The Archivists

“Preserving Yesterday, Protecting Tomorrow”

“Every book saved is a voice preserved. Every voice preserved is a future possibility.”

Quick Reference

The Archivists - Preserving Yesterday

Overview

The Archivists dedicate themselves to preserving knowledge—especially pre-Shattering texts, technological manuals, historical records, and cultural artifacts. Operating from scattered libraries and archives, they believe humanity’s survival depends on remembering what came before: technology that once existed, mistakes that led to Shattering, wisdom accumulated over millennia.

The organization operates almost monastically: simple living, devotion to texts, and sacrifice of personal comfort for mission. Archivists rarely seek fame or wealth—they measure success by books preserved, knowledge cataloged, and information passed to future generations.

But preservation creates dilemmas: Should knowledge be freely shared (accessible but risked) or jealously protected (safe but unused)? Should dangerous information be preserved (potential misuse) or destroyed (lost forever)? Different Archivists answer differently, creating internal tensions between openness and security.

Structure

Leadership

Council of Keepers: 5 senior archivists - Elected by peers (lifetime terms) - Set policy (preservation priorities) - Allocate resources - Resolve disputes - Maintain network communication

Current Members: [DM populate]

Organization

Senior Archivists: Experienced (10+ years) - Lead major archives - Train apprentices - Make preservation decisions

Archivists: Full members (completed apprenticeship) - Daily preservation work - Research, cataloging, copying - Majority of organization

Apprentices: Training (5-year program) - Learn preservation techniques - Ancient languages, copying methods - One-third fail (rigorous standards)

Lay Supporters: Non-members who aid mission - Donors (funding) - Informants (locate texts) - Protectors (guard sites)

Operations

Preservation Work

Collection: - Purchase texts (when available) - Expedition to ruins (dangerous) - Donations (encouraged) - Rescue from destruction

Copying: - Manual transcription (primary method) - Multiple copies (distribute risk) - Verification (accuracy crucial) - Illumination (some books, artistic)

Protection: - Environmental control (prevent decay) - Secure storage (fire, moisture, pests) - Hidden caches (catastrophe insurance) - Armed guards (some locations)

Distribution: - Controlled access (scholars, leaders) - Lending (rare, supervised) - Education (teaching from texts)

Major Archives

Glimmering Spire (largest): - Brother Caelum (custodian) - 5,000+ texts - Threatened by Spire decay - Most comprehensive collection

Constellation’s Reach Observatory: - Astronomical/scientific focus - Pre-Shattering calculations - Bishop Vael’s access

Skyport Eos: - Smaller but accessible - Public reading room (limited) - Focus on practical knowledge

Hidden Caches (multiple): - Insurance against catastrophe - Locations secret (known only to Council) - Best texts duplicated

Philosophy

Preservation vs. Access

Preservationist Position (majority): - Protection priority (survival first) - Restricted access (minimize damage) - Long-term view (centuries ahead) - “Dead knowledge better than lost knowledge”

Openist Position (minority): - Knowledge meant for use (not hoarding) - Broader access (educate masses) - Practical application (benefit present) - “Unused knowledge is functionally lost”

Current Policy: Compromise (restricted but not closed)

Dangerous Knowledge

Question: Should harmful information be preserved?

Examples: - Luminar Council’s hubris (led to Shattering) - Weapons designs (mass destruction) - Corruption research (might enable Rot-spread)

Positions: - Preserve Everything: Future might find safe applications - Selective Destruction: Some knowledge too dangerous - Restricted Only: Keep but severely limit access

Current Practice: Preserve everything, label dangerous texts, restrict heavily

Resources

Funding: - Donations (primary—wealthy patrons) - Services (research for hire) - Text sales (copies, duplicates) - Always insufficient

Property: - Libraries (major assets) - Storage facilities - Hidden caches

Personnel: ~150 dedicated members

Materials: - Paper/parchment (expensive) - Ink (specialized) - Preservation supplies (rare) - Always scarce

Relationships

Allied

Constellation Clergy: - Shared goals (preserve culture) - Clergy provides some funding - Archivists provide historical texts - Mutual respect

Scholars: - Primary clients (research access) - Symbiotic (scholars find/donate texts)

Neutral

Sky-Guild: - Purchases rare texts from Archivists - Guild-Master Song secretly funds expeditions - Practical relationship

Settlements: - Most respect mission - Some resent restricted access - Tolerated as harmless eccentrics

Complicated

Alchemist Kael: - Frequent researcher (Rot information) - Careful with texts (appreciated) - Expelled from Clergy (Archivists cautious) - Allowed access (knowledge pursuit valued)

Current Challenges

Glimmering Spire Decay

Crisis: Largest archive threatened by structural collapse

Options: - Evacuate texts (where? How? Resources?) - Reinforce Spire (expensive, temporary) - Accept loss (unthinkable)

Brother Caelum’s Response: Hidden backup cache (against policy)

Resource Scarcity

Problem: Never enough funding/materials

Impact: - Texts deteriorating (can’t preserve all) - Triage required (heartbreaking choices) - Expeditions limited (can’t investigate all leads)

Access Debate

Internal Conflict: - Preservationists vs. Openists - Both sides valid arguments - No consensus - Weakens unity

Dangerous Texts

Discovered: Increasingly finding pre-Shattering research - Controlled Corruption experiments - Weapons of mass destruction - Reality-warping technology

Question: What to do with them?

Risk: Wrong person gains access (catastrophic)

Notable Members

• Brother Caelum: Glimmering Spire custodian
• Council of Keepers: Leadership (DM populate)
• Old Marna (affiliated): Supplies artifacts from Periphery
• [Various Senior Archivists]: Major archive leaders

Secrets

The Hidden Caches

Locations: Multiple (scattered across Aetherium)

Contents: Best texts (duplicated)

Knowledge: Council only (security)

Purpose: Catastrophe insurance (civilization collapse backup)

Brother Caelum’s Cache: Unauthorized (he doesn’t trust central system)

The Forbidden Shelf

Collection: Most dangerous texts

Location: Secret (Council members only)

Contents: - Luminar Council hubris documentation - Pre-Shattering weapons - Corruption research (possibly enabling) - Reality manipulation theories

Access: Forbidden (even to most Archivists)

Debate: Should they exist at all?

The Luminar Connection

Discovery: Evidence that Archivists descended from Luminar Council’s library staff

Implication: They’re preserving knowledge their predecessors’ bosses misused

Hidden: Publicly unknown (complicated legacy)

Internal Knowledge: Senior Archivists aware, wrestling with it

Initiation and Membership

Becoming an Archivist

Requirements: - Literacy (fluent reading and writing) - Dedication (willingness to sacrifice comfort) - Patience (preservation is slow work) - Intellectual curiosity (love of knowledge) - Recommendation (from existing member)

Application Process: 1. Petition: Submit written request (essay on why you want to join) 2. Interview: Council of Keepers questions your motivations 3. Test: Demonstrate literacy, knowledge, dedication 4. Acceptance: If approved, begin apprenticeship

Apprenticeship (5 years): - Year 1: Basic preservation (paper care, ink preparation, environmental control) - Year 2: Copying techniques (calligraphy, accuracy, verification) - Year 3: Ancient languages (Old Luminar, Star-Script, regional dialects) - Year 4: Cataloging systems (organization, indexing, cross-referencing) - Year 5: Specialized focus (choose area: history, science, theology, etc.)

Initiation Ceremony (Upon Completion): - Take vows before Council of Keepers - Receive archivist’s robe (simple gray, symbolic) - Given first assignment (usually assisting senior archivist) - Welcomed into full membership

The Vows: > I swear to preserve knowledge for future generations. > I swear to protect texts from destruction, decay, and misuse. > I swear to seek truth without bias or agenda. > I swear to share knowledge responsibly. > I swear to live simply, that resources may serve preservation. > I am Archivist. Knowledge is my charge. This is my calling.

Daily Life of an Archivist

Morning (Dawn): - Wake in simple quarters (small room, basic furnishings) - Breakfast (communal, simple food) - Morning prayer (to Memory, sometimes Light) - Begin work

Work (6-8 hours): - Copying: Transcribing texts (most common task) - Cataloging: Organizing, indexing, cross-referencing - Preservation: Treating damaged texts, environmental maintenance - Research: Studying texts, translating, understanding - Teaching: Training apprentices

Midday: - Simple meal (communal) - Brief rest - Resume work

Evening: - Final work session - Communal dinner - Free time (reading, discussion, personal study) - Evening reflection (journal, meditation)

The Routine: Monotonous but meaningful - Same tasks daily (copying, cataloging, preserving) - Slow progress (one page per hour, carefully) - Satisfaction in completion (book preserved is victory) - Purpose: Every day serves mission

The Sacrifice: Archivists live simply - No wealth (vow of simplicity) - No family (usually—some exceptions) - No adventure (mostly—except expeditions) - No comfort (basic living conditions) - But: Purpose, community, meaning

Archivist Jargon and Slang

“Shelf-Bound”: Text that’s been cataloged and stored (completed work)

“Loose Leaf”: Uncataloged text (needs processing)

“Ghost Text”: Text mentioned in other sources but never found (frustrating)

“Keeper’s Nightmare”: Text that’s deteriorating rapidly (emergency preservation)

“Forbidden Shelf”: The dangerous texts (spoken in whispers)

“Dust-Breather”: Archivist who works in old, decaying sections (respiratory hazard)

“Ink-Stained”: Fully dedicated archivist (literal—hands always stained from copying)

“Page-Turner”: Apprentice (not yet trusted with copying)

“The Silence”: When you find text you’ve been seeking for years (emotional moment)

“The Burn”: Accidental text destruction (worst thing that can happen)

“Caelum’s Gambit”: Hiding backup copies against policy (after Brother Caelum’s unauthorized cache)

Internal Politics

The Preservation Debate

Preservationists (Majority, ~60%): - Position: Protection is priority (restrict access, minimize risk) - Argument: Texts are irreplaceable (one fire destroys millennia) - Method: Strict access control, limited lending, heavy security - Leader: Senior Keeper Mara Bookbinder (conservative, cautious) - Support: Older archivists, those who’ve witnessed text loss

Openists (Minority, ~30%): - Position: Knowledge must be used (hoarding is betrayal of mission) - Argument: Unused knowledge is functionally lost (serves no one) - Method: Broader access, public libraries, education focus - Leader: Archivist Theron Brightmind (young, idealistic) - Support: Younger archivists, those frustrated with restrictions

Pragmatists (Minority, ~10%): - Position: Case-by-case decisions (some texts open, some restricted) - Argument: Both sides have valid points (balance is key) - Method: Evaluate each text individually - Leader: Brother Caelum (Head Archivist, Glimmering Spire) - Support: Experienced archivists who’ve seen both extremes

The Tension: Ongoing - Debates at every Council meeting - No resolution (both sides entrenched) - Compromise policies satisfy neither - Weakens organizational unity

The Funding Crisis

Reality: Preservation is expensive - Paper: 1 Coin per 100 sheets (need thousands) - Ink: 2 Coins per bottle (specialized, rare) - Environmental control: Constant cost (humidity, temperature) - Expeditions: 100-500 Coins each (dangerous, often fail) - Personnel: Must be paid (even if modestly)

Income: Never sufficient - Donations: Variable (wealthy patrons die, support fluctuates) - Services: Limited (few can afford research fees) - Text sales: Controversial (selling knowledge feels wrong)

Result: Constant triage - Can’t preserve everything (heartbreaking choices) - Can’t fund all expeditions (leads lost) - Can’t pay members well (recruitment difficult) - Always on edge of collapse

The Debate: Should Archivists charge more? - Yes: Need funding to survive - No: Knowledge shouldn’t be commodity - Compromise: Sliding scale (wealthy pay, poor get free access)

The Dangerous Texts Problem

Discovery: Increasingly finding pre-Shattering research on dangerous topics

Examples: - Controlled Corruption: Experiments on voluntary Rot-infection - Reality Warping: Astral Geometry beyond safe limits - Weapons: Mass destruction designs - Biological: Disease weaponization

The Question: What to do with them?

Positions: 1. Preserve and Restrict: Keep but heavily limit access (current policy) 2. Preserve and Study: Understand dangers to prevent repeat 3. Destroy: Too dangerous to exist 4. Share Widely: Transparency prevents misuse

Current Practice: Preserve and restrict - Texts locked in “Forbidden Shelf” - Access requires Council approval (rarely granted) - Even most Archivists don’t know what’s there - Brother Caelum has nightmares about what he’s read

The Fear: If wrong person gains access, catastrophe

The Counter-Fear: If texts are destroyed, can’t learn from past mistakes

Regional Variations

Glimmering Spire Archive (Largest)

Focus: Comprehensive (all topics) Size: 5,000+ texts Leadership: Brother Caelum Access: Restricted (scholars by appointment) Specialty: Pre-Shattering technology, Luminar Council records Challenge: Structural decay (Spire is collapsing) Culture: Scholarly, serious, dedicated

Constellation’s Reach Archive (Scientific)

Focus: Astronomy, mathematics, science Size: 1,500+ texts Leadership: Keeper Vael (works with Bishop Vael) Access: Open to researchers Specialty: Star-charts, astronomical calculations, constellation theology Challenge: Isolated location (difficult to reach) Culture: Intellectual, questioning, precise

Skyport Eos Public Library (Accessible)

Focus: Practical knowledge (navigation, agriculture, medicine) Size: 800+ texts Leadership: Archivist Marna Swiftquill Access: Public reading room (supervised) Specialty: Useful information for common folk Challenge: Heavy use (texts wear out faster) Culture: Service-oriented, educational, welcoming

Hidden Caches (Insurance)

Focus: Backup copies of most important texts Size: Variable (100-500 texts each) Leadership: Council of Keepers (locations secret) Access: None (emergency only) Specialty: Preservation of critical knowledge Challenge: Maintaining secrecy while ensuring accessibility if needed Culture: Paranoid but necessary

Success Stories

The Medical Text Recovery (Year 285 S.)

Discovery: Intact pre-Shattering medical manual in Luminara ruins Expedition: Funded by Archivists, led by Brother Caelum Risk: Rot-zone (dangerous), unstable ruins (collapsed partially) Result: Text recovered (water-damaged but legible) Impact: Alchemist Kael used it to develop Compound Theta-7 (Rot-arresting agent) Lives Saved: Dozens (Rot-infected gained months/years) Cost: 200 Coins (expedition), 1 archivist injured (recovered) Lesson: Preservation has practical value (not just academic)

The Thornspire Rescue (Year 227 S.)

Crisis: Thornspire falling to Rot (1,200 people) Archivist Response: Evacuated settlement’s library (300 texts) Priority: People first, then texts (controversial decision) Result: 500 people escaped (texts helped—navigation charts, medical knowledge) Legacy: Archivists proved their worth (knowledge saves lives)

The Great Schism Documentation (Year 156 S.)

Event: Serpent worship banned, purges began Archivist Response: Documented everything (both sides) Risk: Preserving heretical texts (dangerous) Result: Complete historical record (unbiased) Impact: Future generations can study event objectively Controversy: Clergy wanted Serpent texts destroyed (Archivists refused)

Failures and Regrets

The Luminara Library (Year 73 S.)

Loss: Largest pre-Shattering library consumed by Rot Contents: Estimated 50,000+ texts (irreplaceable) Archivist Response: Attempted rescue (too late) Casualties: 3 archivists died trying to save texts Result: Total loss (nothing recovered) Legacy: Why Archivists are paranoid about backup caches

The Windcrest Silence (Year 234 S.)

Event: Population vanished overnight (Silence phenomenon) Loss: Settlement’s archive (200 texts) Archivist Response: Investigated (found nothing—texts gone with people) Mystery: Where did texts go? (Same place as people?) Impact: Archivists now duplicate texts more aggressively

The Burned Codex (Year 198 S.)

Event: Fire in Skyport Eos archive Loss: 400 texts (including unique copies) Cause: Accident (candle knocked over) Casualties: 2 archivists died fighting fire Result: Irreplaceable knowledge lost Legacy: Strict fire safety protocols (no open flames near texts) Guilt: Surviving archivists still mourn loss

In-World Documents

Archivist’s Oath (Initiation Ceremony)

I, [name], do solemnly swear:

I will preserve knowledge for future generations, that they may learn from our past and build better futures.

I will protect texts from destruction, decay, and misuse, guarding them as I would guard my own life—more carefully, for they will outlive me.

I will seek truth without bias or agenda, recording what is, not what I wish were.

I will share knowledge responsibly, balancing access with protection, serving humanity’s needs without enabling its destruction.

I will live simply, that resources may serve preservation rather than comfort, for my needs are temporary but knowledge is eternal.

I am Archivist. Knowledge is my charge. This is my calling. This is my burden. This is my honor.

May the Constellation of Memory guide my work, and may future generations forgive my inevitable failures.

Brother Caelum’s Journal (Year 287 S.)

Entry 156

Today I read a pre-Shattering text describing the Apogee Working. The ritual that broke the world. The hubris that destroyed everything.

The Luminar Council knew it was dangerous. They had warnings. They had dissenters. They proceeded anyway.

Why? Ambition. Curiosity. Belief they could control what they didn’t understand.

I’m preserving this text. The Clergy wants it destroyed. They say it’s too dangerous, might inspire someone to repeat the mistake.

But how do we avoid repeating mistakes if we don’t know what they were?

I’m preserving it. And I’m terrified I’m wrong.

What if someone reads this and thinks: “I could do it better”? What if I’m enabling the second Shattering?

But what if destroying it means we repeat the mistake blindly?

I don’t know. I preserve anyway. Because that’s what I do. That’s what we do.

We preserve. We protect. We hope future generations are wiser than we are.

Because if they’re not, we’re all doomed anyway.

Apprentice’s Letter Home

Dear Mother,

I’ve been accepted as Archivist apprentice. Five years of training begins tomorrow.

You asked what I’ll do. I’ll copy books. All day. Every day. For five years.

Sounds boring, right? It’s not.

Every book I copy is a voice from the past. Someone who lived, thought, wrote, died. Their words survive because we preserve them.

Today I copied a page from a pre-Shattering journal. A woman describing her daughter’s first day of school. 300 years ago. The woman is dead. The daughter is dead. The school is destroyed. The world they knew is shattered.

But her words survive. Her love survives. Her voice survives.

Because an Archivist preserved it.

That’s what I’ll do. I’ll preserve voices. I’ll protect knowledge. I’ll serve the future.

It’s not boring. It’s sacred.

I’ll write when I can. Miss you.

Your son, Theron

Catalog Entry (Typical)

TEXT #3,847: “The Honest Road”

Type: Epic poem Author: Unknown (post-Shattering, ~Year 150 S.) Language: Common Tongue (early dialect) Condition: Good (minor water damage, repaired) Length: 2,400 lines Subject: Protagonist’s journey seeking truth Themes: Honesty, despair, hope, Light constellation worship Significance: Important cultural artifact (beloved by Light-worshippers) Copies: 3 (Glimmering Spire, Constellation’s Reach, Hidden Cache #2) Access: Open (non-dangerous, culturally significant) Notes: Popular request (scholars, clergy, general readers) Last Accessed: Day 89, Year 287 S. (Bishop Vael, research)

Preservation Status: Stable (check annually)

—Cataloged by Archivist Mara Swiftquill, Year 280 S.

Expedition Report

EXPEDITION REPORT #287-04

Objective: Recover texts from Thornvale ruins (abandoned Year 227 S.) Team: 4 archivists, 2 guards Duration: 12 days Cost: 180 Coins (supplies, guards, airship rental)

Results: - Texts recovered: 23 (mostly agricultural records, some personal journals) - Condition: Poor (60 years of exposure, decay, moisture) - Casualties: 0 (successful expedition) - Dangers encountered: Rot-Beasts (2, avoided), structural collapse (1, escaped)

Notable Find: Personal journal of Thornspire’s last Elder (describes final days before Rot-consumption, heartbreaking, historically significant)

Assessment: Success (texts preserved, team safe, cost reasonable)

Recommendation: Return in 5 years (more texts remain, but ruins increasingly dangerous)

—Senior Archivist Kael Dustborn, Year 287 S.

Preservationist vs. Openist Debate (Council Minutes)

COUNCIL OF KEEPERS MEETING - Year 287 S., Day 45

Subject: Access policy review

Preservationist Position (Keeper Mara): “We’ve lost too much already. Luminara library: 50,000 texts. Windcrest: 200 texts. Burned Codex: 400 texts. Every loss is catastrophe. We must protect what remains. Restricted access is necessary. Yes, it limits utility. But protected knowledge can be used later. Lost knowledge is lost forever.”

Openist Position (Archivist Theron): “What’s the point of preserving knowledge if no one can use it? We’re hoarding texts while people die from ignorance. Medical knowledge could save lives—we restrict it. Agricultural techniques could prevent starvation—we limit access. We’re serving preservation, not humanity. That’s backwards.”

Pragmatist Position (Brother Caelum): “Both sides are right. Some texts should be open (medical, agricultural, practical). Some should be restricted (dangerous, heretical, destructive). Blanket policies serve neither preservation nor access. Evaluate individually.”

Vote: No policy change (preservationists have majority)

Openist Response: Frustration (Theron stormed out)

Preservationist Response: Satisfaction (security maintained)

Pragmatist Response: Sigh (compromise is impossible)

Impact: Tensions continue, unity weakens, mission suffers

—Council Secretary’s Minutes

The Forbidden Shelf Inventory (Classified)

RESTRICTED ACCESS - COUNCIL OF KEEPERS ONLY

Contents of Forbidden Shelf (Partial List):

1. “The Apogee Working: Complete Ritual” (Luminar Council document)
   • Describes ascension ritual in detail
   • Includes incantations, geometric forms, timing
   • Reason for restriction: Could enable repeat attempt
2. “Controlled Corruption: Research Notes” (Pre-Shattering, Author unknown)
   • Experiments on voluntary Rot-infection
   • Methods for accelerating/controlling corruption
   • Reason for restriction: Could weaponize Rot
3. “Weapons of Mass Destruction” (Military manual, fragmentary)
   • Designs for devastating weapons
   • Some still possible to construct
   • Reason for restriction: Obvious
4. “The Serpent’s Truth” (Heretical theology)
   • Arguments for Serpent worship
   • Compelling, persuasive, dangerous
   • Reason for restriction: Clergy demands it
5. “Reality Manipulation: Advanced Techniques” (Astral Geometry)
   • Beyond safe limits
   • Might explain Shattering cause
   • Reason for restriction: Could cause second Shattering

Total Texts: 47 (all dangerous, all preserved, all restricted)

Access Log: 12 requests in past year (all denied except 2—Council members only)

Security: Triple-locked vault, location known only to Council, armed guard (always)

The Question: Should these exist at all?

The Answer: We don’t know. We preserve them anyway. And we pray we’re right.

—Council of Keepers, Classified Inventory

Quest Hooks

1. The Research: Need ancient text (negotiate access with Archivists, prove trustworthiness, pay fee or perform service)

2. The Expedition: Help Archivists recover texts from dangerous ruins (Rot-zones, unstable structures, Rot-Beasts)

3. The Evacuation: Glimmering Spire emergency (Spire collapsing, save library, time-sensitive, heartbreaking choices)

4. The Theft: Someone stole dangerous text from Forbidden Shelf (recover it before they use it, race against time)

5. The Debate: Mediate preservationist vs. openist conflict (both sides have valid points, no perfect solution)

6. The Discovery: Find intact pre-Shattering archive (claim for yourself, share with Archivists, sell to Guild, give to Clergy?)

7. The Funding: Help secure resources for preservation (wealthy patron, Guild deal, fundraising, moral compromises)

8. The Dangerous Knowledge: Gain access to Forbidden Shelf (convince Council, break in, bribe guard—consequences either way)

9. The Apprentice: Become Archivist apprentice (5-year commitment, learn ancient languages, preserve knowledge, find meaning)

10. The Cache: Discover Brother Caelum’s unauthorized backup cache (report to Council or keep secret?)

11. The Fire: Archive catches fire (save texts or save people, triage decisions, heroism or tragedy)

12. The Translation: Ancient text in unknown language (help Archivists translate, revelations about pre-Shattering, dangerous knowledge?)

13. The Betrayal: Archivist selling texts to black market (investigate, expose, or understand their desperation)

14. The Luminar Connection: Discover evidence that Archivists descended from Luminar Council’s library staff (complicated legacy, identity crisis)

15. The Lost Library: Rumors of hidden pre-Shattering library (legendary, probably myth, but what if it’s real?)

Related Topics

• Brother Caelum
• Glimmering Spire
• The Shattering
• Luminar Council

“We preserve not for ourselves, but for generations unborn. They will need to know what we were, what we lost, and perhaps how to avoid our mistakes.”

“Every book I save might be useless. Or it might contain the one idea that saves humanity. I can’t know which. So I save them all.” — Brother Caelum