Prologue – Welcome to Candlekeep!

Just a bit further… you’re almost there… You have been following the Way of the Lion for some time traveling west on the last leg of your journey. You can hear the ocean, it’s all around you and so the road will end and that’s where you will find the legendary library. As you continue along The Way of the Lion it courses high up the side of the rocky coast until it flattens out and a narrow bit of land bravely interrupts the sea leading to a grassy clearing which holds your destination.

Before you stands the high walls and double iron gates of your goal, Candlekeep. The structure itself is awe inspiring with the walls standing fifty feet high. There are tall towers interspersed along the walls and a large clustering of even higher round towers with flat roofs inside the mighty walls to the north. Even farther back to the west you see the silhouette of the keep itself though the details are difficult to make out from where you stand at the gates.

While the pilgrimage here was lonely you now find yourself in the company of about 20 others who are also milling about the gates. The majority of these travelers seem to be setting up a camp just off the road while a smaller group is waiting patiently at the gates. You can see the outline of others behind you who are also walking the path to approach these fabled walls.

It's about mid morning, the sun is shining brightly above and you can smell sea in the air. 

Which of you will arrive first and what will you do now that you have finally made it the walls of Faerun's greatest library!

A young woman makes her way directly to the shorter line. She wears a fine off-white shirt beneath supple leather armor and a golden-brown traveling cloak.  Everything from the shirt's collar to the polish of her boots is immaculate and clean.  It almost seems odd from a traveler.

The hood of her cloak is pulled back to reveal a cheerful face.  Complimenting her tan complexion,  dark brown eyes meet those of her fellow travelers.  Glimpses of a short sword and dagger can be seen at her belt.  But most obvious is the lute slung across her back. 

"Hello! Is this the line for entrance to Candlekeep?" she asks in a soft, cheerful voice, to the last person in the line. "My name is Triäsa Galadon, from Silverymoon."

Triäsa gives Klin a smile. "A pleasure to meet you as well. It is indeed my first time to Candlekeep."  Her gaze drifts to the nearby ocean.  "And first time to the coast as well.  It's quite fascinating," she says very matter-of-factly.

"I have spent a good deal of time at the Vault of Sages though.  In Silverymoon. My mother was a sage there." She says this with pride in her voice. "Are you familiar with Candlekeep?"

Hearing this conversation unfold behind him an overweight, disheveled dwarf with very long straggling red hair and unkempt beard whips around. 

"You two ain't 'eva 'een ta Candlekeep. I wouldn' git real comfortable.... they almos'ever let anyone in I 'een here at least 20 times but the damn Avowed 'eep 'ayin me books ain't no good..." He belches loudly as the last of his words mercifully escape from between his rotten teeth. "This time though... they gotta let me in... broudda classic..." He stammers. "But ya in da right place. They be round real soon ta 'ollect ya books."  

"A map is useful.  I memorized the one back at the Vault of Sages of course."  Triäsa says somewhat self- importantly.

It is then the dwarf interjects his comments. "Do they really reject a lot of books?" she asks in a worried tone.  "I was pretty certain that would be sufficient."

As the dwarf lets loose his belch, the human woman just before him in line steps deftly to the side, standing to where the sea breeze will keep her safe from the noxious gas. She is tan, with sun-bleached blonde hair secured from her face with a waterfall braid. She wears a rough set of dull brown reinforced leather, the metal buckles worn and the leather faded, with simple slacks and dirt-speckled boots that look like they've seen their own fair share of exposure. Her shirt is a short-sleeved plain linen, her forearms covered by leather gauntlets. A steel-banded wooden round shield, scored in a few places, is strapped to a well-worn backpack. The only pieces of gear that appear semi-new are her gray wool cloak and the holstered hilt of a fine, narrow blade at her belt.

She eyes the dwarf, her blue eyes wary and face disgusted. Her accent is from the north country. (voice reference: Anne Bonny from AC4)  "Oy, do ya think that it might be what you bellow instead of what you bring that keeps the monks from granting ya passage?"

Looking at the other two, she gives a nod. "If this is the first time you've seen her, Candlekeep's mighty imposing. Even moreso on the seaward side, though I didn't think it'd be as equally fierce inland. "

Journal entry #3692
I have arrived at Candlekeep, finally. My journey here has been quite arduous, not mainly because of the long days of walking, but rather the constant interaction with all these imbeciles not understanding the power that lies in books. At long last I will be able to seek shelter from this storm of ignorance within this bastion of knowledge, walk its halls of unimaginable treasure and discuss esoteric insights with my scholarly peers. The secrets of the Far Realm will soon be within my ...

"Can you please keep your voice down woman." Comes from a bit further ahead in the line. "I can hardly think with all this chattering." Says an older grumpy man, seemingly making notes in an old tome. The man has a wrinkled face, grey unkempt hair with sideburns and grey piercing eyes. He wears a grey leather coat over a simple once white shirt, grey pants and high soft leather boots. He carries a backpack whose main contents seems to be more books, old books written in rarely seen language. "Who comes here for the view anyway." He asks after a while, now a bit curious of someone taking an interest in the exterior rather than the interior of Candlekeep.

The woman cocks an eyebrow at the man. "There's a view to be found just about anywhere, old timer, if'n you keep eye out for it. Lot more to the wide world than some ink and dusty parchment." She raises an arm to gesture from the keep to the coastline, waves breaking against the shores below. She breathes in the sea air deeply. "Always gotta appreciate it when you have it."

"So you do appreciate the sight of that water splashing around more than what can be found within these walls? I´m curious then why you stand in this line at all when you could just throw yourself in that sea of oblivion." He says to the woman with a wry smile.

"I'm sorry if we are disrupting you sir."  Triäsa says softly to the grey-haired man.  "Clearly we would all like to be inside and not stuck standing out here."

Given her shorter stature,  she stands on tip-toe, trying to see to the start of the line.  "I would think they should be here soon.  Surely they keep a precise schedule."

"If ya keep both eyes open, old timer, you can see more than just that. The majesty of men and gods and their grand castles, and how it stands versus the best that the ***** Queen of the Seas can throw at 'em. Ya don't need to keep yer nose down to dream of that. 'Sides, the lass with the lute's right. We've all no doubt got our desires inside those halls." She slides a leather-wrapped book out of her own bag, hefting the weight of it. "And our means to fulfill said desires."

As the crowd forms, Pardot, a quite thin, pale skinned halfling, wearing equipment that was likely hand made (ie. sturdy, but unmatched and ill-fitting), slowly approaches the gate. He pauses for a few minutes taking in the sights and sounds, as well as to listen to the conversation of those around him. Looking up at the sky, he smiles at the lack of clouds, and as he holds out his hand a small image of twinkling stars appears above his hand. He says simply, half to himself, "Clear skies tonight. Should be able to see the Crown from the West."

The dwarf looks at all of you and sudden commotion and questions. He is clearly overwhelmed. 

" 'eject books 'bout 'll they do! Sayin' they already got a copy then they gots no use for yours 'n off ya go back 'n the road wit ya. Not 'ven a drink fer yer trouble." The dwarf is nearly shouting now, his face red with a large vein protruding from the center of his forehead.  "Answer me this; they say 'every book ever wrotten in dem high walls beyon' da emerald door how any 'posed to get by? Some say its' scam a fools errand but I'll git in you just you see!!" As he finishes his tirade he stumbles backwards as his eyes roll back in his head and the rotund dwarf falls directly in the direction of Klin.

Klin please make an athletics or acrobatics check

The dwarf sways and leans threatening to go down in a  heap of grease and hair. You reach out to catch him forgetting you are carrying and armful of books and scrolls which go flying into the air. The weight of the massive dwarf catches you by surprise as your heel gets caught on a rock and you tumble backwards falling to the ground. You hit the rocky ground first but are soon joined by the 250lb dwarf who lands directly on top of you. The suddenness of the impact takes your breath away, which might be a good thing as he promptly vomits whatever foul concoction of food and drink (mostly drink) he last ate all over your robes.

(ooc: nothing like starting the campaign with a crit fail!)

As Triäsa interjects, Ludolf at first seems a bit flustered over the surprising amount of young pretty women standing in line, but then he grunts something quite unintelligable and nods at her.

As Daventry flashes her book Ludolfs interest is immediately piqued. "So tell me about that book you brought then." He says gruffly, trying to not sound quite as curious as he really is.

As the dwarf collapses over the excited monk Ludolf chuckles, but secretely hopes someone else will help them both out.