Initial Reception & Moral Testing#

1. The Admittance Interview#

Once inside, the party is met by Samaris (the ancient tiefling librarian who mistrusts all visitors) and perhaps one or two Eyeless Guardians. She conducts an interview to determine their worthiness:

  • Questions about their intentions: Why do they seek knowledge about the barrier? What will they do with it?
  • Tests of character: Present hypothetical scenarios where they must choose between power and safety
  • The Orb Inspection: Samaris examines Serenity’s Orb with great suspicion - this artifact reeks of corruption. Why should they trust people carrying such a thing?

Skill Challenge: The party must succeed on multiple checks (Persuasion, Insight, History to demonstrate knowledge of elven culture, etc.) to convince Samaris they’re worthy. If they fail badly, they’re escorted out. If they barely pass, they get limited access with a guardian escort.

2. The Guardian’s Mark#

Regardless of the interview’s outcome, each party member receives a Guardian’s Mark from an Eyeless Guardian (as per their stat block ability). This allows the guardians to track them throughout the library and deals bonus damage if they step out of line. Make it clear this is both protection and surveillance.

The Howling Shelves Encounters#

3. The Whispering Temptation#

As they walk through the Howling Shelves toward the information they need, the chained books whisper to them:

  • Shad: Books about illusion magic, perhaps even containing techniques the Weaver used
  • Skreek: Tomes promising the location of his stolen relic
  • Slumpet: Knowledge about the Hollow Thresholds he’s been secretly investigating
  • Toby: Information about her mysterious past or family

Each character must make Wisdom saves (DC 14) or become fixated on finding “just one specific book.” An Eyeless Guardian immediately notices and demands explanation. This tests whether they’ll respect the library’s rules or try to steal knowledge.

4. Alois, the Curious Scribe#

The party encounters Alois, the young human librarian who questions whether these books are truly evil. He’s been secretly reading texts from the Howling Shelves.

Dilemma: Alois knows exactly where the barrier information is located, but he’ll only help if the party agrees to smuggle out a particular book for him (perhaps one about necromancy that he believes could cure diseases, echoing the library’s philosophy that context doesn’t matter).

Options:

  • Refuse and report him → gains Samaris’s trust but loses valuable guidance
  • Agree to help him → faster access to information but risks the library’s curse
  • Try to talk him down → Persuasion DC 16 to convince him he’s being corrupted

The Deep Knowledge#

5. The Restricted Vault#

The most complete information about the barrier’s original construction is in a sealed vault within the Howling Shelves. To access it, they must:

  • Solve a magical lock puzzle (perhaps requiring each seasonal court’s symbol to be activated in the correct order)
  • Prove their understanding of why such knowledge must be restricted (Insight/History checks to demonstrate they understand the responsibility)
  • Face a guardian test: An Eyeless Guardian challenges one party member to single combat to prove martial worthiness (like Skreek’s honor duel tradition)

6. The Living Codex#

Inside the vault, they find not just scrolls but a Sentient Grimoire (use the stat block from the document) that contains the barrier knowledge. The grimoire is actually willing to share the information… but only if someone reads it.

The Catch: Reading it triggers the book’s Possession ability (DC 20 Intelligence save).

Moral Dilemma:

  • Let someone sacrifice themselves to gain the knowledge
  • Find another way to extract the information (perhaps Shad can use magic to copy without reading?)
  • Risk damaging the book to take it by force (would make them thieves)

The grimoire might claim it was created by the First Matriarch herself and contains the “complete” ritual, making it extremely tempting.

Complications & Consequences#

7. The Rival Seeker#

While the party researches, introduce a rival faction also seeking barrier knowledge - perhaps a disguised cult member (use the Chained Library Agent stat block but evil-aligned) or an ambitious noble who wants to control the barrier for political power.

This creates a three-way tension: the party, the rival, and the library guardians. Fighting would be disastrous (damage to books, alerting all guardians), but the rival might try to frame the party for theft or start a conflict.

8. Samaris’s Test Conclusion#

After observing them throughout their visit (through the Guardian’s Mark), Samaris makes her final judgment:

If they’ve been honorable: She provides additional context, warns them about the ritual’s dangers, and perhaps even offers the library’s future assistance.

If they’ve broken rules: Eyeless Guardians attempt to apprehend them. They must either fight their way out (becoming permanent enemies of the library) or submit to judgment/punishment.

If they’re borderline: She allows them to leave with the information but marks them as “under observation” - library agents may appear in future adventures to check on how they’re using the knowledge.

Alternative: The Deep Stacks Option#

If you want a darker, more tempting encounter:

9. The Forbidden Shortcut#

Alois or another NPC mentions that there’s a faster way to get the information - an ancient text in the Deep Stacks that contains not just the repair ritual, but secrets about improving the barrier beyond its original design.

Going to the Deep Stacks means:

  • Facing multiple Sentient Grimoires attempting possession
  • Witnessing truly corrupting knowledge
  • The temptation to take more than they came for
  • Automatic hostile response from librarians if discovered

This creates a “shortcut with consequences” option that tests whether they’ll take the hard, honorable path or risk corruption for faster results.

Key Thematic Elements to Emphasize:#

  1. Knowledge vs. Safety: The library represents the tension between “information should be free” and “some things are too dangerous”
  2. Trust: Can the party be trusted with what they learn?
  3. Temptation: Everyone wants something from this library - can they resist taking more than they need?
  4. Respect for Rules: The library has stood for ages because of its strict protocols - will the party respect them?