Order of the Seven Skalds

A secretive society of bards and knowledge keepers, the Order of the Seven Skalds are seven distinct libaries and bardic colleges built across the Aedrinaran Islands. Ranging across Jotun, Aedrinarian and Ice Elf territories the seven skalds have various purposes and only a handful are left intact. Their exact nature is unknown, but in the libraries encountered by Doomed 2 Die they each hold segements of the Song of Ragnarok.

Libraries

Each of the Sven Skalds operate out of a library. These libraries are usually hidden, and many have been lost across the ages. All named after a beast or monster, they are spread across the Aedrinaran islands with one being located in the Shadowfell.

Basilisk Library

Status: Disbanded
Location: Rauttland, the Kingdom of Jotun
The Basilisk Library was a militaristic and martial focused library on the distant and otherwise inhabited Jotun island of Rauttland. Destroyed due to their attempted role in invading Jotun, their members were slain by the giants and access to the library hidden by their Skald, the silver dragon, named The Silver Dragon. Mr. Blake later revealed this dragon was named Argynvost, and due to being the last version of himself across the multiverse he was reincarnated within Prima Terra as a white dragon wyrmling, currently under the care of the Draconist Monastery in Jameleska.
Doomed 2 Die discovered this library during their adventures in the Duchy of Jameleska in early Endstarre, 1052, 3a. Entering the temple by a ruined outpost near Astergor accessed only by travelling through the Bardagaorsvidi, a supernatural mist sitting over an ancient giant and Svartvelheim battleground.

Library Description

The library itself was a snow covered ruin by the time Doomed 2 Die found it. Long abandoned by the living and perserved only by the care of the Silver Guardian and the frosts, the ghosts of the dead skalds remained tied to the ancient fortress. The library's design was more as a fortress than a place of learning, fitted out with a smiths, barracks, and training rooms. A central chamber buried within the mountain contained the sanctum of the order and the area of the rites of initiation for the Skald.
The Portalary contained three portals, only two of which were still active in 1052. One let to Astergor, one to the outpost Doomed 2 Die entered through, and a broken portal to Helheim. The entrance to the rest of the library remained trapped until Doomed 2 Die deactivated it.
The Arcaneum was a spellcrafting workshop. The final spell that was being created by the orders final arch-mage, Svain the Wise, was completed by Doomed 2 Die and put his spirit to rest. Nearby was the armoury, ran by Jon the Builder, and was where the impressive Rauttland steel weapons used by the order were constructed. Einar completed the final forging and built Angi's Fang, a shortsword blade.
Hel worship seemed particularly tied to the library. Alongside the portal to helheim, the rites for becoming the Skald of the library allowed for a soul to be plucked from Helheim and restored to Valhalla. A shrine to Hel was also found in the Skald quarters.

Members

All of the library's members are dead. This list records the last known members of the library. Descriptions are taken from the plinths of their statues in the Hall of Statues within the library.

Rank	Name	Description
Skald	Freygard Battle-Maiden	Defeater of the Ice Prince, vanquisher of the hounds of hades, honoured shield barer of High King Olaf, wielder of the ten axes, sworn champion of Hel
Apprentice	Hrold Daggssen	Chosen apprentice of the Skald, master of the fist, never defeated in battle
Arch-Mage	Svaein the Wise	Arch-mage of the library, spellcrafter, unlocker of the arcane
Arch-Smith	Jon the Builder	Master smith and forger of the Rautland steel, builder of a 1000 swords
Acolyte	Lugr the Hound-Master	Master of beast and bow, guardian of the portals
Acolyte	Ljufa Farmansdottir	The acolyte of coin and master of the games
Acolyte	Vrnija the Cook	Master of meat and spice
Acolyte	Grumli the Drunkard	Brute of axe and shield, devourer of all mead

Culture

The Basilisk Library appears to have a militaristic and martial culture. Acting almost as mercenaries, most of the knowledge contained within the library centered around battle, tactics, and military training from across the world. Manuals on battlemaster maneouvers could also be found here.

Bear Library

Status: Disbanded
Location: Northern Asrinheim, 8 miles east of Iminiyas
The Bear Library is a formally lost library relocated and refounded by Einar. Destroyed in the second age by a force of ogres, a curse of undeath was left on the library that saw its last slain librarians continue to haunt the library. Located near Iminiyas on the island of Asrinheim, ever since the library was destoryed local folk legends of a ghostly bear watching travellers through snow storms persitted. Einar was led to investigate this library by their own order and was able to lift the curse and become its new skald.

Interior

The interior of the library was hidden behind a puzzle door. This thick, stone, slab of an entrance held nine holy symbols of the Honoured Gods. A curled horn (Heimdall), an all-seeing eye (Odin), A snake, (Loki), a hammer (Thor), A greatsword (Tyr), a cat, (Frigga, a chalice (Balder), a half-skeletal half-human face (Hel) and three spears (Sif). In old aedrinaran runes the words, "I am the watcher, he who sees. I am thunder, the bringer of storms. I am death, the final end." were found. The puzzle was solved by using a magical weapon to cut across the symbols of Heimdall, Thor, and Hel.
Inside, the party saw vestiges of a ghostly scene. The last surviving member, Aangmar, could be seen revisiting the library after it's fall. Throughout the library, spirits of ogres and the wraiths of the former librarians attacked the group until the found Aangmar in the vaults - his journal saying he would stand watch over the dead. He was guarded by the ghost of one of the library's bears, Angi. When the Bear Ring was taken by Einar, they became the new skald and Angi became their summonable creature.

Culture

The Bear Library had an extensive library on monsters and the elves. The library also contained information on the elemental planes, including the Dukes of Aaqa. It is likely this library acted as a survaillance on nearby powers, as the Eastern Seal of Ragnarok, a permanant portal to the Plane of Air, and several key Ice Elf cities were located nearby.

Dragon Library

Status: Active
Location: Jarnfjord, Drekenheim 
The Dragon Library is one of the four active libraries left in the order. Located in the small volcano-top village of Jarnfjord on the island of Drekenheim, the library was near extinct with only one member left. The fate of the library is unknown since the island was occupied by The Dragon Clan.

Eagle Library

Status: Active
Location: Orsturkirk, Orsturejya
Found in the city of Orsturkirk, the eagle library is the most prominent and public of the order. A powerful local organization, the Eagle Library live in their grand palace and library within the library quarter of the city and have withstood the battles and challenges of the ancient city's history. Containing a wealthy of historic information alongside fiction and chronicles of all manner of great figures, the library took the decision centuries ago to open their archives to the public, acting a bardic college and educational facility for the City of Scrolls.

Mammoth Library

Status: Active
Location: Nordenstor, Jotun
The Mammoth Library is still active and based in a tower within the Frost Giant city of Nordenstor. The Mammoth Library has five current members, and the Frost Lord of Nordenstor protects the library in exchange for the skalds using their ancient magics to help the giants continue to produce food and create automaton servants. The Frost Giant Protection came in useful in 878, 3e, when a band of the Ragnarok Cult attempted to attack the temple and were destroyed by the Frost Giants.

Members

• Ergad Giantkyn: Current skald of the Mammoth Library
• Elgin Stonethrow: Former skald of the library, died during the 40 year war fighting alongside the giants.
• Brogmor the Short: a frost giant and guardsman acolyte of the library.
• Tria Winterwind: The current apprentice

Orca Library

Status: Defunct
Location: Hastarok, Aedrinar
A lost library, the Orca Library is located on the abandoned island of Hastarok 9 miles south-east of Kriegerholm. The Orca Library was set to be only accessible via a puzzle to enter the ocean, and was rumoured to have been created by a Triton named Faroe. The entrance cave the library was located by a Kriegerholm eel fisherman who gave the information to Doomed 2 Die in case they needed to hide from the Dragon Clan.

Serpent Library

Status: Active
Location: The Morrigan's citadel, The Shadowfell
The most secretive and illusive of the seven skalds, for a long time the serpent skalds were beleived to be a myth. Rumoured to be located in the underdark, the serpent skalds would gather lore on death and darkness. Legends and war stories during the 40 Year War state that in the aftermath of particularly lethal battles, somewhere in the shadows a Skaldic acolyte could be seen noting the names of the dead, but would vanish when spotted.
In 972, 3e, members of the Archaeologists Guild digging up a destroyed dark age fortress found the remains of a Serpent Library member. Further inspection of the body revealed they had only died 60 years prior, yet the fortress had been buried for nearly a thousand years.

Members

• Skald Ingrid the Wise: Current high skald of the order
• Kalrow Drndirssen: Apprentice

Structure

The libraries are entirely decentralised, reporting only to the god Heimdall. They do not interact with each other in the current day, but records such as the map in the Bear Library ruins and the observations of Eagle Skald Orn Sky-Kissed during the time travel incident show that during the second age the other libraries were at least aware of each others existence. In the current day, it is believed only the three public and active libraries know of each other, but do not work with each other.
There is a linear structure to the libraries. The Skald, sometimes called the grandmaster or high skald, is the leader of a particular library. They are served by an apprentice, a second in command. Below them, are the acolytes. Acolytes all share the same status, but may undertake a specific function within the library. The ghosts of the Basilisk library show how each acolyte had a specific role within the order, such as arch-mage, arch-forger, or cook. Promotion to apprentice is chosen by the Skald, and the Skald is always replaced by their apprentice.

Founding Date

Circa 3121, ma

Type

Educational, Library

Founders

• Heimdall

Appearances: 4

• Session 17: The Bear Library (Bear Library)
• Session 18: Secrets and Stories (Bear Library)
• Session 26: The Road to Bonnwood (Serpent Library)
• Session 60: The Basilisk Library (Basilisk Library)