reference for those seeking to understand the practical, cultural, and historical impact of Aspects, particularly their role in shaping magic, conflict, and devotion in the present age.
- The Hall of Virtues: The Hall of Virtues is a dedicated space for the study and contemplation of the Virtues as they are understood, debated, and practiced across Avadon (and their origins in Britannia). Rather than presenting a single authoritative doctrine, the hall records interpretations, historical applications, and cultural variations, acknowledging that Virtue has never been uniform in expression. Texts, symbols, and comparative works are arranged to support reflection and discussion, allowing visitors to examine how ideals such as Honesty, Compassion, Valor, and Sacrifice have shaped laws, customs, and personal conduct over time.
- The Feats of Great Virtue Exhibit: Some challenges are so great that even the mighty cower away from them. And yet, these challenges inspire a small select few to rise to the greatest challenges of their lives. This exhibit showcases prime examples of those among us who have displayed the utmost Virtue in dealing with some of the greatest challenges of the times.
- The Historical Events of Avadon Exhibit: Time and again throughout Avadon's history, great powers have moved against the people of the world. And time and again the very people, you, rose up to meet and overcome the challenges. From the undead rising out of the Desert of Ishq to defending the Prevalian King's Manor from orc siege; from defeating the vile Gronch to defeating the vile undead Gronch twice more; from the battle of Saint Francis' Cathedral to the Minax-possessed Queen Xadia summoning daemons and an entire continent into Avadon. Over and over, you have risen up, and this is where artifacts, relics, and other items from those great heroic events are displayed and discussed.
- The Art Gallery: Across every age, every world, and every upheaval, there have always been those who chose to record the world as they saw it, not in books or chronicles, but in pigment, form, and composition. The Art Gallery gathers works created by hands both renowned and unknown, capturing moments of beauty, conflict, devotion, despair, and quiet observation drawn from across Avadon, Britannia, and ancient Sosaria. Some pieces commemorate great events or notable figures, while others preserve scenes of ordinary life that would otherwise pass without record. Together, these works serve as a visual account of how people have understood their world, offering insight not only into what happened, but how it was felt by those who lived through it.
- The Culture and Clothing Exhibit: What people wear has always spoken before they ever did, marking station, belief, profession, and origin at a glance. This exhibit presents garments, regalia, and cultural attire drawn from across Avadon, arranged to illustrate how clothing reflects identity, environment, and social structure. From everyday dress to ceremonial wear, from martial uniforms to artisan garb, the collection records how cultures distinguish themselves and how those distinctions change over time. Together, these displays offer insight into how communities see themselves, how they wish to be seen by others, and how tradition and adaptation are woven into even the most practical of choices. This exhibit is under frequent reconstruction as additional clothing is approved for display, and at times some portions of this exhibit might appear empty.
- The Time Museum: An eclectic and esoteric collection of relics and artifacts dredged from the recesses of the Time dungeon. One thing that separates Time from other dangerous locations is the wide range of objects that can be discovered and retrieved there. These items tend to come not from Avadon, but from distant versions of Britannia, Sosaria, and other alternate worlds, making them unique and exotic. This museum showcases many such items, but it is not a complete collection.
- The New Lycaeum Museum: Likewise, when the New Lycaeum was founded, a great many strange and new artifacts were discovered. New inventions were created. New places explored yielded new resources, new discoveries. You can acquire many of these for yourself (see information further below). This museum is a showcase of most of the special items that are unique to the New Lycaeum.
- The New Lycaeum Annex: Though modest in size compared to the greater halls, the Annex serves a distinct purpose within the New Lycaeum. It is a quiet, deliberately contained space intended for study, reflection, and unhurried consideration, set apart from the heavier traffic of the main complexes. It is also the sole location where Codex Coins may be exchanged, granting access to unique items tied directly to Lycaeum participation and contribution.
- The Bazaar: Set apart from the main halls of the New Lycaeum, the Bazaar provides a designated space for exchange without encroaching upon study and learning. It is intended as a flexible ground where goods may be offered during player-run events, temporary markets, or organized gatherings, allowing commerce to occur without becoming constant presence within the Lycaeum proper. In time, the Bazaar may also support more permanent vendors, should use and need justify it.
- The New Lycaeum Aquarium: The Aquarium is one of the most carefully maintained spaces within the New Lycaeum, built to serve both as a reference and as a living record of Avadon’s waters. Its tanks and channels display most, if not all, known species of fish that may be caught by players, allowing visitors to observe coloration, size, movement, and behavior in conditions designed to mirror their native environments. Alongside these familiar specimens are live creatures recovered from sites such as the Tidal Tomb and other hazardous or inaccessible locations, preserved here as subjects of ongoing study. The Aquarium documents how aquatic life varies between regions, depths, and sometimes even shard-fragments, and how such creatures adapt when removed from their original waters. For anglers, scholars, and explorers alike, it serves as both a practical guide and a reminder that much of Avadon’s history and danger lies beneath the surface.
- The Drowned Archives: The Drowned Archive is a dedicated preservation and study wing tasked with recovering what remains of the East Cambrian Drowned Archives, whose original halls now lie submerged beneath the sea after the Inferno eruption. Here, water-damaged texts, fragmented manuscripts, and partially lost records are transcribe, and studied with care, often requiring linguistic reconstruction and contextual scholarship to restore meaning. Much of the material reflects pre-Cambrian history, philosophy, governance, and spiritual practice, offering perspectives that were nearly erased along with the city itself. The Drowned Archive exists as both a scholarly effort and an act of salvage, ensuring that knowledge displaced by catastrophe is not lost or forgotten, but preserved as faithfully as the surviving evidence allows.
- The Reagent Farm: Located east beyond the main campus, this is a practical cultivation space dedicated to growing commonly used magical reagents under controlled conditions. Its plots are maintained to ensure steady growth rather than maximum yield, allowing plants to be harvested without exhausting the soil or the supply. Players are free to visit and gather reagents for their own use, with the understanding that the farm exists to support continued access.
- The Communal Garden: This area provide shared ground for cultivation beyond strictly academic use, offering space where food, herbs, and practical plants are grown through collective effort. Individual plots are maintained by volunteers and visitors alike, reflecting differing methods, priorities, and regional practices. Players are free to tend, harvest, and contribute as they see fit, so long as the gardens remain productive and accessible.
- Expo's Pub and other Eateries: Need a place to eat, drink, and enjoy merriment away from all the thinking and reading? Come on over to Expo's Pub or one of the other eateries around the New Lycaeum!
And more!
So much more in fact... there are even rumors of whole levels existing beneath the New Lycaeum proper that contain more sinister and nefarious knowledge. But surely those are mere rumors!
Quests and the New Lycaeum The New Lycaeum is also one of the largest quest hubs currently available. There are over a hundred quests active, with more added as new spaces and systems open. Some can be repeated daily or weekly, others are one-time only, and several are part of longer quest chains. They cover a wide range of activities and are designed to be picked up and completed at your own pace.
Completing quests will usually earn Codex Coins, which are used as the Lycaeum’s internal currency and can be spent at the New Lycaeum Annex for unique items. Certain quests instead grant special rewards, including unique items, animated items, or titles tied to specific accomplishments. The system is meant to reward participation and it will continue to grow alongside the Lycaeum itself.
Quests are discovered naturally throughout the New Lycaeum, most often through its offices, exhibits, and the people who work within them. Before being able to undertake most of these quests, the Orientation quest issued in the North Library must be completed first. Most quests can be completed alone, though a few benefit from cooperation or shared effort, depending on how you choose to approach them. Time commitment varies. Some quests are brief and can be finished in a single visit, while others unfold gradually or span multiple steps. Participation is never mandatory. Quests are there to give you something optional to do with unique rewards, but there is no progression system tied to it. The system is intended to support exploration, curiosity, and contribution, and new quests will continue to be added as the New Lycaeum expands and new areas come into use.
Quests often refer to locations by their lore-accurate names, which might be unfamiliar to many players. There is a special map at the bottom of this post that can help.
Quest Rewards There are many new and unique rewards have been added as both unique quest rewards and rewards purchasable through the New Lycaeum Annex (located just east of the East Library) using Codex Coins.
Quest rewards obtained from quests typically are decorative with some element of interactivity (flavor text, sound effects, or some function; a compass that points to the nearest moongate, for example). The rewards from the Annex likewise have this interactivity but this is also where you can purchase new and unique outfits, dyes, cloth, special bookcases which allow you to display books so other players may read them (complete with new, larger GUMPs), even an in-game version of the map shown at the bottom of this post. There are hundreds of unique rewards. You can view many of the quest-offered rewards in the New Lycaeum Museum (see above) and you can view everything the Annex has to offer by visiting Ecclesio the Library Merchant.
Offices and Volunteers The player volunteers will help breathe life into the new library and community by running unique events of all sizes and themes. There’s no fixed schedule. Events can be as frequent or infrequent as volunteers wish, offering plenty of flexibility for creativity. The idea is to give each office its own flavor, with volunteers leading activities that reflect their role and expertise.
When a player volunteers, they will choose one of the Offices to serve under (listed below). Each Office has its own actual physical office somewhere on the campus (usually multiple) and player volunteers will gain access to that office. We will work with volunteers but, how players utilize these spaces is up to them. To become a volunteer, reach out to me (Erik Gray) on Discord.
The primary goal for the library and the volunteers is to create a solid foundation from which community-building events can be run. These will be largely be player-driven but we will assist with events as necessary or appropriate.
Below is a list of each office. Each office will list its primary function and what its purpose within the New Lycaeum happens to be. Each office also lists which book categories it oversees, players within each office can help track and curate selections of books for their supervised category. Also listed are possible sub-roles for the office should volunteers want a more specialized or themed role.
Office of Knowledge Primary Function: Oversees all other offices and assists where needed. This office would require a higher commitment compared to other offices since it will interact with all other offices in order to keep the library running smoothly. This office helps organize and schedule events.
Examples and Ideas: Maintain a community calendar of scheduled events (if applicable) and ensure dates/times are annotated. Promote events in-game, via Discord, or forums as applicable.
Book Categories Overseen: All
Possible sub-roles: Dean, Vice Dean, both of which would be primarily assisting the other offices and working to help schedule events.
Office of the Shield Primary Function: Protection of the library and teaching martial knowledge (PvM, PvP, Events, etc). This office enforces order and handles situations requiring a militant presence.
Examples and Ideas: Maintaining a presence during events, classes oriented towards teaching PvP skills and mechanics, classes oriented towards teaching PvM skills and mechanics, dungeon crawls, escorted boss fights, iron-man challenges, missions out into the world to retrieve artifacts or books.
Book Categories Overseen: None
Possible sub-roles: Investigator, Guard
Office of Virtue Primary Function: A more reflective and spiritual role, this office oversees the teaching of the virtues and principles and can, at times, serve as a moral guide.
Examples and Ideas: Sermons on the virtues and principles, pilgrimages to sacred sites such as shrines and cathedrals, historical lessons regarding the virtues or other spiritual matters, feasts or festivals to commemorate different virtues and themes.
Book Categories Overseen: Virtues, Religion, and Spirituality
Possible sub-roles: Preacher, Pilgrim, Companion of Virtue
Office of Research and Technology Primary Function: Innovate new ideas to help grow the library and its reach, as well as teach about the more mechanical nature of things (traps, lock-picking, etc) and crafting/gathering.
Examples and Ideas: Teach classes about trapping and trapping templates, teach classes about lock-picking, teach classes about how to efficiently gather and craft, teach about the different types of resources and resource maps, trapping competitions, field trips to do certain levels of treasure maps oriented at newer players.
Book Categories Overseen: Special – in charge of Time-related materials and the Time museum.
Possible sub-roles: Tinker, Treasure Hunter
Office of History and Lore Primary Function: Documenting and preserving history and lore. This office is for historians and those who wish to preserve history and historical events. It is responsible for maintaining and updating the museum (typically for notable player achievements or large-scale events).
Examples and Ideas: Teach classes regarding a variety of historical events and subjects, both Avadonian and Britannian. lectures about historical events and their impacts on the modern day, field trips to historical locations, guided tours through historical areas, guided tours and discussions in the museum.
Book Categories Overseen: History of Avadon, Sosaria and Britannia; Biographies (Players); Biographies (Guilds)
Possible sub-roles: Historian, Storyteller, Archeologist
Office of Culture Primary Function: Directs and chronicles all matters relating to culture and its history and influence. This office takes a more active role in the royal and not-so-royal affairs of Avadon.
Examples and Ideas: Costume contests, house-decorating contests, social gatherings, larger event-planning specific to the kingdoms (royal galas and the like), host bag-ball tournaments and other games (jousting, archery, dueling, etc), chess and checker championships.
Book Categories Overseen: Culture and Society; Classic Studies and Guides; Journals, Letters, and Correspondence
Possible sub-roles: Royal Advisor, Fashion Consultant, Master of Games
Office of Alchemy and Magic Primary Function: Focuses on the arcane and magical. This office might endeavor to go beyond just teaching about such things and perhaps lead experiments that change the nature of understanding magic.
Examples and Ideas: Classes about existing spells and abilities, classes about alchemy and the various reagents and potions along with their uses, historical lectures about long-lost spells and words of power (from past Ultima games for example), field trips to observe magical phenomena, field work to gather special reagents (such as special Time reagents), tarot card readings.
Book Categories Overseen: Magical Arts and Mysticism
Possible sub-roles: Special Investigator, Necromancer, Diviner, Tarot Reader, Alchemist
Office of the Arts Primary Function: The creation and preservation of poems, stories, and other creative endeavors. This office is primarily concerned with ensuring that creative works are preserved and displayed for all to enjoy.
Examples and Ideas: Host writing contests, hold story-telling nights, put on plays, backpack art contest, teach classes about roleplaying (introduction to roleplaying, how to create compelling characters, etc).
Book Categories Overseen: Classic Tales, Songs, and Poetry
Possible sub-roles: Playwright, Writer, Orator
Office of Geography and Exploration Primary Function: Chronicles and documents the history of the very land itself and its changes over time. Avadon has gone through many changes, and this office keeps track of them and documents them. Further, they may take a more active role in exploration, especially of newly released areas.
Examples and Ideas: Field trips to geographically important locations, field work to map dungeons, field work to map new landmasses, teach classes about important geographical locations, teach classes about dungeons and how to safely navigate them, create maps of areas.
Book Categories Overseen: Geography
Possible sub-roles: Quest Maker (creates quests for players to undertake), Cartographer, Spelunker
Office of Diplomacy Primary Function: Serve as a diplomatic medium between disagreeable groups in order to maintain peace. Further, this office is also in charge of outreach to newer players.
Examples and Ideas: Diplomatic summits for guilds to attend, diplomatic endeavors such as peace treaties or trade between guilds, coordinate efforts to assist new players with becoming oriented to the game, host events designed to welcome and help new players such as low-level dungeon crawls.
Book Categories Overseen: Legal and Politics
Possible sub-roles: Diplomat, Greeter/Welcomer, Emissary
Office of Ecology Primary Function: Document flora and fauna and all pertinent information pertaining to each. This office will study creatures, plants, and even the different races that inhabit Avadon, as well as Britannia and ancient Sosaria.
Examples and Ideas: Classes with anatomical dissections, classes discussing the different races (humans, orcs, dwarves, elves, drow, etc), classes and lectures about special flora and where to find them, field trips to tame wild specimens or hunt wild specimens for field dissection.
Book Categories Overseen: Ecology and Creatures; Gargoyles and Gargoyle Society; Sosarian Races
Possible sub-roles: Monster Hunter, Botonist, Beast Tamer
The Underlibrary Primary Function: The dark and seedy underbelly of the library where the more sinister and forbidden knowledge is held. This broad-category office is in charge of the catacombs, ritual chambers, dungeons, etc beneath the library and also seek out and add to the collection of forbidden texts.
Examples and Ideas: Rituals held in the various ritual chambers, sermons on forbidden or evil topics that are not for polite ears to hear.
Book Categories Overseen: Forbidden Texts
Possible sub-roles: Master of Rituals, Head Cultist, Gaoler, Torturer, Keeper of Secrets
Book Donations If you should want to contribute to the New Lycaeum, player-written books are always welcome! You can deposit them directly in the Donation Box located near the moongate at the New Lycaeum.
Some information to keep in mind regarding book donations:
Only deposit player-written works. If the book you want to deposit is from a quest, an event, a progressive spawn, or spawns on a bookshelf, then there is no need to donate it to the New Lycaeum, it is already on the shelves.
Do not deposit inappropriate material, and all written books should adhere to the Outlands Code of Conduct. Just keep in mind that every book can be traced back to who wrote it. Thankfully in all of the years of operating the Drop Box, there has only ever been one inappropriate book.
Do not donate blank books. Each book deposited is logged and the person who deposited it is logged. Excessive abuse could result in action. This has never been a problem before, but it helps to clarify it.
Typically we let books build up until there are a lot of them and then go through all of them at one time. The process is that we read the books to ensure they are topical and not inappropriate. When the book satisfies those conditions, it then gets added to the appropriate section of the library based on its prominent theme or perspective.
You do not need to be a great writer to write a player-written book. Anyone can, and should, participate!
This is probably one of the best ways to preserve a legacy. Write about yourself, write about your characters, write about your adventures, write about the people you've met, the monsters you've slain, the treasures you've found. Write about it all. There are player-written books in this library dating back nearly 30 years.
Special Thanks I want to give a huge, huge special thanks to someone I have known in this game for nearly three decades, Halister Marner. Although he does not play here, He is one of the greatest preservers of knowledge of our time and has spent decades acquiring and preserving player-written books on other shards. He is primarily responsible for the massive Repository of books on the Atlantic shard, and more impressively, he has recorded and preserved every player-written book he could find on all other shards as well. There is a sum collection of tens of thousands of books, spanning decades of time, that exist because of his efforts and the efforts of those who help him. He has graciously granted me access to all of these books, which are gradually migrating to the shelves of the New Lycaeum where appropriate.
An additional thank you to the player volunteers who have stepped up to help the New Lycaeum in any way that they can!
Note About Location Names Quests often refer to locations by their in-game, lore-accurate names instead of numerical or plain designations. As such, the following map from the upcoming physical book, Cartographia Avadon, is available here for reference:
Even all the images on this page with the framing, well done. Y'all got some good AI blog building bot or someone on the team is Top Shelf. The video and editing is on point as well, the story tell reveals the plot and pulls in the viewer with excitement. The thematic clothing.... woooooooooowwwwwwww Absolutely love it!
So happy to support all y'all on keeping your project going!
So where is the section containing forbidden tomes not meant for the faint at heart?
Perhaps this pirate needs to make a voyage to the old lands... to procure an ancient tome for the Lycaeum that contained forbidden bedroom knowledge that destroyed society... the exploits of the infamous lady of the night, Qamra...
Some inhabitants of Avadon who came from Old Britannia remember it well.
Even all the images on this page with the framing, well done. Y'all got some good AI blog building bot or someone on the team is Top Shelf. The video and editing is on point as well, the story tell reveals the plot and pulls in the viewer with excitement. The thematic clothing.... woooooooooowwwwwwww Absolutely love it!
So happy to support all y'all on keeping your project going!
It's been some time since Prevalian boots stomped through the once-great Prevalian Library and carted away books and resources at the decree of Chancellor Xibald. What could be rescued, smuggled away, was hidden for its own safety. When the great temporal disturbance occurred that brought the Wildlands and Time into Avadon, it also brought an opportunity. This great temporal anomaly prompted exploration, study, and analysis, resulting in the discovery of many small "pocket shards", small fragments of larger shards scattered after the great Shattering.
Within one such alternate space, a new realm for knowledge was built. The scholars and mages displaced by the overzealous Chancellor and his edicts found a new home here, and brought with them the books and writings that they managed to secret away. Other professions joined and help establish this new world of information, knowledge, and sharing of ideas that was free from the influence of the Avadonian kingdoms and politics. And now this new realm is ready to share that knowledge with everyone who is willing to learn it.
How to Get There and Back Again The primary entrance to the New Lycaeum lies just north-west of the Prevalia Bank, outside of the former Prevalian Library. There are multiple other entrances and exits around the world for players to discover.
Note: There is a regular moongate located in the New Lycaeum. If you have an active quest with the "no recall/gate travel" failure condition, using this moongate will cause failure. Instead, use one of the multiple other exits that will not trigger this condition.
The New Lycaeum Structure, Exhibits, Museums, and Spaces The New Lycaeum was not raised as a single building, nor meant to be taken in at a glance. Its structure is layered, with public spaces given to gathering and study, quieter wings set aside for record and display, and deeper sections reserved for work that requires patience and discretion. Visitors will find rooms meant for teaching and debate, galleries arranged for preservation, and wide commons where players may meet, plan, or linger without agenda.
The wards that protect the Lycaeum serve to keep its halls safe, but they are not absolutely infallible, and those who spend time here will come to understand that not every door is meant to open easily, and that some knowledge rests below the floors by design, waiting for those who know how, and when, to seek it.
The following is a list of exhibits, galleries, museums, and other academic spaces you can explore at the New Lycaeum.
- The North, East, and West Libraries: Each of the three main, largest buildings holds multiple floors of books across a large variety of subjects, alphabetized by title. Thousands of books are available for your immediate perusal, with tens of thousands more needing to be added to the shelves over time (we have a very, very large number of player-written books to read and approve!). Within each of these buildings also resides many of the academic Offices that help keep the New Lycaeum functioning. You will also find communal spaces here that can be used at your discretion for any purposes you wish. There is a network of tunnels, exhibits, museums, and galleries that connect these buildings together underground. Of note, this is the largest collection of player-written works in all of UO history, and maybe of any online game.
View attachment 12560 - The Planetarium: A circular chamber and adjoining hall built around a central dais, the Planetarium serves as a space for the study of Avadon’s skies, moons, and the greater cosmological record. Suspended orreries, stellar projections, and calibrated viewing instruments (including a large roof-top observatory) allow visitors to observe mapped constellations, planetary movements, and recorded anomalies tied to shard phenomena. This space is used for both quiet study and guided instruction, and it plays a central role in research concerning alternate world spaces, temporal distortions, and the broader structure of the Shattered worlds.
- The new Lycaeum Zoo: The Zoo is a controlled exhibition space dedicated to the observation and study of living creatures drawn from across not just Avadon, but from shattered fragments of Britannia, ancient Sosaria, and even other worlds entirely. Its enclosures are arranged to prioritize safety, visibility, and long-term habitation, allowing visitors to examine behavior, physiology, and environmental adaptation at close range. Specimens housed here are curated for educational value and research relevance, with ongoing efforts to expand the collection through exploration and scholarly cooperation. The Zoo functions as both a reference space for natural study and a quiet place of observation, intended to support learning. New specimens are added to the zoo periodically.
- Bagball Field: Once a favored pastime of old Britannia and remembered for its enthusiasm, Bagball has been given a permanent place within the New Lycaeum as a communal sport. The field is laid out for casual play, demonstrations, and organized gatherings, allowing players to engage with the game at their own pace and according to their own rules. Should interest and use warrant it, additional mechanisms for field preparation, scoring, and structured play may be introduced over time, but for now the space exists to encourage participation and shared amusement.
- Human Chess Board: A broad, open space set with an oversized board and marked squares, the Human Chess Board is designed for games played by people rather than pieces. Participants may take the roles of pieces themselves, moving, coordinating, and adapting as the match unfolds, or repurpose the space for other structured games that benefit from clear positions and turn-based play. The area is intended for both casual amusement and organized events, offering a flexible venue.
- Museum of Osteology: The Museum of Osteology houses curated skeletal remains drawn from a wide range of creatures, cultures, and historical periods, arranged for study and display. Complete skeletons, partial assemblies, and comparative specimens are presented with attention to structure, variation, and evidence of age, injury, or alteration, offering insight into anatomy, conflict, ritual, and burial practices across Avadon, Britannia, ancient Sosaria, and even other worlds.
- The Statue Museum: This museum contains sculpted figures representing individuals, ideals, and moments drawn from across Avadon’s, Britannia's, and Sosaria's recorded history and cultural memory. Each piece is presented with minimal embellishment, allowing form, posture, and material to carry meaning and lend the work to open interpretation. Some statues commemorate known figures, others depict allegorical concepts or anonymized subjects whose significance lies in what they represent rather than who they were. This space is intended for reflection and comparison, offering visitors a quiet opportunity to consider how events and values are preserved.
- The Geology Exhibit: The Geology Exhibit presents a structured survey of Avadon’s stone, crystal, and mineral formations, arranged to emphasize origin, composition, and transformation rather than rarity alone. Rock strata, ore samples, and crystalline growths are displayed alongside representative formations recovered from varied regions, caverns, and dungeons, illustrating the forces that shaped them through pressure, heat, and time. This exhibit is for comparative study and practical reference, particularly for those interested in mining, alchemy, geomancy, and shard-related phenomena, and serves as a stable record of materials whose sources may shift or vanish as the world continues to change.
- The Arboretum: The Arboretum is a curated living collection of plant life drawn from across Avadon and select alternate environments, organized to reflect differences in climate, soil, and growth habit. Enclosed garden sections house trees, shrubs, fungi, and rare flora under controlled conditions, allowing for long-term observation, propagation, and study. The Arboretum allows research into botany, alchemy, druidic practice, and environmental adaptation, while also providing a quiet, walkable environment where visitors may observe living systems that continue to grow and change. Of note, every plant that can be grown from seeds found around Avadon is on display here and categorized by seed rarity.
- The Arms and Armor Exhibit: This exhibit presents a broad survey of martial equipment drawn from across Avadon and Britannia, including most known types of weapons, armor, shields, and magical staves. Displays are arranged by function and form, allowing visitors to compare design choices, materials, and intended use. The majority of items represented remain in active use among modern militaries, Condottieres, and adventuring companies, while select cases preserve obsolete, rare, or region-specific arms no longer commonly seen.
- The Aspect Lore Exhibit: This is dedicated to the study and documentation of Aspect Cores and the forces they represent, tracing their emergence after the Shattering of the Gem of Immortality and their continued influence upon Avadon and connection to the Elemental Titans of Pagan. Displays outline known Aspects, their attributed domains, historical discoveries, and the varying interpretations held by scholars, cults, and institutions over time. This exhibit serves as a reference for those seeking to understand the practical, cultural, and historical impact of Aspects, particularly their role in shaping magic, conflict, and devotion in the present age.
- The Hall of Virtues: The Hall of Virtues is a dedicated space for the study and contemplation of the Virtues as they are understood, debated, and practiced across Avadon (and their origins in Britannia). Rather than presenting a single authoritative doctrine, the hall records interpretations, historical applications, and cultural variations, acknowledging that Virtue has never been uniform in expression. Texts, symbols, and comparative works are arranged to support reflection and discussion, allowing visitors to examine how ideals such as Honesty, Compassion, Valor, and Sacrifice have shaped laws, customs, and personal conduct over time.
- The Feats of Great Virtue Exhibit: Some challenges are so great that even the mighty cower away from them. And yet, these challenges inspire a small select few to rise to the greatest challenges of their lives. This exhibit showcases prime examples of those among us who have displayed the utmost Virtue in dealing with some of the greatest challenges of the times.
- The Historical Events of Avadon Exhibit: Time and again throughout Avadon's history, great powers have moved against the people of the world. And time and again the very people, you, rose up to meet and overcome the challenges. From the undead rising out of the Desert of Ishq to defending the Prevalian King's Manor from orc siege; from defeating the vile Gronch to defeating the vile undead Gronch twice more; from the battle of Saint Francis' Cathedral to the Minax-possessed Queen Xadia summoning daemons and an entire continent into Avadon. Over and over, you have risen up, and this is where artifacts, relics, and other items from those great heroic events are displayed and discussed.
- The Art Gallery: Across every age, every world, and every upheaval, there have always been those who chose to record the world as they saw it, not in books or chronicles, but in pigment, form, and composition. The Art Gallery gathers works created by hands both renowned and unknown, capturing moments of beauty, conflict, devotion, despair, and quiet observation drawn from across Avadon, Britannia, and ancient Sosaria. Some pieces commemorate great events or notable figures, while others preserve scenes of ordinary life that would otherwise pass without record. Together, these works serve as a visual account of how people have understood their world, offering insight not only into what happened, but how it was felt by those who lived through it.
- The Culture and Clothing Exhibit: What people wear has always spoken before they ever did, marking station, belief, profession, and origin at a glance. This exhibit presents garments, regalia, and cultural attire drawn from across Avadon, arranged to illustrate how clothing reflects identity, environment, and social structure. From everyday dress to ceremonial wear, from martial uniforms to artisan garb, the collection records how cultures distinguish themselves and how those distinctions change over time. Together, these displays offer insight into how communities see themselves, how they wish to be seen by others, and how tradition and adaptation are woven into even the most practical of choices. This exhibit is under frequent reconstruction as additional clothing is approved for display, and at times some portions of this exhibit might appear empty.
- The Time Museum: An eclectic and esoteric collection of relics and artifacts dredged from the recesses of the Time dungeon. One thing that separates Time from other dangerous locations is the wide range of objects that can be discovered and retrieved there. These items tend to come not from Avadon, but from distant versions of Britannia, Sosaria, and other alternate worlds, making them unique and exotic. This museum showcases many such items, but it is not a complete collection.
- The New Lycaeum Museum: Likewise, when the New Lycaeum was founded, a great many strange and new artifacts were discovered. New inventions were created. New places explored yielded new resources, new discoveries. You can acquire many of these for yourself (see information further below). This museum is a showcase of most of the special items that are unique to the New Lycaeum.
- The New Lycaeum Annex: Though modest in size compared to the greater halls, the Annex serves a distinct purpose within the New Lycaeum. It is a quiet, deliberately contained space intended for study, reflection, and unhurried consideration, set apart from the heavier traffic of the main complexes. It is also the sole location where Codex Coins may be exchanged, granting access to unique items tied directly to Lycaeum participation and contribution.
- The Bazaar: Set apart from the main halls of the New Lycaeum, the Bazaar provides a designated space for exchange without encroaching upon study and learning. It is intended as a flexible ground where goods may be offered during player-run events, temporary markets, or organized gatherings, allowing commerce to occur without becoming constant presence within the Lycaeum proper. In time, the Bazaar may also support more permanent vendors, should use and need justify it.
- The New Lycaeum Aquarium: The Aquarium is one of the most carefully maintained spaces within the New Lycaeum, built to serve both as a reference and as a living record of Avadon’s waters. Its tanks and channels display most, if not all, known species of fish that may be caught by players, allowing visitors to observe coloration, size, movement, and behavior in conditions designed to mirror their native environments. Alongside these familiar specimens are live creatures recovered from sites such as the Tidal Tomb and other hazardous or inaccessible locations, preserved here as subjects of ongoing study. The Aquarium documents how aquatic life varies between regions, depths, and sometimes even shard-fragments, and how such creatures adapt when removed from their original waters. For anglers, scholars, and explorers alike, it serves as both a practical guide and a reminder that much of Avadon’s history and danger lies beneath the surface.
- The Drowned Archives: The Drowned Archive is a dedicated preservation and study wing tasked with recovering what remains of the East Cambrian Drowned Archives, whose original halls now lie submerged beneath the sea after the Inferno eruption. Here, water-damaged texts, fragmented manuscripts, and partially lost records are transcribe, and studied with care, often requiring linguistic reconstruction and contextual scholarship to restore meaning. Much of the material reflects pre-Cambrian history, philosophy, governance, and spiritual practice, offering perspectives that were nearly erased along with the city itself. The Drowned Archive exists as both a scholarly effort and an act of salvage, ensuring that knowledge displaced by catastrophe is not lost or forgotten, but preserved as faithfully as the surviving evidence allows.
- The Reagent Farm: Located east beyond the main campus, this is a practical cultivation space dedicated to growing commonly used magical reagents under controlled conditions. Its plots are maintained to ensure steady growth rather than maximum yield, allowing plants to be harvested without exhausting the soil or the supply. Players are free to visit and gather reagents for their own use, with the understanding that the farm exists to support continued access.
- The Communal Garden: This area provide shared ground for cultivation beyond strictly academic use, offering space where food, herbs, and practical plants are grown through collective effort. Individual plots are maintained by volunteers and visitors alike, reflecting differing methods, priorities, and regional practices. Players are free to tend, harvest, and contribute as they see fit, so long as the gardens remain productive and accessible.
- Expo's Pub and other Eateries: Need a place to eat, drink, and enjoy merriment away from all the thinking and reading? Come on over to Expo's Pub or one of the other eateries around the New Lycaeum!
And more!
So much more in fact... there are even rumors of whole levels existing beneath the New Lycaeum proper that contain more sinister and nefarious knowledge. But surely those are mere rumors!
Quests and the New Lycaeum The New Lycaeum is also one of the largest quest hubs currently available. There are over a hundred quests active, with more added as new spaces and systems open. Some can be repeated daily or weekly, others are one-time only, and several are part of longer quest chains. They cover a wide range of activities and are designed to be picked up and completed at your own pace.
Completing quests will usually earn Codex Coins, which are used as the Lycaeum’s internal currency and can be spent at the New Lycaeum Annex for unique items. Certain quests instead grant special rewards, including unique items, animated items, or titles tied to specific accomplishments. The system is meant to reward participation and it will continue to grow alongside the Lycaeum itself.
Quests are discovered naturally throughout the New Lycaeum, most often through its offices, exhibits, and the people who work within them. Before being able to undertake most of these quests, the Orientation quest issued in the North Library must be completed first. Most quests can be completed alone, though a few benefit from cooperation or shared effort, depending on how you choose to approach them. Time commitment varies. Some quests are brief and can be finished in a single visit, while others unfold gradually or span multiple steps. Participation is never mandatory. Quests are there to give you something optional to do with unique rewards, but there is no progression system tied to it. The system is intended to support exploration, curiosity, and contribution, and new quests will continue to be added as the New Lycaeum expands and new areas come into use.
Quests often refer to locations by their lore-accurate names, which might be unfamiliar to many players. There is a special map at the bottom of this post that can help.
Quest Rewards There are many new and unique rewards have been added as both unique quest rewards and rewards purchasable through the New Lycaeum Annex (located just east of the East Library) using Codex Coins.
Quest rewards obtained from quests typically are decorative with some element of interactivity (flavor text, sound effects, or some function; a compass that points to the nearest moongate, for example). The rewards from the Annex likewise have this interactivity but this is also where you can purchase new and unique outfits, dyes, cloth, special bookcases which allow you to display books so other players may read them (complete with new, larger GUMPs), even an in-game version of the map shown at the bottom of this post. There are hundreds of unique rewards. You can view many of the quest-offered rewards in the New Lycaeum Museum (see above) and you can view everything the Annex has to offer by visiting Ecclesio the Library Merchant. View attachment 12641 View attachment 12639 View attachment 12638 View attachment 12640
Offices and Volunteers The player volunteers will help breathe life into the new library and community by running unique events of all sizes and themes. There’s no fixed schedule. Events can be as frequent or infrequent as volunteers wish, offering plenty of flexibility for creativity. The idea is to give each office its own flavor, with volunteers leading activities that reflect their role and expertise.
When a player volunteers, they will choose one of the Offices to serve under (listed below). Each Office has its own actual physical office somewhere on the campus (usually multiple) and player volunteers will gain access to that office. We will work with volunteers but, how players utilize these spaces is up to them. To become a volunteer, reach out to me (Erik Gray) on Discord.
The primary goal for the library and the volunteers is to create a solid foundation from which community-building events can be run. These will be largely be player-driven but we will assist with events as necessary or appropriate.
Below is a list of each office. Each office will list its primary function and what its purpose within the New Lycaeum happens to be. Each office also lists which book categories it oversees, players within each office can help track and curate selections of books for their supervised category. Also listed are possible sub-roles for the office should volunteers want a more specialized or themed role.
Office of Knowledge Primary Function: Oversees all other offices and assists where needed. This office would require a higher commitment compared to other offices since it will interact with all other offices in order to keep the library running smoothly. This office helps organize and schedule events.
Examples and Ideas: Maintain a community calendar of scheduled events (if applicable) and ensure dates/times are annotated. Promote events in-game, via Discord, or forums as applicable.
Book Categories Overseen: All
Possible sub-roles: Dean, Vice Dean, both of which would be primarily assisting the other offices and working to help schedule events.
Office of the Shield Primary Function: Protection of the library and teaching martial knowledge (PvM, PvP, Events, etc). This office enforces order and handles situations requiring a militant presence.
Examples and Ideas: Maintaining a presence during events, classes oriented towards teaching PvP skills and mechanics, classes oriented towards teaching PvM skills and mechanics, dungeon crawls, escorted boss fights, iron-man challenges, missions out into the world to retrieve artifacts or books.
Book Categories Overseen: None
Possible sub-roles: Investigator, Guard
Office of Virtue Primary Function: A more reflective and spiritual role, this office oversees the teaching of the virtues and principles and can, at times, serve as a moral guide.
Examples and Ideas: Sermons on the virtues and principles, pilgrimages to sacred sites such as shrines and cathedrals, historical lessons regarding the virtues or other spiritual matters, feasts or festivals to commemorate different virtues and themes.
Book Categories Overseen: Virtues, Religion, and Spirituality
Possible sub-roles: Preacher, Pilgrim, Companion of Virtue
Office of Research and Technology Primary Function: Innovate new ideas to help grow the library and its reach, as well as teach about the more mechanical nature of things (traps, lock-picking, etc) and crafting/gathering.
Examples and Ideas: Teach classes about trapping and trapping templates, teach classes about lock-picking, teach classes about how to efficiently gather and craft, teach about the different types of resources and resource maps, trapping competitions, field trips to do certain levels of treasure maps oriented at newer players.
Book Categories Overseen: Special – in charge of Time-related materials and the Time museum.
Possible sub-roles: Tinker, Treasure Hunter
Office of History and Lore Primary Function: Documenting and preserving history and lore. This office is for historians and those who wish to preserve history and historical events. It is responsible for maintaining and updating the museum (typically for notable player achievements or large-scale events).
Examples and Ideas: Teach classes regarding a variety of historical events and subjects, both Avadonian and Britannian. lectures about historical events and their impacts on the modern day, field trips to historical locations, guided tours through historical areas, guided tours and discussions in the museum.
Book Categories Overseen: History of Avadon, Sosaria and Britannia; Biographies (Players); Biographies (Guilds)
Possible sub-roles: Historian, Storyteller, Archeologist
Office of Culture Primary Function: Directs and chronicles all matters relating to culture and its history and influence. This office takes a more active role in the royal and not-so-royal affairs of Avadon.
Examples and Ideas: Costume contests, house-decorating contests, social gatherings, larger event-planning specific to the kingdoms (royal galas and the like), host bag-ball tournaments and other games (jousting, archery, dueling, etc), chess and checker championships.
Book Categories Overseen: Culture and Society; Classic Studies and Guides; Journals, Letters, and Correspondence
Possible sub-roles: Royal Advisor, Fashion Consultant, Master of Games
Office of Alchemy and Magic Primary Function: Focuses on the arcane and magical. This office might endeavor to go beyond just teaching about such things and perhaps lead experiments that change the nature of understanding magic.
Examples and Ideas: Classes about existing spells and abilities, classes about alchemy and the various reagents and potions along with their uses, historical lectures about long-lost spells and words of power (from past Ultima games for example), field trips to observe magical phenomena, field work to gather special reagents (such as special Time reagents), tarot card readings.
Book Categories Overseen: Magical Arts and Mysticism
Possible sub-roles: Special Investigator, Necromancer, Diviner, Tarot Reader, Alchemist
Office of the Arts Primary Function: The creation and preservation of poems, stories, and other creative endeavors. This office is primarily concerned with ensuring that creative works are preserved and displayed for all to enjoy.
Examples and Ideas: Host writing contests, hold story-telling nights, put on plays, backpack art contest, teach classes about roleplaying (introduction to roleplaying, how to create compelling characters, etc).
Book Categories Overseen: Classic Tales, Songs, and Poetry
Possible sub-roles: Playwright, Writer, Orator
Office of Geography and Exploration Primary Function: Chronicles and documents the history of the very land itself and its changes over time. Avadon has gone through many changes, and this office keeps track of them and documents them. Further, they may take a more active role in exploration, especially of newly released areas.
Examples and Ideas: Field trips to geographically important locations, field work to map dungeons, field work to map new landmasses, teach classes about important geographical locations, teach classes about dungeons and how to safely navigate them, create maps of areas.
Book Categories Overseen: Geography
Possible sub-roles: Quest Maker (creates quests for players to undertake), Cartographer, Spelunker
Office of Diplomacy Primary Function: Serve as a diplomatic medium between disagreeable groups in order to maintain peace. Further, this office is also in charge of outreach to newer players.
Examples and Ideas: Diplomatic summits for guilds to attend, diplomatic endeavors such as peace treaties or trade between guilds, coordinate efforts to assist new players with becoming oriented to the game, host events designed to welcome and help new players such as low-level dungeon crawls.
Book Categories Overseen: Legal and Politics
Possible sub-roles: Diplomat, Greeter/Welcomer, Emissary
Office of Ecology Primary Function: Document flora and fauna and all pertinent information pertaining to each. This office will study creatures, plants, and even the different races that inhabit Avadon, as well as Britannia and ancient Sosaria.
Examples and Ideas: Classes with anatomical dissections, classes discussing the different races (humans, orcs, dwarves, elves, drow, etc), classes and lectures about special flora and where to find them, field trips to tame wild specimens or hunt wild specimens for field dissection.
Book Categories Overseen: Ecology and Creatures; Gargoyles and Gargoyle Society; Sosarian Races
Possible sub-roles: Monster Hunter, Botonist, Beast Tamer
The Underlibrary Primary Function: The dark and seedy underbelly of the library where the more sinister and forbidden knowledge is held. This broad-category office is in charge of the catacombs, ritual chambers, dungeons, etc beneath the library and also seek out and add to the collection of forbidden texts.
Examples and Ideas: Rituals held in the various ritual chambers, sermons on forbidden or evil topics that are not for polite ears to hear.
Book Categories Overseen: Forbidden Texts
Possible sub-roles: Master of Rituals, Head Cultist, Gaoler, Torturer, Keeper of Secrets
Book Donations If you should want to contribute to the New Lycaeum, player-written books are always welcome! You can deposit them directly in the Donation Box located near the moongate at the New Lycaeum.
Some information to keep in mind regarding book donations:
Only deposit player-written works. If the book you want to deposit is from a quest, an event, a progressive spawn, or spawns on a bookshelf, then there is no need to donate it to the New Lycaeum, it is already on the shelves.
Do not deposit inappropriate material, and all written books should adhere to the Outlands Code of Conduct. Just keep in mind that every book can be traced back to who wrote it. Thankfully in all of the years of operating the Drop Box, there has only ever been one inappropriate book.
Do not donate blank books. Each book deposited is logged and the person who deposited it is logged. Excessive abuse could result in action. This has never been a problem before, but it helps to clarify it.
Typically we let books build up until there are a lot of them and then go through all of them at one time. The process is that we read the books to ensure they are topical and not inappropriate. When the book satisfies those conditions, it then gets added to the appropriate section of the library based on its prominent theme or perspective.
You do not need to be a great writer to write a player-written book. Anyone can, and should, participate!
This is probably one of the best ways to preserve a legacy. Write about yourself, write about your characters, write about your adventures, write about the people you've met, the monsters you've slain, the treasures you've found. Write about it all. There are player-written books in this library dating back nearly 30 years.
Special Thanks I want to give a huge, huge special thanks to someone I have known in this game for nearly three decades, Halister Marner. Although he does not play here, He is one of the greatest preservers of knowledge of our time and has spent decades acquiring and preserving player-written books on other shards. He is primarily responsible for the massive Repository of books on the Atlantic shard, and more impressively, he has recorded and preserved every player-written book he could find on all other shards as well. There is a sum collection of tens of thousands of books, spanning decades of time, that exist because of his efforts and the efforts of those who help him. He has graciously granted me access to all of these books, which are gradually migrating to the shelves of the New Lycaeum where appropriate.
An additional thank you to the player volunteers who have stepped up to help the New Lycaeum in any way that they can!
Note About Location Names Quests often refer to locations by their in-game, lore-accurate names instead of numerical or plain designations. As such, the following map from the upcoming physical book, Cartographia Avadon, is available here for reference:
Thank you for the new library! I am excited to read what others have been writing over the years! For the book donations, are we able to use the new books purchased with Codex Coins?
Thank you for the new library! I am excited to read what others have been writing over the years! For the book donations, are we able to use the new books purchased with Codex Coins?
