Curating the Indexes

“Shelves mean nothing if no one can find what they seek.”

This guide explains how the index pages work in the Grand Archives, and how you, the Observer, can keep them clean and readable.

Each of the main shelves has an index.mdx file:

src/content/docs/sessions/index.mdx
src/content/docs/lore/index.mdx
src/content/docs/characters/index.mdx
src/content/docs/locations/index.mdx

These are hand-crafted landing pages. They give players and future-you a quick overview and easy entry points into the deeper notes.

You do not need to touch Astro or config files to update them — just edit the markdown/MDX.

1. How the Session Ledger index works

File: src/content/docs/sessions/index.mdx
Shelf: Sessions = The Session Ledger

This page is where you list each session in a clean, chronological grid.

Inside the file you’ll see cards like this:

<div class="library-grid">

<a class="library-card" href="./session-01-prologue-at-the-ember-inn/">
  <div class="library-card-icon">(SVG Image)</div>
  <h2>Session 01 — Prologue at the Ember Inn</h2>
  <p>Short one–two sentence summary of the session.</p>
</a>

  <!-- more cards here -->

</div>

To add a new session:

Create the full session page from your template-session.md file.
Copy an existing card in the grid.
Change:
- href - the relative link to your new session file (no .md extension)
- <h2> text - session number & title
- <p> text - one–two sentence summary
Keep the cards in session order (01, 02, 03, …).

Tip: The icons are purely decorative. Use SVG images that feels right, for key sessions, arcs, etc. Should you have any issues, the scribe can lend his power.

2. The Lore Stacks index

File: src/content/docs/lore/index.mdx
Shelf: Lore = The Lore Stacks

This index is a map of big themes, not every single lore article.

Use it to highlight the major categories:

Conflicts
Divinity
Religions
Omain (world-level notes)

A typical layout looks like:

<div class="library-grid">
  <a class="library-card" href="./conflicts/">
    <div class="library-card-icon">(SVG Image)</div>
    <h2>Conflicts</h2>
    <p>Wars, political struggles, and tensions that shape the world.</p>
  </a>

{" "}

<a class="library-card" href="./divinity/">
  <div class="library-card-icon">(SVG Image)</div>
  <h2>Divinity</h2>
  <p>Cosmology, pantheons, and how divinity interacts with mortals.</p>
</a>

{" "}

<a class="library-card" href="./religions/">
  <div class="library-card-icon">(SVG Image)</div>
  <h2>Religions</h2>
  <p>Churches, cults, orders, and faiths across Omain.</p>
</a>

  <a class="library-card" href="./omain/">
    <div class="library-card-icon">(SVG Image)</div>
    <h2>Omain</h2>
    <p>High-level notes about continents, ages, and world history.</p>
  </a>
</div>

You rarely need to touch this page, only when:

You add a whole new lore category, or
You want to rewrite the blurbs to reflect how the campaign has evolved.

3. The Character Index

File: src/content/docs/characters/index.mdx
Shelf: Characters = The Character Index

This index is a hub for character groups, not a list of every NPC.

Example structure:

<div class="library-grid">
  <a class="library-card" href="./honourable-mentions/">
    <div class="library-card-icon">(SVG Image)</div>
    <h2>Honourable Mentions</h2>
    <p>Side characters and recurring faces the party keeps running into.</p>
  </a>

{" "}

<a class="library-card" href="./influential-people/">
  <div class="library-card-icon">(SVG Image)</div>
  <h2>Influential People</h2>
  <p>Rulers, fixers, guild leaders, and anyone with real pull.</p>
</a>

  <a class="library-card" href="./pantheon/">
    <div class="library-card-icon">(SVG Image)</div>
    <h2>Pantheon</h2>
    <p>Gods, saints, and entities that might answer a prayer… or not.</p>
  </a>
</div>

Use the subfolders (honourable-mentions, influential-people, pantheon) to store individual character pages.
You can optionally add another section to spotlight Player Characters if you want.

4. The Atlas of Omain

File: src/content/docs/locations/index.mdx
Shelf: Locations = The Atlas of Omain

This index summarises location types:

<div class="library-grid">
  <a class="library-card" href="./cities-and-villages/">
    <div class="library-card-icon">(SVG Image)</div>
    <h2>Cities and Villages</h2>
    <p>Settlements where the party can trade, rest, and cause trouble.</p>
  </a>

{" "}

<a class="library-card" href="./countries/">
  <div class="library-card-icon">(SVG Image)</div>
  <h2>Countries</h2>
  <p>Kingdoms, republics, and empires that sway the fate of Omain.</p>
</a>

  <a class="library-card" href="./landmarks/">
    <div class="library-card-icon">(SVG Image)</div>
    <h2>Landmarks</h2>
    <p>Ruins, towers, forests, and places that matter to the story.</p>
  </a>
</div>

Inside each folder (cities-and-villages, countries, landmarks) you create individual markdown files for each place using their templates.

5. General rules for editing any index

Don’t delete the frontmatter at the top of the file.
Use the existing structure as a template, copy a card, change the bits you need.
Keep the language short and punchy. Cards are signposts, not full essays.
When you rename a folder or move things around, double-check href="./something/" paths still point where you expect.

If something breaks (404s, missing content), it’s almost always:

A mistyped href
A missing / at the end of the link
Or a file being renamed without updating the link.

6. Recommended workflow after a session

Write or tidy the session recap in its own file under sessions/ (using the template).
If new NPCs or locations were introduced, create their pages in characters/ and locations/.
Add a new card to the Session Ledger index for that session.
If a major campaign arc or faction changed, consider updating a blurb on Lore or Characters index.
Commit and push your changes (Git Rituals covers this).

Do that consistently, and the indexes will always feel like curated shelves rather than random piles of parchment.

The deeper the Archives grow, the more important these signposts become. Keep them sharp, and your future self will thank you.