Brother Ptolem of the Veiled Eye
MystaransLore Keeper and Archivist
"Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is responsibility. Power is what fools seek.""
Identity
- Residence
- The Infinite Library beneath the Tower of Whispers
- Civilization
- Mystarans
Appearance
• Physical: Ptolem is stooped with age but moves with surprising speed when motivated. His left eye was replaced with a crystal orb that stores everything he reads. His right eye is milky white but somehow sees more than most. • Clothing: He wears the traditional brown robes of the Lore Keepers, covered in ink stains and small burns from ancient texts. His sleeves contain hidden pockets full of reference scrolls. • Distinguishing Marks: His crystal eye glows different colors based on the type of information he's processing. His fingers are permanently stained with ink from handling ancient texts.
Relationships
- Family - Estranged from his birth family who considered his obsession with books unhealthy; considers the library itself his family now
- Allies - The other Lore Keepers, though he finds most of them intellectually inferior; the library's guardian spirit who speaks to him in dreams
- Rivals - Book thieves, fire elementals, and anyone who wants to remove texts from the library
Personality
- Traits: Obsessively curious, socially awkward, fiercely protective of knowledge, surprisingly brave when defending books
- Mannerisms: Mumbles to himself while reading, organizes everything by obscure systems only he understands, becomes agitated when books are mistreated
- Voice: Crackly and dry like old parchment, with a tendency to quote relevant passages mid-conversation
Backstory
Ptolem has served in the Infinite Library for seventy years, organizing prophecies, histories, and magical theories that span millennia. He was once a promising seer but sacrificed his natural gift to save a section of the library from a magical fire. In exchange, the library's guardian bound his consciousness to the archives, giving him perfect recall but making him unable to leave for more than a day.
Daily Life
He catalogues new acquisitions, assists researchers (reluctantly), and maintains the protective wards that keep the library's more dangerous tomes contained. He sleeps in a nest of books in the Restricted Section and considers the library's collection his true family.
Secret
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Story Hooks
- 1 He possesses crucial information about an ancient artifact but will only share it if the party retrieves a stolen book from dangerous thieves
- 2 The library's guardian has gone silent, and he fears something has breached the Restricted Section