| Type | Library |
|---|---|
| Location | Undisclosed Cavern System |
The Starless Sea is a mysterious library whose very existence is frequently questioned.
About
The Starless Sea is known to the general public only through legend. Most simply believe it does not exist. When it is mentioned, it is typically the safe-haven for the hero of the story that they may accidentally stumble into - a location for a lost soul to briefly hide, rest, and perhaps receive advice, before they continue on.
Relation to the Locksmiths
It is only the highest in the Locksmith's ranks who know a piece of the truth. In one of the first Locksmith temples there has always been one wall which was painted to resemble the Door of Selune. In the search for Selune and the Feywild, one day the Locksmiths discovered a key and it was accidentally discovered to unlock the painted door. The door lead deep beneath the temple to a library containing a wide variety of volumes, scrolls, recipes, and bits of paper with verse, but it did not seem to be staffed, or inhabited - despite the candles always seeming to be lit. The most notable feature, however, was the large harbor outside one door and the vast cavern it was set in. This harbor, and cavern, gave the location its name - The Starless Sea.
Over the years, the key, and therefore charge of the library was passed from Locksmith to Locksmith - each with their own vision. And so the library began to sprawl in unexpected and unusual ways, until you could pass from a cozy room covered in thick rugs with bookshelves pressing in on all sides to an expanse of ballroom lined with sheets of music in but a few a steps. Across all keepers, however, one tenet held - the library would only be filled with truly lost pieces. Pieces which they know will not be found. Pieces which are lost forever, and which can find a new home in the library.
Other Inhabitants
Occasionally, other people than the Locksmiths, with other keys, and other doors, have stumbled into the Starless Sea. Sometimes they have met the Locksmiths who frequent there - and other times not. Typically, these people wake the next day and believe their trip there to have been a dream, but occasionally someone (often a child) will realize the truth. These someones frequent the library for however long they feel right, until they are chased out by a crochety Locksmith, or until their door or key is lost- whichever comes first.
