Everwise

There is always an Everwise, though the title itself is passed on in rather varied ways. Frequently throughout history there have been times where no nation of sentient beings recognized an Everwise or even knew where they might find them, but nevertheless an Everwise lives somewhere in creation. This is because the chain of authority must remain unbroken for the Everwise to perform their task. Indeed there is no record of this chain having ever been broken in the long history of the world.
What is known by those that are aware of the Everwise at all is limited. The Everwise is in some way marked by Akashia, some say a simple blessing while others believe the Everwise to be a true Avatar the like of which the world has not known for an age. In any case, they have appeared throughout history as prophets, advisors, observers, and very rare occasion actors on the stage of fate. Many political leaders mistrust the Everwise due to their precedence of non-allegiance, but at the same time any such leader knows they would do well to heed the words of an Everwise.
Given that the Everwise is not a single individual but a chain of beings throughout history there have of course been those who falsely present themselves as the true Everwise. This deception has rarely been successful to any degree as the knowledge borne by the Everwise is difficult to comprehend, much less mimic.
And indeed that is more than anything else the nature of the Everwise, to be a repository of knowledge. Divine knowledge, magical knowledge, historical and scientific knowledge, and even prophetic knowledge is housed within the Everwise and their tome.

Qualifications

What precisely makes one worth of becoming an Everwise is known only to Akashia.

Appointment

Akashia is said to appear directly to an individual chosen to be the next Everwise, but of course this cannot be true in modern days as the barrier of Eledra would bar her from entering the world. She is still directly involved in marking the Everwise as their chosen, though knowledge of specifics in this matter seem to be kept only between the goddess and their Everwise.

Duties

There are two primary duties of an Everwise.

1. To gather and preserve knowledge, particularly that of divine origin, found within the world.
   
2. To prevent the misuse of divine knowledge by mortals.
   

While the Everwise is not a position given to active involvement in larger affairs, they are permitted to guide and influence others where knowledge of the divine is involved, often centered around the influence of magic in the world. Of course some Everwise have been more active than others, suggesting that Akashia is less strict in such matters than most believe.

Benefits

It is difficult to separate the gifts of the Everwise from the capabilities of such individuals as are worthy of the position. Still, it is plainly visible that all Everwise have held immense magical aptitude beyond the ken of all but the most skilled of their contemporaries. Perhaps even more valuable however is the knowledge of past, present, and possible futures that the Everwise bears. 
At least one Everwise, the elf mage named Marius, was marked by the ability to read and comprehend faster and more deeply than most mortal and the capacity to retain information precisely and in large quantities at a time. It is unknown whether this superior form of eidetic memory was a gift of Akashia or a trait Marius has possessed as a mortal, but most agree his abilities were at a minimum enhanced by his blessing.

Accoutrements & Equipment

Over the ages Everwise past have collected a large number of items of significance, to which the current Everwise has access. Beyond these, there is a tome gifted to the Everwise by Akashia directly which is said to have limitless pages and an almost sentient quality to aid the Everwise in managing the vast knowledge which comes with the role. It acts as something of a badge of office as there is nothing quite like it in the mortal world. The tome is quite incomprehensible to other mortals who gaze upon it, though it is unknown whether this is due to the complexity of the content or the book actively obfuscating the knowledge to those who are not its master.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

There is no known record of an Everwise having been forcibly removed from the position, though some stories do tell of an Everwise who died in the course of executing their responsibilities. Unfortunately this story varies in the telling and none know what precisely occurred.

Alternative Naming

Records-keeper and lore-master are both associated with the Everwise, but neither quite do justice to the position.

Equates to

There is no other title or position among mortals quite like the Everwise. This role is divine in nature, not aligning with the mortal clergy even at their highest levels, but neither is it a position which is worshiped independently. Some claim the Everwise is a true Avatar of Akashia and the role of the ancient Avatars may perhaps be the most akin to the Everwise, but at the same time those in antiquity were marked as extensions of their divine counterparts and ruled over mortals directly whereas the Everwise is more a servant of Akashia, enacting their will directly rather than issuing it upon other mortals.

Source of Authority

The Everwise is marked by Akashia themself and needs no other confirmation, particularly among mortals.

Length of Term

While it is commonly believed among scholars that an Everwise serves for their entire lifetime, in truth there is no set end point for a term. Given the gaps in widespread knowledge related to the position such assumptions are ultimately baseless.