Candlekeep

• Written by Chris Lindsay

• Edited by Michele Carter and Hannah Rose

Standing atop a rocky crag overlooking the Sea of Swords, the massive citadel of Candlekeep has endured the elements for centuries and defied the degradations of time. Visible for miles around, Candlekeep has an eye-catching silhouette: a high wall interspersed with towers. This wall encloses a large space from which more towers rise. Those who behold the edifice say it looks like nothing so much as a cake decorated with an overabundance of candles.

The entrance to Candlekeep is a double gate that stands at the end of the Way of the Lion, the only road that provides access to and from the outside world. The route follows a lonely path across the peninsula where Candlekeep stands.

Those who gain entry discover a cloistered community of scholars milling around inside Candlekeep’s walls, a place of enlightened conversation and friendly debate. No better place in the Realms exists for those who have a love for or a need of knowledge and who want to pursue such interests alongside fellow seekers.

Candlekeep has the largest repository of written lore in Faerûn, including the collected prophecies of an ancient sage named Alaundo the Seer. Those compiled divinations make up a tiny fraction of the accumulated knowledge and secrets contained in the library’s vast collection.

Not all knowledge preserved in Candlekeep is of historical importance. The library holds thousands upon thousands of lost recipes, old songs, collections of folklore, and journals written by folks whose time has long since passed. The abundance of these ancillary works makes finding notable tomes an exercise in patience and perseverance. Fortunately, a legion of scholars and sages called the Avowed look after the library and remain vigilant in the care and cataloging of all the knowledge it holds.

Entering Candlekeep

The required entrance fee for admission into Candlekeep is a work of writing not already collected therein. Those who show up at the gates without such a gift are kindly but firmly turned away.

The enormous double gates of Candlekeep are three times the height of a human and wrought of black metal magically warded to foil attempts to damage them. Both doors are emblazoned with the sigil of Candlekeep. One of the two gates stands open far enough to admit visitors during the day, and the other is kept shut.

Bedecked in purple vestments, five Avowed Priest of Deneir (god of writing) oversee the front gates, examining and discussing written works presented by hopefuls trying to gain entrance. If a question arises, the Avowed send a runner to consult with a sage in the library. The runner eventually returns bearing a missive of acceptance or denial. Visiting scholars experienced in this procedure often bring a selection of possible donations to ensure admittance. Despite the stringent entrance requirements, the Avowed do accept rare editions of tomes already in the collection, journals of those who recount unique or insightful experiences, or the odd work that has been annotated by a prominent scholar outside the library. Once granted admission, visitors quickly discover that it’s wise to assemble a “wish list” of works that members of the senior staff are interested in collecting, potentially reducing the guesswork of readmission on future visits.

Those admitted to Candlekeep, referred to as seekers, can request the assistance of an Avowed adjutant who acts as a guide and research assistant for the duration of their visit. This guide has access to all the resources of the library, with the exception of the vaults that contain the rarest and most dangerous works. Seekers can appeal to higher-ranking Avowed for permission to peruse these off-limits works.

Securing a Guide

If the adventurers require a guide, roll a d8 and consult the Avowed Adjutants table to determine the adjutant who is assigned to them, or choose one that you like.

Avowed Adjutants

Defenses and Decorum

Candlekeep is fortified by a fifty-foot-tall, fifteen-foot-thick, iron-reinforced stone wall with a double gate facing east. Although most of the Avowed are humble scholars, a number of potent spellcasters fill critical posts. If trouble occurs, the Gatewarden (an archmage) and up to four Mage arrive to investigate immediately. If they can’t bring the situation under control in short order, up to four additional Archmage arrive to lend assistance.

Wards

Numerous magical defenses protect the library. The most innocuous include wards to protect the library’s books from mold, weevils, and other threats. Other protections are more dramatic, as discussed below.

Magic Restriction

Wards prevent anyone from entering Candlekeep by any route other than through the front gates. Any attempt to magically bypass these gates fails. These wards do not prevent creatures from using magic to exit Candlekeep.

Anyone who tries to fly over the wall into Candlekeep is stopped short. Magical flight is dispelled, and the subject floats slowly to the ground fifty feet outside the gates. An intangible ward forces creatures that can fly naturally to either land or circumnavigate Candlekeep altogether. Ordinary birds are unaffected by this ward, and a clever wizard or other individual can bypass the ward by assuming the form of a Tiny bird. The Avowed don’t discuss this flaw with outsiders, but anyone who can see the gulls flying over Candlekeep can easily reach the conclusion that certain creatures are exempt from this magical restriction.

Fire Suppression

Flames larger than a candle are suppressed within the keep. (The fireplace in the Hearth, Candlekeep’s tavern, is an exception.) Thus, any spell that creates fire is wasted if it is cast within the keep.

Theft Protection

Every book, scroll, and other work considered part of Candlekeep’s collection is magically protected against theft. Any such work that is removed from the keep disappears and immediately returns to its proper place in the library.

This ward also has a flaw that the Avowed don’t discuss with outsiders. If pages from a book or parts of a scroll are torn away, these fragments can be removed from Candlekeep as long as the bulk of the work remains in the library. Similarly, if a work is split into pieces and entirely removed from Candlekeep, only the largest piece disappears and returns to its proper place in the library.

Shielding Mythal

From any location in Candlekeep, the Keeper of Tomes (see “area The Avowed” later in this section) can activate a mythal—an exceptional, unbreakable magical effect—that envelops all of Candlekeep in a protective shield through which nothing but air and sound can pass.

Orders of Accordance

All who enter Candlekeep must agree to the Orders of Accordance, rules set forth by the senior staff to prevent misconduct. Violating one or more of these orders results in banishment from Candlekeep, and the banished are seldom allowed to return. The rules are simple:

No fighting

All arguments must follow the rules of cordial debate and discussion. Violent altercations are not tolerated.

No stealing

This rule applies to all objects in the keep, not just the library’s works.

No copying

Visitors are permitted to take notes while studying the library’s works, but anyone who wants to make a full copy of a work must pay to have the manuscript created by scribes at the House of the Binder.

No damaging, marking, or otherwise modifying the works

This rule doesn’t apply to privately owned books, scrolls, and other documents that aren’t part of Candlekeep’s collection.

Npc Gender and Alignment

If no gender or alignment is specified for a nonplayer character in Candlekeep, you can choose that NPC’s gender identity and alignment.

Sages and Master Sages

Candlekeep’s resident lore experts are Master Sage and Sage who dedicate themselves to scholarship above all. Stat blocks for the master sage and the sage appear below.

The Avowed

Roughly three hundred Avowed live in Candlekeep. The majority of them are low-level assistants, newcomers to the order, or scribes who handle the everyday work in the keep (use the commoner stat block to represent them).

High-ranking members of the Avowed include the individuals described below.

Keeper of Tomes

The Keeper is the highest-ranking member of the Avowed and the governor of Candlekeep, who selects scholars to fill vacant leadership positions. The Keeper’s word is law, and each Keeper’s edicts are recorded for the edification of future Keepers.

A Keeper of Tomes chooses their own replacement. If a Keeper dies or departs before making that choice, the council of Great Readers votes to determine who among them is elevated to the position. Tie votes are broken by the First Reader.

In 1492 DR, the Keeper of Tomes is the human archmage Janussi, a devoted follower of Deneir.

Readers

The Keeper of Tomes appoints individuals to fill key roles, as described in the sections that follow.

First Reader

The First Reader constantly expands Candlekeep’s literary resources and base of knowledge. Acquiring unique tomes and scrolls falls under the First Reader’s purview.

In 1492 DR, the First Reader is Bookwyrm, a dragonborn master sage of green dragon ancestry. Bookwyrm’s real name is Skoda Valanaster.

Great Readers

Candlekeep maintains a council of eight Great Readers, senior Avowed who oversee day-to-day operations. These erudite scholars and gifted spellcasters are chosen from the ranks of Master Readers. Each is acknowledged as Candlekeep’s foremost expert on a particular area of study. Many of them use the master sage stat block presented earlier in this section.

In 1492 DR, the Great Readers are:

• A’lai Aivenmore, a human master sage and worshiper of Oghma (god of knowledge). Primary expertise: divinity (the gods and the nature of the divine).
• Alkrist, a dragonborn master sage of bronze dragon ancestry. Primary expertise: politics, military strategy, and significant battles of Toril.
• Daral Yashenti, a human master sage and poet. Primary expertise: music, poetry, and literature.
• Fheminor Scrivenbark, a lightfoot halfling master sage. Primary expertise: history, folklore, and the cultures of Toril (past and present).
• Kazryn Nyantani, a human master sage. Primary expertise: the natural world and celestial navigation.
• Sylvira Savikas, a tiefling archmage. Primary expertise: the Great Wheel of the planes.
• Teles Ahvoste, a human archmage. Primary expertise: magic items, curses, and the Weave.
• V’ziir-Ag, a githzerai master sage. Primary expertise: all things unnatural (including aberrations, undead, and the Far Realm).

Master Readers

Master Readers (Sage and Master Sage) oversee the scribes and teach the adjutants. These learned Avowed possess tremendous institutional knowledge.

Chanter

A chosen group of Avowed maintains a constant recitation of the prophecies of Alaundo the Seer. The Endless Chant, as it is called, travels throughout the keep day and night. It’s led by either the Chanter or a hand-picked subordinate.

In 1492 DR, the Chanter is a middle-aged shield dwarf priest of Milil (god of poetry and song) named Benedora Stoneforge.

Gatewarden

The Gatewarden maintains security at the front gates, through which all visitors must enter.

In 1492 DR, the Gatewarden is Kalan Strongbranch, a human archmage.

Candlekeep Locations

From the fabled Emerald Door to the deepest catacombs, Candlekeep contains wonders for those with the patience to find them.

Court of Air

This wide courtyard has nary a tree nor a well cluttering its cobblestone expanse.

House of Rest

This three-story bunkhouse in the Court of Air provides seekers with a place to rest and store their gear. The rustic accommodations include both private rooms and common rooms. In addition to comfortable lodgings, the House of Rest offers guests peace and quiet. Noisy patrons are directed to the Hearth if they want to continue their revels.

The House of Rest can hold up to fifty guests comfortably. If more space is needed, extradimensional spaces are created using Mordenkainen’s magnificent mansion spells, the doorways to which are located at the ends of the upstairs hallways. Beneath the House of Rest is an extension of the library known as the Firefly Cellar (see “Shemshime’s Bedtime Rhyme” later in this book for details).

The Hearth

From outside, the Hearth appears to be a modest tavern of sturdy construction, with warm light emanating from a pair of small windows on either side of the front door. Upon entering the establishment, visitors quickly realize that it’s three times more spacious on the inside.

The Hearth gained its larger dimensions courtesy of extradimensional magic created by worshipers of Gond (god of craft). An intricate clockwork device is suspended in a two-foot-diameter, faintly glowing crystal orb embedded in the ceiling over the bar. The Avowed call this device a geometric amplifier. It is the source of the magic required to maintain the integrity of the enlarged space.

The bar seats up to twenty customers, and patrons can also be seated comfortably at round tables with stout wooden chairs or at rectangular tables with benches. A dozen soft, cushy armchairs encircle the fireplace in the center of the room.

The Hearth’s patrons are a mix of fresh-faced adjutants, stodgy scholars, and eclectic guests.

Demiplanar Chambers

Several doors line the walls of the Hearth. Although visible from inside the taproom, they do not appear to exist when the structure is viewed from the outside. Each of these portals leads to a 30-foot-square demiplane that houses either a private meeting chamber or a shrine dedicated to Deneir (god of writing), Gond (god of craft), or Milil (god of poetry and song). Anyone can freely enter one of the shrines, but access to a private chamber requires a key from the barkeep and a payment of 5 gp.

Meeting Chambers

Each of the meeting chambers is humbly appointed with a large round table and chairs, plus a pair of sideboards containing dishes and cutlery. The menu and beverage list are posted on one wall in case those inside want to order food and drink during their gathering.

Shrines

Each of the shrines is outfitted with a simple wooden altar, tables and benches for study and reflection, and suitable wall hangings. These adornments vary from deity to deity, but generally include beautiful tapestries telling key stories of the relevant deity or framed, illuminated scriptures discussing and illustrating the god’s key tenets.

Little One

One of Candlekeep’s guests stands out from the rest of the crowd: a chaotic good ogre wearing a headband of intellect. He’s most often found sitting by himself in a corner of the Hearth’s taproom, reading a book.

A few years ago, the ogre was like many others of his kind—brutish and cruel. He met a halfling adventurer wearing the shiny gold headband and killed the puny runt for it. When the ogre attuned to it, the headband grew in size, enabling him to wear it. With an improved ability to reason and ponder, the ogre felt compelled to appreciate the error of his ways and seek out a better life. He adopted the name Little One, to honor the halfling whose life he cut short.

Shunned by polite society, Little One came to Candlekeep hoping to learn as much as he could. He’s a quiet but popular fixture in the keep, and the Avowed are always saying hello to him and recommending new books for him to read. He is currently reading Storm King’s Thunder, by Scriers Phink. This book follows the exploits of a band of adventurers searching for a storm giant king named Hekaton, whose sudden disappearance caused great upheaval up and down the Sword Coast some years ago.

You can use Little One to introduce your player characters to rare books such as the ones described in this adventure anthology. Little One doesn’t mind sharing whatever book he is currently enjoying.

Bath and Steam House

Avowed and seekers alike use this building as a place to relax. Spacious rooms in the building contain heated pools for respite while engaging in casual conversation or debates with others. Side chambers hold hot saunas and massage parlors.

House of the Binder

A seeker can request a copy of any book or scroll in the library, and the work of creating copies is performed by scribes in the House of the Binder. The entire text must be replicated, since the Avowed insist on maintaining the scholarly intent and integrity of the original author.

Nonmagical Tomes

The copying and binding of a typical book in Candlekeep’s library generally costs 100 gp or so (double for a translated version), though large books incur an additional charge. The manufacture of a facsimile takes weeks or even months for large tomes, so those who desire such a work must commission it in writing, provide payment in advance, and then return to the front gates to pick up the book or pay an additional price to have it delivered.

Spellbooks

A copy of a spellbook costs 50 gp per level of spells contained within it. For example, a spellbook that contains two 3rd-level spells, four 2nd-level spells, and six 1st-level spells (20 spell levels total) costs 1,000 gp to copy over to a new book.

Works of the Avowed

Each year, Candlekeep releases a small book stamped with the sigil of the library and credited to “The Avowed of Candlekeep.” These limited editions contain short essays, excerpts, and other writings relevant to a particular theme or subject, such as gardening, gemstones, longevity, or transformative curses. They are sold at the keep and by Candlekeep representatives in large cities for between 50 gp and 100 gp per book; speculators often acquire multiple copies in anticipation of a high resale value.

Pillars of Pedagogy

Seekers engage in quiet study and research within this austere cluster of closely huddled, flat-topped towers of varying heights. Each tower contains private rooms, available by reservation only, that feature permanent silence spells, allowing their occupants to read without disturbance.

Most research conducted by seekers happens in these towers. Seekers at the Pillars must rely on their Avowed guides to retrieve or return specific works from the Great Library to assist with their research. Most seekers never pass through the Emerald Door into the library proper.

Temple of Oghma

This modest stone temple is dedicated to the god of knowledge. Its bronze bell announces the beginning of services. Four large stone gargoyles perch on the cornices and gaze down protectively; these seemingly inert statues are Stone Golem charged with defending the temple. If called to service, they glide gently to the ground using a programmed effect similar to a feather fall spell.

The caretaker of the temple in 1492 DR is a human priest of Shou descent named Lorekeeper Kei Tigersteel. Though not officially an Avowed, the Lorekeeper enjoys the privilege of entering the library unaccompanied.

Erudite Outfitters & Clothiers

Seekers and members of the Avowed can buy new robes or have their well-worn clothes mended at this modest exchange.

In 1492 DR, the exchange is managed by Feldmar Bisset III, a human acolyte of Gond, an expert tailor, and a sericulture hobbyist. He and his family fashioned a place among the Avowed, crafting robes and other garments upon request. Feldmar teaches a compulsory class on simple stitching to adjutants in an effort to reduce the amount of basic patchwork he and his family do to keep the Avowed neatly clothed.

Next to the workshop is an atrium where Feldmar indulges his hobby of raising silkworms and harvesting their cocoons to weave small amounts of the precious cloth.

Smithy and Stables

A gold dwarf veteran named Khe’ril Hammerbind oversees the smithy, which adjoins the stables. Khe’ril and his apprentices produce shoes for horses and other mounts here. The heat from the forge provides warmth when winter comes calling.

The stables accommodate a wide range of mounts. Most of the stalls are designed for horses and ponies, but specialized stalls offer secure lodging and care for hippogriffs, griffons, and wyverns as well.

Emerald Door

The Emerald Door—the main point of access to the Inner Ward—stands at the western end of the Court of Air. It is fifteen feet tall and made of a translucent dark green stone that glows with an inner light. An arcane lock spell seals the door, which is further warded against all damage. Here, a Keeper of the Emerald Door (a mage) stands at all times to welcome newly arrived seekers. The Keeper uses runners to help seekers secure lodgings at the House of Rest and places to study in the Pillars of Pedagogy.

Keepers of the Emerald Door politely dispel any mistaken notions seekers might have about passing through the Emerald Door and exploring the Great Library beyond. The Inner Ward is off limits to seekers without special dispensation, which must come from the Keeper of Tomes, the First Reader, or one of the eight Great Readers. When permission to enter the Inner Ward is granted by such an individual, it’s customary for the beneficiary of this consent to receive a signed and sealed letter of admittance. The wax seal must be intact and unbroken when the letter is presented to the Keeper of the Emerald Door. The Keeper determines the letter’s authenticity by opening and reading it. If the letter passes muster, the Keeper returns it, opens the Emerald Door, and allows the letter’s owner to enter the Inner Ward. Unless a shorter or longer duration is specified in the letter, permission to occupy the Inner Ward lasts for a tenday, during which time the letter’s recipient can come and go as they please.

A Keeper can spot a forged letter of admittance with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check contested by the forger’s Dexterity (Deception) check. Anyone caught presenting a forged letter is denied access to the Inner Ward indefinitely.

A seeker who is denied entry to the Inner Ward can still enjoy the bulk of Candlekeep’s collected works. The seeker need only ask an Avowed adjutant to fetch the desired works and deliver them to the seeker’s preferred place of study in Candlekeep (usually a chamber in the Pillars of Pedagogy). Not all books in the collection can be checked out in this manner, however; the rarest and most dangerous tomes can be accessed only by creatures who are granted passage through the Emerald Door.

If a request is made for a work that has been checked out by another Candlekeep resident, it could be days or weeks before that work becomes available.

Inner Ward

The poster map included with this book shows the Inner Ward, which contains the Great Library—a veritable forest of stone towers clumped around stockier buildings, all joined together in the shadow of a high-walled citadel called Exaltation.

Extradimensional Spaces

Candlekeep has invisible doorways to dozens of permanent extradimensional spaces, some as small as a room at an inn and others as large as the space created by a demiplane or Mordenkainen’s magnificent mansion spell. The Avowed try to keep track of all the extradimensional spaces in Candlekeep, but a few forgotten doorways lurk in the library, their locations or access requirements lost. Valuable books, scrolls, and other items might be trapped inside these extradimensional spaces.

When an extradimensional space is rediscovered, it must be thoroughly explored, the resources within cataloged, and the space tested for its stability. When an extradimensional space is no longer needed or desired, the archmages of Candlekeep dispel it.

Great Library

The Avowed transported the towers of the Great Library piecemeal from other locations and painstakingly reassembled them, creating a skyline of bristling spires in a panoply of architectural styles. Among the stone structures are a few towers made of stranger materials, such as infernal iron and the bones of a long-dead colossal red dragon.

Non-Avowed rarely enter the Great Library, but senior staff members occasionally bestow letters of admittance upon individuals of remarkable talent and impeccable reputation (including adventurers). These visitors may peruse the contents within, with an Avowed adjutant (a commoner) serving as their guide. Visitors are required to stay with their guide, since those unfamiliar with the library might become lost in its labyrinthine halls and extradimensional spaces.

The oldest of the library’s buildings are soaring stone affairs with floors crafted from lustrous dark wood and floor-to-ceiling shelves. Ceiling heights vary, ranging from as low as ten feet to as high as one hundred feet in the tallest towers. The Avowed use floating disks, each one large enough to hold three Medium creatures, to reach the highest shelves. Continual flame spells light the well-traveled areas, and the Avowed employ Driftglobe when visiting remote sections. An intricate arrangement of mounted mirrors lights the upper reaches of the tallest chambers, reflecting sunlight by day or a continual flame spell on cloudy days or at nights.

Modrons

Candlekeep is a haven for thirteen rogue modrons (Monodrone) that escaped from Mechanus. The Avowed struck a deal with the creatures, and they’ve been part of the library staff ever since. Working alongside the Avowed, the modrons catalog and shelve books, though each of them can manage only one book at a time.

Exaltation

The bastion of Exaltation is the tallest and most heavily defended structure in Candlekeep. From the citadel’s stone battlements, one can see over the walls of Candlekeep in every direction.

The Avowed live in Exaltation, and visitors are not welcome here unless they’ve made an extraordinary donation or performed a special favor for the Avowed, in which case they’re allowed a room and given strict instructions not to wander the halls without their assigned guides.

The halls of Exaltation connect to its classrooms, kitchens, bakeries, dining halls, shrines, workshops, offices, study halls, scriptoriums, and dormitories.

Bells rung at dawn mark the beginning of everyone’s daily routine, and bells rung at highsun and sundown signal the serving of lunch and dinner. These bells also denote the changing of the guard at the eastern gatehouse and the Emerald Door.

Beneath Candlekeep

Secret staircases abound in Candlekeep, leading down to dusty vaults and catacombs that hold the oldest books. The flooded caves at sea level are haunted by all manner of strange creatures.

Miirym the Sentinel Wyrm

Well over 1,500 years ago, the silver dragon Miirym broke into Candlekeep, intent on adding its riches to her hoard. She devoured scholars and destroyed a score of irreplaceable books before she was confronted by an archmage and bound into service to protect Candlekeep as penance for her misdeeds. The wizard passed away before Miirym’s sentence had been served, and other spellcasters were unable to break the enchantment that bound her.

Time passed and so did Miirym, whose corpse has long since crumbled into dust. Unfortunately for Miirym, the enchantment remains in effect on her spirit. The spectral dragon—what’s left of her—dwells in the catacombs and caves under the library. Those who have visited the depths describe Miirym as a set of immense spectral jaws whose essence roils with the promise of breath weapons and spells of destruction.

Adventurers who explore the passages beneath Candlekeep might encounter Miirym, who’s more interested in news of present-day Faerûn than in fighting. Indeed, Miirym is an engaging conversationalist if one has the inclination to chat with her.

Miirym doesn’t have a treasure hoard. Instead, she protects the books and scrolls kept in her subterranean domain. The Sentinel Wyrm can be summoned by the Keeper of Tomes and called upon to defend Candlekeep from invaders who would plunder or destroy it. In her role as Candlekeep’s defender, Miirym can move anywhere within the library fortress, passing through walls and other solid barriers. She can’t enter extradimensional spaces, since they are not on the same plane of existence as Candlekeep. Miirym’s stat block appears at the end of this section.

Echoes of Alaundo

Shortly after Alaundo the Seer began speaking his prophecies, a wise novitiate devised a way to magically record his spoken words into prismatic gemstones now stored in a vault beneath Candlekeep. Only the First Reader and the Keeper of Tomes have the ability to coax audible recordings from these magic gemstones. Each one holds a prophecy spoken by Alaundo himself in an antiquated version of Common that is incomprehensible without the aid of magic. These gemstones came to be called the echoes of Alaundo.

Alaundo’s prophecies are easily misinterpreted, which is why First Readers and Keepers of Tomes rarely consult or take advantage of the echoes.

Chamber of Lost Lore

Deep beneath Candlekeep, past Miirym and the echoes, is a rough-hewn chamber lit by continual flame spells. Here, one can gain the power to contact the spirits of long-dead sages that are willing to share their insights and knowledge. High-ranking members of the Avowed make use of this chamber, but few seekers know of it.

Any creature that has an Intelligence of 8 or higher that spends 1 hour meditating in the chamber gains the ability to cast the contact other plane spell once, allowing the creature to commune with a spirit. The spell doesn’t need to be cast right away, nor does it need to be cast in the chamber. If the spell is not cast within 24 hours, however, it is lost.