Lyceum

//This is part of the Hangover city, Liverpool, uk setting//

=The Lyceum=

The Lyceum in Bold street was one of the first lending libraries in europe. Built in 1802 by Liverpool Literary and Philosophical Society as a comfortable and quiet place to meet away from the rowdiness of the coffee houses, it expanded and became the home of the Lyceum gentleman's club; being a slightly more discrete title than the Collective Guild Of Liverpool Manipulators of Magic, which the members realised was a bit long and blatant to fit over the door.

The building is veiled and warded, not so much to prevent people getting in (though it does that too), but more to prevent the activities of the Guilds members getting out and disturbing the mortals. The Waterloo Place entrance leads into the old public reading area, which is the only part of the building that can be entered by non guild members. It is used as a waiting area for those in the know who have come to meet one of the guild and as a coffee/ esoteric book shop where the guild can keep an eye out for potential recruits.

The wards can only be breached by members of the Guild, and a few trusted assistants who have been given personalised ‘keys’. There is only one door into the building, a small entrance down an alley at the side of the building between it and the central station complex. However any of the obvious doors can be used as an exit to allow guild members to sneak out as they wish. A trick often used by apprentices trying to avoid their masters after a particular unsuccessful experiment.

Inside the building appears to be much bigger than the external walls would suggest. Though if this is the case or just a trick of the light or an illusion is uncertain. The central cylindrical space is split into smaller areas on the lower floor, each dominated by a cauldron, lab bench, work shop, fire pit etc depending on the ‘flavour’ of magic the area is used for. The height of the area is utilised by rings of metal walkways with alcoves which are used to store the collected libraries and resources that the members of the guild can make use of. Of course most of the ‘major’ members would not stoop to using such ‘communal’ materials and pride themselves in having their own libraries and laboratories. However it is seen as ‘good enough for the apprentices and those poor folk with no real skill’. Further up these alcoves have been adapted into quiet reading spaces, known as ’The Stacks’ where guild members and apprentice can hide from each other when they are not feeling sociable.

Lighting is limited and mostly achieved by piped gas lights which bubble slightly and smell. There is one ancient Bakelite phone in the main office which is the only way of communicating with the out side world. Groups of apprentices can often be found huddled around texts or cauldrons discussing their latest experiments, or, on a bad day, running from the results. The Guild employ Matthew Khan, a wizard particularly talented in fire and water spells as a magical fire suppression system on days when the Apprentices in. Most Wizards in Liverpool have been ‘ticked off’ by him for attempting some effect that has got out of hand - in fact some claim you can not really claim the title of wizard until you have been.