Golden Lion Library
Founded in the early 11th century DR Golden Lion Library is Waterdeep's first and most prominent library. Located deep in the Castle Ward the library has a distinct flair and appearance. The main hall is a three story tall white stone building with vaulted roof and large windows built into the ceiling. Small wings extend out of the sides housing stacks of books not on public display and only accessible by the librarians. The most notable feature of the library are the multiple gold plated statues of lions that flank the staircase and the points of the roof. They are said to come alive when the library is in grave danger.
Just about any piece of information you could want to find is located in its stacks and shelves. Only the great libraries of Candlekeep and the Vault of Sages surpass it in content. Unlike those other halls of lore Golden Lion is free for all to access requiring no tests of character or gift of knowledge to enter. Payment is only required upon checking out a book, requesting a librarian retrieve some tome for you, or purchasing access to the more rare and ancient pieces of lore. The cost of these services are higher than elsewhere to counterbalance the lack of a general admission fee.
The reason for this free information is a policy set by the head Lore Keeper Mirak Sardonus. He believes that all knowledge should be free to those who seek it. The costs for finding a book are due to it being perceived as a shortcut and the cost for rare or old books is to test the degermation of those seeking them. Mirak also enforces a strict return and damage policy on the books on his care. Losing or damaging a book checked out by you will get you a permanent ban unless you can prove you dedication to learning through challanges or free work.
Just about any piece of information you could want to find is located in its stacks and shelves. Only the great libraries of Candlekeep and the Vault of Sages surpass it in content. Unlike those other halls of lore Golden Lion is free for all to access requiring no tests of character or gift of knowledge to enter. Payment is only required upon checking out a book, requesting a librarian retrieve some tome for you, or purchasing access to the more rare and ancient pieces of lore. The cost of these services are higher than elsewhere to counterbalance the lack of a general admission fee.
The reason for this free information is a policy set by the head Lore Keeper Mirak Sardonus. He believes that all knowledge should be free to those who seek it. The costs for finding a book are due to it being perceived as a shortcut and the cost for rare or old books is to test the degermation of those seeking them. Mirak also enforces a strict return and damage policy on the books on his care. Losing or damaging a book checked out by you will get you a permanent ban unless you can prove you dedication to learning through challanges or free work.
Trivia
- Yes the shelves rearrange themselves sometimes, try not to get caught between them.
- Golden Lion Library is not responsible for damages caused by sneaking into the reserved section without permission. Those signs are there for a reason.
- Do not stand on the statues outside, if you do they won't cover the cost of your resurrection.
Type
Library
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