Esklindrar Iol

Esklindrar Iol was a sharp-tongued sage whose knowledge and memory of human lore along the Sword Coast surpassed that of anyone outside of Candlekeep.

Description
Esklindrar had a white beard and appeared old, feeble, and a bit unsteady on his feet. His looks may have been deceiving however, because his friend, the High Lady Alustriel Silverhand, was known to have cast several protective spells on him.

Personality
Esklindrar was an irascible elderly man with a hunger for knowledge. Despite his appearance as a doddering old man, he had an excellent memory and a sharp tongue.

Abilities
An expert in human writings, Esklindrar could remember every book he'd seen, where he'd seen it, and what it looked like. His knowledge of the Sword Coast area was the most extensive of anyone except a few Candlekeep scholars. As a result of being under the protection of Alustriel, he could surround himself with a spherical wall of force whenever he wished. His precious books, maps, and scrolls were guarded by blade barriers that he could summon at will, even if the object had been stolen away. He only needed to briefly handle a book or scroll in order to confer this protection on it.

Possessions
Until 1370 or 1371 DR, he was the proprietor of Esklindrar's Maps, Books, & Folios in Yartar. He lived above the shop and had an extensive selection of books, scrolls, manuscripts, and treasure maps.

Activities
Sometime in 1371 DR, Lady Alustriel persuaded him to become the manager of the Map House by offering him personal copies of its holdings. Esklindrar accepted her offer, moved into the Map House, and was given the title Master of the House. The Map House formerly belonged to the Heralds of Faerûn as a publicly accessible service for geographical maps and genealogical research, but was turned over to the newly formed Conclave of Silverymoon&mdash;a wizard's school and bardic college created by Lady Alustriel in her last year as High Mage of Silverymoon. These services continued to be provided after the Map House changed hands, but as Master of the House, Esklindrar controlled what items were allowed to be copied and disseminated.

Esklindrar was known to provide guidance and information to various adventuring groups that agreed to investigate leads to treasure and lore that his research had uncovered.

Relationships
Esklindrar was a friend of Alustriel Silverhand and many high-ranking Harpers. If any harm were to befall him, the Harpers and any of the adventuring bands he had befriended would likely seek revenge.