Developed by Yolande
With credit to Pash Raj'oriq
The Folio House is, contrary to it's name, not a house but a set of rooms found in the Prime Antheneum. However, it has only one function: the production of books. Some of the greatest minds and scholars live amongst the frozen walls of Viden, but their knowledge would be lost forever if it were not for the expertise of the masters of Folio House. It is here that ideas are turned to words on a page, gloriously bound and made subject to man.
The House caters primarily for the scholars and students of the Academy, as it has close links to this institution. Its main production are books destined for the library or for the hands of students. Occasionally, the masters of the House open the doors to allow amateur authors to publish a work, but they do not often do commercial printings and bindings. This might seem to be misaligned with the Prime Antheneum itself, but with the view of encouraging diversity, Folio House limits its scope so that others may take up their own, individual niches.
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Folio House is accessible from the second floor of the library. One immediately knows they are approaching Folio House by the door that acts as an advertisement and a proud symbol of who they are and what they do. The door is in parts wood, and in parts interchangeable parchment. Two wooden frames hold unique artwork and literature segments in the door itself, so that new works and features can be displayed even as you are reaching for the handle. These change every new season, sometimes displaying a poem, othertimes a fragment of lore or a beautiful drawing.
As you enter into Folio House itself, the first thing you come across is the Reception. Here lies the desk where the administration, the book-keeping, the clerk and the receptionist dwell. Any and all requests are dealt with here, or are at least referred to the master or mistress in charge, whether they be book repairs, prints, or bindings. It is a busy space, and a neat, heavy bench lies across one wall for visitors to sit upon should the wait be a long one. A couple of illustrious paintings hang on the wall, one of the first master of Folio House, and the second of the current master.
Behind this room lies a small corridor that branches off into the two workshops. On the left is the Printing Room, and on the right is the Binding Room. The entrances to these rooms once held doors, but they have long since been removed in favour of ease of access between the two disciplines.
The Printing Room
As would be expected, the printing press dominates the room. Surrounding it lies all the paraphernalia associated with such a device- the metal typesets and inks required to render text on the pages. The paper itself is brought in freshly made each day, and sits in a stack that gradually depletes over the course of the day. The last page to be used means the end of the working day for the printers, although there is the usual tidy up and cleaning of the equipment afterwards that usually makes the day just that little bit longer. This room is well-lit with small but plentiful windows that sit high up on the walls. Underneath these are rows of shelves and cupboards that hide the myriad array of typesets in neatly labelled wooden boxes. A crowded desk sits in the corner for the head printer, who uses it to keep track of exactly what has been printed and when. The records stack behind the desk, with the earliest at the bottom of the substantial pile.
The Binding Room
This room is somewhat larger than it's sister, and has the equipment required for binding books instead. It has also doubled up as a book and manuscript repair room too, as time has progressed and the older volumes in the Library's possession have become damaged in the process. Several desks house glue, leather, boards of wood, string, paper, and engraving tools, as well as gold foil. Three different sized book presses line up against one wall, and a sewing frame sits happily beside them. As book binding is rather much towards the end of the book creation process, there is also an illustrator's and decorations table that houses paints and oils and other artistic equipment. The Binding Room has a large amount of variety when it comes to professions, as there are many skills required to bring a book to fruition.
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