Keepers of the Chains

Structure

The Keepers are a highly decentralized organization and rank means almost nothing inside the walls of the Repository. Rather than organize themselves based on ranks, the Keepers are divided by the roles they hold. There are four distinct roles a Keeper may hold: Collector, Preserver, Searcher, and Scribe. The Collectors spend much of their lives outside the Repository, tracking down rare copies of manuscripts and sending them to the Repository. The Preservers are in charge of maintaining the good condition of the tomes inside, and of cleaning the newly acquired ones sent by the Collectors. The Searchers field requests from scholars outside the Repository and find the material for them to peruse. The Scribes are the smallest contingent of the Keepers. Their job is to reproduce copies of the original works in the Repository if there is a need for that information to be sent abroad, since no tomes may leave the walls of the Repository once they enter inside.
In order to become a Keeper of the Chain, a hopeful must first apply to become a novice and complete a five-year internship. Upon the end of their internship, they have to take an examination, which will not only determine their acceptance into the organization but also their role as Collector, Preserver, Searcher, or Scribe.

History

As Ayarara began attracting learned people from across the two continents, they brought their knowledge and skills with them. The third Lord Professor of Eien noticed the scattered nature of her people's legacy and feared that ignorance and time would destroy many of the tomes, so she created the first Repository on the then-outskirts of the capital. She declared that at least one copy of every work ever written had to reside in the Repository, and the mages of the city started amassing the required collection.
Over the long, intervening years, the collection tripled, and the works could no longer be managed by a single appointee. The fifth Lord Professor ordered the creation of a guild of librarians dedicated to the preservation and collection of the Repository. Originally, the Keepers of the Chains were appointed by the Five Magi for life, but the political nature of the appointments led to corruption, the deterioration of the tomes, and a public outcry once the conditions inside the Repository were discovered. Under the sixth Lord Professor, Maho Chiteki, the Keepers are required to pass a grueling examination and a five-year internship before being accepted as full Keepers.

Type

Educational, Library

Alternative Names

The Rattlers