The Avowed

While Candlekeep did not possess a true government as a village of similarly-sized settlement might, the monks of the Avowed were led by a group of their order who ascended the ranks on a meritocratic basis. While all of the Avowed swore themselves to protect the keep and the contents of its halls, their leadership made allowances for them to fulfill their duties with structure and order.
The Avowed were a group of non-denominational, cloistered monks who tended to and protected the great library-fortress of Candlekeep. They came from all walks of life; from clerics of the deities who personified the search for knowledge to wizards and even some warrior-monks. These monks were united in their scholarly pursuits and their duty to preserve the collected knowledge and lore of the Realms, in all its forms.
First and foremost the Avowed protected the wisdom and information held within the Great Library. While many external threats were present, in the form of thieves or those who sought to destroy knowledge, the Avowed spent much of their time working against the effects of mold, deterioration, and natural decay. So as not to lose any knowledge to oversight, they often purchased, or other otherwise attained books by other means.
The monks of Candlekeep periodically sponsored excursions to hunt down long-lost items of lore. While its order of monks was not spectacularly wealthy, they often traded some knowledge when eliciting the service of others. When they were required to call upon adventurers, they often enticed them with maps of treasure-filled ruins, documents that detailed the creation of magical items, or scrolls containing the specifications of certain rare spells.

Structure

Keeper of Tomes

The Keeper of Tomes was the highest-ranked member of the order, an individual who appointed those believed well-suited to take on leadership roles within. In all practical applications, their word was considered law in Candlekeep. A Keeper of Tomes chooses their own replacement. If a Keeper dies or departs before making that choice, the council of Great Readers votes to determine who among them is elevated to the position. Tie votes are broken by the First Reader.
In 1492 the title of Keeper of Tomes is kept by Janussi.

First Reader

The Keeper was served by the First Reader, who tirelessly worked to obtain new books, scrolls, and other pieces to add to the libraries' collections; along with the Great Readers, eight learned sages that were each considered to be the premier authority in their selected field of study and research.
In 1492 DR, the First Reader is Bookwyrm, a dragonborn master sage of green dragon ancestry. Bookwyrm’s real name is Skoda Valanaster, and hates the nickname Bookwyrm.

Great Readers

Candlekeep maintains a council of eight Great Readers, senior Avowed who oversee day-to-day operations. These erudite scholars and gifted spellcasters are chosen from the ranks of Master Readers. Each is acknowledged as Candlekeep’s foremost expert on a particular area of study.
In 1492, the Great Readers are:

• A'lai Aivenmore, a human master sage. Primary expertise: Divinity (the gods and nature of the divine)
• Alkrist, a dragonborn master sage of bronze dragon ancestry. Primary expertise: politics, military strategy, and significant battles of Toril.
• Daral Yashenti, a human master sage, and poet. Primary expertise: music, poetry, and literature.
• Fheminor Scrivenbark, a lightfoot halfling master sage. Primary expertise: history, folklore, and the cultures of Toril (past and present).
• Kazryn Nyantani, a human master sage. Primary expertise: the natural world and celestial navigation.
• Sylvira Savikas, a tiefling archmage. Primary expertise: the Great Wheel of the planes.
• Teles Ahvoste, a human archmage. Primary expertise: magic items, curses, and the Weave.
• V’ziir-Ag, a githzerai master sage. Primary expertise: all things unnatural (including aberrations, undead, and the Far Realm).

Master Readers

Master Readers (sages and master sages) oversee the scribes and teach the adjutants. These learned Avowed possess tremendous institutional knowledge.

Chanter

A chosen group of Avowed maintains a constant recitation of the prophecies of Alaundo the Seer. The Endless Chant, as it is called, travels throughout the keep day and night. It’s led by either the Chanter or a hand-picked subordinate. In 1492 DR, the Chanter is a middle-aged shield dwarf named Benedora Stoneforge.

Demography and Population

Scholars of all races and backgrounds, even those from other planes of existence, were granted a place in Candlekeep, so long as they abided by the Orders of Accordance. The Avowed counted Humans, tieflings, dragonborn, and even githzerai among its members, and at least one ogre scholar was granted residence within the keep's walls. There were even a small number of modrons granted safe harbor in Candlekeep, far away from their home plane of Mechanus.

Maps

• 

  Candlekeep

Type

Educational, Library

Capital

Candlekeep

Government System

Meritocracy

Power Structure

Autonomous area

Economic System

Gift economy

Legislative Body

The Keeper of the Tomes writes the laws, in addition to his word being law.

Controlled Territories

• Candlekeep