Children of the Starry Quill

Children of the Starry Quill
Basic Information
Type	Religious organization
Base ofoperations	Faerûn
Favored deity	Mystra
Relationships
Allegiances	Church of Mystra

The Children of the Starry Quill was an order of bards that served the Church of Mystra in an information-gathering capacity in the mid-to-late 14^th and late 15^th centuries DR.

Activities

Serving Mystran priests and even the Chosen of Mystra, their primary task was conveying secret messages between select priests and wizards; more often than not, they would be entirely memorized, rather than written down. They also acted as spies by discreetly keeping an eye on various events, places, things, and persons, and not by infiltrating and stealing secrets. They reported what they saw to fellow Children, Mystran priests, or Chosen.

More generally, these bards usually collected news and lore on behalf of the clergy. They also worked in selected libraries to research magical lore and preserve it for future use. Once in a while, one of the Children would deliver scrolls and spellbooks to the priests of Mystra for safekeeping; oftentimes, these were recovered from a dead or dying mage or from a place of hiding or storage that was under threat. Like the Chosen, they might even leave such magics where could be discovered by those with the Gift, so that arcane magic might spread further.

Very rarely, the Children of the Starry Quill would be put to use spreading rumors that improved the church's or the goddess's reputation or position on some issue. In this way, they applied influence or even propaganda. However, the Church of Mystra employed this instrument rarely and lightly, so as not to be seen as liars.

Naturally, a few of their number also served as Harpers.

While some of the Children of the Starry Quill made their homes in one city or another, most were on the road, ostensibly as traveling entertainers whilst they carried out their duties to the church.