Dungeons & Dragons: What Candlekeep Is In D&D, Explained

The next Dungeons & Dragons book is Candlekeep Mysteries, which is an anthology of different adventures that involve the castle-city of Candlekeep. The people who have played the original Baldur’s Gate will be familiar with Candlekeep, but it has a long history that predates the video games.

Candlekeep is part of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, which is the default setting used in most D&D games. It’s located on the Sword Coast, just south of Cloakwood and the city of Baldur’s Gate. Candlekeep is known for having the greatest library in Faerun and is home to all manner of spellcasters, who perform secret experiments within the safety of its walls. In many ways, Candlekeep is the Hogwarts of the Forgotten Realms, and many adventurers have needed to explore its secrets as part of an important quest.

Candlekeep has been part of the Forgotten Realms setting since the beginning. It has a brief entry in the original Forgotten Realms campaign setting book, where it’s described as one of the greatest libraries and seats of learning in the world. It was created by Alaundo the Seer, who made accurate prophecies throughout his life. After Alaundo’s death, his disciples took to chanting his prophecies, so that they would never be forgotten.

Dungeons & Dragons: Candlekeep History & Lore

The castle is funded by people seeking its knowledge, as many rulers and wealthy patrons are willing to pay handsomely for the information kept within its vaults. Back then, it was possible to gain entrance to Candlekeep by donating a book worth ten thousand gold pieces, or by possessing a royal seal (or similar badge of office). The D&D 2nd edition version of Candlekeep retconned certain facts about its creation, as it already existed centuries before Alaundo first visited it, though he remains its most famous patron. The later editions established the facts about Candlekeep that remain to this day.

Candlekeep sits over a hundred feet away from the Sword Coast, atop a volcanic crag in the water. The only way to approach Candlekeep by land is via Way of the Lion, which is a massive road that connects it to the mainland. The only way to gain entrance to Candlekeep is by offering the monks a book that doesn’t already exist in the library, which is a tall order, considering that in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, Candlekeep has the biggest library in the world. Finding such an obscure book can be a huge undertaking, equal to the greatest quests imaginable. The monks will also accept editions of existing books that they don’t possess, and exceptions have been made for special guests without a book in the past.

Inside the walls of Candlekeep, D&D adventurers will find the Court of Air, which contains the Hearth (the living quarters for the monks), the House of Binding (a temple to Oghma, the god of knowledge), and the House of Rest (the living quarters for guests). The Great Library is attended to by monks, many of whom are extremely knowledgeable but lack spellcasting abilities. Fortunately, the library is covered in magical defenses, including spells that protect D&D’s ancient tomes within from fire and the ravages of time.

The Great Library is ruled by The Keeper of Tomes, who decides the laws and traditions that are enforced by the inhabitants of Candlekeep. Below the Keeper is the First Reader, who manages and protects the contents of the library. The management of Candlekeep is overseen by eight Great Readers, who deal with day to day affairs. Below them are Master Readers, some of which have specific positions, such as the Gatewarden dealing with the security of Candlekeep, and the Chanter, who maintains the song of Alaundo’s prophecies. The rank and file monks and scribes who operate in Candlekeep are called the Avowed, and these deal with everything from filing books, copying text, and cleaning the privies.

Beneath Candlekeep lies the vaults, which are said to contain dangerous secrets that shouldn’t be known by the wider world. It’s not even safe for the monks to visit the vaults, as they are protected by the undead spirit of Miirym, a silver dragon that died defending Candlekeep in the past, who had her spirit bound to the dungeon. The towers of Candlekeep are reserved for experiments so that spellcasters can perform research safely, though they’re usually abandoned in the winter months, as the cold weather makes them uninhabitable. This gives spellcasters a place to test their most dangerous spells.

Outside of the Bhaalspawn Crisis (see below), Candlekeep hasn’t had much of a role in the history of Faerun. Its most recent appearance in a campaign was during a visit in Descent into Avernus. It’s lack of gold and attending lands means that opposing forces are unwilling to invade it, and the few attempts at attacking Candlekeep have resulted in defeat at the hands of the enemy. Candlekeep has played a subtle role in many stories within the Forgotten Realms, as adventurers have discovered key pieces of information within its walls that have led them to great treasures or resulted in massive conflicts. The monks themselves continue to work in the library, oblivious to the events outside their walls, save for what is sent to them on a piece of paper.

Candlekeep In Baldur’s Gate

Candlekeep is best known for its appearance in the original Baldur’s Gate, as it’s where the main character is raised. Once the player has crafted their character, they appear within Candlekeep. It’s here where they will learn the basics of the game, as Candlekeep’s scholarly reputation is used as an excuse for tutorials. Once the player is ready, they depart from Candlekeep with their master, only to watch him slaughtered before their eyes in the wilderness.

The player returns to Candlekeep in Chapter Six, and they regain entry by donating a book called History of the Nether Scrolls. It’s here that the player is framed for murder, and they must escape from Candlekeep’s dungeon. They discover that Sarevok has been using doppelgangers to infiltrate Candlekeep, as part of a larger scheme to start a war between Baldur’s Gate and Amn. The player slays these doppelgangers on their way out, and manage to flee the castle with their lives, before returning to Baldur’s Gate for a final showdown with Sarevok.

In Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn, the player has several dreams about growing up in Candlekeep, but they realize that it represents a home that they can never return to. They possess the blood of the former god of murder, and they must defeat their half brothers and sisters if they ever hope to live in peace. The player cannot visit Candlekeep in Baldur’s Gate II, but there’s a chance that it could reappear in the upcoming Baldur’s Gate III.

Candlekeep Mysteries will be available on March 16, 2021.

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Scott Baird
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Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz.
A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early ‘90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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