Biblioplex

[["Information",[{"data":"[[Arcavios]]","label":"Plane"},{"data":"[[File:C.svg|x15px|alt=Colorless mana|link=]]","label":"Colors"},{"data":"[[Central Campus]], [[Strixhaven]], Orrithia","label":"Part of"}]],["Scryfall Statistics",[{"data":"[https://scryfall.com/search?q=art%3A%22Biblioplex%22 artworks]"}]]]

Biblioplex
Information
Plane	Arcavios
Colors
Part of	Central Campus, Strixhaven, Orrithia
Scryfall Statistics
artworks

The Biblioplex is a vast library that is said to hold the knowledge of the Multiverse. The largest library in the Multiverse, it is an enormous domed building that rises above the rest of the campus in Strixhaven, Arcavios.

Description

The Biblioplex is the Library of Strixhaven and forms the center of the university. Doorless, arch-shaped entrances (their design inspired by the magical star arches found across the plane) welcome inquisitive minds into the library. Inside, almost every surface from the floor to an unreasonably high ceiling is jammed with stacks of books. The interior of the Biblioplex is vast, with impossibly long hallways, archive chambers tall enough to have unique weather, and even pools and moat passages that must be crossed by boat. About one hundred expeditions have been mounted to find students lost in its winding book stacks.

It is said that the Strixhaven Biblioplex is the most complete archive of magic in the Multiverse. All manner of spells, from the lowliest hedge wizard's anti-itch cantrip to a demon's ritual for harnessing the power of a dying sun, are recorded and stored somewhere under the library's vaulted arches. No one, save for Strixhaven's Founder Dragons, and perhaps the Oracle of Arcavios herself, knew exactly how the Biblioplex carried out its function. Nevertheless, most patrons understood that a sought-after grimoire was more likely to hunt them down than the other way around.

Isabough, the Treefolk librarian is aided by multiple artificial constructs and gargoyles. The halls of the Biblioplex are roamed by Codie, a chattering animated book.

Notable locations

A map of the Biblioplex interior.

Locations on the map are marked with a letter and number

• The Advanced Student Lounge (B17) - This lounge is intended as a retreat for senior students to relax and relieve stress. It features large tables for gaming and shelves stocked with recreational reading. Access to this area is only possible through the Advanced Student Stacks.
• The Advanced Student Offices (B18) - private reading rooms for students working on their theses, accessed past the Advanced Student Stacks.

  

  Cleaning up after students is often a harried undertaking. Luckily, the many Biblioplex assistants are up to the task.

• The Advanced Student Stacks (B16) - Access to the rooms on the Biblioplex's second floor is restricted to faculty members or students granted permission by the reference librarians. Typically, keys to these stacks are only issued to students preparing their final thesis in their fourth year at Strixhaven. The arcane knowledge contained within these volumes is not available to the general public and can sometimes be hazardous. To prevent unauthorized teleportation or intrusion by ambitious mages and potential enemies, two shield guardians able to cast a sleep spell on intruders continuously patrol the area, and their control amulets are held by two librarians on duty in the Biblioplex. Students authorized to access this area are given passwords that identify them as allies to the constructs.
• The Amphitheater (B13)- this grand stage serves multiple purposes — hosting lectures, assemblies, and acting as a central gathering point during emergencies. Magical steps rise from the library floor to the stage, allowing easy access. When the Rose Stage on Silverquill's campus is unavailable, the Playactors Drama Guild frequently rehearses here.
• The Biblioplex Café (B6) — one wall of this space features a mural formed from the roots of a living tree, which occasionally shift and rustle, giving the entire area a sense of subtle vitality. The ceiling is painted with a canopy of leaves that change colors with the seasons, thanks to a permanent illusion spell. The same enchantment animates painted squirrels darting along the root mural and birds fluttering and chirping among the painted foliage. Up to ten students can usually be found here during the day. While three students are normally employed at the café, during orientation, its manager — Aisla Fitzbottom — handles the space alone. Cheerfully energetic and quick to remember faces, Aisla is well-loved, though her organizational system leaves something to be desired. The café always offers fresh coffee and tea, and the sandwich of the day rotates, with exotic variants like toasted cockatrice gizzards on rye, or crunchy frog legs on toast.
• The Biblioplex Lounge (B2) — this spacious lounge just past the Main Entrance is furnished with plush couches and sturdy tables, providing a comfortable retreat for students, staff, and employees taking breaks from the student store, the Biblioplex café, or other parts of the library. Each table is scattered with stacks of magazines, newsletters, flyers, and nonmagical scrolls gathered from across campus.
• The Book Gardens (B9) - these two peaceful, grassy spaces are nestled among vibrant, magical plant life, where students often sit to read or study in quiet. One year, three awakened shrubs wandered into the gardens and decided to stay — an arrangement the university has gladly embraced. Witherbloom College students typically care for the gardens, and three Witherbloom pledgemages are usually present during the day. Members of the Fantastical Horticulture Club frequently gather here to unwind or hold informal meetings.
• The Compendium (B19)- located on the library's third floor, this section houses copies of the most common, widely available written works from across the Multiverse. The cataloging system is cryptic, making it nearly impossible to locate specific items without assistance from a reference librarian. At the center of the room stands a magical statue of a powerful, benevolent dragon. When asked — either aloud or mentally — the statue reads the contents of most books placed before it. However, the statue's magic can detect dangerous verbal curses or harmful text and will refuse to read anything that could pose a threat if spoken.

  

  The magic snarl at the heart of the Hall of Oracles shines through the Biblioplex like a miniature sun.

• The Hall of Oracles (B11) — an awe-inspiring and hallowed chamber at the very center of the Biblioplex, the Central Campus, and Strixhaven itself, lined with monuments along the wall. This is where the first-day orientation for new students is held. The hall was ruined in the Oriq Attack on Strixhaven.
  • The Strixhaven Snarl — a massive, luminous tangle of pure mana and power that illuminates the Hall of Oracles like a magical sun.
• Information Desks (B4) — both of these circular desks are staffed by three reference librarians appointed by the faculty. These individuals are not only accomplished scholars but also have great skill with magic. They offer clear and accurate guidance on how to locate any public area or collection within the Biblioplex.
• The Lecture Halls (B7) — these four spacious chambers are used for interdisciplinary lectures open to all Strixhaven students. Seating within each hall is magically adjustable, ensuring a comfortable fit for students of all sizes and body types. Enchanted acoustics amplify the instructor's voice while dampening background chatter, creating an ideal learning environment. During class hours, each hall typically hosts one professor and up to thirty students.
  • The Hall of Semantics — A specialized academic hall featured in campus lore and storytelling, home to classes that explore the nature and power of language.
• The Main Entrance (B1) — a short flight of enchanted marble steps rises to a modest plaza before the entrance to the Biblioplex. The double doors feature vertical handles sculpted to resemble robed scholars. By day, the doors remain open to all. At night, they are shut, locked, and secured with an arcane lock spell. Only select faculty and the Biblioplex's reference librarians are privy to the lock's password.
• The Main Stacks (B10) - Tall bookshelves stretch from floor to ceiling throughout the central and eastern sections of the library's first floor. The eastern stacks, denser and more labyrinthine, are enchanted to shift gently aside as students approach, creating just enough room for a single person to pass between them. These shelves primarily hold introductory-level texts, making them a common destination for first-year students following their instructors' guidance. In both areas, two cogwork archivists tirelessly sort and re-shelve returned or misplaced volumes.
• The Mystical Archive — a forbidding and impossibly large wing that is said to contain a copy of every spell ever created in the Multiverse. While mortal life is too fleeting to contest such a claim, it is clear that the Archive contains an uncountable number of the most powerful spells.

  

  A map of the Scriptoria Collections.

• Scriptoria Collections - located in the basement level down a winding staircase, a dim passage opens into a warmly lit chamber filled with gleaming bookcases, wide tables, plush chairs, a welcoming lounge, and a hearth. Oil paintings of sweeping landscapes and renowned spellcasters adorn the walls, while antique spherical astrolabes line the northern side. This expansive room was added two centuries after the library's original construction, and its first holdings were donated by the great elven scholar and Strixhaven Director, Arick Quenthorne. Quenthorne was an eminent occult researcher focused on the esoteric power of physical objects, particularly written words and symbols. In later years, his studies turned toward the evolution of magical creatures tied to spellcasters, leaving the collection rich with diverse and remarkable records. Astrolabes, books, knick-knacks, artifacts, and antique diviner's tools line the shelves, relics of Strixhaven's earlier days.
• The Student Activities Center (B14) - this versatile space is equipped with tables and chairs and is available for use by any officially recognized student organization at Strixhaven. Groups may use it for meetings, rehearsals, crafting projects, or other approved activities. Tables are lined with flyers from various student organizations, accompanied by a member of each of these organizations.
• The Student and Alumni Art Gallery (B12) - This bright, polished gallery is lined with white walls and soaring columns, each adorned with or incorporating artworks in a range of media. Students from Prismari College frequently maintain the space, and three Prismari pledgemages are usually present, either tidying the gallery or studying the displayed pieces to better understand their techniques. A storage room in the back contains supplies and works awaiting exhibition. The Distinguished Society of Fine Artists often gathers here for meetings and critiques.
• The Student Council Hall (B15) - furnished with wooden tables and benches, this room features a flag bearing the Strixhaven star symbol hanging on the back wall. It serves as the venue where the student council holds public debates on policies that impact the student body most directly. Leaders of the university's Extracurricular groups regularly visit the council to conduct official business, which typically convenes on the first day of each month. When not in session, the room is either used for other formal university functions or remains unoccupied.
• The Student Store (B5) — this compact shop just past the Biblioplex Lounge carries a wide range of books, tools, and supplies essential for academic life. The store is managed by Groff Lundquist, a friendly human commoner and Strixhaven staff member renowned for his flair in coordinating stylish combinations of university apparel. Students can browse and purchase hats, scarves, tunics, robes, gloves, and other clothing items embroidered with either the Strixhaven star or the emblem of one of the five colleges. In addition to standard supplies and clothing, the store also stocks magical items.
• Study Areas (B8) - These two open spaces outside the Lecture Halls are furnished with plain wooden tables and chairs, offering students a quiet place to work throughout the day. It's common to see up to thirty students studying here during peak hours.

History

During the Oriq Attack on Strixhaven, Extus Narr infiltrated the Biblioplex and summoned the Blood Avatar in the Hall of Oracles. Extus Narr and the Blood Avatar were defeated by Rowan and Will Kenrith, but the Hall of Oracles collapsed from the magical strain and was left in ruin.

A small chamber housed the Invocation of the Founders. On a circular platform surrounded by a moat, the spell was housed deep within the library, until it was used during the New Phyrexian Invasion, when a massive fractal tree was created in the chamber's center, breaking through the building's ceiling.

In-game references

Represented in:

• The Biblioplex

Associated cards:

• Biblioplex Assistant
• Biblioplex Kraken
• Codie, Vociferous Codex
• Hall of Oracles

Depicted in:

• Awaken the Blood Avatar
• Cogwork Archivist
• Curate
• Practical Research

Referred to:

• Brainstorm (Mystical Archive)
• Bury in Books
• Crackle with Power
• Tragic Lesson