Leaves of Learning

The slim-spired temple of Pelor known as the Leaves of Learning soars above the walls of Luminaux at the western end of the city. The finest library west of the Spire resides in the stout stone chambers of the central tower, cloaked in wards to reduce the threat of fire, water, or mold.

Purpose

Lore Lost among the Librams

The Librera teaches us that ideas have no weight, yet can move mountains; they have no weight, yet can dominate a nation; and they have no mass, yet can push aside empires. Knowledge is our greatest tool, for ideas are the seeds of creation. Yet like plants grown from seeds, knowledge eventually will wither and be lost if not carefully tended. The mind stores some knowledge, yet the ravages of time exact their toll on individual memories, and death inevitably claims that which has not been shared and remembered. Other knowledge is inscribed in books, yet sheets of vellum are not immune to the toll of passing years and must be copied time and time again. Perhaps the greatest danger posed by books lies in the nature of their construction. Ideas placed within a book will die as if forgotten if that book becomes a dusty coffer, its contents locked away. Like gems, ideas will sparkle only if brought into the light of day. To that end we must make our libraries live, so that no book remains forgotten. It is for this reason that we labor so, to keep all knowledge accessible and all ideas alive.

— from Truth in the Stacks by Hasicor Danali, Learned Father

Under the leadership of Learned Father Hasicor Danali, the Pelor’s clergy have assembled an unparalleled collection of written records of life in Crescent, many of them newly compiled, including diaries, war histories, and even campfire accounts from across the region. Clerics keep busy buying and reading new books brought to the temple and going out asking specific questions of the elder folk of the region and recording their answers.

The Index of Danali

The Leaves of Learning are also famed for the Index of Danali, the inspired creation of the temple’s high cleric. The Index consists of a strictly ordered compendium of vellum sheets — one for each tome it covers — detailing subject matter and topics of interest. The genius of the Index is that it enables visitors to request exactly the book they wish to pursue; it lays out the information contained in each listed volume so clearly, that very little knowledge remains lost or forgotten beneath dusty, unopened covers.

A Treasure Trove of Lore

Within the past few years, Danali’s tireless labors have extended his famed Index beyond the books found within the Leaves of Learning. Those in search of rare or unique books are increasingly likely to find a record of their last known location and a summary of their contents within the Tower of Tomes, even if that location is as far away as the Iron Hills or the Shattered Isles. Those who do not wish to walk every last mile of Crescent’s roads in search of some lost bit of lore usually find a consultation of Danali’s Index invaluable before beginning their search.

Layout

Leaves of Learning Map - Click for more details including key

The Tower of Tomes is flanked by a pair of cloisters that face inward toward a walled, forested garden where cascades of endlessly pumped water babble past many small bowers and contemplation nooks. At the far end of the East Cloister is the Scroll House, where the temple staff dwell amid newly acquired books and scrolls to be repaired and cataloged.

Staff

Parishioners

Many inhabitants of Luminaux count themselves as parishioners, and most children born to Luminazzi in the past decade have spent an afternoon hearing stories of adventure read by one of the temple’s bespectacled clerics.

The Mind of the Prophet

In addition to Learned Father Hasicor Danali, the Leaves of Learning houses seven elderly clerics of the Order of the Mind of the Prophet, most of whom are absent-minded and prone to mumbling. Daily life at the temple largely runs itself. The clerics are very set in their ways, and probably would continue their daily activities even if Luminaux was in danger of being overrun by a horde of orcs.

Notable Personages

The ‘second in command’ at the Library is Lorekeeper Venturer Tessele Whitehorn. Also resident at the Leaves of Learning is Brother Denehan ClearStone, one of Crescent's foremost experts on magical items and artifacts.

The Fist of Reverence

The safety of the tower and it's residents is assured by the presence of five monks of the Order of the Fist of Reverence. The leader of the monks at the temple is Lorewarden Rowan Silvercrown. Danali largely delegates the temple’s security concerns to Rowan, leaving the monks free to protect the complex however they see fit.

Guild Council Guards

In addition to the followers of Pelor, the Guild Council keeps a small contingent of Guild Council Guards at the temple. Guard shifts at the temple last eight hours before the next detail arrives to offer relief. Sergeant Mourn Deepwood, a member of the Congregants, commands the guard contingent and lives on site at the temple; the guards live off site.

Visitors

Visitors to Pelor's temple are welcome, and many travelers passing through Luminaux make a point of visiting this famed house of learning. There is always a bard or two about the premises, causing the sounds of gentle harp chords to waft over the gardens.

The Printing Press

Though the recent invention of the printing press, by the gnomish tinkers Barnabus and Nobble, will inevitably lead to less demand for the services of Danali's scribes, he is nonetheless fascinated by the possibilities it represents. He was, in fact, an early funder of the project, and is hoping to have copies of the Index, and an instruction manual for cataloging any library's collection, printed next year, to be distributed wherever there is a love of knowledge. His scribes and clerics have all been given instructions that, whenever possible, they should refer their customers to B&N's bookstore.

Game Notes

Research and Knowledge Checks

The Leaves of Learning functions as one of the best libraries in Crescent. Almost any type of Knowledge check can benefit from a perusal of the temple’s tomes. Characters using the library for its reference books receive a +10 circumstance bonus to any Knowledge checks except Knowledge (arcana). Guests unfamiliar with the temple’s reputation may be disappointed to learn that, as a matter of policy, the clerics here store no tomes of magic or even those discussing arcane matters within the library’s walls. (They believe this policy greatly reduces the number of thefts, attempted and successful.) Under the supervision of a member of the clergy, visitors to the Leaves of Learning can peruse tomes within the library for periods of up to a full day upon payment of 15 gp. (Clergy of Pelor pay only 1 gp, a price that applies only to themselves and not their inquisitive friends.)

Translations

The temple’s clerics may also be engaged to decipher obscure passages in forgotten tongues, at a cost of 1 gp per hour of labor required, including research time, if any.

For Sale

Copies

Although reading and discussion of such books is allowed, copying is not permitted. The temple staff can make copies of selected pages on the following day for a fee of 1 gp per page and double that if the page contains maps, diagrams, symbols, or illustrations that must be reproduced exactly (copying by hand takes 1 day per 100 pages copied). Prices are negotiable for larger works. Books can be copied magically at a cost of 3 gp per page, minimum 50 pages. Doing so requires at least one day’s notice but takes only one day for any book up to 500 pages long (which would be a huge book, five times the size of a normal spellbook).

Maps

All copies of maps sold by the temple are believed to be accurate or, if they err in some fashion, the best available.

Restoration

The Leaves of Learning is home to some of the most skilled bookbinders in Crescent As such, wealthy patrons from as far away as the Spire and Ferrodyne bring books to be restored within the temple walls. The cost runs between 10 gp and 100 gp, depending on the time and materials required to complete the restoration. In cases where no copy of the book in question exists within the library, the clerics usually waive the fee if the owner grants them permission to make copies.

Scrolls

Spell scrolls of clerical spells can be purchased at the Leaves of Learning as well, although the clerics remain so busy with other activities that they produce fewer such scrolls than do other temples of Pelor. Typically available divine scrolls include 'comprehend languages, detect magic, detect poison, detect undead, divination, find traps, glyph of warding, make whole, read magic, and tongues. Sometimes passing clerics and bards leave scrolls on consignment with the temple that are available for sale as well, although in very limited numbers. Typically available bard scrolls include influence, disrupt thoughts, inspire confidence, create object, momentary charm, burst of speed, and fascinate.