June 16, 2024 • 36 mins
Welcome back to the best formerly lost but now found Library of Elysium, located in the only spot in the world that is half in the Underworld, and half in the Living World.
My name is Asteria Blackwell, and I am the High Priestess of the Library of Elysium. 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 unveil the new happenings in the library and Elysium - including the opening of the Ambrosia Cafe inside the library, and who will be offering a range of drinks and treats for all, even vampires and werewolves!
We also discuss the 2,524th City Dionysia festival happening later this summer - one that promises a wonderful selection of amazing theatrical performances. And no one will get eaten by lions this year! Fantastic!
And as always, Big Midge the Oracle will bring a fresh round of answers to your inquiries, and she'll give us an exclusive update on her romance with Brunhild, and maybe hint at a big milestone as well.
And last but not least, we'll discuss why Charon, ferryman of the dead, is unexpectedly in town (It's my fault, apologies in advance) and we'll hear a tale from the rare soul who has been with him every day for the past millennia.
Don't miss this episode!
❦
Substack: https://asteriablackwell.substack.com/
Instagram: @asteriablackwell
Email Big Midge the Oracle: oracle@asteriablackwell.com
Email Asteria: asteria@asteriablackwell.com
❦
Written and Narrated by Sandy Lynn. https://www.sandylynnstudio.com/.
All copyrights reserved. May 2024.
❦
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
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Scott Buckley Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/musicbyscottbuckley/about
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Asteria Blackwell (00:00):
Greetings and welcome, dear citizens of
Elysium.
You are listening to ElysiumPublic Radio.
I am your host, asteriaBlackwell, and this is Stories
from the Lost Library.
Now, before we begin, we alwaysstart with a warning, and, yes,
I realize the irony, for in thegolden days we would always
(00:23):
start with an honored prayer tothe muses for a memorable tale.
But in these modern times,warnings have replaced prayers
and our lawyers are insistent.
So take this warning as ouropening prayer.
This library, these stories,this missive, this community is
a safe and sacred space.
(00:45):
Keep all swords, daggers,poison, ignorance and hate to
yourself, for they have no placehere.
We are all seeking peace andsoftness.
There will be no tolerance forhateful words and comments,
general rudeness, patriarchaland colonialist attitudes and
(01:06):
those afflicted with thedisorder of having their mouth
be larger than their brains.
There is no guarantee everystory here will be a happy one.
In fact, some will be downrightawful, or the muses forbid
boring.
But what you consider boringand awful may not be to someone
(01:26):
else.
That is the nature ofstorytelling.
Not every story is for you.
I am high priestess of thesehallowed halls.
I am king of this space.
My word is law, and the law isthat all are welcome here, and I
truly mean all, every gender,every race, every background and
(01:47):
every inclination.
If you cannot abide by my laws,then please go roll in the mud
with the rest of the pigssomewhere else.
As for the rest of us, welcome.
You are meant to find your wayhere, to find your way here.
(02:11):
Welcome back all.
It is a pleasure having youhere.
I have so much to share withyou this week.
I want to start off by sayinghow eternally grateful and happy
it makes me to see so manysouls spending time in our
library.
Like I mentioned last time,people are making this into a
wonderful gathering place and wehave decided to embrace that
energy.
(02:31):
With that, I am pleased toannounce the opening of the
Ambrosia Cafe, located insidethe Lost Library.
The Ambrosia Cafe is helmed bythe amazing Lady Phryne and her
wonderful baristas, who are hereto offer you a wide selection
of beverages, everything fromthe popular coffee based drinks
(02:55):
to a selection of lovely handblended teas.
Plus, they offer the everpopular Jug of Wine from the
Dionysus Wineries.
And let's not forget to mentionthe selection of beers, meads
and ports, and this is mostexciting.
But our baristas have developeda line of blood-based drinks
(03:19):
for the discerning vampires andundead among us.
Vampires and undead among us.
Those new concoctions rangefrom flavored, spiced and
supercharged, and can be madeiced or warm.
Partnering with Franny and theAmbrosia Cafe is Chef Will Blake
, who many of you will recognizeas the werewolf who owns and
(03:40):
runs the highly popular FleaBite Bakery down in the Arts
District.
He is bringing us tasty treatssuch as pastries, sandwiches and
organic treats for everyone,whether you are human, animal or
something in between.
The Ambrosia Cafe is located inthe north reading space and is
(04:02):
open now.
We have plenty of comfortabletables and chairs, and we even
have real plates and napkins tocut down on paper waste Plus.
It's just so much morecivilized.
We have dedicated the cafe areaand that North Reading space as
the place for any patrons whowish to have lively
(04:25):
conversations and hold meetingsof groups.
In equal turn, the west readingspace is now our silent space.
If you are like me and getdistracted when the coffee bean
grinder goes off every fewminutes, then you will
absolutely love this area.
We have brought in some quality, overstuffed furniture, the
(04:48):
kind that just invites you tosink in and relax, and I must
say from personal experiencethat those chairs are quite
addicting, especially when youhave a good cup of tea and a
good book.
I find that bad moods evaporatein moments when I'm there.
Of course, do not worry, for westill have the moss chairs and
(05:11):
meadows to sit in, yes, but it'salso nice to have proper chairs
and couches and tables.
Some of us do have rather badknees and stiff backs after
putting on miles of adventures.
And speaking of updating ourspaces, this is terribly
exciting.
Two massive fireplaces appearedovernight last week.
(05:35):
One rose up in the west silentspace and the other between the
cafe and the farm meadows, otherbetween the cafe and the farm
meadows.
We have added a variety of newlamps and rugs, and when we came
in the next morning, thelibrary had decided to add to
the ambiance itself by dreamingto life these amazingly carved
(05:57):
mantles with roaring fires.
The flames have been goingstrong for over a week now and
they've yet to dim or slow down.
You can sit as close as youlike to the flame without
getting too warm, and they smellof soft Palo Santo and
evergreen.
There are always patrons to befound now near the fires,
(06:21):
basking in the soft magic ofthis space, reading in
solidarity under our starrydomed ceiling.
It's utterly magical.
I mentioned last time that somany exciting book clubs and
learning communities are forminghere, and we have new ones that
crop up daily.
Just today, for example, we hadone club meet that is reading a
(06:46):
spicy gay pirate romance novel,and then there was another one
that is choosing to dive intofirst-hand accounts of great
naval battles in history.
That naval group is quite rowdy.
I have never heard so manyheated arguments over ships in
my entire life.
Everyone who comes through thedoors here are so passionate
(07:10):
about something, and I am gladwe can offer space for that.
Also.
One of our resident squirrelpatrons brought up the notion of
having a seed library, which isa repository of all sorts of
seeds, acorns and assorted items.
I thought this was a fabulousidea, so we have set up a space
(07:34):
near the main checkout deskwhere you can take or leave
seeds as you wish.
Right now we have a plethora ofselections.
There are plenty of pomegranateseeds and narcissus and
hyacinth.
Oh, and we even have some ofthose lovely whirligig seeds
from Yggdrasil, the world tree.
(07:55):
So you can start your own worldtree, but just make sure you
have space for it.
Dears, they do tend to growrather large.
So for those of you with alonging for greenery and growth
and good dark dirt, come on byand help yourself.
One housekeeping note I do needto pass along.
(08:17):
We've had quite the uptick insouls coming in to partake in
solo and or group rituals and ororgies in the forest depths.
We welcome everyone, of course,but please do stop by the main
desk to arrange a reservationwith me so we know you are here
(08:39):
and we can add you to ourschedule of events if you wish.
Plus, this will help to ensureno one stumbles onto your ritual
unintended, unless you wantthem to.
All right, dear listeners, Iwant to follow up on a topic we
discussed in our last episode.
(09:01):
I mentioned I had received aletter from someone at the
university who had concernsabout our library and my
credentials.
I extended an invitation to theuniversity for them to come and
speak with me directly and I'mhappy to report that I had a
large group of academics take meup on that offer and it was a
(09:23):
wonderful meeting.
We have come to the arrangementthat if their papers and books
are included in our library,well then they have no
objections at all, which islovely.
They will work up aclassification and notation
system for the library'soffering on their end and they
designated a liaison who willhelp coordinate between the lost
(09:46):
library and the university.
Her name is Cassie and she isquite lovely and, frankly, one
of the most intelligent peopleI've come across in many years
people I've come across in manyyears.
This liaison role is part ofher dissertation studies and
she'll be the one to reach outto you if you have questions in
that realm.
(10:07):
The ever-increasing number ofindividuals who are here to help
to be part of this amazingspace has been nothing short of
extraordinary.
And you know, dear listeners, Iwas thinking last night of ways
that we could best channel thatexcitement and energy into
something life-changing, intosomething that can do good
(10:29):
wherever it goes, and I'mconsidering if this is the right
time to begin a special groupof acolytes, a good
old-fashioned mystery cult, ifyou will.
Now, some of us who have beenhere for eons are very familiar
with a wide variety of mysterycults, and I mean, who hasn't
(10:51):
been to a Dionysian mystery cultparty and gotten so drunk you
swear you were dancing withDionysus himself and you hear
the stars sing in joy?
And well, you know all of theother perks that come from a
good Dionysus cult party.
Those of you who have never hadthe pleasure should know that a
(11:11):
mystery cult is a group oflike-minded souls who have
converted their passions intodevotion and, if called,
ecstatic ritual.
This is a secret society, so tospeak, where we will form our
own bonds and make our own rulesand rituals as we dive deep
into the mystery and ecstasy ofthe act of learning and holding
(11:35):
stories sacred.
Perhaps we can begin by namingit the Lost Library Mystery Cult
.
If anyone is interested, pleasesee me at the front desk.
If you're listening and cannotmake it to the library, then
please email me at priestess atlostlibraryofeliseumcom.
There will be a mystery cultlevel available on our sub stack
(11:59):
with our own private channelsof communication.
Okay, now for some announcements.
On behalf of the Elysium TownCouncil and the Elysium
Activities Board, I am elatedthat I get to announce the
(12:19):
2,524th Great Dionysia Festivalwill take place later this
spring.
Yes, this is amazing news to beback in full swing.
The Great Dionysia, which manyalso refer to as the City
Dionysia, is a renownedplaywriting competition, and
(12:42):
what is even more thrilling isthat this year the Great
Dionysia will be happening rightalongside the Olympic Games.
There will be so much going onthis summer.
I cannot believe it.
Of course, the Olympic Gameshappen every four years and are
for anyone who wishes to sign up.
(13:03):
There will always be theclassic games, such as wrestling
, running and all of that, butnew sports are being added in
this time, so be on the lookoutfor golf, synchronized swimming
and water polo.
Clothing, as always, iscompletely optional, but the
pros know it just slows you down.
(13:26):
Now, as we mentioned earlier,the city Dionysia will take
place in its usual location, atthe amphitheater, in the
evenings, after the games haveconcluded.
For the day, you can expect awhole slew of new plays, both
comedies and tragedies, for yourentertainment, and I know I'm
(13:46):
going to get emails from OscarHammerstein, but there is no
musical section.
I'm terribly sorry.
You will just have to take thatup with the event organizers.
I'm sorry, and I could sharethe fantastic news, which is,
after decades of letters andpublic shaming, the organizers
(14:08):
have finally agreed to implementa women's play competition.
I don't see why they won't letwomen enter the main event
unless they're worried they'llget soundly beaten.
But progress is progress, evenif it's only a publicity step.
So, ladies, sharpen your quillsand get cracking.
(14:29):
You have some haters to squash.
I don't know about you, but I ammost looking forward to seeing
what William Shakespeare willbring this year.
Last year, as many of you mayremember, he and his boyfriend
Kit Marlowe took first placewith the hilarious Witches of
Ilium, breaking Sophocles'38-year-long first place streak.
(14:52):
The buzz around the Witches ofIlium has not quite died down
yet, even today, and I must sayit is still one of my favorite
productions.
Oh, and I almost forgot tomention another change this year
no one will be eaten by lionsif you place less than fifth.
Yes, I know, it was puttingsuch a damper on a great time,
(15:16):
so instead just expect endlessridicule instead of being mauled
by hungry lions.
And for those of you who aremore hands-on, the city Dionysia
is in need of people toconstruct sets, costumes and
masks.
Oh, and ticket takers, ofcourse, and the Olympic Games
(15:36):
will also need hands for ticketsand events set up.
So please do sign up if youwish to be involved.
No prior experience is needed,but we do need some people who
know how to use some tools andsuch.
(15:58):
Now let's hear an update fromour wonderful oracle, big Midge.
I asked Big Midge how her datewith Brunhild went, and here is
what she had to say, in typicalBig Midge fashion Let me sing of
love, for I am tired of singingof death, of fate and cruelty.
She is my siren.
She called out in the darknessFind me, love me, let me love
(16:21):
you.
We have found each other inevery universe, in every life,
and I have written a thousandstories for her.
We are as one, one breath, onethought, and we are a dream sung
into life by the stars.
Thought, and we are a dreamsung into life by the stars.
(16:46):
That sounds amazing andeveryone can hear how wildly in
love she is, and I am ecstaticfor the both of them.
I believe I even saw a U-Haulin front of Big Midge's house
the other morning, which is awonderful turn of events.
Remember, you can send in yourqueries to Big Midge via email
at oracle, atasteriablackwellcom, and she'll
reply if she has something toshare.
(17:06):
Okay, here we go, oracle numberone.
Dear Big Midge, my grandmotheralways told me to keep a birch
branch tacked above my door forbanishing and keeping away ill
spirits.
I've done so without fail foryears, but my grandmother never
(17:27):
mentioned what to do when thebirch banishes you from your own
home.
I haven't been able to getinside my house for over a week.
Help, sincerely Locked Out.
Dear Locked Out.
Well, the birch is doing itsjob.
Then it seems it sounds likeyou've been infected with a
(17:48):
curse.
Have you been consorting withthe wrong sort of folk, like the
ones who voted for that orangedemon in the American elections?
Wait, are you the one who stucka Trump flag out in their front
yard?
Yes, I can see it now veryclearly Locked out.
Your house hates you and whatyou've done to it.
(18:11):
You need to take a journey tothe cleansing waters of
Excelsior Springs and try towash away that curse, which is
rather sticky and often needssoap and sometimes a lie.
If that doesn't work, I'mafraid you'll have to find a new
place to live.
Sorry, dear, that's whathappens when you consort with
(18:32):
the wrong sort of folk.
Oracle number two Dear Big Midge, I recently inherited a strange
small statue from my uncle whowas a professor at the
university.
It kind of looks like anoctopus, but also a dragon and
(18:53):
maybe a human face.
It's hard to say because itkeeps shifting every time.
I look at it directly and theissue is this thing whispers to
me every single night and itsays some really weird stuff,
like jail time weird.
I don't know what to do withthis thing and my mom says I
have to keep it because it's myuncle's and but it really creeps
(19:14):
me out.
Help Sincerely.
Going Slowly Insane.
Dear Going Slowly Insane,please return that to the
university.
They've been looking for it and, for goodness sakes, please do
not wake it up.
It's the oldest of the old godsand it took a lot of blood
sacrifice to get it to sleep,and so, for the love of all,
(19:39):
just don't answer back.
Oracle number three.
Dear big midge, my neighbor'srooster wakes me up every
freaking morning.
I want to sleep in, but thisjerk just keeps crowing his head
off.
What can I do Sincerely?
(19:59):
Sleepless in Seattle.
Dear Sleepless in Seattle.
The roosters are going to war,so they sing out a mourning
battle cry, but then realizethat that is a lot of work and
maybe it can wait another day.
I'm afraid you'll have tochallenge the rooster to a
battle and let him win.
(20:28):
All right, let's pause andconsider the weather and what
you can expect.
Yggdrasil's leaves areunfurling, so watch out for
those whirligig seeds or you mayend up with a world tree
sprouting up in your backyard.
That's how we ended up with anoffshoot of Yggdrasil growing
behind the convenience store onWashington Street, and it's
(20:51):
already starting to produce newworlds.
Last night's freak light stormdisrupted the auroras, which
sent hundreds of sprites aflight.
I am hearing reports that thefireflies have also been carried
off on the electric winds, butmost are making their way back
home.
We can expect several days ofodd light flashes and hums as
(21:14):
the sprites and firefliesrecover, and I do have an update
on that surprise eclipse weexperienced Monday.
The moon who was originallyblamed, as she usually is, has
been cleared.
We have confirmation that itwas Fenrir, the great wolf of
the north, who became a littletoo inebriated on a night out
(21:38):
and, as we all know, when Fenrirgets inebriated he becomes very
maudlin, and when he becomesmaudlin he eats the sun.
Fenrir is now recovering, but Ihear he has heartburn and wants
everyone to know he is sorryand he sincerely regrets his
actions.
Loki, if you are listening,please come get your son and
(22:03):
maybe consider taking him intotherapy, or just take him to a
sporting event or something.
Eating the sun is always a signof attention, seeking, seeking.
Now, dear listeners, I no doubtknow that you have gotten word
(22:27):
that Charon the ferryman of thedead is in Elysium at this very
moment.
His arrival has caused quitethe stir and he has not left his
ferry post since before anyonecan remember and, frankly, no
one seemed aware that he couldleave.
To be honest, it seems he hasbeen ferrying souls across the
(22:50):
river because he enjoys it.
Apparently, I must admit, hispresence here is my fault and I
apologize to the citizens ofElysium for how upsetting this
is.
You see, when we brought ourlost library home from the
Mirkwood Forest, there was noother option but to use Caron's
(23:12):
Ferry, and that old wooden boatwas just not able to handle the
weight of a library.
Me and a lunamoth, I dare saythis might have been the first
library who needed to cross insuch a manner.
The library of Alexandria wafteddown to the underworld on smoke
(23:33):
plumes, and so did all of Troy.
Come to think of it.
Atlantis, of course, floated in, but this boat has been in use
for eons, so I feel like thiscould have been something
expected.
Regardless, the boat held up asvaliantly as it could, but
(23:54):
right as we neared the far shoreit cracked in two with a heavy
groan, and as soon as we steppedoff, it sank into the river.
I did offer to pay Charon forthe boat, but he demanded that
we fix it.
Well, I am a priestess and nota boat builder.
Plus, I have no tools, and well, that does not seem to matter
(24:20):
to Charon.
I do not want to speak ill ofthe man, but he told me to go
look in my library for a book onboat repair and get on it,
which seemed rather rude.
Unfortunately, we did haveunpleasant words, and well, I'll
just say that he is still soreabout the entire situation,
(24:43):
entire situation so sore, infact, that he has walked, while
carrying the remnants of hisboat, along the shores of the
Akron River, just to depositthem on my doorstep.
(25:03):
Which now brings me to humblyask if we have any listeners
here who have experience withboat repair.
Any Vikings in town, egyptiansor Phoenicians perhaps, but
please no one from the WhiteStar line, though I am afraid
Charon will not leave untilsomeone has repaired his ferry.
(25:24):
He has set up a camp behind thelibrary and seems content to
wait it out.
I fear this will become arather dire situation unless
some compromise can be made.
The positive side of this isthat Charon's presence seemed to
have scared off that errantChristian who keeps trying to
(25:46):
set the library on fire and thewater sprites do need a rest
from putting out so many fires.
I have gone out to sit withCharon and the remnants of his
boat to perhaps come to someagreement.
But Charon is not much forconversation, but, surprisingly,
his boat is.
(26:06):
Yes, I know I was surprised too.
The boat wanted me to hear hisstory, which I did with honor.
So, dear listeners, as a peaceoffering to Charon and the
magnificent boat who ferrieduntold numbers of souls across
the dark waters of the RiverAcheron and the River Styx, here
(26:28):
is his story, just as he spokeit to me.
I have waited long to tell thisstory.
Enough eons have passed that itfeels like my life was a dream,
but I remember the before.
I was a giant ash, once a king,among the great trees that
(26:52):
overlooked a cliff on a dark andwild northern sea.
Cold rains and blowing windswere my cradle.
As I rose up, larger andstronger than anything around me
.
King, the trees began towhisper.
King, I took the title theyoffered.
(27:12):
I held our memories.
I held court and listened tothe whispers of the earth, to
the stars singing their songsand of the wild life that
surrounds us.
We had a peaceful life for along time until the day the
boats arrived.
A dozen of these long, thinboats packed with bearded men
(27:37):
blew into the cove, driven by afierce storm.
The men washed up on the beachafter their boats shattered on
the rocky shore.
Even I swayed in that storm, sogreat was it, one for the ages.
Lightning rained down, one boltafter another, and the wind
(27:59):
drew of huge waves to batter theshore.
Many souls in the forest andthe sea lost their lives that
day, but enough of the beardedmen survived.
When the skies cleared, theyraided my land and began to hack
down so many of my denizens,only to burn them all.
(28:21):
Every single one of them heldstories of the days long gone,
and it all went up to the stars,carried by embers.
My queen shivered nearby as wecould do nothing but watch them.
The bearded men soon turnedtheir eyes to me and her.
They whispered of how straightand tall the two of us were as
(28:46):
they stacked more and more woodon their fires.
Their eyes darted between theirbroken ships and us,
calculating and planning andtalking more over the endless
fires.
The next morning at dawn, themen advanced on us, axes drawn.
(29:07):
In the end, it was only me theytook, for the sea had claimed
so many of their numbers.
I had no resistance againstthose weapons.
None of us did.
My queen screamed, but theycould not hear her.
Yet I could, and I still, hearthe echoes of her everywhere,
(29:28):
even today.
They hacked and chopped andshaped.
They ran blades over every inchof me, peeling away bark and
branches, until I resemblednothing of what I had been
before.
I was shaped into one of theirboats.
My spine had been carved intothe spine of their ship.
(29:49):
As they pushed me out into theocean and stepped inside, intent
on carrying me away fromeveryone I had ever known, I
heard my queen calling out tothe gods, demanding justice.
They have killed our king, mymate.
Please save him.
She cried.
Save him, for he is our king,he is worthy and I love him.
(30:13):
One god answered her call.
I do not know which one to thisday, but as soon as we met the
open sea, a great wave came outof nowhere and overturned me and
all of the bearded men Icarried.
In one heartbeat, the menscreamed and flailed.
(30:34):
I hung upside down for a longmoment, bouncing against the
battering waves, everything thathad been strapped to me fell
away and sank into the darkness.
I floated for a while, but soonthe water took hold and I began
to sink too.
Bodies of men fell alongside me.
(30:55):
The further we sank, the morethe darkness swallowed us whole
and till there was no hint ofthe sun.
I had once worshipped son.
I had once worshipped.
When I came to, I found myselfwashed up on a black sand beach
that was littered with debris.
Items like cooking pots andtrunks and all sorts of jewelry
(31:18):
lay scattered about like a wreck.
Muddy water lapped at my sidesand nothing seemed like home
lapped at my sides and nothingseemed like home.
After some time I noticed avery tall, dark figure walking
along the shore.
His slow, heavy steps were theonly sound in this strange place
(31:42):
.
He stopped before me and stared, just as the bearded men had
done before.
Without a word, he flipped meover with one hand and dumped
out the sand and water that hadgathered on my decks.
I was pushed back into thatmuddy water and he stepped
inside and began to guide medown the river.
(32:02):
We moved from place to placealong the banks, at first, just
picking up a few souls here andthere that seemed quite lost.
Yet every time we had droppedone group off on the other side,
we then discovered there were ahandful more in place just
waiting.
So we ferried them, thisstrange man and I.
(32:25):
He never spoke a word to me orthem, but I enjoyed having
something to do, at least A taskOver and over.
We carried passengers withoutquestion, without word.
They offered coins for therides, and soon they were too
heavy for me to carry, so theman offloaded them to the shore.
(32:50):
I knew I could never go homeagain.
I knew I was in the underworld,this strange place with a
strange sun.
The weight of the souls hasworn down my body, step after
step, as they traveled from onelife to another.
My queen's prayer has beenanswered in that, yes, I was
(33:11):
worthy, but no one, not even agod, could save me from my fate.
I've grown fond of this crankyold man who steers me.
He's never bothered to tell mehis name himself, but he takes
care of me, sweeping the decksand repairing what can be
repaired.
This is not the life I wouldhave chosen, but I am content in
(33:35):
knowing that I did some goodfor someone I do hope I can see
the stars again, though one lasttime.
Again, though one last time.
(33:57):
This is our great lost libraryof Elysium home at last, the
shining beacon of knowledge andlearning.
Twice a month I will bring you astory from the archives, so be
sure to join me as we explorethis magical world.
We by which I mean me and thislibrary are excited to share
these stories with you.
I welcome your feedback.
Please email me at asteria, atasteriablackwellcom, which I
(34:20):
will also list in the writtenshow notes, or stop by the main
circulation desk for a chat.
My name is Assyria Blackwelland you have been listening to
Stories from the Lost Library onElysium Public Radio.
© transcript Emily Beynon.
(34:47):
This has been a production ofElysium Public Radio and Sandy
(35:14):
Lynn Studio.
Our music is written andperformed by Scott Buckley.
Today's story was written andnarrated by Sandy Lynn.
Follow us on Instagram andTikTok under the handle Asteria
Blackwell For more informationon the show or to obtain a
library card for the LostLibrary of Elysium, or perhaps
(35:37):
to join our mystery cult.
Then find us on Substack atasteriablackwellsubstack dot com
.
Greetings and welcome, dear citizens of
Elysium.
You are listening to ElysiumPublic Radio.
I am your host, asteriaBlackwell, and this is Stories
from the Lost Library.
Now, before we begin, we alwaysstart with a warning, and, yes,
I realize the irony, for in thegolden days we would always
(00:23):
start with an honored prayer tothe muses for a memorable tale.
But in these modern times,warnings have replaced prayers
and our lawyers are insistent.
So take this warning as ouropening prayer.
This library, these stories,this missive, this community is
a safe and sacred space.
(00:45):
Keep all swords, daggers,poison, ignorance and hate to
yourself, for they have no placehere.
We are all seeking peace andsoftness.
There will be no tolerance forhateful words and comments,
general rudeness, patriarchaland colonialist attitudes and
(01:06):
those afflicted with thedisorder of having their mouth
be larger than their brains.
There is no guarantee everystory here will be a happy one.
In fact, some will be downrightawful, or the muses forbid
boring.
But what you consider boringand awful may not be to someone
(01:26):
else.
That is the nature ofstorytelling.
Not every story is for you.
I am high priestess of thesehallowed halls.
I am king of this space.
My word is law, and the law isthat all are welcome here, and I
truly mean all, every gender,every race, every background and
(01:47):
every inclination.
If you cannot abide by my laws,then please go roll in the mud
with the rest of the pigssomewhere else.
As for the rest of us, welcome.
You are meant to find your wayhere, to find your way here.
(02:11):
Welcome back all.
It is a pleasure having youhere.
I have so much to share withyou this week.
I want to start off by sayinghow eternally grateful and happy
it makes me to see so manysouls spending time in our
library.
Like I mentioned last time,people are making this into a
wonderful gathering place and wehave decided to embrace that
energy.
(02:31):
With that, I am pleased toannounce the opening of the
Ambrosia Cafe, located insidethe Lost Library.
The Ambrosia Cafe is helmed bythe amazing Lady Phryne and her
wonderful baristas, who are hereto offer you a wide selection
of beverages, everything fromthe popular coffee based drinks
(02:55):
to a selection of lovely handblended teas.
Plus, they offer the everpopular Jug of Wine from the
Dionysus Wineries.
And let's not forget to mentionthe selection of beers, meads
and ports, and this is mostexciting.
But our baristas have developeda line of blood-based drinks
(03:19):
for the discerning vampires andundead among us.
Vampires and undead among us.
Those new concoctions rangefrom flavored, spiced and
supercharged, and can be madeiced or warm.
Partnering with Franny and theAmbrosia Cafe is Chef Will Blake
, who many of you will recognizeas the werewolf who owns and
(03:40):
runs the highly popular FleaBite Bakery down in the Arts
District.
He is bringing us tasty treatssuch as pastries, sandwiches and
organic treats for everyone,whether you are human, animal or
something in between.
The Ambrosia Cafe is located inthe north reading space and is
(04:02):
open now.
We have plenty of comfortabletables and chairs, and we even
have real plates and napkins tocut down on paper waste Plus.
It's just so much morecivilized.
We have dedicated the cafe areaand that North Reading space as
the place for any patrons whowish to have lively
(04:25):
conversations and hold meetingsof groups.
In equal turn, the west readingspace is now our silent space.
If you are like me and getdistracted when the coffee bean
grinder goes off every fewminutes, then you will
absolutely love this area.
We have brought in some quality, overstuffed furniture, the
(04:48):
kind that just invites you tosink in and relax, and I must
say from personal experiencethat those chairs are quite
addicting, especially when youhave a good cup of tea and a
good book.
I find that bad moods evaporatein moments when I'm there.
Of course, do not worry, for westill have the moss chairs and
(05:11):
meadows to sit in, yes, but it'salso nice to have proper chairs
and couches and tables.
Some of us do have rather badknees and stiff backs after
putting on miles of adventures.
And speaking of updating ourspaces, this is terribly
exciting.
Two massive fireplaces appearedovernight last week.
(05:35):
One rose up in the west silentspace and the other between the
cafe and the farm meadows, otherbetween the cafe and the farm
meadows.
We have added a variety of newlamps and rugs, and when we came
in the next morning, thelibrary had decided to add to
the ambiance itself by dreamingto life these amazingly carved
(05:57):
mantles with roaring fires.
The flames have been goingstrong for over a week now and
they've yet to dim or slow down.
You can sit as close as youlike to the flame without
getting too warm, and they smellof soft Palo Santo and
evergreen.
There are always patrons to befound now near the fires,
(06:21):
basking in the soft magic ofthis space, reading in
solidarity under our starrydomed ceiling.
It's utterly magical.
I mentioned last time that somany exciting book clubs and
learning communities are forminghere, and we have new ones that
crop up daily.
Just today, for example, we hadone club meet that is reading a
(06:46):
spicy gay pirate romance novel,and then there was another one
that is choosing to dive intofirst-hand accounts of great
naval battles in history.
That naval group is quite rowdy.
I have never heard so manyheated arguments over ships in
my entire life.
Everyone who comes through thedoors here are so passionate
(07:10):
about something, and I am gladwe can offer space for that.
Also.
One of our resident squirrelpatrons brought up the notion of
having a seed library, which isa repository of all sorts of
seeds, acorns and assorted items.
I thought this was a fabulousidea, so we have set up a space
(07:34):
near the main checkout deskwhere you can take or leave
seeds as you wish.
Right now we have a plethora ofselections.
There are plenty of pomegranateseeds and narcissus and
hyacinth.
Oh, and we even have some ofthose lovely whirligig seeds
from Yggdrasil, the world tree.
(07:55):
So you can start your own worldtree, but just make sure you
have space for it.
Dears, they do tend to growrather large.
So for those of you with alonging for greenery and growth
and good dark dirt, come on byand help yourself.
One housekeeping note I do needto pass along.
(08:17):
We've had quite the uptick insouls coming in to partake in
solo and or group rituals and ororgies in the forest depths.
We welcome everyone, of course,but please do stop by the main
desk to arrange a reservationwith me so we know you are here
(08:39):
and we can add you to ourschedule of events if you wish.
Plus, this will help to ensureno one stumbles onto your ritual
unintended, unless you wantthem to.
All right, dear listeners, Iwant to follow up on a topic we
discussed in our last episode.
(09:01):
I mentioned I had received aletter from someone at the
university who had concernsabout our library and my
credentials.
I extended an invitation to theuniversity for them to come and
speak with me directly and I'mhappy to report that I had a
large group of academics take meup on that offer and it was a
(09:23):
wonderful meeting.
We have come to the arrangementthat if their papers and books
are included in our library,well then they have no
objections at all, which islovely.
They will work up aclassification and notation
system for the library'soffering on their end and they
designated a liaison who willhelp coordinate between the lost
(09:46):
library and the university.
Her name is Cassie and she isquite lovely and, frankly, one
of the most intelligent peopleI've come across in many years
people I've come across in manyyears.
This liaison role is part ofher dissertation studies and
she'll be the one to reach outto you if you have questions in
that realm.
(10:07):
The ever-increasing number ofindividuals who are here to help
to be part of this amazingspace has been nothing short of
extraordinary.
And you know, dear listeners, Iwas thinking last night of ways
that we could best channel thatexcitement and energy into
something life-changing, intosomething that can do good
(10:29):
wherever it goes, and I'mconsidering if this is the right
time to begin a special groupof acolytes, a good
old-fashioned mystery cult, ifyou will.
Now, some of us who have beenhere for eons are very familiar
with a wide variety of mysterycults, and I mean, who hasn't
(10:51):
been to a Dionysian mystery cultparty and gotten so drunk you
swear you were dancing withDionysus himself and you hear
the stars sing in joy?
And well, you know all of theother perks that come from a
good Dionysus cult party.
Those of you who have never hadthe pleasure should know that a
(11:11):
mystery cult is a group oflike-minded souls who have
converted their passions intodevotion and, if called,
ecstatic ritual.
This is a secret society, so tospeak, where we will form our
own bonds and make our own rulesand rituals as we dive deep
into the mystery and ecstasy ofthe act of learning and holding
(11:35):
stories sacred.
Perhaps we can begin by namingit the Lost Library Mystery Cult
.
If anyone is interested, pleasesee me at the front desk.
If you're listening and cannotmake it to the library, then
please email me at priestess atlostlibraryofeliseumcom.
There will be a mystery cultlevel available on our sub stack
(11:59):
with our own private channelsof communication.
Okay, now for some announcements.
On behalf of the Elysium TownCouncil and the Elysium
Activities Board, I am elatedthat I get to announce the
(12:19):
2,524th Great Dionysia Festivalwill take place later this
spring.
Yes, this is amazing news to beback in full swing.
The Great Dionysia, which manyalso refer to as the City
Dionysia, is a renownedplaywriting competition, and
(12:42):
what is even more thrilling isthat this year the Great
Dionysia will be happening rightalongside the Olympic Games.
There will be so much going onthis summer.
I cannot believe it.
Of course, the Olympic Gameshappen every four years and are
for anyone who wishes to sign up.
(13:03):
There will always be theclassic games, such as wrestling
, running and all of that, butnew sports are being added in
this time, so be on the lookoutfor golf, synchronized swimming
and water polo.
Clothing, as always, iscompletely optional, but the
pros know it just slows you down.
(13:26):
Now, as we mentioned earlier,the city Dionysia will take
place in its usual location, atthe amphitheater, in the
evenings, after the games haveconcluded.
For the day, you can expect awhole slew of new plays, both
comedies and tragedies, for yourentertainment, and I know I'm
(13:46):
going to get emails from OscarHammerstein, but there is no
musical section.
I'm terribly sorry.
You will just have to take thatup with the event organizers.
I'm sorry, and I could sharethe fantastic news, which is,
after decades of letters andpublic shaming, the organizers
(14:08):
have finally agreed to implementa women's play competition.
I don't see why they won't letwomen enter the main event
unless they're worried they'llget soundly beaten.
But progress is progress, evenif it's only a publicity step.
So, ladies, sharpen your quillsand get cracking.
(14:29):
You have some haters to squash.
I don't know about you, but I ammost looking forward to seeing
what William Shakespeare willbring this year.
Last year, as many of you mayremember, he and his boyfriend
Kit Marlowe took first placewith the hilarious Witches of
Ilium, breaking Sophocles'38-year-long first place streak.
(14:52):
The buzz around the Witches ofIlium has not quite died down
yet, even today, and I must sayit is still one of my favorite
productions.
Oh, and I almost forgot tomention another change this year
no one will be eaten by lionsif you place less than fifth.
Yes, I know, it was puttingsuch a damper on a great time,
(15:16):
so instead just expect endlessridicule instead of being mauled
by hungry lions.
And for those of you who aremore hands-on, the city Dionysia
is in need of people toconstruct sets, costumes and
masks.
Oh, and ticket takers, ofcourse, and the Olympic Games
(15:36):
will also need hands for ticketsand events set up.
So please do sign up if youwish to be involved.
No prior experience is needed,but we do need some people who
know how to use some tools andsuch.
(15:58):
Now let's hear an update fromour wonderful oracle, big Midge.
I asked Big Midge how her datewith Brunhild went, and here is
what she had to say, in typicalBig Midge fashion Let me sing of
love, for I am tired of singingof death, of fate and cruelty.
She is my siren.
She called out in the darknessFind me, love me, let me love
(16:21):
you.
We have found each other inevery universe, in every life,
and I have written a thousandstories for her.
We are as one, one breath, onethought, and we are a dream sung
into life by the stars.
Thought, and we are a dreamsung into life by the stars.
(16:46):
That sounds amazing andeveryone can hear how wildly in
love she is, and I am ecstaticfor the both of them.
I believe I even saw a U-Haulin front of Big Midge's house
the other morning, which is awonderful turn of events.
Remember, you can send in yourqueries to Big Midge via email
at oracle, atasteriablackwellcom, and she'll
reply if she has something toshare.
(17:06):
Okay, here we go, oracle numberone.
Dear Big Midge, my grandmotheralways told me to keep a birch
branch tacked above my door forbanishing and keeping away ill
spirits.
I've done so without fail foryears, but my grandmother never
(17:27):
mentioned what to do when thebirch banishes you from your own
home.
I haven't been able to getinside my house for over a week.
Help, sincerely Locked Out.
Dear Locked Out.
Well, the birch is doing itsjob.
Then it seems it sounds likeyou've been infected with a
(17:48):
curse.
Have you been consorting withthe wrong sort of folk, like the
ones who voted for that orangedemon in the American elections?
Wait, are you the one who stucka Trump flag out in their front
yard?
Yes, I can see it now veryclearly Locked out.
Your house hates you and whatyou've done to it.
(18:11):
You need to take a journey tothe cleansing waters of
Excelsior Springs and try towash away that curse, which is
rather sticky and often needssoap and sometimes a lie.
If that doesn't work, I'mafraid you'll have to find a new
place to live.
Sorry, dear, that's whathappens when you consort with
(18:32):
the wrong sort of folk.
Oracle number two Dear Big Midge, I recently inherited a strange
small statue from my uncle whowas a professor at the
university.
It kind of looks like anoctopus, but also a dragon and
(18:53):
maybe a human face.
It's hard to say because itkeeps shifting every time.
I look at it directly and theissue is this thing whispers to
me every single night and itsays some really weird stuff,
like jail time weird.
I don't know what to do withthis thing and my mom says I
have to keep it because it's myuncle's and but it really creeps
(19:14):
me out.
Help Sincerely.
Going Slowly Insane.
Dear Going Slowly Insane,please return that to the
university.
They've been looking for it and, for goodness sakes, please do
not wake it up.
It's the oldest of the old godsand it took a lot of blood
sacrifice to get it to sleep,and so, for the love of all,
(19:39):
just don't answer back.
Oracle number three.
Dear big midge, my neighbor'srooster wakes me up every
freaking morning.
I want to sleep in, but thisjerk just keeps crowing his head
off.
What can I do Sincerely?
(19:59):
Sleepless in Seattle.
Dear Sleepless in Seattle.
The roosters are going to war,so they sing out a mourning
battle cry, but then realizethat that is a lot of work and
maybe it can wait another day.
I'm afraid you'll have tochallenge the rooster to a
battle and let him win.
(20:28):
All right, let's pause andconsider the weather and what
you can expect.
Yggdrasil's leaves areunfurling, so watch out for
those whirligig seeds or you mayend up with a world tree
sprouting up in your backyard.
That's how we ended up with anoffshoot of Yggdrasil growing
behind the convenience store onWashington Street, and it's
(20:51):
already starting to produce newworlds.
Last night's freak light stormdisrupted the auroras, which
sent hundreds of sprites aflight.
I am hearing reports that thefireflies have also been carried
off on the electric winds, butmost are making their way back
home.
We can expect several days ofodd light flashes and hums as
(21:14):
the sprites and firefliesrecover, and I do have an update
on that surprise eclipse weexperienced Monday.
The moon who was originallyblamed, as she usually is, has
been cleared.
We have confirmation that itwas Fenrir, the great wolf of
the north, who became a littletoo inebriated on a night out
(21:38):
and, as we all know, when Fenrirgets inebriated he becomes very
maudlin, and when he becomesmaudlin he eats the sun.
Fenrir is now recovering, but Ihear he has heartburn and wants
everyone to know he is sorryand he sincerely regrets his
actions.
Loki, if you are listening,please come get your son and
(22:03):
maybe consider taking him intotherapy, or just take him to a
sporting event or something.
Eating the sun is always a signof attention, seeking, seeking.
Now, dear listeners, I no doubtknow that you have gotten word
(22:27):
that Charon the ferryman of thedead is in Elysium at this very
moment.
His arrival has caused quitethe stir and he has not left his
ferry post since before anyonecan remember and, frankly, no
one seemed aware that he couldleave.
To be honest, it seems he hasbeen ferrying souls across the
(22:50):
river because he enjoys it.
Apparently, I must admit, hispresence here is my fault and I
apologize to the citizens ofElysium for how upsetting this
is.
You see, when we brought ourlost library home from the
Mirkwood Forest, there was noother option but to use Caron's
(23:12):
Ferry, and that old wooden boatwas just not able to handle the
weight of a library.
Me and a lunamoth, I dare saythis might have been the first
library who needed to cross insuch a manner.
The library of Alexandria wafteddown to the underworld on smoke
(23:33):
plumes, and so did all of Troy.
Come to think of it.
Atlantis, of course, floated in, but this boat has been in use
for eons, so I feel like thiscould have been something
expected.
Regardless, the boat held up asvaliantly as it could, but
(23:54):
right as we neared the far shoreit cracked in two with a heavy
groan, and as soon as we steppedoff, it sank into the river.
I did offer to pay Charon forthe boat, but he demanded that
we fix it.
Well, I am a priestess and nota boat builder.
Plus, I have no tools, and well, that does not seem to matter
(24:20):
to Charon.
I do not want to speak ill ofthe man, but he told me to go
look in my library for a book onboat repair and get on it,
which seemed rather rude.
Unfortunately, we did haveunpleasant words, and well, I'll
just say that he is still soreabout the entire situation,
(24:43):
entire situation so sore, infact, that he has walked, while
carrying the remnants of hisboat, along the shores of the
Akron River, just to depositthem on my doorstep.
(25:03):
Which now brings me to humblyask if we have any listeners
here who have experience withboat repair.
Any Vikings in town, egyptiansor Phoenicians perhaps, but
please no one from the WhiteStar line, though I am afraid
Charon will not leave untilsomeone has repaired his ferry.
(25:24):
He has set up a camp behind thelibrary and seems content to
wait it out.
I fear this will become arather dire situation unless
some compromise can be made.
The positive side of this isthat Charon's presence seemed to
have scared off that errantChristian who keeps trying to
(25:46):
set the library on fire and thewater sprites do need a rest
from putting out so many fires.
I have gone out to sit withCharon and the remnants of his
boat to perhaps come to someagreement.
But Charon is not much forconversation, but, surprisingly,
his boat is.
(26:06):
Yes, I know I was surprised too.
The boat wanted me to hear hisstory, which I did with honor.
So, dear listeners, as a peaceoffering to Charon and the
magnificent boat who ferrieduntold numbers of souls across
the dark waters of the RiverAcheron and the River Styx, here
(26:28):
is his story, just as he spokeit to me.
I have waited long to tell thisstory.
Enough eons have passed that itfeels like my life was a dream,
but I remember the before.
I was a giant ash, once a king,among the great trees that
(26:52):
overlooked a cliff on a dark andwild northern sea.
Cold rains and blowing windswere my cradle.
As I rose up, larger andstronger than anything around me
.
King, the trees began towhisper.
King, I took the title theyoffered.
(27:12):
I held our memories.
I held court and listened tothe whispers of the earth, to
the stars singing their songsand of the wild life that
surrounds us.
We had a peaceful life for along time until the day the
boats arrived.
A dozen of these long, thinboats packed with bearded men
(27:37):
blew into the cove, driven by afierce storm.
The men washed up on the beachafter their boats shattered on
the rocky shore.
Even I swayed in that storm, sogreat was it, one for the ages.
Lightning rained down, one boltafter another, and the wind
(27:59):
drew of huge waves to batter theshore.
Many souls in the forest andthe sea lost their lives that
day, but enough of the beardedmen survived.
When the skies cleared, theyraided my land and began to hack
down so many of my denizens,only to burn them all.
(28:21):
Every single one of them heldstories of the days long gone,
and it all went up to the stars,carried by embers.
My queen shivered nearby as wecould do nothing but watch them.
The bearded men soon turnedtheir eyes to me and her.
They whispered of how straightand tall the two of us were as
(28:46):
they stacked more and more woodon their fires.
Their eyes darted between theirbroken ships and us,
calculating and planning andtalking more over the endless
fires.
The next morning at dawn, themen advanced on us, axes drawn.
(29:07):
In the end, it was only me theytook, for the sea had claimed
so many of their numbers.
I had no resistance againstthose weapons.
None of us did.
My queen screamed, but theycould not hear her.
Yet I could, and I still, hearthe echoes of her everywhere,
(29:28):
even today.
They hacked and chopped andshaped.
They ran blades over every inchof me, peeling away bark and
branches, until I resemblednothing of what I had been
before.
I was shaped into one of theirboats.
My spine had been carved intothe spine of their ship.
(29:49):
As they pushed me out into theocean and stepped inside, intent
on carrying me away fromeveryone I had ever known, I
heard my queen calling out tothe gods, demanding justice.
They have killed our king, mymate.
Please save him.
She cried.
Save him, for he is our king,he is worthy and I love him.
(30:13):
One god answered her call.
I do not know which one to thisday, but as soon as we met the
open sea, a great wave came outof nowhere and overturned me and
all of the bearded men Icarried.
In one heartbeat, the menscreamed and flailed.
(30:34):
I hung upside down for a longmoment, bouncing against the
battering waves, everything thathad been strapped to me fell
away and sank into the darkness.
I floated for a while, but soonthe water took hold and I began
to sink too.
Bodies of men fell alongside me.
(30:55):
The further we sank, the morethe darkness swallowed us whole
and till there was no hint ofthe sun.
I had once worshipped son.
I had once worshipped.
When I came to, I found myselfwashed up on a black sand beach
that was littered with debris.
Items like cooking pots andtrunks and all sorts of jewelry
(31:18):
lay scattered about like a wreck.
Muddy water lapped at my sidesand nothing seemed like home
lapped at my sides and nothingseemed like home.
After some time I noticed avery tall, dark figure walking
along the shore.
His slow, heavy steps were theonly sound in this strange place
(31:42):
.
He stopped before me and stared, just as the bearded men had
done before.
Without a word, he flipped meover with one hand and dumped
out the sand and water that hadgathered on my decks.
I was pushed back into thatmuddy water and he stepped
inside and began to guide medown the river.
(32:02):
We moved from place to placealong the banks, at first, just
picking up a few souls here andthere that seemed quite lost.
Yet every time we had droppedone group off on the other side,
we then discovered there were ahandful more in place just
waiting.
So we ferried them, thisstrange man and I.
(32:25):
He never spoke a word to me orthem, but I enjoyed having
something to do, at least A taskOver and over.
We carried passengers withoutquestion, without word.
They offered coins for therides, and soon they were too
heavy for me to carry, so theman offloaded them to the shore.
(32:50):
I knew I could never go homeagain.
I knew I was in the underworld,this strange place with a
strange sun.
The weight of the souls hasworn down my body, step after
step, as they traveled from onelife to another.
My queen's prayer has beenanswered in that, yes, I was
(33:11):
worthy, but no one, not even agod, could save me from my fate.
I've grown fond of this crankyold man who steers me.
He's never bothered to tell mehis name himself, but he takes
care of me, sweeping the decksand repairing what can be
repaired.
This is not the life I wouldhave chosen, but I am content in
(33:35):
knowing that I did some goodfor someone I do hope I can see
the stars again, though one lasttime.
Again, though one last time.
(33:57):
This is our great lost libraryof Elysium home at last, the
shining beacon of knowledge andlearning.
Twice a month I will bring you astory from the archives, so be
sure to join me as we explorethis magical world.
We by which I mean me and thislibrary are excited to share
these stories with you.
I welcome your feedback.
Please email me at asteria, atasteriablackwellcom, which I
(34:20):
will also list in the writtenshow notes, or stop by the main
circulation desk for a chat.
My name is Assyria Blackwelland you have been listening to
Stories from the Lost Library onElysium Public Radio.
© transcript Emily Beynon.
(34:47):
This has been a production ofElysium Public Radio and Sandy
(35:14):
Lynn Studio.
Our music is written andperformed by Scott Buckley.
Today's story was written andnarrated by Sandy Lynn.
Follow us on Instagram andTikTok under the handle Asteria
Blackwell For more informationon the show or to obtain a
library card for the LostLibrary of Elysium, or perhaps
(35:37):
to join our mystery cult.
Then find us on Substack atasteriablackwellsubstack dot com
.
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