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Post by maecius on May 1, 2009 18:24:00 GMT -5
Ulraunt would probably be a DMed NPC, as I don't believe it's acceptable for players to play Lore-based characters here.
Here's a run-down of some of the NPCs of Candlekeep:
ULRAUNT, KEEPER OF TOMES (LN human Wizard, 9th Level; INT 18, WIS 18)
The head of fortified Candlekeep, Ulraunt is a proud scholar, one of the most learned -- and one of the most haughty -- people in all Faerûn. His sharp tongue, sharp nose, and dark-eyed, hawklike gaze have earned him the nickname "the Old Buzzard" among acolytes down the years -- a term that has even crept into general use in the Coast lands.
Ulraunt has access to more spells than most wizards ever see in their lives, and he reportedly keeps in practice casting them in his private turret chamber and in caverns deep beneath Candlekeep. A secret passage is said to connect these heights and depths. He bears a magical staff of office rumored to be a staff of the magi with extra, extremely potent powers. Ulraunt and those among the Great Readers who are wizards also have access to spell scrolls all over Candlekeep -- scrolls hidden behind wooden panels and within false tomes.
Ulraunt's chief interest is acquiring ever more information. His aims in life are unknown beyond making Candlekeep the seat of a land of scholars and a power on the political stage of Faerûn. Several tales link him with young ladies of various noble houses in Suzail, Waterdeep, and Tethyr in his earlier years, and there's a newer rumor tying him romantically with some of the icy-cold, haughty elven ladies who come to the Sword Coast (though rarely) from Evermeet.
TETHTORIL, FIRST READER (LG human Cleric of Mystra, 18th Level; STR 16, INT 18, WIS 18, CON 16, CHA 16)
This tall, impressive, wise, and soft-spoken man is often mistaken for the Keeper of Tomes of Candlekeep. He is more intelligent, regal, and sensitive than his superior Ulraunt, by far -- and Ulraunt knows it. Yet Tethtoril is unfailingly loyal, thoughtful, and diligent in his duties, often anticipating troubles and preparing beforehand to spare Candlekeep troubles -- or Ulraunt any embarrassment.
Most Holy Mystra often whispers to Tethoril in his dreams, bidding him to do this or that -- and in this way has led him to unearth key spells from forgotten tomes; kept Elminster, Khelben, and the Harpers welcomed or at least, tolerated in Candlekeep; and kept Ulraunt from being seduced by darker powers (most recently, Cyric). In this, Mystra is aided by both Deneir and Oghma.
Although he doesn't know it, Tethtoril is one of the safest people in all the Realms -- three deities will protect him against any attack, manifesting as: whatever spell is needed (Mystra); a wall of force conjured by a shadowy floating harp (Oghma); or a suddenly appearing magical symbol (effects identical to the wizard spell of the same name) of one of the known types that flashes and discharges in his defense immediately after it is seen (Deneir). All three deities subtly aid Tethtoril in puzzling out the meaning of cryptic, faded, fragmentary, or forgotten script writings. It is this superlative ability to decipher writings that has led to Tethtoril's present rank.
GORION, HONORED GUEST (?, human ?, ?; ???)
Gorion is an honored guest at Candlekeep, though not a member of the Order there. Depending on the official date of our world, he may or may not currently be raising the protagonist of the Baldur's Gate games.
Gorion used to be an active adventurer and remains a learned sage and a respected Harper. Among other things, he has faced the dragon Firkraag and emerged at least somewhat victorious -- enough so that he survived and Firkraag was left scarred.
When he comes into possession of the Bhaalspawn, he keeps their heritage a closely-guarded secret. He does not tell his friends among the Harpers, such as Khalid and Jaheira, nor does he tell the children themselves. Ulraunt seems to know about them, and he never approves of Gorion bringing such wards to Candlekeep. Elminster, another acquaintance of Gorion's, also knows, and he is indeed the one who warns Gorion about Sarevok's plans in a letter, in the beginning of the first game.
PHLYDIA, MERCHANT (?, ? ?, ?; ???)
Phlydia is never well-developed in the game, nor in the Lore; when you meet her in Baldur's Gate, she tasks you with finding her lost book -- The History of Halruaa. The designers of the server have given her a magic shop in our world, however, to serve the player base.
The DMs and Developers have a lot of room to play around with her personality and history.
WINTHROP, INNKEEPER (?, human ?, ?; ???)
Winthrop is the friendly, cheery, and rotund innkeeper of the Candlekeep Inn. He's a memorable character from the game for his boorish attitude -- his voice-acted greeting on clicking him is "my old girl's as clean as an elven arse" -- and his pretty terrible sense of humor.
The interior of the Candlekeep Inn, and thus Winthrop, has yet to be built in our server, however.
CAPTAIN HULL, CAPTAIN (?, human ?, ?; ???)
Captain Hull can be found on our server in the barracks at Candlekeep. I have little to say about him by way of personality or duty. He is perhaps one of the three Watchers.
He may or may not be related to the Hull in Baldur's Gate, who you run a small errand for. Perhaps Captain Hull is his father? (I would suggest that Hull has had a promotion on our server, but it pre-dates the BG game).
NESSIE THE COW
Nessie the cow has probably not been born yet, on our server. If she has been born, she is likely a calf. If you have no idea who this cow is, go play Baldur's Gate. She needs your help.
CONCLUSION
These are all of the NPCs that jump to my mind at the moment, or that I can readily find Lore on.
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Post by litara on May 1, 2009 19:13:56 GMT -5
Getting back to the guild stuff.
How about we start counting heads and see how many people we can poke for such a group?
If the DM's approve of such a faction, we could at least make a start? I'm not saying we should immediatly start handing all kinds of 'cool ranks' and stuff. For all i care, all the big ranks could be DM-controlled.
I just think it would be a great idea to let Candlekeep play a more active role in Baldurs Gate. i mean, the castle is there, the lore is there, the only thing that's stopping us is some proper organization. And from a DM's point of view, adding Candlekeep as an active faction would offer a myriad of different quests to the player base. Just think of the different things knowledge hungry wizards might do to gain new knowledge. It could be recovery quests, exploration quests of some ruins, diplomatic, whatever.
Anyway, to try and get things in motion a bit; I'll even go as far as to hereby proclaim myself as self-appointed administrative clerk to the Scholars of CandleKeep.
So. Who's with me? Account name - Character name Litara - Qin Tarra
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Post by Zealote on May 1, 2009 19:49:00 GMT -5
I dont think you guys need to worry that much about a DM to back you up. If you create a good background, lore based guild, just ask for a OK, and then go for yourselves. To have a DM backing up, means a lot, but it is not a requisite. The Weave Masters didnt have any DM behind it. And now they are big and working. I think its a great idea, and you guys could mix Wizards with Monks, and make yourselves different than the Weave Masters there. It could be cool. And since Candlekeep is kinda empty, the RP events would rock and go smoothly. Edit: You could, after building the guild, request the Candlekeep Inn interior to be built, since the Library can be your guildhouse. . Just for cool RP. Inn are always good. heheh
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Post by Zealote on May 5, 2009 11:49:21 GMT -5
*Bump*
Cmon people!
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Post by maecius on May 5, 2009 18:06:17 GMT -5
On DM Sponsorship
I concur with Zealote on the issue of DM Sponsorship. I don't think it's necessary. The organization schema that the Lore sets up and that I went over in detail earlier should operate easily as a self-policing one: That is, players can vote other players into or out of leadership positions.
It would be nice if DMs threw quests our way every now and again, and let us flex our brains as the Western Heartland's premier place to go for answers, but it is not necessary for our faction to function.
On Organization
As I noted, I think it should be relatively easy to join Candlekeep's faction -- for players, anyway. I don't think we need to play out the whole initiation, or the uncomfortable dinner with Ulraunt, where he all but interrogates guests and acolytes.
Candlekeep's three branches are each run by their own leaders. Promotion for acolytes would be controlled by the Guide, promotion for soldiers would be controlled by the Gatewarden, and acceptance as a chanter should be controlled by the Chanter.
The Guide, Gatewarden, and Chanter, as well as the eight Great Readers, would be chosen by vote by the amassed Readers. Since we don't want only Readers to have a voice, we might also let Seekers and Scribes have a vote, even if it would be against Lore. Up to us, really.
On Candlekeep Inn
Yeah, we'll eventually want the inn and library interiors built, but we're not going to rush the builders with this. They're currently trying to bring life to the Underdark, from the sounds of it, and as much fun as it would be for us to have places in Candlekeep to meet besides the infirmary and temple to Oghma, it's up to the area builders to handle this issue.
On Roster
We absolutely should keep a roster of everyone who is a sanctioned member of Candlekeep's Order. Litara definitely has the right idea here. This will allow us to keep a finger on the pulse of the faction, and ensure that our faction members know one another.
I'll thus add my name to the roster:
Account name - Character name Litara - Qin Tarra Maecius - Valerius
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on May 5, 2009 18:09:51 GMT -5
If this ever gets going, I can pass out a few keys to the library.
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Post by maecius on May 5, 2009 18:21:58 GMT -5
From Sir C's post, it sounds like the interior has already been built for the library, actually, so it would just be a matter of keys, there. That's great news!
Also, while I was checking source for another thread, I ran into some information I'd left out in my earlier description of Candlekeep. Apparently, we have a really cool guardian:
"Something guards the catacombs and storage caverns beneath Candlekeep so well that few successful intrusions from below have ever reached Candlekeep proper. Few know that this sentinel wyrm was once the silver dragon Miirym. She was bound to defend Candlekeep's monks, buildings, and books by the archsorcerer Torth. Miirym is now an ancient silver dragon ghost who, if destroyed, rejuvenates in only 2d8+8 hours. Miirym defends Candlekeep diligently, but her spirit is very lonely and would rather talk than fight. She trades tales for information about current events.
"Anyone who tries to trick her or launch a sneak attack can expect to have her come howling after him, hurling every spell she can in a savage, furious attack. If she meets intruders openly carrying books of any kind, the sentinel wyrm insists that they be surrendered to her for "rightful return" to Candlekeep. (As far as she's concerned, writings of any sort belong to Candlekeep).
"The scribes of Candlekeep have made at least one copy of every tome there, and an entire "mirror library" is rumored to be hidden somewhere else in Faerun. Candlekeep-made books always bear the keep's symbol: a castle with flames burning atop its towers."
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Post by litara on May 6, 2009 4:05:12 GMT -5
On OrganizationAs I noted, I think it should be relatively easy to join Candlekeep's faction -- for players, anyway. I don't think we need to play out the whole initiation, or the uncomfortable dinner with Ulraunt, where he all but interrogates guests and acolytes. Candlekeep's three branches are each run by their own leaders. Promotion for acolytes would be controlled by the Guide, promotion for soldiers would be controlled by the Gatewarden, and acceptance as a chanter should be controlled by the Chanter. The Guide, Gatewarden, and Chanter, as well as the eight Great Readers, would be chosen by vote by the amassed Readers. Since we don't want only Readers to have a voice, we might also let Seekers and Scribes have a vote, even if it would be against Lore. Up to us, really. On RosterWe absolutely should keep a roster of everyone who is a sanctioned member of Candlekeep's Order. Litara definitely has the right idea here. This will allow us to keep a finger on the pulse of the faction, and ensure that our faction members know one another. For the dinner with Ulraunt's part. We might very well exchange that for a dinner with a high ranking member (Guide/Chanter/Gatewarden) If a player wants to join, he or she has to speak with them anyway. On ranks: As we shouldn't expected to set up a huge faction right away, i think we should keep it at six ranks at the moment. Two for every subfaction. 1x Guide Xx Seekers 1x Chanter Xx Voices 1x gatewarden Xx Soldiers Once the need arises for more, we can just implement more. Otherwise, all of it becomes needlessly complicated for it all to set up. Just my two copper Oh, and Maecius, You might want to sum up all that information you have in the "Lore of the Lands"Thread, if you havn't allready ;D
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Post by maecius on May 6, 2009 20:17:03 GMT -5
I like your idea, Litara. We can let new, would-be recruits meet and greet with the person appropriate to their calling: the Chanter if they're bards, the Guide if they're casters or monks, the Gatewarden if they're soldiers or martial monks.
Unfortunately, we don't have any player leadership at the moment, and only two players vocally interested in joining the faction -- you and me.
Valerius is a 17th-level wizard/eldritch knight/arcane scholar of Candlekeep, and could take over as Guide or Gatewarden if there's no one more appropriate. He is a rather helpful and patient character, with a lot of knowledge in between his horns.
But first and foremost I'd like to get a few more player characters involved. We should host some recruitment drives, maybe even a player-driven event in-game, to generate interest in Candlekeep. And, of course, we should always approach people who are "currently unemployed" in game with the suggestion that they try to join Candlekeep's ranks.
As for making a Candlekeep thread in the Lore of the Lands section of the board, I would, but that section is locked to player posting.
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Post by litara on May 7, 2009 13:01:42 GMT -5
I allready spoke with Sinsimilla.
He was interested in the Gatewarden job. I guess he hasn't had the time to make a post, here.
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Post by maecius on May 7, 2009 17:47:09 GMT -5
Maximus Angrius (sinsimilla) approached me in-game today, expressing his interest in the Gatewarden position, IC and OOC. Valerius told him, IC, that he would put in a good word for him. He also told me, OOC, that he is working on a pay scheme for the guard, and some other organizational matters for them.
So we may have a Guide and Gatewarden, which are the primary positions we need to fill in order to recruit new characters. I haven't met any bards interested in the Chanter position, but we could also accept monks into that position, too: It's not as if they are chanting to entertain.
There are two Candlekeep-affiliated priests, as well: Salome (priestess of Mystra) and Freiherr (priest of Oghma). We should probably count them in our faction, even if they are not an official part of the hierarchy.
Which pushes our numbers from 2 to 5!
EDIT: Jared Burns also informed Valerius that he was given access to Candlekeep's library (and presumably a key to it as well) by Gorion in reward for a favor he did the city. We should definitely try to keep track of these "friends of Candlekeep," as well as the official factioneers.
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on May 7, 2009 19:00:55 GMT -5
Note: People should not be getting permanent keys to the library unless part of Candlekeep. Those who get "guest passes" should only have them for a short period.
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rokranon
Member
"Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open." --Sir James Dewar
Posts: 49
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Post by rokranon on May 7, 2009 20:09:39 GMT -5
I'd love to help you all, but there's not much for Jonas to do there.
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Post by madcomposer on May 8, 2009 7:22:31 GMT -5
I have a 1st-level gnomish wizard from Calimshan who would like to join. Candlekeep casts long shadows indeed.
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Jiszo
Senior Member
Posts: 449
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Post by Jiszo on May 8, 2009 7:52:44 GMT -5
I have a character that may fight in to join but may not. If this is gonna happen we need a ranking structure and some one to take head of it. I would like to discuss with someone about joining IG but ooc. For certain rp reasons my character might not fight in but not exactly sure yet.
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