Candlekeep

Candlekeep is a many towered fortress library that stands on a crag, looking down upon the Sea of Swords. The library is filled with books and scrolls of knowledge, and it was the home of the great seer Alaundo, who foresaw the coming of the Bhaalspawn. To gain entry to the halls of wisdom, a visitor must gift the library collection with a new tome of immense value. The shrewd gatekeepers accept tomes of no less than 1,000gp.

The path to Candlekeep is called the Way of the Lion.

The Avowed
The Avowed is the name the monks of Candlekeep call themselves. As of 1372 DR, the Avowed are ruled by the Keeper of the Tomes, Ulraunt, and his assistant, First Reader Tethtoril.

The small community of monks and scholars residing in Candlekeep mainly favors Oghma, the god of knowledge, as well as the deities Deneir, Gond, and Milil.

Novel and Game Appearances

 * Candlekeep is the starting location for the protagonist in the CRPG Baldur's Gate. Likewise, it is the starting point for the novel based on the game, featuring the Bhaalspawn Abdel.
 * In Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad, Candlekeep is besieged by followers of Cyric as they strive to obtain the Cyrinishad carried by the paladin Gwydion Fleetfoot.
 * In The Lost Library of Cormanthyr, Candlekeep is the seat of an expedition to seek the lost library of Cormanthyr led by Baylee Arnvold.
 * In the Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion pack, Mask of the Betrayer, the developers developed a new Prestige class for players called the Arcane Scholar of Candlekeep, which allowed a spellcasting character to better focus their metamagic.