House of Knowledge
Location: Outlands / Tir na Og
The House of Knowledge is the celestial domain of Oghma, a realm where the pursuit of wisdom and the preservation of knowledge reign supreme. It’s a place that transcends the conventional libraries or halls of learning you might find across the planes. In Oghma’s realm, knowledge is alive, and every spoken word, every written word, every rune, holds power.
Imagine a vast, ever-expanding landscape, where rolling hills of verdant grass are dotted with groves of ancient trees, their leaves inscribed with runes which hold the knowledge of ages. Between these groves lie clear streams, their waters murmuring with the voices of poets and scholars long passed. The skies above are a canvas of ever-changing hues, and the clouds—mortai of the Beastlands—come here to listen to and tell stories.
The realm of the House of Knowledge contains a number of sites and burgs which might be of interest to travellers and sages:
- Palace of Oghma, the (site)
- Pool of Music, the (site)
- Song’s Joy (realm town)
- Spring of Knowledge, the (site)
- Spring of Poetry, the (site)
- Surcease (realm town)
The Palace of Oghma
At the centre of this realm stands the Palace of Oghma, not merely a building but a living manifestation of wisdom. It’s a grand structure, its architecture a blend of various cultures and eras, symbolising the accumulation of all knowledge across time and space. The walls of the House are lined with shelves that stretch into infinity, filled with scrolls, tomes, and manuscripts that contain the secrets of the universe.
Inside the Palace, one can find halls dedicated to different fields of learning – from magic and philosophy to the histories of countless worlds and civilisations, even from planes that have yet to be discovered. These halls are frequented by scholars, sages, and deities from across the multiverse, all seeking the wisdom preserved by Oghma. The difficulty is finding the nugget of information you seek in an effectively infinite library.
The most remarkable feature of this realm is its ability to adapt itself to the quests of those who seek its knowledge. For a worthy. seeker of magical lore, the Palace might reveal a hidden chamber filled with arcane texts; for a faithful historian, a hall containing the annals of lost civilisations.
In Ogmah’s realm, knowledge is not static. It grows and evolves, as do the pathways and corridors of the Palace. Chant goes that the Palace has a consciousness of its own, guiding seekers to the information they need, often revealing truths they didn’t even know they were searching for.
Oghma’s presence is felt throughout the realm, not always as a physical form but as a guiding force, a voice of wisdom that speaks through the rustling of leaves or the turning of a page. His proxies and servants, scholars and sages all, assist seekers in navigating the vast expanse of knowledge.
The Palace of Oghma is also a place of discussion and debate, where ideas are exchanged freely, and wisdom is shared. It’s not uncommon to stumble upon a heated debate between celestials over a philosophical concept, or a quiet discussion between scholars about a newly discovered piece of history.
In the Palace of Oghma, the pursuit of knowledge is the highest calling, and the mysteries of the universe are there for those brave and patient enough to seek them out.
Canonical Sources:
- On Hallowed Ground [2e] p75,172,181 (realm description)
- Planes of Conflict: Liber Benevolentiaie [2e] p13
Source: Jon Winter-Holt, mimir.net