Elucidation

The All-Seeing Archivist bestows their blessing upon the Third Scribes in the form of a magical third eye placed in the center of a newly forged Third Scribe's forehead—a symbol of all-seeing insight and understanding achieved through a ritual called Elucidation. This divine eye grants the Third Scribes the ability to record events across the lands, interpret lessons from the past and present, and predict potential futures.
All countries agree that crucial historical events, like the signing of significant treaties or royal marriages, must be overseen by a Scribe. However, thanks to the power of the Archivist, Third Scribes are often prone to showing up at important events such as births or betrothals before anyone has even thought to send word for them to come. For this reason, the All-Seeing Archivist is also sometimes known as The Fateweaver, as some believe that the Archivist can control the happening of events, rather than simply predicting their likelihood. The Third Scribes are sometimes seen as harbingers of doom for the way they may appear at tragic events such as assassinations that haven't happened yet in order to passively bear witness without interference.
The Third Scribes inhabit The Vaults of Knowledge (also known as The Vaults) beneath the Great Library, roaming and recording. Only those of Royal Blood, existing Third Scribes, or those who are employed as Librarians may enter The Vaults. Some willingly choose to undergo Elucidation in order to become Third Scribes, often those who spent their lives as Librarians, and they are granted the privilege of retaining their memories, albeit disconnected from emotional connection to those memories. Anyone who enters The Vaults without proper authorization, or anyone who attempts to desecrate the Great Library or to attack a Third Scribe is immediately forcibly Elucidated. As penance for their crimes against the Third Scribes, these individuals do not retain memories of who they were prior to becoming a Third Scribe.
It is said that with the power of their magical third eye, Third Scribes can see everything and that they collectively possess the ability to record every important event across the lands in real time. It is said that they never rest, and that raw archival magic extends their lifespans far beyond any other living being, allowing them to record a history not swayed by the whims of the moment. However, some would argue that the Third Scribes are not living, as they have no need to eat or sleep. It is not known if the Third Scribes are truly immortal or undead, however their oldest member, known as the First Scribe, is said to be over nine thousand years old and presides over the other Third Scribes.
Upon Elucidation, a being is removed from continuity with their history, starting anew as a Third Scribe. All records pertaining to their life and who they were before becoming a Third Scribe abruptly stop. They begin assigned to the lowest Vault levels, recording minor daily events and progressing to higher levels over time. Eventually they may progress to interacting with the Librarians or Royals who visit the Vaults, to interacting with visitors in the halls of the Great Library, to being sent to observe and record significant events in person, or even to being the Scribe for an authorized auxiliary Branch of the Great Library itself, of which there are a few across the known lands.

History

The Third Scribes were created when The All-Seeing Archivist began to become concerned with the amount of knowledge that was being lost by society. The Archivist strived to find a willing mortal who could help them to ensure that knowledge was preserved for mortals to access.
It was at this time that the one who would become the First Scribe was nearing the end of her life. She was an elderly Elemental woman in what was then a small port city called Mithra. A storyteller who treasured the experience of sharing the oral histories she had collected in her life, she was very concerned that her stories would be forgotten when she died. She prayed to any deity who would listen, asking for help and for a way to share her stories after she was gone.
The All-Seeing Archivist appeared to her, and offered her a trade. In return for giving up the remainder of her mortal life, the Archivist would give her a way to record her stories, and to ensure that they would never be forgotten. The woman agreed, and in exchange, the Archivist Elucidated her, turning her into the First Scribe. The Archivist bestowed her with writing, paper scrolls, and the power to magically record vast quantities of knowledge.
The First Scribe taught others how to make paper and how to read the things that she wrote, in time penning many books on reading and writing and paper making, so that that others could teach and share the skills, and so that writing could be spread across the lands.
In time, others began to come to her from far and wide to share their stories and ask that they be preserved. Soon, scrolls were bound together to form the first books. Some began to pray to The Archivist to grant them the ability to also record knowledge like the First Scribe. The Archivist blessed them with Elucidation as well.
Thus, the order of the Third Scribes was formed.
In the year 1987 R.E., the Scribes were attacked by a group who did not like the way that they were portrayed in the written record. They demanded that the Third Scribes portray them more favorably. When the Scribes refused, insisting that their portrayal was impartial, they were attacked. Several Scribes were badly injured and The Library (not yet known as The Great Library of Mithra) was set ablaze. The Third Scribes prayed to the Archivist to protect their knowledge, trying to save as many books as they could. In order to protect both their devoted Third Scribes and the knowledge they had worked so hard to preserve, The Archivist appeared to the attackers in a blinding blue light, Elucidating them all and severing them from all knowledge or emotional attachment to their personal history. This is the first recorded instance of someone being Elucidated unwillingly.
After this incident, The Archivist bestowed a magical protection on all of their Third Scribes that would immediately Elucidate any person who attacked them or the Library.

Important Locations

• The Great Library of Mithra