The Hidden Heart of the Lost Library of Elysium

My name is Asteria Blackwell, and I am the High Priestess of the Library of Elysium - a library once lost for eons but now found. Join me as I journey into the forgotten depths and into a world of tales hidden within these sacred halls.

Like a modern-day Virgil, I have become a guide to this magical space - and in this episode, we travel to the darkest depths where the library's beating heart lives on. This is not a pleasant story, it's a story of scars and regret, but perhaps, after today, it may unfold into something new.

This tale has left a permanent mark on my own heart, so proceed with caution around your own. The task of remembering can be a heavy one...

But!Before we venture into such depths, we will catch up on the latest news from Elysium, and also get a fresh batch of oracles from Big Midge. Please join me, for you are meant to be here.

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Substack: https://asteriablackwell.substack.com/
Instagram: @asteriablackwell

Email Big Midge the Oracle: oracle@asteriablackwell.com
Email Asteria: asteria@asteriablackwell.com

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Written and Narrated by Sandy Lynn. https://www.sandylynnstudio.com/.
All copyrights reserved. May 2024.

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Intro and Outro Music:

Adrift Among Infinite Stars, by Scott Buckley
Song: Scott Buckley - Adrift Among Infinite Stars
License: Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: https://breakingcopyright.com

Main Episode Music:

The Long Dark, by Scott Buckley
Song: Scott Buckley - The Long Dark
License: Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: https://breakingcopyright.com

Scott Buckley Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/musicbyscottbuckley/about

Transcript

Welcome to Elysium Public Radio

Asteria Blackwell 0:02

Greetings and welcome , dear citizens of Elysium . You are listening to Elysium Public Radio . I am your host , Asteria Blackwell , and this is Stories from the Lost Library . Now , before we begin , we always start with a warning , and , yes , I realize the irony , for in the golden days we would always start with an honored prayer to the muses for a memorable tale . But in these modern times , warnings have replaced prayers and our lawyers are insistent . So take this warning as our opening prayer .

Asteria Blackwell 0:41

This library , these stories , this missive , this community is a safe and sacred space . Keep all swords , daggers , poison , ignorance and hate to yourself , for they have no place here . We are all seeking peace and softness . There will be no tolerance for hateful words and comments , general rudeness , patriarchal and colonialist attitudes and those afflicted with the disorder of having their mouth be larger than their brains . There is no guarantee every story here will be a happy one . In fact , some will be downright awful , or the muses forbid boring . But what you consider boring and awful may not be to someone else . That is the nature of storytelling . Not every story is for you . I am high priestess of these hallowed halls . I am king of this space . My word is law , and the law is that all are welcome here , and I truly mean all , every gender , every race , every background and every inclination . If you cannot abide by my laws , then please go roll in the mud with the rest of the pigs somewhere else . As for the rest of us , welcome . You were meant to find your way here . Welcome back , dearest listeners . I hope you are having a fine day , hopefully curled up in your favorite spot with your favorite beverage , book and a furry friend .

Asteria Blackwell 2:24

I must say that everyone's response to our long-lost library and its story has been more than I could ever have imagined . I have sat at the front desk for the last few weeks and I cannot tell you how wonderful it has been to watch literally thousands of curious souls cross our threshold . We've been handing out library cards left and right . Reading clubs have already popped up from patrons bumping into each other in the same sections of the library . I've personally witnessed at least three couples on dates including Achilles and Patroclus . It's just how wonderful . And on every single person has been the same expression of wonder on their faces as they walk in , their mouths drop open , their eyes go wide as they get their first glimpse of the endless books and canopy of trees . It is a most sacred experience and I am honored to hold space for it .

Asteria Blackwell 3:25

The library is also well pleased to be back where it belongs . It has been humming non-stop and I believe it's already doubled in size once more , but I can't be sure I can tell you . The branches may reach out to caress your cheeks and you may feel warm breezes that smell of citrus and clove as you wander . And that is the library saying hello and welcome . One word of caution for new library patrons if you wander into the stacks , please have a way to help you find your way back out . I suggest bringing a long piece of thread . I know some of you may wish to use breadcrumbs , but this library is half forest , which means there are several creatures who may use your trail as a mid-morning snack . We've located everyone who has gotten lost so far , or at least we think we have , but it does take some time and that's why we encourage a bit of help in wayfinding . We're working on signage , but please use common sense and caution when wandering into a mythical library .

Asteria Blackwell 4:36

Having thousands of souls coming in to visit this great library has reinforced in me just how vital it is for everyone to have access to such a space of learning . We bar no one in these halls , regardless of what gender you may be , how much money you have , or even if you can read or not . Many of you who have been residents of Elysium for long periods of time may have never had an opportunity to learn to read or write , or even see a book in person . Perhaps you lived during the age of the great storytellers , the bards , the rhapsodes , the scalds , the weavers of words , who are all a library's worth of stories in themselves . Yet when those storytellers died , the words they carried died with them . Certainly , others might have picked up where they left off , but how many stories have been lost to time just because no one was left to carry them ? This well-founded fear drove many to begin writing tales down when possible . But again , the ability to write was a very precious skill . Who held the purse strings for that education ? Who decided who would be educated ? Who paid for the writer's time , the ink and the vellum skins or papyrus sheets ? Writing stories instead of speaking them was a very pricey endeavor . Reading and writing eventually spread to many minds and hands , and the words they captured has opened worlds otherwise unknown to millions of souls . These books hold freedom . They hold knowledge , our histories , our failures and achievements . They hold our souls and they remember who we are .

Asteria Blackwell 6:31

So , dear readers , I say all of this because I wish to discuss a few slightly odd situations I have encountered recently . While I love the convenience of email , it does tend to allow people to hide in anonymity , and that's what happened with one communication that came in just recently . The author only used a long string of numbers to identify themselves . Naturally , it says "Dear Madam , I understand you claim to have discovered , in quotes , the lost library of Elysium . Of course , you have brought this thing to our town without gaining approval of the citizens of Elysium , citizens who have serious questions and concerns when a fantastical half-forest library suddenly appears in the middle of town , To which I say a valid point yes , it was sudden , but that cannot be helped . The letter goes on . How can one say for certain that this is truly the lost library of Elysium ? Has it been verified by an independent team of reviewers ? Do you have Providence paperwork ? Have you had any experts at the university authenticate anything about it ? Well , to that I say how many lost libraries of this scope and size do you believe there to be ? How many apology libraries did the goddess Athene dream up , and how would anyone at the university be able to authenticate it if they know nothing about it ? The letter goes on .

Asteria Blackwell 8:13

What kind of degree does a high priestess possess ? You realize you need a terminal degree to be a librarian . Do you have your PhD or your Master of Library Science degree ? Where did you earn it and is the school certified ? Have you been published in academic journals ? Who has vouched for the information housed in your library ? How does one properly notate the story of a sycamore tree and a gray wolf ? Do you use MLA for that , or is there a format established ? Well , I have no idea what any of that means and frankly , it sounds rather boring . How you measure this library against whatever standards you have set up is entirely up to you . Well , I have no idea what any of that means and , frankly , it sounds rather boring . How you measure this library against whatever standards you have set up is entirely up to you .

Asteria Blackwell 9:14

My only qualifications are that I have been an acolyte of learning , knowledge and the tales this library holds for my entire life , for whatever that is worth these days . I'm not sure that that is the answer that you are seeking . Probably not , but it's the best one I have , so let me do this . Instead , I am offering an invitation to anyone from the university to come and examine our library for themselves . Talk to me as a person and let's solve these issues with the power of learning , of figuring things out . That is what the spirit of our Library of Elysium calls for . We are both acolytes of the act of learning and knowledge , so let us act like them and knit together a solution that serves us all .

Asteria Blackwell 10:08

Next up is a slightly more involved problem . Now , for the record , I do not normally like to bring attention to problem situations , but I do feel the need to describe this one , as rumors seem to be flying around town and I want to set the record straight . First , I received this email right after we opened . Get thee out , satan , get this devil library out of Elysium and into hell , where it belongs . Repent and know the end is near . Yada yada , yada Revelations , yada yada . Christians have chimed in .

Deacon's Mission Against the Library

Asteria Blackwell 10:57

In addition to sending me several more letters filled with the same hate and Bible verses , they then took to making scenes outside our front doors . There's a lot of yelling , a lot of hand-painted signs being waved about , etc . One man in particular comes almost every day , and he spends his time shouting the same things that he has already written to us about . He tries to spray patrons with holy water , and just yesterday I caught him building a witch-burning pyre , as he called it . He did manage to get it lit , but the water nymphs who inhabit the fountain outside had a field day scorching him with water and putting out the fire . He then spent the better part of an hour damning them for their actions , but eventually he just ran out of dry matches and had to give up for the day . I do feel sorry for him to be so filled with so much hate , but I can't have him scaring people off or the fates forbid setting them on fire . So I did go to speak with him directly .

Asteria Blackwell 12:08

The man who calls himself a deacon wanted to let me know that he felt the library was a work of the devil . I gently reminded him that he was in the underworld proper and that the Christians have yet to find any evidence of their so-called devil here in these realms , or their God for that matter . I have to say that every time I pass their cathedral , I always see thousands of Christians loitering at the bus stop , waiting for someone named Jesus to come and pick them up . Some have apparently been waiting for centuries and perhaps someone should break the news to them that he's not coming . As one of our new Young Living patrons said , it sounds like they got ghosted . Move on already . And I couldn't agree more . But regardless , this deacon had the nerve to tell me that it was his mission to destroy the library because it was full of Satan's words and it goes against their theology . Yada , yada , yada on repeat .

Asteria Blackwell 13:15

The deacon also mentioned that too many of their nuns which I understand to be women they've imprisoned in the cathedral to do the laundry of the priests have left the grounds to do the laundry of the priests , have left the grounds to come explore the library , and now at least one nun is missing and the others are asking too many questions . He said quote we can't afford to lose more nuns because we already must import them from other lands and I'd like the missing ones back because laundry is piling up . Ah , what a life those nuns must live . Can you imagine having your only reason for existence to be to wash the dirty underwear of men ? Those are the people I feel sorriest for , those who have been told over and over they have no purpose . They have no , no value and their only good is work meals . So I wish to make this official announcement . If there is anyone who wishes to escape such an existence , perhaps such as these nuns , I offer up a sanctuary for you . If you find your way here or find a way to ask for help , I will offer you food , shelter and a job , so long as you come of your own free will and vow not to bring those hateful constructs into this space . And just for the record , the nun is not missing . I know exactly where she is at and she is finally happy and safe and not doing laundry .

Asteria Blackwell 14:51

All right , dear listeners , enough of that drivel , let's speak of more interesting items . The Generally Undead Support Group is still meeting every Tuesday from 7 to 8 pm at the Elysium Community Center , and I've been asked to pass along that a new support group has just formed for those whose lives have been wrecked by a Mount Olympus god be it rape , being shifted into an animal unwillingly killed , or had your liver eaten by an eagle or been devoured by your father . You should know that there is space and support for you . This new group will meet on Thursday evenings from 7 to 8 pm at the community center , it has been noted that a group of feral ravens has been spotted graffitying the walls of the amphitheater with rather rude limericks . If anyone has any information or knows who to contact to get them to stop or perhaps speaks Corvid please contact Dave with the Public Works Department .

Asteria Blackwell 15:58

Now it's time to turn our attention to the weather , both here in the underworld and in the upper world side of town . Dark spring has finally arrived , wrapped in a bluster of wind , rain and a smattering of snow . Only the bravest buds have dared to open soft petals to these cold skies , but many more are following suit . These rains are here to wash away the last of winter's grasp , to shake off what sleep holds tight and to bring us all awake . For the next several days expect cold rain , showers , resist planting . Anything that has not determined for itself it can brave the chilly nights , and that includes you . The world is waking up , casting off sleep and dreams . New lives are beginning , new growth is emerging . Know that , even if the winter took you down to bare roots , that even death dies in the spring and we can always begin again . So to you watching the Aurora Borealis , to those watching the world come out of hibernation . Welcome back to this new life . Let's make it a good one .

Big Midge's Oracle

Asteria Blackwell 17:19

Big Midges Oracles are brought to you today with support from Dionysus Winery , where they want me to let you know that the classic Jug of Wine is on sale this month . Buy one , get one half off . Sale this month Buy one , get one half off . And if you are a member of the Dionysian Mystery Cult then you get triple reward points for each purpose . Remember , when you think drunk , think Dionysus . Now I must say that Big Midge's idea of having you submit your queries to her via email has been an overwhelming success . It's much easier to send an email than trudge out to the old Oracle's temple , so let's embrace this as a positive change . Remember , if you have queries for her , please email oracle at hysteriablackwellcom and she will give me the answers to pass along .

Asteria Blackwell 18:09

Big Midge wants everyone to know she absolutely loves her new house . There's no hint of mold and it is much warmer than the cave . I had tea with her the other day and I must say I love what she has done with the place so far . It's warm and cozy , with lots of natural light , a far cry from the old temple that was in major need of restoration . She has started a night-blooming garden which is full of moonflowers and evening primrose and night-blooming jasmine . Thousands of moss descended on us in the moonlight even our dear luna moss and made themselves drunk from the scent of the flowers . It's a lovely and serene home .

Asteria Blackwell 18:53

Here are the questions and responses directly from Big Midge herself . Oracle number one Dear Big Midge , this may be a strange query , but a group of river sprites has approached me to join them in battle against a beaver building a dam away up from their riverside city . This dam is causing major issues , namely with diverting the river . They need for survival . I'm all for helping , but I don't really see myself as a warrior and I'm not sure what to do . Sincerely , do we really need to go to war ? Do we Really Need to Go to War , dear ? Do we really need to go to war ? Ride at dawn , take every sword you can muster . The cost may be high and it will take work to make things right , but you will prevail . Beware of teeth .

Asteria Blackwell 19:53

Oracle number two dear Big Midge , how does one get into Valhalla ? I have a sword . I've killed some things . I'm a pretty badass warrior , if I say so myself . I've got a hundred ladies swooning over me and they're singing songs about me at the local tavern . I'm pretty sure I meet all the requirements , so I'd like an invite . Sincerely , alpha . Dear Alpha , that is a question for a Valkyrie , not an Oracle . As you are aware , only Valkyries can bring warriors into Valhalla . Maybe they just don't like you , I don't know . Have you tried asking nicely ? Tried asking nicely . Oracle number three dear Big Midge , I've asked a rather fascinating woman out multiple times by inviting her over to my house to help find my keys . I don't think she gets that . I'm asking her out on a date . She just keeps telling me where my keys are . How could I phrase this in a way that she'll understand ? Sincerely , brunhild . Dear Brunhild , oh , why ? Yes , I would love to come over for dinner . Thank you very much . Will Friday work ? Excellent , thank you , big Midge , and best of luck on your date . Again , if you have questions for the Oracle , please drop her a line at oracle , at asteriablackwellcom .

Asteria Blackwell 21:32

Now , dear listeners , it is time for a story from the library . This one found me , fortunately , as I was exploring deep in the stacks one sunny afternoon . I was somewhere near the section for classic tales as told by newts , toads and frogs . Or maybe it was near the section on dreams , I forget , but as I perused I heard a strange noise coming from a far aisle . It sounded like a rustling or maybe a hissing . It was hard to tell , but I swear that sound began to call my name . My name , not my title as priestess or my role as librarian , but my name as woman Asteria , it whispered . Asteria . Thankfully , I had an extra roll of ribbon , so I asked the olive tree to hold one in for me and I took the other and went out towards what called me .

Asteria Blackwell 22:32

I walked for ages further and further into the deepest sections . I used all my ribbon and had to resort to pulling books from shelves and leaving them on the ground as a makeshift pathway . Books from shelves and leaving them on the ground as a makeshift pathway . The light grew dim and shadowed and a strange , deeply dense grove of trees began to crowd me in . They were all alight , with deep red leaves , and the color of their bark seemed to run red too . On and on , the whispers called me forward .

Asteria Blackwell 23:14

Listeners , I must tell you . What I witnessed next was both majestic and horrifying . Please , before I continue , I want you to take a moment with me to breathe in deeply down into your chest and diaphragm and when you release it , put up any mental wards you may need for the next several minutes . I have dreams of this encounter every night now and it has barely left my waking mind . It has left such a permanent mark on my soul I'm not quite sure how to process this yet . I rather think it will take a long time , maybe centuries , I'm not sure .

Asteria Blackwell 23:55

I came to a clearing in those trees , a small one , no more than a few paces in any direction . A thick carpet of fallen red leaves covered the center of the clearing , and in the middle lay the headless body of a woman . She had not decayed in any way . A gentle current of blood flowed around her , blood that shimmered red and gold , blood that shimmered red and gold . Her white garments , edged in gold , remained unstained and undamaged . She seemed to float there , serene , suspended . In this moment that was both horrible and beautiful . There was a quiet pulse of vibration in the ground , a heartbeat . Pulse of vibration in the ground , a heartbeat Without a doubt .

Asteria Blackwell 24:50

I knew in my bones that I had come across the living heart of our library , the most vulnerable and sacred spot hidden in the furthest reaches . I'd rather say the spot may not reveal itself to everyone who goes searching for it At some point maybe minutes later or hours , I can't say but there was a shadow of movement and suddenly beside me was the most beautiful ghost I had ever seen . She had long black hair that fell in curls down her back and a golden diadem pinned at the top . Around her upper arm was a golden snake bracelet that held a single ruby eye shining in the darkness . She had her face turned towards the body in front of us . Please sit , she said . The body in front of us , please sit , she said . A marble bench appeared behind us and I sank down onto it . The ghost with me . You understand who I once was , do you not ? She asked . I would be a poor librarian and an even poorer priestess of Athene's library library if I did not . Lady Medusa , I replied .

Asteria Blackwell 26:11

As soon as Athene's name crossed my lips , the ghost stiffened and I realized that that was the wrong thing to say . I should have known better , but my brain seemed to not be working properly . My brain seemed to not be working properly . I have no desire to speak of her . Medusa said the words quick and pointed as a stake .

Asteria Blackwell 26:33

I caught sight of something in the shadows a glint of silver , like a helmet catching sunlight . The hairs on the back of my neck raised and I was certain we were not alone , but Medusa seemed not to notice . She said nothing for a long time , keeping her eyes fixed on the body . I want to tell a different piece of my tale , if you would hear it . She turned to me then . Enough for me to see her eyes , the sort of eyeshine that you see in wild animals , except hers was shining silver as the moon . Nothing would please me more than to hear it and share it if you wish . I replied . I turned my body away from the shadows in the forest and faced her . She nodded , looked down and placed her hands silently in her lap . And so be it . I withdrew a small notebook from my traveling bag . I learned to never go anywhere without one . I had my pencil and I opened to a fresh page .

Asteria Blackwell 27:44

He took my head , medusa began . I didn't need to ask who took it , for it was always a man . His name has been spoken aloud enough that I will not do it here , not now . He has enough books of his story story , she continued . He took my head and turned it into his trophy , holding it up for the entire world to see how powerful he was , but he didn't bother to tell the world . He attacked me in my sleep when I was defenseless , when I could offer no fight . Even with that advantage , he still needed divine help from the gods and her mind , you feeding him directions and special gifts so that he could accomplish this unnecessarily gruesome goal . And for what reason ? For nothing other than an old king's fear . I still hear that shout of victory ringing in my ears , just as loud now that I am a shade , just as loud as when I first heard them watching my body fall to the ground .

Asteria Blackwell 28:58

Medusa paused and I sat silent waiting . A single oak leaf fluttered to the ground , yet he so casually forgot about the rest of me . She said the body and the womb left behind to rot considered unimportant , extraneous , nothing to bother with . For what power could be had from a woman's body ? Nothing , he assumed . So he walked off to display his trophy , only earned because of borrowed knowledge and stolen strength . Without a second thought , I turned my eyes back to that body . Now , realization setting in Medusa's head had been paraded around for centuries and Athene had taken it and affixed it to her shield . Medusa had been nothing but a weapon . Even in death , the body had never been affected by the terrible curse laid upon the head . For those of you who fell asleep in your mythology classes , medusa was once a priestess in Athene's temple , but Poseidon brutally assaulted her in the temple and , as a result , her once beautiful hair was turned into a mess of snakes and her eyes would turn anyone she looked upon to stone . Everyone wanted the weapon her eyes had become , but no one cared about the rest of her .

Asteria Blackwell 30:38

Women like me , the ones who show our anger and bare our teeth . We become beacons for the swords and arrows of spineless men . The angrier I became , the more my blood called out to them . Like a siren , it clawed into their brains and whispered of how pitiful , how weak , how truly mortal they were , and that no one would bother to remember them when they are gone . She looked up to the sky . He killed me for that anger , and there was nothing left after that . My life ended in a moment , and yet my rage did not quit me . I am still tethered here to this angry body , this river of blood that refuses to cease , no matter how badly I wish it would .

Asteria Blackwell 31:35

We sat in silence for a long while . I'm tired of being angry . She whispered I want to be happy , I want to be free , whispered I want to be happy , I want to be free . A flash of pink and green caught my eye and I saw that my dear friend , the Luna Moth , had swept in and landed on Medusa's knee . She flexed her wings and waited for me to translate . She is asking if you wish to come with her . I , luna , waved her antenna at me and I went on . If you choose , she will enchant you with a body like hers and you can fly wherever you choose and no one will . She is asking if you wish to come with her . I said luna waved her antenna at me and she is asking if you wish to come with her . I said luna waved her antenna and I went on . If you choose , she will enchant you with a body like hers and you can fly wherever you choose and answer to no one for as long as you desire .

Asteria Blackwell 32:58

Medusa looked at me and then back down to the Luna moth shimmering on her leg . Back down to the Luna Moth shimmering on her leg . Truly , she asked I would be free of this body , of it all . Truly I said , and with that I said the spell that would allow her to understand the language of the moss , a spell I learned many winters ago from a goddess of spring . Luna then repeated her offer and Medusa put a hand to her mouth in shock . I can understand her . She said she sounds beautiful and yes , yes , I want to come with you . Then so be it , luna said . Medusa's ghost shimmered softly for a moment and then morphed into a spectacular Luna moth with blood red edges on her wings , shifting into a soft green in the middle . She flexed those new wings once , twice , and then her and Luna took off to the stars , leaving me alone with a corpse among the ruby red trees .

Asteria Blackwell 34:13

Her story buzzed in my bones as I sat and watched them fly away , until a hefty rustle scared me enough that I dropped my notebook and pencil into that pool of blood . I dropped my notebook and pencil into that pool of blood . I looked up just as a large white owl soared overhead opposite of the direction of the moths . Athene had been eavesdropping , so it seems . I retrieved my notebook and I am happy to report that , though the blood soaked through all of the pages , it did not mar a single word . I had recorded that blood does make one's skin tingle and for nearly a week I have been writing non-stop and dreaming of that encounter . And I am shunned sure as I retrieved my notebook and I'm happy to report that , even though the blood soaked all the way through the pages , it did not mar a single word I had recorded . The touch of that blood does make one's skin tingle and for nearly a week I had been non-stop and dreaming of that encounter . I don't know if it will stop . Medusa's blood has ignited a fire in me , one of rage and newfound hope , and I can only wish that her words will do the same for the ones who need to hear them most .

Stories From the Lost Library

Asteria Blackwell 36:07

Dear listeners , I must tell you how deeply this story has altered the very core of me . Medusa , like so many others , has waited alone to be found and heard . It is my honor to hold this place for them and for you , in supporting this endeavor . This is our great lost library of Elysium , home at last , the shining beacon of knowledge and learning . Twice a month , I will bring you a story from the archives , so be sure to join me as we explore this magical world . We by which I mean me and this library are excited to share these stories with you .

Asteria Blackwell 36:54

I welcome your feedback . Please email me at asteria , at asteriablackwellcom , which I will also list in the written show notes , or stop by the main circulation desk for a chat . My name is Asteria Blackwell and you have been listening to Stories from the Lost Library on Elysium Public Radio . This has been a production of Elysium Public Radio and Sandy Lynn Studio . Our music is written and performed by Scott Buckley . Today's story was written and narrated by Sandy Lin . Follow us on Instagram and TikTok under the handle Asteria Blackwell For more information on the show or to obtain a library card for the Lost Library of Elysium , or perhaps to join our mystery cult . Then find us on Substack at asteriablackwellsubstackcom .