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Forgotten Realms questons about books and libraries

Volaran

First Post
According to Faiths and Avatars in the entry relating to Denier:

"Iron Dragon Mountain, a hidden, legendary peak in the Earthfast mountains, is the site of the Master's Library in Faerun, a complex of many caverns where more books than anywhere else in all the Realms- even Candlekeep, the Library of Curna in the Curna Mountains, and the great libraries of Shou Lung- are stored. Here can be found the High Librarians, who have samples of all known written tongues and can read them (even dragon writings)."

The entry goes on to tell about the High Librarians, the defenses of the Library, and how it is a pilgrimage site for Deneir's faithful. Also found in Denier's entry are mentions of the treasured collections of Silverymoon, the artifact museums of Calimshan, Twilight Hall in Berdusk, and special mention of Soaring Spirit, the cathedral in the Snowflake mountains where the Edificant Library used to be as fast becoming the premier center for learning and Denier worship in western Faerun.


Oghma's entry also has a few. The Leaves of Learning temple in Highmoon (Deepingdale), the Tower of Thought in Selgaunt, the Domes of Reason temple in Procampur, the House of Many Tomes fortified abbey in Impiltur, the Font of Knowledge temple in Waterdeep, and the Library of Curna in the Curna Mountain Range (also called the Mountains of Wisdom) in the Shining South. Curna in specific is said to keep books focusing more on current events, business and naturalistic studies as opposed to Candlekeep who's best strength is its collection of historical books.

(Edit) A few other things occured to me. There is sort of an adventurer/exploer's society in Suzail in Cormyr that has books (journals, explanation logs, ect) Going back through much of Cormyr's history and covering a suprisingly large amount of topics and locations.

Hope that was helpful. I wouldn't even hazard a guess as to the number of individual works. Faerun in a big place, and folks have had written language for a long, long time.
 
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LcKedovan

Explorer
Volaran said:
According to Faiths and Avatars in the entry relating to Denier:

"Iron Dragon Mountain, a hidden, legendary peak in the Earthfast mountains, is the site of the Master's Library in Faerun, a complex of many caverns where more books than anywhere else in all the Realms- even Candlekeep, the Library of Curna in the Curna Mountains, and the great libraries of Shou Lung- are stored.

Which basically means Candlekeep is it for largest size unless your PCs find the hidden legendary peak ;)

-Will
 

fba827

Adventurer
ever so slightly off-topic

Okay, this was so funny I had to share.

I was reading this thread and I thought to myself, "Gee, this sounds like such detailed information I'm sure some fan site out there has gathered this information already." So, OUT OF SHEER CHANCE, (since there is a www for everything) I thought, let me just try www.candlekeep.com - sure enough ...

Note it isn't what you're looking for (it is a general FR fan site that is setup as though it were lore in Candlekeep), I just found this too amusing not to share since finding the site was not planned. :).
 

MythandLore

First Post
Re: ever so slightly off-topic

fba827 said:
Okay, this was so funny I had to share.

I was reading this thread and I thought to myself, "Gee, this sounds like such detailed information I'm sure some fan site out there has gathered this information already." So, OUT OF SHEER CHANCE, (since there is a www for everything) I thought, let me just try www.candlekeep.com - sure enough ...

Note it isn't what you're looking for (it is a general FR fan site that is setup as though it were lore in Candlekeep), I just found this too amusing not to share since finding the site was not planned. :).
Lol, Wow... :)
 

MythandLore

First Post
dagger said:
I also think there is a pretty large library in Hearlds Holdfast near Silverymoon, and there is a large library in Silverymoon as well I belive.
Hearlds Holdfast in Icewindale was the one I had in my head for a while, that's a biggy.
It's not as big as Candlekeep, but Candlekeep would have many new books and "trival" books written by unimportant writers, the Holdfast would only have very old books of very great importance, just as many one of a kind manuscripts as Candlekeep perhaps more.
 

MythandLore

First Post
Psionicist said:

2) Approximately, how many different books are there in Fareun, exluding personal books as spell books, diarys, journals and such without real value (including diarys and journals of real heroes)? Simply put, how many valuable books excuding spell books are there in Fearun?
That depends, How many books of value do you think there are today?
History? Poems? Science? What's important to you?
 

LcKedovan

Explorer
MythandLore said:

Hearlds Holdfast in Icewindale was the one I had in my head for a while, that's a biggy.
It's not as big as Candlekeep, but Candlekeep would have many new books and "trival" books written by unimportant writers, the Holdfast would only have very old books of very great importance, just as many one of a kind manuscripts as Candlekeep perhaps more.

Are you sure that Herald's Holdfast is in Icewind Dale? As far as I recall it is not too far from Silverymoon Well to the east of Waterdeep (Still in the North, but Icewind dale is WAAAAY northwest).

As for volume of ancient tomes I would have to agree with you on that, in fact the cool thing about Holdfast is that it even retains Evil cultural records (ie: Orcish heraldry and history).

-Will

Cheers, Will

http://www.Ps3e.com/ Project Assistant(PA) - FE

Aka N’kar’kkh, Githzerai Planewalker and Adventurer
aka Kedovan Karan Brei, Dawn Priest of Lathander (LC)
aka Sigilin the Faceless (LG)
RPGA#831308
 

Comert

First Post
I definitely think Candlekeep is the biggest library. Just remember BG1. Candlekeep is really big, it is the central place for sages and writers. It has many old manuscripts that reqire special permissionfor viewing. I skimmed through 2nd edition FR Rulebooks and the 3rd ed setting book and I definitely think that Candlekeep is the largest. Spirit Soaring is also an important library among the ones that people posted here.
 

Psionicist

Explorer
Volaran said:
According to Faiths and Avatars in the entry relating to Denier:

"Iron Dragon Mountain, a hidden, legendary peak in the Earthfast mountains, is the site of the Master's Library in Faerun, a complex of many caverns where more books than anywhere else in all the Realms- even Candlekeep, the Library of Curna in the Curna Mountains, and the great libraries of Shou Lung- are stored. Here can be found the High Librarians, who have samples of all known written tongues and can read them (even dragon writings)."

The entry goes on to tell about the High Librarians, the defenses of the Library, and how it is a pilgrimage site for Deneir's faithful. Also found in Denier's entry are mentions of the treasured collections of Silverymoon, the artifact museums of Calimshan, Twilight Hall in Berdusk, and special mention of Soaring Spirit, the cathedral in the Snowflake mountains where the Edificant Library used to be as fast becoming the premier center for learning and Denier worship in western Faerun.


Oghma's entry also has a few. The Leaves of Learning temple in Highmoon (Deepingdale), the Tower of Thought in Selgaunt, the Domes of Reason temple in Procampur, the House of Many Tomes fortified abbey in Impiltur, the Font of Knowledge temple in Waterdeep, and the Library of Curna in the Curna Mountain Range (also called the Mountains of Wisdom) in the Shining South. Curna in specific is said to keep books focusing more on current events, business and naturalistic studies as opposed to Candlekeep who's best strength is its collection of historical books.

(Edit) A few other things occured to me. There is sort of an adventurer/exploer's society in Suzail in Cormyr that has books (journals, explanation logs, ect) Going back through much of Cormyr's history and covering a suprisingly large amount of topics and locations.

Hope that was helpful. I wouldn't even hazard a guess as to the number of individual works. Faerun in a big place, and folks have had written language for a long, long time.

Thanks for the information fellow. That's surely nice indeed :)

However I have two questions here.

First of all and most important, what are the defenses on this library? Is it super secret with gun turruts and such ;)

Secondly, can you give me some brief info on the High Librarians?

Thanks! :)
 

Someguy

First Post
Psionicist said:
Two quick ones:


2) Approximately, how many different books are there in Fareun, exluding personal books as spell books, diarys, journals and such without real value (including diarys and journals of real heroes)? Simply put, how many valuable books excuding spell books are there in Fearun?

Thanks!

2,986,923.768 (A hungry Kobold)

No, really, just decide on your own...

i created a netherise cookbook that was magical, it gave a +5 to cooking skill, and a +3 to those that the orginal teacher taught...

The character opened a chain of resteraunts named after a modron they found called Blinky (a Monodrone), I remeber I oince had a threadabout it...
 

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