FASA Games, Inc.

In the latest adventure I’m putting together for my players their characters must travel to Throal to the Great Library. I’ve decided the Great Library is much larger than it appears to be in Nations of Barsaive I - Throal and has a large vault running under it for storing books it has multiple copies of or have yet to be fully catalogued, evaluated etc.

I want the vault to be guarded by something. Not a big bad, that comes later, but just something to challenge the player characters. It would have to be something that the scribes know about and know how to avoid. It doesn't even have to be a combat encounter.

Any Thoughts? – The characters should be a mix of circle 4-5 by the time they get there.

I wouldn't do something the scribes know how to avoid. I think a better option would be a tasked spirit that is bound to the archives, and essentially quizzes trespassers. The scholars can answer its questions, which allows them to pass unhindered. If a question is answered incorrectly, then something bad happens. Maybe the Evil Eye power, physically moving them to the entrance, or even blasting them with some sort of attack power/spell, or a host of other things. Spells like Mind Fog or Pleasant Visions could be fun. That strikes me as more "library-y" than a guard dog that has to be avoided or fought.

A tasked spirit is a good idea, probably an earth or air elemental spirit (merox is not the worlds greatest nethrmancer fan so is unlikely to have a ally spirit) also these spirits are smart enough to remember individuals (smarter than the average name giver), the librarians walk past without being delayed because they have been introduced, anybody else will be met with an appropriate level of force.

Seems like a perfect time to explore the notion of a greater pattern. Maybe all the librarians of Thoal that die, their spirits join the great Library to keep it safe and make it stronger. They would have access to the accumulated knowledge of the library, so you could literally make the challenge anything that you wanted. I'd probably make it some sort of Astral Plane/Illusion thing, so that even if players failed to defeat it, they would still survive most likely.

Some good ideas there to get my brain kickstarted. I think a spirit is the way forward and i like the idea of some kind of connection to previous librarians.