The Assassins' Guild Library

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The library

The Conlegium Sicariorum (Ankh-Morpork Assassins) library acts as a repository for player made books. Any player, assassin or not, who has written and copyrighted a book may submit it to the library, where it can be read by other players. The library can be reached by going all the way South from the guild gates, up one flight of stairs, two rooms North and then East. Books cannot be removed from the library. All books in the library are given a six digit identification code upon the librarian adding it to the collection.

Reading books

To read a book in the library you first have to find which one you want to read. You can do this by using the 'find' command or by reading the sign in the library. The sign will give you the complete list of books contained in the library whereas the various syntaxes of the find command will let you search for books with particular keywords, authors, titles or codes.

find books with keyword <keyword> 
find books by <author> 
find books called <title> 
find books with code <code> 
find book with code <code>

Upon choosing a book you can request it using it's code, at which time it will be put on the table for you to pick up and read. Books with the code gld are essential to an assassins education and are therefore permanently on display for reading. Any books with a code beginning r1, r2, r3, or r4 are restricted to assassins only and are the only books that can't be read by all players.

> request book lanan5
You request a book from the shelves. 
> Miss Gwendolyn Paige wanders between the shelves for a while and returns 
holding a book. 
Miss Gwendolyn Paige puts the book on the table. 
Miss Gwendolyn Paige says: There you go, Riannon.  Don't take it out of the 
    library. 
get book from table
You get a closed yellow book from the large table.

If Gwendolyn says that the book is so popular that it is out for easy access, it means that it is one of the books you can see when you type look books, just look to see the cover/title and open up the right book and read from there. You do not need to return this book

Once you have finished the book you can 'return book' to have it placed back on the shelves for you. It will also be taken and placed back on the shelves if you try to leave with the book in your possession.

> return book
You return a book for reshelving. 
Almost simultaneously, an assistant librarian picks it up and heads between the 
shelves.

Submitting a book

In order to submit a book to the library you must first go to a publisher. After the book is published and copyrighted you may then submit it to the library. Books must be copyrighted and can only be submitted by the person who copyrights it. After it is submitted it will be viewed by the librarian, who will then approve or reject the book. While the book is waiting for approval you can use the 'retrieve' command to take it back if you wish. Books rejected at this stage will be mailed back to their owners.

Approving books

Books submitted to the library are stored in the submissions box until the librarian can read them and decide to approve or reject them. When the book in question has met with approval the librarian will then enter it into the library under a new code. At this point a new cover will be added to the book, so anything written on the original cover will no longer be visible. As well as a code, the librarian is also likely to use their commands to add some keywords to aid in searching the catalogue and a short description.

list codes 
list keywords 
list submissions 
clear submission by <player> 
reject <book> 
add <book> titled <title> as <code> with <colour> cover [to library] 
remove book <code> from library 
add <keyword> as keyword for book <code> 
remove <keyword> as keyword for book <code> 
change title of book <code> to <title> 
change code of book <code> to <new code> 
edit description for book <code> 
delete description for book <code>

Book codes

The library uses a six digit alphanumeric coding system, currently based on three main formats:

Gldnnn format

Books with codes prefixed gld and then followed by three numbers have been coded directly into the game. These books contain information needed to function in the guild, such as guides for The Run, postgraduate degrees etc.

Xxxxxn format

The majority of books in the library are formatted with codes beginning with five letters, followed by a number. The first three letters of this code refers to the general subject of the book eg. his for history or mus for music. The next two letters are the first two letters of the authors name. Under this system however, Riannon and Rizinsun will have the same code for the forth and fifth letters of the code. While this isn't a real problem, if necessary you can find books by their author using the catalogue. The last digit of the code is just a count, incremented by each new book written by a particular author.

Rnxxnn format

Books coded with the letter 'r' followed by a number, two letters and then two numbers are restricted to assassins only. The 'r' and the following number are the restriction level code, after that comes a two digit author code and a two digit incrementing count. This count has been raised to two digits to make the code the correct length and to make it as consistent as possible with the main format. The restriction codes work thusly: r1 books are unavailable to anyone who isn't an assassin belonging to any of the branches. To read an r2 book, the assassin in question must be able to close contracts. With r3 books the assassin will need to be at least guild level 300. r4 books are restricted to guild admin only. To summarize, all 'rn' rated books can not be read by anyone who doesn't belong to the Assassins' Guild.

Catalogue

The catalogue has drawers full of cards listing every book to be found in this library.  You could use it to find books by code, keyword, title or author.  There is a paper sign stuck on one side of it.
Miss Gwendolyn Paige says: Our collection has dramatically increased since we started accepting submissions from all sorts of new authors.

You read the paper sign:
Books available in the library:

advli1: Safehunting for Beginners by Liplock
advpt1: Gods of Djelibeybi by Ptodium
advta1: Tales of the Deep by Tarzan
advwe1: The Adventurer's Hunting Handbook Vol. 1 : Shelox by Westley
biogr1: Si non confectus, non reficiat - A biography of Havelock Vetinari by Grissom
biogr2: Bacio Della Morte - The Biography of Kitiana DeVious by Grissom
biogr3: The Naked Sleff - A Biography of Sleffie McBing by Grissom
bioll1: The Story of the History that Lies Behind the Legend That is John Lawn by Llylia
everi1: The Inaugural Lord Winstanleigh Greville-Pipe Prize for Invisibility by Riannon
everi2: The Second Lord Winstanleigh Greville-Pipe Prize for Invisibility by Riannon
faima6: Mauve's guide to Hat, Vulture-Headed God of Unexpected Guests by Mauve
ficco1: A Rift in Time by Corneliusv
ficgr1: An Assassin's Tale by Grissom
ficja1: The Endless Street Incident by Jacintha
gld001: The Cordat by The Guild of Assassins
gld002: Drydon's Herbal (tome) by Drydon
gld003: Book of Beasts by Corrinne Davinger
gld004: The little book of solvents (pamphlet) by Kenda Vevina
gld005: torn page by Unknown
gld006: Plants of Genua by Zahur Le Silvain
gld007: Post-graduate Course Handbook by The Guild of Assassins
gld008: Professors' Handbook by The Guild of Assassins
hisar1: Conlegium Sicariorum Yearbook 2034 by Arash
hismo1: The History, Traditions and Alumni of the Guild of Assassins by Mortifi
lanan1: Hear Penny Whistle by Andrew
lanan2: Tea For Two (in Agatean) by Andrew
lanan3: See Sand Seep (in Djelian) by Andrew
lanan4: Hear Plato Prattle (in Ephebian) by Andrew
lanan5: Hear Wulf Bark (in Uberwaldean) by Andrew
lanma1: Guide to Copperhead (Dwarfish Edition) by Mauve
lanpt1: Pterrific's Language Primer v1 by Pterrific
lanpt2: Pterrific's Language Primer v3 by Pterrific
lansn1: Klatch, Continent and Country (in Klatchian) by Sneeky
lansn2: Tasting Tutti Frutti (in Brindisian) by Sneeky
magfu1: Magical Jewellery by Funderburk
magfu2: All Things Magical by Funderburk
magge1: Portalling for the Non-Wizzard by Geryon
magqu1: Enchanting Blorples by Quow
magqu2: Endorphin's Floating Knockdown by Quow
magqu3: Methods vs Spells by Quow
magqu4: Offensive Spell Damage by Quow
musal1: Organology 101 by Alexis
musal2: An Encyclopedia of Instruments by Alexis
musal3: Songs of the Aurient by Alexis
poema1: Songs of a Scholar by Manutius
poeri1: Poems from a Poison Pen by Rizinsun
potem1: She Died for Her Art by Emily
r1ae01: Advice for the Run, Ed. 1 by Aell
r1ll01: Pre Run Guide to the Assassins' Guild by Llylia
r2cy01: Miscellany of the Professional Killer by Cyrus
r2gr01: Staying Alive by Grissom
r2le01: My First Big Book of Poisons by Lexx
r2le02: From Spiders To Smokebombs by Lexx
r2ri01: Of Flora, Fauna, And Mineralia by Riannon
r2ri02: Viability of Poisons and Factors Affecting Damage by Rizinsun
r2st01: Quick Reference Guide for the Absent-minded Chemist (2nd Edition) by Stabbity
refac1: Speedwalking in Bes Pelargic by Acer
refac2: Speedwalking in Ankh Morpork by Acer
refac3: Speedwalking in The Terrains by Acer
refan1: Moon Dragons for Dummies by Andrew
refde1: Killing Him Softly by Desde
reffu1: Monsters Most Foul - A Discworld Bestiary by Funderburk
reffu2: Daring Drinks by Funderburk
refkl1: How to be an Inferior Wizard by Kly
refle1: Griffin's Who's Who of Anybody Who's Anybody (reprint) by Lexx
refll1: The Lamentable History of the Ignoble Igor by Llylia
refya1: Nearly 100 Flavours of Fluff by Yase
refya2: The Discworld Zodiac by Yase
refya3: Yeonglish to Djelian by Yase
refya4: Yeonglish to Agatean by Yase

Keywords

Here is a list of the current keywords that can be used with the 'find' command:

> list keywords

The current keywords being used are adventurers, adventuring, advice, agatean, alias, alphabet, alumni, animals, annual, applied pathology, assassination, assassins, assassins' guild, astrology, award winner, beasts, bestiary, biography, black widow, bloat, blowfish, bomb, brindisian, camouflage, cocktail, cocktails, competition, conlegium sicariorum, contract, contracts, course, courses, covert, culture, dance and deportment, deities, deity, disguise, djelian, dragons, drink, drinks, ephebian, equipment, event, exploration, faith, fashion, fiction, fish, flavour, flavours, fluff, gasbomb, griffin, guide, guild, guild master, guild mistress, haikus, hat, health, heels, help, herbs, history, igor, influence, influential, inhume, inhuming, instruments, item, items, jewellery, john lawn, jpct, kitiana, klatchian, labs, language, languages, lecturing, list, lord greville-pipe, ma, magic, magical, mcbing, mdd, medicine, mh, mm, mmap, morporkian, mould, music, offensive spells, organology, people, plants, poems, poetry, poison, poisons, portal, post-grad, post-graduate, primer, prize, professor, professors, reference, religion, revised, ritual, rituals, roundworld, run, sea, shelox, skills, sleffie, smokebomb, solvent, solvents, speedwalk, spells, swimming, symbolism, tactics, teaching, textbook, traditions, uberwaldean, vetinari, weapon, weapons, who's who, wizards, yearbook, yeonglish and zodiac.

The Guild Librarian

This is a guild position appointed by the GM. The librarian is responsible for the approval of books, addition of a description and keywords and keeping the library in good order. The librarian has several commands for this purpose at their disposal, already noted under Approving books. The current librarian is Professor Stabbity Von Brassbridge, who is also one of the teaching staff. She is currently fluent in Morporkian, Dwarfish, Brindisian and Agatean. It is therefore noteworthy that books submitted in other languages may be delayed approval or only approved of temporarily until she can read them fully. She is also a published author of one book so far and is more than willing to help with the processes involved.

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