YouKnowItsJuno

Beaming from her librarian's desk, Rajiya observes as the activity in the library flourish. When she isn't assisting visitors or putting away tomes, she sits at her desk and plans classes to come. ((If you are interested in teaching a class or are looking for a specific class to take, message me! Suggestions and offers to help are greatly appreciated!))

I have just been told today that the classrooms have now been built! Classes will be arranged soon. You will be notified whenever classes start.

Reserved

The Grand Library of the Caliphate of Khalestine The Grand Library of the Caliphate of Khalestine houses one of the largest collections in Valior, with over four-hundred items on its shelves. Nestled behind and below the mosque in the Caliphate’s capital city of Al-Wakrah, the Grand Library is an excellent asset to scholars and those who seek knowledge alike. Current News The Library is newly opened to the public! As you enter the city, signs will lead the way to the entrance. Librarians Talaaba Rajiya al-Shamrani Patrons and Notable Donations The Iron Uzug Available Materials Poetry Fiction Letters Religious Texts Magic Tomes Guidebooks Journals Periodicals Biographies History Nonfiction Alchemy Orcish Literature Miscellaneous Documents Other Services Ask a librarian to assist you in finding specific materials or conducting research. We now offer classes! They will be held weekly (On Sundays) and are free to the public of Valior. The current lessons we offer are: Reading and Literacy Lessons (5 PM EST) History Lessons (5:30 PM EST) More lessons are being planned to be taught! If you are interested in a subject or wish to teach one, please inform Librarian Rajiya (YouKnowItsJuno)! Donations The Library is always accepting donations! If you have a book you wish to donate to the library, you can find a donation box just inside the entrance. We are always looking for new authors and subjects.

Isra Jharar hears word of the boutique and wonders where the hell her sister was for all these years...

Rajiya hears word of what the Kharajyr had done to the man she saw attempting to kidnap the kitten the other day and shakes her head. If only he had not attempted to do such a stupid thing, especially in broad daylight along a busy road, for the sake of minas. What a fool.

Upon hearing the news of the concert, Rajiya gives herself a reminder to go and get some time away from shelving books in the Grand Library.

My own character is blind from birth. Over the years, she's tried finding a way to see, given up, tried again, and so on. The prospect of such a potion would be nice for her, but I think that it would take away from the roleplay. If you play a blind character, let them be blind! It is more fun that way, and it makes the character more unique!

Arcane Puppetry is gone... welp, there goes my blind character's chance at being able to see stuff. #RIPisrassight2k15

As she was nearing the end of her long task of shelving books, the Caliph and an orc entered to make a request of her. Long story short, she received all the books from the orcish library and now had even more shelving to do. With a heavy heart, she sat upon the floor and sorted books with care.

Raj the Librarian happens by the journal on her travels. She snatches it up like it is a precious treasure, sits down under a nearby tree to read its contents, and then tucks it into her bag to take with her to the Grand Library of Khalestine. Surely someone would be looking for this, and where else to find it than in a library?

((Will do! I'll probably buy copies of his books for the library.))

A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar. - Lao Tzu A young woman strode through the streets of Al-Wakrah, a satchel slung carelessly across one shoulder. Soft brown eyes scanned the labyrinth-like streets for directions to the palace, one of two buildings large enough to loom over the rest of the city. Despite having never stepped foot in the Caliphate of Khalestine's capital, she looked as if she belonged there. She was tanned like a Qalisheen should be, with brown eyes to match. Her garb was in the farfolk fashion, perhaps only a bit more ostentatious than the normal female dress, which was a long formless dress with a hijab. No, she was donned in a deep blue skirt and blouse exquisitely embroidered with beautiful designs that caught the eye, her midriff exposed (something that many criticized and called indecent). The only thing about her that did not look Qalisheen was her hair - frizzy and wild, sunbleached beyond repair. She had managed to braid most of it and wrap it with white and red ribbons, making it a bit more ascetically pleasing. It hung down her back and nearly brushed the ground. All-in-all, she was neither beautiful nor homely looking, but merely interesting to observe as she finally made her way inside the palace. She was in luck as she entered the throne room, as the Caliph was having court. She stepped into the short line of citizens gathered to make appeals and awaited her turn to speak with the older Qalisheen man. After several minutes, it was her turn as the last person in line. She grinned, bowed with her whole person, and then made her request. "My Caliph, I am Rajiya Al-Shamrani. I have been at sea for many months with my father and brothers, but have decided it was time to live among my own people again. They have sailed on without me to continue trading with far-off countries, but I come to serve you and the Caliphate. I had heard from afar that you sought a Talaaba - the Scholar of Khalestine and Keeper of the Grand Library. I offer my service to you to take up this office and open up the Grand Library as a sanctuary of knowledge, and to show all of Valior the wisdom and knowledge that our great nation has to offer. I wish to scour the world for books from all over and bring them here. I will rebind them and keep them in repair, I will make copies when texts are too old to survive the test of time. I will care for them and share them with those who wish to learn. Let me serve you and you shall not be disappointed." Faiz Kharadeen laughed, walking down from his throne. He placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her a bit. Looking a bit wounded, she gazed upon the Caliph. "My child, you speak so eloquently for one so young. Come, you do not have to convince me further - I shall show you the library," He smiled kindly, leaving the throne room. A bit bewildered that it had been so easy, she followed him as he led her through the winding streets. At last, they had finished walking around the huge mosque, the other building that had towered above the city, and entered into the library that had been situated in the lower levels of the holy building. Rajiya only smiled as they walked down the huge hall. Bookshelves to the ceiling on both sides stood like silent sentinels. Foliage grew in pots and from the tops of shelves, as if the library had grown there rather than been built. At the end of the hall sat a young tree that grew freely, the branches stretching out. Below it sat hundreds upon hundreds of books - some old and dusty, others brand-new and bound in the richest leather. The pieces there ranged from huge novels to scrap pieces of letters from long ago - nothing seemed to have been discarded, but stored away and taken care of until it could be moved there. The Caliph stopped in front of the stacks of tomes and smiled, almost amused, at her. "Here they are, rafiqi. As the new Talaaba, your first job is to shelve all these books. Then, when you are done, the library can be opened to the public." As he turned to leave, he peered back at her. She stood there a bit dumbfounded. To shelve all these books would take weeks. He merely chortled, a twinkle in his eye, before sweeping out of the library. As he left, Rajiya sank to her knees next to the books. They loomed over her, as if to mock her ambition that had gotten her into this undesirable situation. Now she knew why it had been so easy to get the job... ((Thank you to Faiz for allowing me to write about his character - It's always a joy! I'm back to roleplaying in the Caliphate and am hoping to travel all over the place to bother people about books and presenting puzzles and information for those who seek it. I want this to be a fun character, so hopefully I'll be meeting a lot of people soon. A library thread will soon be written on the Caliphate board of the forums, so keep a look out soon. - Juno))

---------------- BASICS Name: Fakhiri Kharadeen Gender: Male Age: 10 Race: Human (Farfolk) BIOGRAPHY There is not much to say at the moment. Fakhiri is just starting life as a young prince of the Caliphate of Khalestine. He did go through a notable phase of eating sweets non-stop and getting chubby. When he turned six, he turned things around and started running around the Caliphate and eating healthier-sized portions. PERSONALITY Fakhiri is a very mischievous boy. He can often be found running about the palace terrorizing whatever or whoever he can find. He loves to explore and make new friends. He's extremely innocent and naive, still learning the ways of this world. STRENGTHS Climbing, hiding, causing trouble, being adorable, and running. WEAKNESSES Sweets, naive, not physically strong yet, weak stomach, and following instructions. APPEARANCE The boy stands at 5' 2", weighs 89 lbs, has a dark complexion, medium-length wavy black hair, and hazel eyes. RELATIONS FAMILY Father: Arlen Kharadeen Mother: Irsia Kharadeen Sisters: Amina Kharadeen Grandfather: Caliph Faiz Kharadeen Grandmother: Arabella Kharadeen Uncles: Malik and Alai Kharadeen Aunts: Ceto and Sahar Kharadeen ARTWORK [Coming Soon!] THEME SONG:

She had a good run, but now the former queen is dead. RIP, you were a fun character to play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPNwuAIUBRc It was with somber thoughts that the former queen of Oren sat with her dearest friend for tea. It had been only a day since she had said goodbye to her darling little boy. She set him on a ship with the two nurses still loyal to her, showering his little face with kisses - nose, eyelids, lips, cheeks, forehead, ears, chin, brows, and the crown of his head, where his raven-colored curls tickled her face. She whispered over and over as his pudgy hands reached for her, “Mama loves you, Ferdinand… Mama loves you…” Tearfully, she let him go and walked away, his wails reaching her ears as he was carried on board, never to be seen again. She did not - could not - look back. If she had she would have gone with him. Instead, her heart went with him - but she knew deep down it was for the best. She would have been a terrible mother. She was an even worse queen. A day later, she had her golden curls piled on her head, and she donned her finest gown - the last remnant from her brief reign as queen. She sat across from Annabelle, not a word passing between them. They had discussed earlier what they wished to do. Perhaps it was selfish, but living with the holes they had in their hearts was unbearable. They made sure their remaining families would be able to carry on without them, and that was all they could do. Emelie de Bar lifted her teacup to her lips and drank deep of the draught of death. She sat and she stared at Annabelle across the table, lids fluttering every now and again. In her mind’s eye, she thought of all those whom she had touched in life - every face seemed to flash by in an instant - her father Titus, William Bradfyre, her uncle Xavier, her son Ferdinand, her brother Augustus, and last but not least, Guy. The golden-haired lady born of House de Sola and matron of House de Bar looked one last time upon her friend, whose eyes had closed forever to the world, before laying her head back in her chair to look at the sky one last time, her long ivory neck exposed. The breeze brushed against her cheeks, and she smiled as the sky grew dark and her own eyes closed to the world.

In her chambers high in the palace outside Felsen, a fair creature dressed in black sat in a large chair facing the window. Outside, the world was dark - a place of desolation and despair despite the bustling city below. The lady who sat there gazed out at the scene, watching as the universe continued after her own had stopped. The door creaked open, and a nurse entered with a little toddler. He ambled clumsily over to his mother's knee draped in dark silk, tugging on it to get her attention. She did not turn her face to him, but she laid one delicate hand on his raven-colored curls. Not a tear formed at the corner of her eye or rolled down her cheek. She could hear the nurse talking to her, but she felt far, far away. It came out as a distant murmur, one she cannot hear; she didn't answer. She just stared out at the lights, at the sliver of moon obscured in clouds. The Queen did not know if she could wake up if she fell asleep, so she sat and continued to stare numbly out the window to think of her friend and lover lost.

Updated with her proper name now and updated some relations, mostly the addition of her new baby boy :D

On the 19th of the First Seed, 1524, the palace was abuzz with activity. Servants were flitting back and forth, attending to noble guests as they entered the castle. One by one, members of the royal family and close friends were led up to a large bedroom. Gathered in a small, quiet circle, people chatted quietly or approached the large, canopied bed. Lying among the sheets, Her Majesty Emelie de Bar, Queen of Oren and wife of King Guy de Bar, held a swaddled baby boy in her arms. He had been christened Ferdinand de Bar, Prince of Oren. The queen looked exhausted and a bit disheveled, but her smile radiated throughout the room, her joy made known to all who entered. By her side, sitting on the edge of the bed, was King Guy. He looked on and introduced friends and family to the newest member of the royal family proudly. Standing nearby were his own children - Sergius, Annabelle, and Joachim - joking with each other and talking about their new half-brother. To the side, speaking quietly on occasion with Guy and Emelie, was the Lord Justicar and father to the queen, Titus de Sola. In the streets of Felsen and in the surrounding duchies and counties of Oren, news of the birth spread like wildfire. The land was in celebration - the war was over, and the child symbolized a bright future for all.