Chained Library#

The Chained Library is an ancient fortress-library built beneath Mount Vesithar, predating all known kingdoms. Guarded by blind celestials and staffed by librarians summoned through dream callings, the Library preserves dangerous knowledge that is too important to destroy and too perilous to freely share. The party traveled here in Session 45 to research how to repair the weakening leyline barrier.

Leadership#

  • Samaris — Head librarian. An ancient black-skinned tiefling with long horns. Deeply mistrustful of all visitors — she despises the books in her care and dreams of burning the entire collection for the good of the world. Insisted the party be marked by the Eyeless Guardians before granting access. Met in Session 45.
  • Vael — Fifth Binder, Chainbearer of the Silent Vault. A tall, ageless figure cloaked in layered grays who speaks with surgical calm. Acts as the Library’s field agent, investigating Hollow Thresholds and the weakening barrier. Met the party at a collapsed Hollow Threshold and eventually escorted them to the Library (Sessions 41–45).
  • Alois — The newest librarian, a young human who arrived following a dream calling. Unlike the other staff, Alois isn’t convinced the books are truly evil and secretly browses the Howling Shelves when possible.
  • Eyeless Guardians — Blind celestials (CR 7) who patrol the Library. They mark visitors for tracking, allowing the Library to shadow guests after they leave and monitor them for signs of corruption.

Key Locations#

  • Mount Vesithar — A massive, dormant volcano in the center of the Elven lands, covered in dense enchanted forest. Local legends call it “The Heartroot.” The Library is built beneath it.
  • The Ashen Shrine — A circular, half-buried shrine atop a moss-laced plateau near the summit of Mount Vesithar. Four broken plinths mark the cardinal directions, one for each season. A star-shaped platform at its center contains an indentation shaped like a sword’s blade — when Summer’s Edge was placed there, the shrine awakened and descended into the mountain.
  • The Hollow Veins — An underground chamber where magma once flowed but now pulses with planar magic. A chasm separates the entrance from the Library’s sealed doors. Crossing requires a soulwrought bridge — formed when each visitor makes a personal vow and sacrifice.
  • The Howling Shelves — The Library’s main collection. Dangerous but useful texts chained with adamantium links. Telepathically manipulative books tempt readers with offers of help.
  • The Deep Stacks — The lowest level of the Library, containing sentient, malevolent books too dangerous for humanoid contact.

Culture & Identity#

  • Knowledge preservation above all — the Library never destroys a text, no matter how dangerous
  • Strict access control; visitors earn entry through trials, sacrifice, or the Library’s agents
  • Librarians are summoned through dream callings rather than recruited
  • Samaris sends agents to shadow visitors after they leave, waiting for them to prove their corruption so she can order their assassination
  • The Library’s curse: thieves who steal books suffer necrotic rot (DC 16 CON save)

Knowledge Gained#

What the party learned during their visit in Session 45:

  • Barrier repair — The leyline barrier can be repaired, but the ritual requires several mages and a month or more to complete (Slumpet’s research)
  • Crystal mining — A location south of the elven forest contains the crystals used in the barrier’s original construction (Toby’s research)
  • Order of Seasons — Vidrir was the leader of the Order of Seasons, is over 300 years old, and was the Knight of Ravens himself (Shad’s research)

Party History#

  • Session 41 — Met Vael at a collapsed Hollow Threshold; he identified Serenity’s orb and offered knowledge of the Library in exchange for dangerous artifacts
  • Sessions 43–44 — Traveled through the Spring Court toward Mount Vesithar; planned to meet Vael at the Ashen Shrine
  • Session 45 — Vael brought the party to the Ashen Shrine at Mount Vesithar; used Summer’s Edge to activate the descent; each party member made a vow and sacrifice to form the soulwrought bridge (Toby: blood, Shad: an original song, Skreek: a prayer and promise, Slumpet: his thieves’ tools); Vael spoke the ancient phrase to unlock the adamantine doors; met Samaris, who questioned their intentions; surrendered Serenity’s orb to earn trust; marked by Eyeless Guardians; researched the barrier, crystal locations, and the Order of Seasons; discovered Vidrir’s true identity as the Knight of Ravens