Kainan Wolfe
Shadow of War
[Theme Song]
- Intent: To expand the lore of the Eternal Empire with another location
- Image Credit: Myself, some logo elements from the Killzone Series, other sources under individual images
- Canon: N/A
- Links: House of Wolves | Nelvaan | Eternal Empire | Lorrd | Ankhypt | Winter
- Military Base Name: Red Library of Kalidan
- Classification: Fortified Archive
- Location: Kalidan, 82 km south of Arcenon
- Affiliation: Eternal Empire | Wardens of the Shroud
- Population: Moderate:
- 5000 Ultranauts
- 8500 Logistics Personnel
- 48 Pilots
- 2 Psi Corps Operatives - Demographics: The Red Library of Kalidan is the Eternal Empire's center of knowledge and is heavily guarded at all times. The population of the base consists of a large number of logistics personnel, divided into groups based on their assigned tasks, with some maintaining and operating the immense structure and its many facilities, weapons and defenses, while others tending to the archive itself.
Additionally, to insure security, a full regiment of Ultranauts is permanently stationed here, as well as four squadrons of starfighters and their pilots, along with a Logistics Corps detachment in order to provide the necessary support.
- Accessibility: The Eternal Empire's center of knowledge contains vast stores of information on any number of topics ranging from history, literature, technology and science, to the secrets of the Force, with both Lightside and Darkside lore being housed here. As such, access to the library is heavily restricted and seekers of knowledge require special authorization for the wing being visited, with some wings requiring written permission from the Emperor himself, or membership in certain organizations and institutions.
Although a road exists to connect the Red Library to the planetary capital of Arcenon, there is also a series of hangars and landing pads for spacecraft, though usage of these is restricted to military personnel only, barring special clearance provided by the Emperor himself.
- Description: Constructed to house the Eternal Empire's vast stores of knowledge in a secure facility, Red Library of Kalidan is a massive, heavily militarized base located high up in the mountains of the northern hemisphere of the planet. Consisting of multiple structures centered around a large, central facility that houses the archives and an extensive network of secret underground vaults, it is a remote installation that is difficult to reach.
The Library itself is divided into several wings, each requiring special authorization to visit, which is harder to obtain in some cases. Its architectural style follows common Imperial conventions, consisting of large spires rising up from a central structure that is surrounded by deep artificial chasms on all sides and connected to the outer defensive perimeter by a series of bridges.
Housing vast repositories of knowledge acquired through various, mostly military, means from a mixture of sources, such as the Library of Lorrd, the Anubians of Ankhypt as well as the various Jedi temples of Winter, scholars from all over the Empire and the galaxy at large, come here to study.
Extensive military facilities surround the central citadel, along with static defenses which provide security for the facility and serve to keep out potential intruders. Unauthorized entry into any of the Library's facilities is a crime punishable by crucifixion, although this has not deterred people from trying. Their frozen bodies line the sides of the road that leads to the facility, forever displayed as a reminder of what happens to those who seek to plunder the secrets within.
(Image Source: Link)
Defensive Perimeter
A well-defended, heavily militarized facility, the Red Library of Kalidan is surrounded by an extensive defensive perimeter which contains the various facilities that house the base's personnel, guards, vehicles and their equipment and supplies. Dedicated hangars for four starfighter squadrons are present, along with several other hangars for resupplying and special access by authorized personnel.
One of the generators for the planet's Arx Aeterna-class planetary shield is also housed here, maintaining the section of shield above the library. There is only a single road linking the base with the capital city and the perimeter ring is connected to the main structure by several bridges which cross the artificial chasm surrounding it on all sides.
(Image Source: Link)
Imperial Archives
The main structure situated at the base's center contains the Imperial Archives, which are separated into several wings organized by the type of specific knowledge contained within. Access to any of these wings requires special, government-issued authorization which can be difficult to obtain, especially in the case of the various sections which contain lore about the Force.
The history, literature and art wings are the easiest ones to obtain authorization for, with some sections cordoned off, although even they are heavily guarded by soldiers and visitors are required to undergo a full body search upon entry and leaving, to prevent the introduction of contraband, or the theft of the items contained within.
The vast sections containing the Eternal Empire's collected scientific knowledge are somewhat more difficult to access, especially those sections containing information about weapons and military technology, as are the wings containing knowledge about military strategy and tactics.
The hardest section to access is the wing containing the Eternal Empire's collected lore on the Light and Darkside of the Force. Access requires written authorization from the Emperor himself and is usually restricted to the Empire's Wardens of the Shroud, high-ranking military officials, members and retainers of Imperial ruling dynasty, as well as the Emperor's apprentices and special guests.
(Image Source: Link)
Library Vaults
It is rumored that deep beneath the main structure of the library itself, there is an extensive network of vaults and secret archives who's existence is kept off all records and known only to a few. According to several conspiracy theories about the Wardens of the Shroud, a secret society which is known to operate within the Eternal Empire although its purpose and agenda is unknown, these vaults contain the Eternal Empire's most prized and well-guarded secrets, such as a number of Sith holocrons, letters written by Emperor Valkorion and the collected store of knowledge of the Wardens themselves, along with numerous Darkside artifacts that have been collected by the Eternal Empire's agents from all over the galaxy.
If such a section does indeed exist, it is unknown how to enter it, although it is rumored that there are a number of hidden turbolifts littered throughout the facility, leading to trap-filled corridors dug deep beneath the mountains which are the only way to access this section. If they exist, these Vaults are the exclusive property of the Wardens of the Shroud and only members ranked Knight and above may access it, with the exception being some Initiates who have been granted permission by the Emperor himself.
Security Rating: Maximum
Understanding the importance of knowledge and information, the Eternal Empire has insured that its center of learning is well defended and difficult to capture or infiltrate. A large number of forces are stationed here and the facility features a number of weapon emplacements to defend against attacks from the ground, air, or the space above.
These defensive emplacements are listed as following:
- 4x Starfighter Squadrons (Typically I-3A Lance Fighters, although this may vary)
- Hypervelocity Cannons
- Heavy Turbolasers
- KT-504 'Tigris' Repeating Turbolasers
- Ion Cannons
- Laser Cannons
- Flak Batteries
- KC-101 'Basilisk' Interceptor Missile Launchers
- KC-208 'Phalanx' Cruise Missile Launchers
- Planetary Shield Generator (See Arx Aeterna-class Planetary Shield)
- Base Shield Generator
- 1x Ultranaut Regiment (5000 Soldiers, typically the 28th 'World Breakers' Regiment)
- Psi Corps Operatives providing communications in case of emergency
- Ruinous Worms are also rumored to exist here, along with possibly other Sithspawn
- Additional forces may also be stationed here, although their composition varies greatly
Throughout its history, the nation that would become the Eternal Empire has always valued knowledge, seeing it as the key to military success. Its forces have conducted a number of operations to acquire valued information, artifacts and ancient records, such as the Imperial forces assault and capture of the famous Library of Lorrd.
A significant portion of the library's contents were taken by the Imperials, transported off-world and into the fleet waiting above. The raid on Lorrd was the first military success of what would eventually become the Eternal Empire and the beginning of the budding nation's vast storehouse of knowledge.
Two decades later, Kalidan serves as the homeworld of the Eternal Empire, following the planet's colonization by the Imperials in the wake of their secession from the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Throughout its violent and difficult history, the Empire has acquired a vast wealth of knowledge from a number of sources, most notably the Anubians of Ankhypt and it has found itself in need of a facility to safely store the information in a secure, well-defended manner.
Construction of the Red Library of Kalidan began in absolute secrecy and the details remain classified to this date. It is unknown when the project began, but it must have been soon after the colonization of the planet, as the facility incorporates one of the generators for the Arx Eterna-class planetary shield above.
The Library was officially opened relatively recently, although access is heavily restricted and requires special permit, unauthorized entry being a capital offense. Heavy defenses have been constructed around the facility, along with a chasm surrounding the central structure on all sides, to further deter intruders, which is connected to the mainland by a few long, narrow bridges that are exposed to attacks from all sides.
There are several conspiracy theories circulating about the Red Library, most notably the one according to which there exists an extensive network of underground vaults and passages, which hold the facility's true treasures and which are rumored to be filled with traps and Sithspawn, although if such a section does exist, the locations of the access points are unknown.
Today, the Red Library of Nelvaan serves as a storehouse of knowledge which is reserved for a select few. State-sanctioned scholars, scientists and wielders of the Force from throughout the Eternal Empire, frequent this facility to study the information contained within, along with high-ranking government officials and, according to rumors, members of the secret society known as the Wardens of the Shroud.
October 30, 2019
- Changed name and location
- Updated names and references where necessary to reflect the location change
- Rewrote history section
- Updated security section
