Librarians of the Mad Court

**Founding**: Unknown. Believed to have existed since before the Divine War.

**Notoriety**: Complete secret

**Notable Members**: Unknown

## Information

### History

Legend has it that there was once a king who did not think about anything but conquest. He had a court of 11 mages who helped the king's armies on their path to conquest, with their mysticism and magic. Then, one day, the king demanded that the mages find a faster and easier way to move his armies.

Thus, the mages of the court started to build a library and experimented with spells. After they worked with teleportation, plane shifting, shadow walking etc., they mistakenly surpassed their own limits, reached beyond the stars and got in contact with the far realm. This caused a portal to be opened which led the kingdom to be transported into far realm with the people in it, making it vanish instantly. Only Library of The Mad Court remained, as well as the maddened court of the masters in it. This was library in which one can find even the most secret knowledge but, unfortunately, none can bear the madness they will be exposed to, upon entering.

Ever since then, they have been expanding their library and have been writing new books with the new maddening understanding of the universe, which they had gained by the touch of the far realm.

The Masters have full control over the library. They can shape it freely according to their will. Because of this, the true form of the Library looks like it challenges the rules of physics. A person who is not invited, cannot see the library. The Library does not have a certain place since it has been displacing through realms constantly. An invited person can find the library when The Masters see fit.

Because of what they do and what they believe, this cult is opposed by Qushix and their followers.

### Goals and Activities

The Library is beyond time and space. So, time does not pass inside. The Librarians have been collecting knowledge and preparing the minds of mortals with the books they have been writing for the day of the apocalypse, on which the true masters of the universe will come to the world. They also use apprentices on quests for things such as recovering a relic or freeing a long forgotten far realm creature from its prison.

### Headquarters

The organization has only one place of gathering, The Library. It is nowhere and everywhere at once. It constantly travels. It can only be seen by the willing, and if the Masters allow it. The Library is a massive place that holds valuable books, long-forgotten scrolls, and universal secrets. The creatures inside do not need to sleep or require food to survive, thanks to the magical auras encircling the building. The Library does not have a particular shape as it manifests itself in a different form to each and every mind.

### Initiation

To become an apprentice of the Masters of the Library, being a spellcaster is a must. One should also be ready to leave their sanity behind to explore more about the universe, and the powers beyond the gods.

The masters do not leave the library. They search and find the right people through divination spells and make their offerings through distorted dreams or by sending away their apprentices. Significantly interesting potential apprentices are offered an Ancient Tome, though it is up to the individual to take it.

### Leaders

Their leader is a Sea Elf named Xaltoran, The Head Librarian, The Master Conjurer. Others are the masters of other spell schools and beings who are clerics from the far realms. These masters try to distort widely known spells in their own ways, creating unique forms of them with a touch of the far realm. To experiment more, they find creatures seeking forbidden and unlimited knowledge, and take them as apprentices and scholars.

## Out Of Character

### Player benefits

Due to the nature of this cult, players cannot be knowingly be a member or ex members. Any links to the Library is accidental and without knowledge. Gaining an Ancient Tome is a quest item to destroy the Library or join it. If a player joins the Library, they are no longer able to participate, tough this can be an easy way to write a character out.

### Enemies

Cleric Players with the Time Domain are avowed to seek out and destroy the Library, as are Chronomancers. The Grand Temple of Epha is also opposed, though less destructive about it. The Library has no allies.

### Associated Quests

Any quests associated with the Library are to spy, steal from, destroy, or join.

### Associated Items

#### Book of the Tainted Mind

These books are normal-looking spell books. Their condition varies, depending on how old the book is. However, somewhere in the back of your mind, you understand that it is not a normal spell book. While writing something into this book, which you do by spilling your blood on it, you can make the writings visible to only you, forever. When you spill your blood on the book, you deal 5 damage to yourself and leave a part of your mind in the book. This makes you have disadvantage on your Intelligence checks and saving throws until you take a long rest.

#### Forbidden Tome

Forbidden Tomes were created in ancient times to guide kingdoms or to keep a whole library’s cumulative knowledge in a single book. Forbidden Tomes come in a variety of types. They have one thing in common; minds of different powerful wizards are trapped in these books forever. There is no way of setting these minds free. If a Forbidden Tome is destroyed, the mind vanishes together with the book. When you open a Forbidden Tome, you are faced with the silhouette of a person’s face and pages that are completely blank. Forbidden Tomes are sentient items. They can answer questions with an attitude of their choosing. When you ask a question, the mind trapped in the book can both answer you verbally and/or choose to reflect the required information in writing, appearing as though it were written in ink. The written information vanishes when a new question is asked.