Candlekeep

Candlekeep was a towered library-fortress that stood on a crag overlooking the Sea of Swords. The library was filled with books and scrolls of knowledge, considered the greatest collection of the writings in all of Faerûn. It was the home of the great seer Alaundo who foresaw the coming of the Bhaalspawn, over a millennia before the crisis of the 14 century DR.

The keep's sigil was a castle emblazoned over a flame.

Description
Candlekeep rest atop a volcanic crag on a narrow peninsula that jutted out from the side of the Sword Coast. It was nestled onto the crag just few hundred paces from the cliffside overlooking the Sea of Swords. The path leading to its entrance was called the Way of the Lion, which extended from the Trade Way that ran along the Sword Coast.

The outer wall of the keep rose high above the ground of Faerûn, dotted with several towers that ascended even higher still. The main entrance through this was wall was by a set of grand double-gates, that were three times as tall as a man and forged from a strange black metal that was impervious to lightning and magical divination. Within this protective perimeter was the strong, central keep that housed the Great Library, encircled by the Court of Air and several smaller stone buildings.

Weather
The western facade of Candlekeep was bombarded with mist and waters from the Sea of Swords, and became iced over during the freezing winter months. Several of the towers on this side had to be abandoned for part of the year due to this hazardous accumulation of frost.

Entry
To gain entry to the halls of wisdom a visitor had to present an "entrance-gift" to the library, a tome of immense value, great rarity or significant historical importance to add to their collection. While the shrewd gatekeepers typically accepted books worth no less than 1,000 gp, books containing particularly insightful annotations or journals of important persons have been accepted before. Visitors into the keep were known as "seekers" and referred to as "goodsir" or "goodlady" by the library's monks, their name was unknown.

The "friends of Candlekeep" were allowed entrance in to Candlekeep without offering an entrance-gift. Among these select individuals were certain archmages, priests of the deities Oghma, Deneir, Gond and Milil, along with both local and High Heralds alike.

Notable Locations

 * Court of Air:
 * The cobblestone courtyard of Candlekeep was rather simple and kept unadorned. While there were no gardens, trees or other decorations, the court housed several buildings that served the needs of the Avowed and their guests:


 * The Hearth: This grand eating hall, allowed seekers to mingle with one another. It contained shrines to Deneir, Gond and Milil.
 * House of Rest: A bunk room that provided lodging for the keep's seekers.
 * House of the Binder: A temple dedicated to the Lord of Knowledge, Oghma.


 * Great Library:
 * The great library of Candlekeep was considered to be the largest and most robust collection of scholarly writings, lore and knowledge in all of Faerûn. Conversely, its bookshelves also contained a seemingly endless amount of paltry and insignificant documents such as: recipes, inscribed song lyrics, journals of fairly unremarkable individuals and other such trivialities. It housed a dozen towers, known as "necessariums", that offered seekers ample place to study and read in peace.


 * Vaults:
 * The vaults deep beneath the keep were said to contain such hidden knowledge that anyone who was able to discover and wield them, would gain power that was incomparable to anything known on Toril.

Services
Seekers who gained entry into Candlekeep were allowed to stay for one tenday. During this time they were allowed to read specific books, without copying their contents, or call upon the other services provided by the Avowed. These included:

History
Although some sources stated that Candlekeep was originally the citadel of Alaundo, having grown around his small and humble tower, the keep actually predated the seer by some hundred years, having been founded c. -200 DR.

In 75 DR, Alaundo arrived in Candlekeep to study the writings kept there and got a reputation for his visions into the future.

Inhabitants
The monks of Candlekeep referred to themselves as the Avowed, servants sworn to protect the keep and the contents of its halls. As of the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, the Avowed were led by the Keeper of the Tomes, Ulraunt, and his assistant, First Reader Tethtoril.

The Avowed could often be found in procession throughout the Court of Air, reciting the lines of the Endless Chant.

Appearances

 * Adventures:
 * The Lost Library of Cormanthyr
 * Novels:
 * Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad
 * Video Games:
 * Baldur's Gate