Xangdi-lat+and+The+Great+Library

Overview
Xandi-lat is the name of the village that sprang up at the foot of Mount Chomolungma. It is a place of great peace and beauty, with green spaces, towering cliffs and rushing waterfalls. It is hidden deep in the mountains, and many people believe that it is a myth. Some True Seekers who come to the Great Library on a quest for knowledge end up staying in Xandi-lat; therefore it is a place with many scholars, scribes and religious people. Although peaceful, Madame Cho's monks are well versed in many forms of both magic and hand to hand combat and they will defend the Library with their lives, if necessary. The first stop for many pilgrims coming to the Library is the Kong Yul Inn, run by a man named Rinzen and his wife. They welcome travelers and usually arrange to have them escorted to the lamasery and the Great Library.

Inspiration photos:

History

Madame Cho and the mountain which bears her name were both created at the same time at the beginning of the world. As a dragon, she treasured knowledge and wisdom. She taught humans the art of writing and has been collecting their works ever since. The inside of the mountain is hollow, and it is filled the a myriad of different caverns, each one containing books on a certain subject. Madame Cho, who catalogs everything, has memorized every word on every page and knows the exact location of every book, paper, scroll or item in the library.

Geography

The Great Library is housed in the tallest mountain in the world, therefore the area that surrounds it is very mountainous as well. Madame Cho is paranoid about fire in the Library, so she has spent eons breathing coatings of ice over the mountains. It is very icy and remote, although there are places of greenery in and around the lamasery and the Library (for example, Cho's Tea Garden). It is very perilous to get the the Library, so seekers must be dedicated to their cause to cross the treacherous terrain and attain their goals.

A lamasery, housing Cho's monks, sits at the entrance to the Library. Pilgrims must pass through the lamasery before they can enter the Library. Visiting scholars and special guests are sometimes invited to stay at the lamasery. The rooms are spare but comfortable and the lamasery is heated by geo-thermal energy.







Government

The government is a theocracy. Madame Cho is the ruler, but she leaves much of the day to day running of Xangdi-Lat to her chief Lama, (at this point, a man named Dorje (which means "thunderbolt")). Madame Cho is the final arbiter of justice and she has been known to punish anyone who preys upon her people. A colony of elves from Firaduil live in the East and they function as her militia in times of need. She maintains a good relationship with the rulers of all the regions in the East, but she has, from time to time, been known to remove a ruler who she deems unworthy or who has become greedy, overly ambitious or cruel.