• Location: Public Services Ring, Hope
• Address: W Seedway 4
• Surroundings: Formerly next to the Federal Hostel and Saloon of Hope.

The Federal Library of Hope, opened in June 2635, was the last branch of the Federal Library System. Operated under the Federal News Agency, it provided curated access to knowledge and literature selected through GAIA’s Federal Longlist.

On January 15, 2636, the building and its entire collection were destroyed in a fire. The site has since become a symbol of both loss and political contention. While the Federal Council pledged to rebuild the library using sustainable Mycel-blocks, the Individualist Party opposes the plan and campaigns to abolish the entire system.

The Hope branch was the fourth and last Federal Library established, following New Kourou, Firetown, and Morningstar. It quickly became a hub for education and cultural events, anchoring communal life in the agricultural settlement.

Its destruction in 2636 marked the greatest cultural loss of the early Gamma Age. The investigation, complicated by Hope’s Individualist mayor and Local Sheriff, remains unresolved. Traces of Hoos at the site suggested arson possibly linked to the Jane Mendoza Gang, but no definitive evidence was found.

• Construction Materials: Timber frames and stone foundations, sourced locally in Hope.
• Floors: 1
• Design Purpose: A modest but functional structure designed for reading, cultural exchange, and book storage.

Aftermath: The original building was completely destroyed by the fire. Only stone foundations and charred timbers remain on-site, now fenced off as an unsafe ruin.

• Reception & Lending Desk: Central point for borrowing, returns, and ledger updates.
• Reading Hall: Long tables and quiet alcoves, often filled with farmers and students.
• Event Room: Used for readings, workshops, and communal lectures.
• Stacks (Federal Longlist Collection): Shelves of fiction, non-fiction, reference, and educational texts.

Before the fire, the Federal Library of Hope was a modest but lively building. Wooden beams supported bright, open rooms, with daylight streaming in through simple windows. The air carried the smell of paper, wood polish, and fresh soil tracked in by farmers. Borrowing books was a quiet ritual that linked the rural population to the wider Confederation.

Now, the ruin tells another story. Blackened stone and scorched timber frame the site, a silent reminder of fragility. Citizens sometimes leave flowers or handwritten notes at the fence, treating the ashes as both a grave for lost knowledge and a rallying point for political debate.

At 3:00 AM on January 15, 2636, a fire swept through the building. No eyewitnesses were present. The blaze consumed the structure and its collection before firefighters could respond.

The Federal Attorney accused the Individualist Party of ideological sabotage, while Individualist leaders dismissed the claims as political propaganda. The case remains unsolved.

• Increased Security: Deputies were permanently assigned to the Federal Library of Firetown after the fire.
• Political Fallout: The incident became a central issue in the 2636 Federal Council elections.
• Symbolic Impact: The ruins turned into a contested site — seen by Communards as a martyr for culture, by Individualists as evidence of the system’s failure.

• Aisha Patel (Communard Supreme Councilor):
• “This is a tragic event that reminds me of the Middle Ages on Earth, when fear and ignorance led people to burn books. We must continue to protect knowledge and culture.”

• Decker Bolton (Individualist Mayor of Hope):
• “It’s an interesting coincidence. Perhaps this fire merely expedited the inevitable.”

The Federal Council announced in January 2637 its intention to rebuild the library with sustainable Mycel-blocks, making it the first Federal Library constructed under this method. However, the project’s fate remains uncertain due to the Individualist Party’s opposition.

• The Ashes of Hope: PCs investigate the ruins — are there hidden clues pointing to arsonists, or perhaps contraband texts buried in the rubble?
• The Protest at the Fence: PCs are caught in a standoff between Communard mourners and Individualist protesters at the site.

• Federal Library System
• Federal News Agency
• Communardism
• Individualist Party
• Jane Mendoza Gang
• ExoHuman Media in the Gamma Age
• The Gamma Age
• Aisha Patel
• Decker Bolton

Federal Libraries within the Federal Confederation:

• Federal Library of New Kourou
• Federal Library of Firetown
• Federal Library of Hope
• Federal Library of Morningstar