The basilica itself is massive, with its wings stretching out in every direction, enclosing labyrinthine halls and vast, shadowed chambers. The entire structure is surrounded by high walls on three sides, guarded day and night by elite warriors and magicians. These are not ordinary soldiers; they are the best Takhmanta has to offer, trained for decades in both combat and arcane arts, prepared to kill anyone who dares approach the library with ill intent. Powerful enchantments reinforce the walls, crackling with magical energy that shifts between shades of violet and crimson, constantly scanning for intruders. It is said that the basilica itself is alive, attuned to the dark forces housed within, and capable of sensing danger before it even materializes.
Despite the many who have attempted to steal the forbidden knowledge within, none have succeeded. The furthest any thief has ever made it is the first level of the catacombs beneath the basilica—an underground maze that spans for miles. The catacombs are infamous for their treacherous nature, filled with deadly traps, shifting walls, and magical wards that turn against anyone who doesn’t possess the proper keys. Even those who do enter the first level rarely return, as the deeper levels of the catacombs are said to be home to unspeakable horrors, ancient guardians bound by the darkest pacts to protect the most dangerous volumes stored in the library.
The library itself is divided into multiple layers, each more dangerous than the last. The upper floors, while still deadly, contain texts on magic that, though forbidden, are not immediately lethal. But the deeper one ventures, the more powerful—and terrifying—the knowledge becomes. Some tomes are said to contain spells capable of ending entire civilizations, rituals that could summon world-devouring entities, or incantations that warp the very fabric of reality. The deepest vaults are rumored to house books bound in human skin, their pages filled with the suffering of the damned, and scrolls that whisper madness to those who dare unroll them.
The very air within the basilica is thick with malevolent energy, and only a select few are granted access to the upper levels of the library under strict supervision. The price of failure for those who attempt to infiltrate it is immediate and unforgiving: capture means a swift execution, and even those who somehow escape face certain doom from the magical defenses that protect the basilica. The library is not just a repository of forbidden knowledge; it is a fortress of death, where even the bravest souls hesitate to tread.
Despite its terrifying reputation, the basilica is a monument to the pursuit of knowledge at any cost. It is a place where the boundaries of morality, ethics, and reason have been cast aside in favor of the unyielding desire to possess the ultimate power. Those who seek to understand the darkest corners of magic often find themselves drawn to the basilica, not to use the knowledge contained within, but simply to be near it, to feel the weight of the forbidden pressing down on their souls.