5-14-25 29-30 Eleasis

Candlekeep!

29th of Eleasis, cont.
Back on the Hond Ebrath

After making their way back to the Hond Ebrath, Atalaya, Nevil, Vasilya, Inman, Sorrow, and Cirilli gather on the swinging couches to discuss plans for arriving at Candlekeep. They also discuss what should be told to the librarians there about what it is we want to research. Atalaya finally understands that we are not going to a town with a library in it, but rather to a library that is the town.

and we may be there for as long as ten days.

We decide that we will leave one of Atalaya’s sending stones with Ivar so that we can check in with the ship daily. There is no port or docking available and where the ocean meets the shoreline there is nothing but high rocky cliffs with dangerous waters around them. There is one point where we can safely get close enough to use one of the dinghies to reach a spit of land forming a causeway that leads to Candlekeep. We will then need to walk to Candlekeep.

Sufferance, Still and Umbra join us and all three want to get the opportunity to see Candlekeep. The crew and Ivar will stay on the ship. They will see about restocking the ship and maintain watch at all times. We decide that it will be important for Still to bring the special goggles he removed from Trelanus Manor when he left to Candlekeep.

Atalaya asks about what kind of rules they have at Candlekeep. Will she be able to take her weapons there? Nevil states that she is not removing a single weapon. They explain that there are few rules. Respect the books, you can’t copy a book but you can take notes from them. They say that those who run Candlekeep are called “the Avowed” and that there are a lot of wizards in Candlekeep.

Atalaya worries about Sorrow getting separated from the rest of us and his not stopping his research to eat and drink and rest. He says that there are lodgings and meals provided within Candlekeep.

We run out of questions to discuss and we finally turn in. (Although we all suspect that Inman and Sorrow may well stay up all night. Their anticipation and excitement grows the closer we come.


30th of Eleasis

Morning on the Hond Ebrath

When morning breaks we are near the drop off area to reach Candlekeep. Atalaya and Nevil require that a nutritious breakfast be made and eaten before we leave.


Before leaving we pay the crew. Annie 60 gp, Lonnie 1 gp 50 sp, Kyle and Rogelio 90 sp (3 sp per day) each. They are each given the pick of a gemstone as a bonus for their assistance during the battle with the kraken. Gemstones of value of about 10 gp. We give Ivar 120 gp and a gem worth 100 gp for his skill during the kraken fight.


Backpacks that had been prepared the night before are loaded into the dinghy. We gather food and water for the walk into Candlekeep. Then we finally begin the last stage of our long journey to Candlekeep. Sorrow and Inman search the skyline for the first sight of the library.


Walk to Candlekeep

The crew gets us transferred from the ship to the bit of beach that is the only seaside approach to Candlekeep. Annie explains that the coast here is a cliff. That we will have to get out here and travel along the causeway to Candlekeep. The area is rocky and windswept. There is a wood to the north that is big, dark and foreboding. Ivar says that he will watch us until we get out of sight before returning to the ship and moving off. He reminds us that he has one of Atalaya’s sending stones so that we can reach him. (Set up nightly check-ins with him?) He says that he doesn’t like the look of the woods to the north and warns us to stay away from them. (He has dropped us off south of the woods and the causeway heads farther south.)

Nevil asks Still if he has ever ridden a horse. He says that he has had horseback riding lessons. Nevil offers Cirilli the chance to ride Shep again. Cirilli happily accepts the offer and then encourages Still to join her.

The day is overcast and the woods are spooking. Still says that the woods are giving him a bad feeling.

We walk south along the causeway. In the distance we can see an edifice rising up. It looks a bit like a birthday or wedding cake. Sorrow and Inman are very excited and are very anxious to reach Candlekeep. Sorrow says that the city is said to look like a birthday cake.

We walk all day, passing fellow travelers occasionally. It is exhausting.
Entering Candlekeep


Finally we reach the entrance to Candlekeep. There are Marble Lion Statues at the entranceway Candlekeep. The door in the gateway is emblazoned with the symbol of Candlekeep. It is a double door gate and one of the two doors is open. As we approach we see a group of five people clad in purple robes exit the gate and walk towards us. Sorrow jerks on Inman’s sleeve. “Are we here? I can hardly believe it! … I need to sit down.”

Boz is gazing upwards at the towers, his mouth open in amazement. “Have you ever seen a building this big?”

Nevil follows his gaze. “No.”


We are greeted by one of the five, a woman. “Hello. Welcome. What can I do for you?


We tell her that we are here to do research in the library. She asks how many are planning to enter and asks if we are aware that there is the small matter of a book offering for each. We say that we are aware and that we have come prepared. Atalaya reaches into her pack and then the bag of holding and pulls out a book, offering it to the lady.

The woman explains that the books must be taken into the library to be checked against a list of books. Nevil says that she might want to get a cart then. The woman looks confused. Atalaya shrugs and digs deeper into the bag. She pulls out the crate of books from Kay first and places it in front of the woman. Then she starts pulling out the individual books that we have collected. The woman has a surprised expression on her face when Atalaya places the last book on the pile.

She indicates to one of the other purple clad individuals to get a cart so that the books can be taken into the library. He/She runs off and shortly returns with a cart. The books are placed on it and are then taken into the library to be judged.

We are encouraged to rest in the area here, there are places with benches, while the books are judged. About 30 minutes later they returned. They return about half the books to us. We notice that none of the erotica books have been returned.

The leader tells us that our group will be given admittance. She gives us a written list of rules. no fighting, no stealing, protect the books, no unauthorized copying.

She tells us that someone will be assigned to us to assist us in our research. She briefly explains the facilities that are available to us. In the large courtyard, called The Court of Air, is The Hearth, The House of Rest, and a bathhouse. There are also shops, a book copying shop, etc. Opposite us is a massively large glowing green door (the entrance to the actual library of Candlekeep?)

Sorrow stands in the courtyard, his mouth open, and overwhelmed.
Nevil speaks to Sorrow: “Let’s go eat and let you play with the bards.”

Slowly it dawns on us that we are hearing a constant beautiful chanting that is just on the edge of hearing. Nevil asks, “What are we hearing?”

The woman (Kalan Strongbranch) explains that the chanting never ends. That everyone of the Avowed take turns keeping the chant going so that it never ends. She says that at times it may be louder or softer. She says that it is a never ending chant. Nevil comments on a tradition of unity.

After Kalan leaves we look around the courtyard in awe. Finally we (at least some of us) start to shake that feeling off and start planning. We decide to head first to the House of Rest in order to secure our lodging before trying to get something to eat.

We see a lot of people coming in and out of The House of Rest. There is a lot of noise and it is kind of crowded. Entering the House of Rest, Atalaya finds chaos and nobody seems to be in charge. It is somewhat like a dorm. Atalaya finds someone to ask about how to get lodging. He advises that we should go to The Hearth first and ask there. We decide to do exactly that. We are told that they are serving venison tonight.

The Hearth

The Hearth is next to the House of Rest. The smells coming from it are great. They entice us into the building. We see a big bar, seating areas, and sitting area with a piano in it. An ogre reading in the corner, fully dressed. The area is 3X bigger on the inside that it appears on the outside. There is an intricate clockwork device with a crystal orb imbedded in the ceiling. It is glowing.

Sufferance looks around the dining space. He looks really happy and is smiling. The place is full of students, scholars, people tending bar, servers, etc. We head to an area where there are several open tables that we can push together. A gnome makes her way to us and introduces herself as Leaf. She welcomes us to The Hearth. Talking too fast for us to interrupt she decides that we are ordering beers and the venison and hurries off to get it for us.

In a bit she comes back with a large tray and a helper, a half orc and puts things in front of everyone. Atalaya finally is able to ask for a non-alcoholic beverage for Cirilli (and Still if he wants that). Leaf agrees. She asks if we need anything else. We say that we need information on how to obtain housing. She asks if we are serious researchers and we say that we are. She then recommends that best place for rest and scholarship is The Firefly. It is in the basement under the House of Rest. It has both room for sleeping and a library. Sorrow’s eyes light up. Atalaya thinks, “Great, now we are never going to get him to take time for eating and sleeping,” but doesn’t say anything. But the promised quieter atmosphere is a definite drawing card for the group. {Although Sufferance, Umbra and Still are not sure and ask about getting accommodations in the actual House of Rest.} Leaf explains to the rest of us that there is a trap door in the floor in the House of Rest. Just open it and head downstairs. The librarian down there is named Varnyr and she is the senior person down there and will help get us settled.

We ask Leaf about what other services are available here at the Hearth, besides food and drink. Leaf tells us that there are meeting rooms through the doors behind where we are sitting. The inside is again going to be bigger than it looks from the outside. They are extraplanar pockets and are sound proof. You can reserve one. “And don’t worry, we can always make more, just let us know if you need one.” She also recommends the bathhouse to us.

The food is very good.

Nevil says that the place is more chaotic than she had expected it would be. She then points out the piano to Sorrow, encouraging him to play something on it. Sorrow says something about how not many can play pianos. They are not a common instrument. But he heads over and after a brief warm up starts playing. The place gets quiet as people listen to him play.

After he has been playing for a while, a halfling approaches our table. He introduces himself to us, saying that his name is Sprig. He tells us that he has been assigned as our research assistance. He is not wearing the purple robes of the Avowed and Atalaya asks him about that. He explains that only those who have taken orders wear the purple robes. But there are many who work there that are not Avowed. He tells us that he and another assistant Nax will be helping us out.

Nevil says that those are words you might regret.

Sprig asks if we know what we want to research. He explains that if we tell him now he can start getting things ready for us tomorrow. We send Cirilli after Sorrow so that he can be a part of this conversation. We look around the room and then ask if Sprig is able to get us into one of the meeting rooms, not wanting to discuss our research needs in a public room. Sprig goes to get Leaf to open up the room (or may just gets a key from Leaf?)

Once in the meeting room we open up and each person states a research topic.


Sorrow: How to destroy a major artifact-great objects of power.


Atalaya: Information about how to kill a Naga and keep it killed. Information about the Cult of Vecna


Boz: Information on mind powers (psionics)


Nevil: information about the Shadowfell/underdark


Sufferance: information about mechanical flying stuff


Umbra: Information about the Shadowfell


Still: Chess/Chess strategy and maybe some history


Cirilli: Sword Fighting techniques (with Nevil adding the caveat that it must be reputable sword fighting techniques)


Inman: Same as Sorrow (?)


We discuss where and when to meet. With Inman and Sorrow chomping at the bit, we decide on a 7:00 meeting here at the Hearth. Sprig leaves to get started on finding the information we requested.

The Bathhouse

We go en masse to check out the bath house. It is a very very nice and clean building. There is a pool room, saunas, steam room and a hot tub room. The place seems to be coed and people are in various stages of undress throughout the different rooms. We settle on the hot tub. There are two other people in the pool as we approach. But, whether they had already been ready to move on, or the size of our group intimidated them, they leave as we get ready to get into the water. Sorrow looks around the group, his eyes settling on Cirilli as he is undressing and he stops before removing his undergarment, respecting that we have a young teenage female with us. The rest of us follow suit, stripping to our underthings and then eagerly entering the hot water.

It is very nice. Very clean.

Atalaya asks Sorrow’s siblings what there plans are after we leave the library. Sufferance says that he has been considering going to Waterdeep. He thinks that there might be some good schools there for Still. Nevil says that the Harpers are pretty good with relocations and can probably help him with resettling there.

Umbra says that she would probably go with her brothers. “I don’t know. The world is a big place.”

We get into a discussion of Waterdeep and some of the reasons Atalaya has no desire to return there. Talk about Vasilya’s problems in that town. The geas on Atalaya and tell the story of her “buying” Boz from the (minor) crime boss.

The hot water does it ‘magic’ and we are eventually relaxed enough to think about heading to bed. Leaving the Bathhouse, we head back to the House of Rest.

The Firefly

Entering the House of Rest, we find the trap door that heads to The Firefly. Saying goodnight to Sufferance, Umbra and Still, the rest of us head down the stairs looking for Varynr. There is a spiral stone staircase that heads into the darkness. Inman sends some light stones ahead of us and we make our way down. When we reach the next level the smell of flowers and polished wood reaches us. There is a polished wooden floor filled with bookcases. The bookcases are filled with books and scrolls. There are flowers arranged on top of the cases. The rows of bookcases encircle the room. In the center a large stone book sculpture hangs from the ceiling. The center area is open and you can see down to the next floor. There are ladders scattered throughout the bookcase area and aisles that permit access to the inner areas. There are lanterns filled with fireflies to light the room. And there are fireflies flying freely around the room. It is really beautiful.

We see a tall elven lady with golden hair standing on a ladder and speaking to someone we do not see. She is arranging flowers on the top of a bookcase. She turns to us and says, “Hello. I’m Scribe Varnyr.”

We hear a voice coming from below the hanging book sculpture.

We ask about shelter and she says that it is downstairs. She asks that we take a stack of books down to Ebder and say that he will show us where we can sleep.

Nevil grabs the stack of books and we head back to the staircase we had taken down to this level. We go down another level and see Ebder and bring him the books. We also notice a young girl who Ebder doesn’t seem to see.

We give him the books and ask about lodging. He notices the girl and calls out to her “Gailby, I put you to bed.”

Gailby: “I don’t want to go to bed.”

Ebder: Asks how many of us will be staying there.

Atalaya: Six

Ebder: “I’m Ebder. Good to meet you.” He then tells Gailby to “stay here,” while he leads us towards the sleeping rooms. He tells us to “Follow me” and then heads across the space and down another long spiral staircase that leads into a long hallway that has a couple turns in it. “It is a little cramped, but I think you will find the accommodations comfortable.” He tells us that rooms 8 and 12 are available. We choose room 12, as we can all be accommodated in it.

We can smell bacon cooking from somewhere around here. After a bit a Kenku comes into the room carrying a tray filled with BLT sandwiches which she puts on the counter in the room. She then bows and leaves the room.


Game ends