The Paragnostic Repositories

magic items and other needed materials within reason (as determined by the DM). You are expected to return such items in good condition or replace them within 3 months of the end of your quest.

THE PARAGNOSTIC ASSEMBLY IN THE WORLD

"I hate know-it-alls. Especially when they actually do seem to know it all. "

—Lidda, adventuring rogue

The Paragnostic Assembly is one of the greatest scholarly organizations in the world in terms of lore collected, if not in the size of its membership. Because it has satellite repositories in many major cities, the organization is easy to introduce almost anywhere in a campaign. Assembly members might offer resources to the PCs, or be either allies or rivals on quests to acquire forgotten secrets. THE PARAGNOSTIC REPOSITORIES

Structure

Ironically, this organization that is so devoted to knowledge has no verifiable record of how it began. Members know that some followers of various knowledge-oriented deities originally formed the Paragnostic Assembly to share information and combine resources for research. Unfortunately, its first library was raided and destroyed by Cultists of Vecna, and the records of when and how it transformed into an independent organization have been lost.

The Assembly rigidly divides its members into specific ranks, and promotion is based on a complex system of accomplishment and seniority. Unranked members are called Paragnostic entrants. Within a given rank, seniority determines authority.

The organization maintains a close working relationship with most churches of knowledge deities, and members of one group are often members of the other as well. One particular god of knowledge, however, is a bitter enemy of the Paragnostic Assembly—Vecna. His followers see the Assembly as both a threat to be destroyed and a treasurehouse to be plundered. Assembly members consider Vecna's worshipers as vile betrayers of the very essence of learning, selfish fools who would make all lore secret and corrupt it for their own purposes. Though it is not normally a militant group, the Paragnostic Assembly does occasionally dispatch its champions to destroy a faction of Vecna's church.

NPC Reactions

The Paragnostic Assembly does not have a central headquarters; rather, it maintains institutions in many major cities.

These Paragnostic Repositories, as they are known, serve as • chapterhouses for members, shrines to knowledge and the various deities thereof, and libraries for archived lore. Every repository boasts a substantial amount of information about most topics, but each specializes in one or two subjects. For instance, the Paragnostic Repository in Greyhawk focuses on religious and military history, while the one in Dragonport (Cityscape 15) specializes in the lore of the sea and its creatures.

Each repository has a catalog detailing which branches focus on which topics, so a researcher can readily find out where to obtain specific information.

THE PARAGNOSTIC ASSEMBLY IN THE GAME

Because the Paragnostic Assembly is active on both the political level and the adventuring level, it can appear in almost. any campaign. Some members seek treasure or positions of authority for their own sake, but most seek the knowledge and understanding that such acquisitions can provide. Portray NPC members as both highly knowledgeable and highly curious. Nothing fascinates such a scholar as much as something she doesn't already know.

The Assembly interacts frequently with adventurers. In addition to sending its own members on quests, its leaders often hire freelance explorers, or buy lore from adventurers returning from an expedition. The organization might hire the PCs to explore a particular area or ruin, or trade temporary access to a repository for a specific service.

Most individuals have no strong opinions about the Paragnostic Assembly. The faculty of universities, members of scholastic or arcane guilds, and church leaders devoted to most deities of knowledge begin with an attitude no worse than indifferent. Members of Vecna's church, however, are automatically unfriendly at best.

PARAGNOSTIC ASSEMBLY LORE

Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (religion) can research the Paragnostic Assembly to learn more about it. When a character succeeds on a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

DC 10: The Paragnostic Assembly is made up of worshipers and seekers of knowledge who have access to immense; quantities of ancient lore.

DC 15: Some of the organization's members worship knowledge itself, rather than any god. They have developed various techniques of applying knowledge to improve their mystical and combat abilities. The Assembly's extensive records are kept in local repositories.

DC 20: The Paragnostic Assembly and the followers of Vecna are bitter enemies.

Contacting the organization is usually a simple matter of locating the local repository (usually a matter of an appropriate Knowledge check, or a DC 20 Gather Information check) If that is not possible for some reason, the PCs can likely obtain directions from the clergy of a church dedicated to a deity of knowledge other than Vecna.

Adaptation

If a large, knowledge-based organization of this sort doesn't fit into your campaign world, consider making the Paragnostic Assembly a faction of one particular faith, such as that of I Boccob. It can remain widespread, or you might limit it to! a single city or community. With only slight modifications, the Paragnostic Assembly could be altered to focus on some other area of study, such as psionics.

Sample Encounter

Assembly scholars are most often encountered in urban environments, but the PCs could also come across one