The Elucid Seekers of Truth and Knowledge

"It is our responsibility to ferret out the secrets of the multiverse and bring them to light. Secrets and hidden knowledge serve not the greater good."
High Docent Periyel Lucienus to students

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The Seekers are the primary religious organization dedicated of Ioun, the Knowing Mistress, Goddess of Knowledge. Many major cities have an Archive of Ioun, a temple and library maintained by the Seekers. These places are often free for any members of the clergy to use, with a nominal donation required for entry and use for the general public. The Seekers are known to sponsor adventurers who dedicate themselves to the Knowing Mistress who look to seek out hidden and forgotten lore.

Ranks

The Elucid Seekers have several ranks and titles amongst their order: Votary, Expositor, Docent, and Archivist

Votary

Acolytes are granted the title of Votary. During this period of time they study the basic tenets of Ioun and will work transcribing written works by hand for mass production, as any new tome that an Archive acquires is then duplicated so that every Archive has their own copy. While this could be done easily with magic, the work is done by hand by Votaries so that they in turn gain that knowledge. In this way that knowledge is never truly lost, as it will live on in the minds of the members of the Seekers. Most clergy members spend five to seven years as an Acolyte. While many join the Seekers at a young age, there are no set age requirements to join or restrictions on who can become a Votary.
After five to seven years, upper clergy members will promote a Votary. When a clergy member is promoted beyond the rank of Votary they must choose a vocation for themselves. Their are two paths within the seekers; the Cohort of Righteous Light or the Cohort of Learned Wisdom.

The Cohort of Righteous Light

The Cohort of Righteous Light actively seeks out knowledge in the hidden places of the world. The paladins, monks, and clerics of this Cohort travel far beyond the Archives, to dungeons, ruins, and the far corners of the multiverse to seek out ancient tomes, discover new information, and to also spread the Tenets of Ioun herself. These clergy members are granted the title of Expositor.
Expositors will also lead physical training for Votaries. While the typical image of a cleric pouring over tomes is of a frail or pudgy academic, the Seekers believe that physical fitness and combat readiness is incredibly important. There is knowledge that the Archives hold that many would like to take for themselves, or to restrict others from having, and all Seekers are tasked with defending the Archive.
Most Archives will also have a High Expositor, the first among equals within the Expositors, chosen by the Archivist. This is typically an elder Expositor, as the High Expositor will rarely leave the Archive, instead coordinating the other Expositors from the Archive and working with Expositors from other Archives. The High Expositor is also the individual responsible for hiring adventuring groups and mercenaries to supplement the Expositors when needed.

The Cohort of Learned Wisdom

The Cohort of Learned Wisdom is dedicated to understanding and interpreting newly discovered knowledge. The monks and clerics of this Cohort spend their days in the Archive pouring over the information that Expositors retrieve from the multiverse, and work to validate it and help to spread that knowledge. They often work with Votaries, teaching classes and aiding in the understanding of more difficult pieces of literature. These clergy members are granted the title of Docent.
Like with Expositors and a High Expositor, most Archives have a High Docent who is a first among equals as well. They are granted their position and title by the Archivist. They coordinate lessons for Votaries, approve research projects for other Docents, and help to maintain the Archive records. Often, the High Docent is seen as the "Archivist in Waiting".

The Archivist

Each Archive of Ioun is led by a senior clergy member known as the Archivist. The Archivist is directly in charge of their Archive and is the ultimate responsibility for their Archive. Often times the Archivist is a former Docent, though it is not unheard of for an elder Expositor to assume the mantle of Archivist. This holds especially true during times of war and unrest.
The Archivist is chosen by a vote from all upper clergy members, the Docents and Expositors, by an election. A simple majority is all that is needed, and any Expositor or Docent may put their name forward for consideration. However, the High Docent is traditionally elected, often unanimously.

Traditions

While Archives will often have their own, unique traditions there are some traditions that exist across Archives.

Congress of Enlightenment

Every ten years, the Archivist, High Expositor, and High Docent of each Archive convenes for the Congress of Enlightenment. It is a social gathering, meant to strengthen bonds between Archives. The location is rotated between Archives.

Pillar of Ioun

A Pillar of Ioun is the ultimate, and highest honor that can be bestowed upon a Seeker. In all of recorded history there has only been four Pillars of Ioun named, and only one in the modern era, High Expositor Ghalis Mirlain, the earth genasi priestess who created the Iounic Calendar which is utilized as the only modern calendar. The other three are all legendary figures from the Second Age, the Age of Antiquity:

• Hiroka Tarazuka, Sword of Truth, is a legendary tiefling Expositor. It is said she is to have slain a Heart of Vecna and found the Lost Library of Mazisuki.
• Bumbleberry the Wise was a gnome Docent credited with collecting and recording all known information on the Dawn War, and to have spoken with the gods themselves during this endeavor.
• Phillip of Telur is considered by many to be the First Seeker. He was the founder of the Archive of Telur, the first Archive of Ioun.

At each Congress of Enlightenment any Archivist is free to nominate any Seeker to be considered as a Pillar of Ioun. This rarely occurs, with the last nomination taking place in 475 A.R., with Archivist Derrick Ponns nominating High Docent Derren Ponns, his son. While there were grounds for consideration, as High Docent Derren Ponns had managed to decipher ancient maps of the Feywild and was on the verge of creating navigable maps, many however could not move past the appearance of nepotism and the nomination was dismissed.

Knowledge Must Be Shared

Alternative Names

The Church of Ioun

Deities

• Ioun, the Knowing Mistress