Great Library of Greyhawk

The Great Library houses thousands of tomes and scrolls, organized by subject and language. Key collections include:

• The Sages’ Stacks – Historical works, maps, lineages, and civic records of Greyhawk and neighboring states.
• The Codices Arcana – Treatises on magical theory, rituals, and spellcraft. Access to the deepest shelves requires Guild or Citadel approval.
• The Scroll Vault – Encrypted messages, ancient correspondences, and sealed records available only to authorized scholars or magistrates.
• The Understacks – A dimly lit, subterranean level where restricted and dangerous texts are stored under strict supervision.

There are also rotating exhibits from private collectors, old guild records, treatises from far-off cultures, and even speculative works on extraplanar phenomena.

Beyond simply storing books, the Great Library serves as a political and intellectual crossroads. Guilds, churches, and governments all rely on it for accurate recordkeeping and access to rare information. It is also considered neutral ground, and so often becomes the site of discreet meetings between rivals or emissaries.

While it does not hold overt power like the Grand Citadel or the Guild of Wizards, the Great Library wields influence through knowledge—and through the subtle control of who has access to what. It is often said in Clerkburg that, “What is not known might as well not exist.”

The exterior of the Library is reserved, almost austere: three stories of weathered stone accented by tall, narrow windows and carved motifs of quills, scrolls, and the open eye of Boccob. A small courtyard garden fronts the building, offering benches shaded by olive trees and quiet corners for discussion or solitude.

Inside, the air is thick with the scent of vellum, beeswax, and aging parchment. The vaulted ceilings are lined with carved wooden beams, and the walls are a labyrinth of shelves, scroll cases, and locked cabinets. Candlelight and continual flame spells provide a warm glow. Every footstep echoes, and whispers are instinctive.

Magical wards prevent fire, theft, and scrying. Silent custodians—both human and construct—patrol the aisles, ensuring order is maintained and that certain “forbidden” areas remain undisturbed.

Notable Features

• The Hall of Indices – An expansive chamber of desks and indexing tables where researchers can request assistance from scribes, librarians, or magical cataloging systems. The enchanted Directory Globe here spins and glows when certain rare queries are made.
• The Glyphlocked Wing – A secure section said to contain dangerous knowledge: heretical texts, necromantic grimoires, or books penned by nonhuman civilizations. Access is rarely granted and never unsupervised.
• The Scholar’s Niche – A hidden alcove of private reading chambers, sometimes reserved for important dignitaries, spellcasters in deep study, or individuals under magical protection while researching volatile material.

The Library is overseen by a council of learned minds, officially known as the Custodians of Lore. The head among them is the Chief Archivist, currently the enigmatic sage Lereldan Vos, a quiet and sharp-minded scholar rumored to possess eidetic memory—and a past linked to the Guild of Wizards.

The library also employs:

• Lorekeepers – Expert researchers who assist with translations, citations, and magical references.
• Silent Sentinels – Golem-like constructs created to enforce quiet and protect rare collections.
• Whispercloaks – Discreet security agents trained in both spell and subterfuge, used to prevent theft or illicit copying.

• Some say the Library holds an entire secret level beneath its lowest floor—an arcane vault of pre-Cataclysm relics, infernal contracts, or prophecies not yet fulfilled.
• Others believe a mind flayer once infiltrated the Scholar’s Niche and remained disguised for years before vanishing into the Understacks.
• Certain tomes are said to be sentient, kept locked behind glyph-etched glass because they speak in whispers to those who touch them.
• There is quiet speculation that the Library houses a copy of the Codex of the Infinite Planes, though its location—if true—is known only to the Chief Archivist and the Lord Mayor.