The Keepers

The Keepers are a secret organization of lorekeepers (from which they derive their name) and hunters. Their goal is the collection of all knowledge and lore, and in some cases artifacts and technology.

History
Lorelei Silverleaf founded the Keepers as a young elf for the purpose seeking out forbidden and lost knowledge. She gathered a select group of followers as they began their mission. Over time as the number of members grew and the amount of illegal activities increased, a change in structure became necessary. And so the movement went underground and secrecy was paramount. Steps were taken to erase all traces of their existence from records and a base of operations was constructed. The exact location of the entrance is a closer guarded secret, although rumors have been heard about a strange cliff face in the desert that has indecipherable runes covering it. The truth of the matter, for the few who know, is that Lorelei made a deal with local earth elementals to carve out a stronghold for her in the cliff itself. The entrance at the base of the cliff was locked with runic magic so that only those who could answer its hidden riddle would be allowed in.

With the new base constructed and hidden away, new rules were instated. Every member was given a code name to go by whenever they encountered another Keeper. In addition, whenever in any of the bases or around other Keepers, special grey identity concealing cloaks are worn to protect their true selves from discovery. Lorelei also began to structure the society into the levels seen below.

However, as the organization began to expand its power base, Lorelei felt the need to add additional layers of protection. And so she created the Librarians. The Librarians act as a shroud to the true secret society of the Keepers. The lowest level of the Librarians act primarily as librarians. They set up bookstores and libraries in all major cities across the continent and have traveling caravans that visit the smaller settlements. It should be noted that not all librarians are Librarians though. Few Librarians are elevated into the Keepers and are usually left to believe that they are all that there is to the secret society. The system is set up so that if anyone comes hunting for them, they will discover the Librarians, this usually quenches their thirst of knowledge and few look beyond that.

Over time, the Keepers expanded from their original purpose. Instead of just seeking out lost and forbidden knowledge, they began to collect all knowledge. For this purpose, a spell was crafted that allowed the caster to copy the written word. When possible, the original was then removed and the copy left in its place. Otherwise the copy will be brought back to the Keepers. Soon, it wasn't just the written word that was being collected by the Keepers, but also magical items, new technologies, and new magics. They would travel to ancient places and copy inscriptions and petroglyphs so that a copy would survive any war or catastrophe that might occur. They then began to conduct their own research and experiments using their vast resources.

Lorelei once served as the black Lore Keeper, however as time passed and she aged. She eventually stepped down and let another take her place. This left her in a rather unique position as being a Lore Keeper, founder, and now retiree. The Keepers occasionally see her around the base, as she is one of the few whose identities is a lose secret among the members.

The Librarians:
At the lowest level of the society sit the librarians. These members are barely aware that they are apart of something much larger than just the library system. Many may not know at all. Secrecy contracts, hidden in the paperwork of their employment, are used to ensure that any knowledge about the society is not shared in the presence of one who does not know of them. The Librarians are seen to run a rather clean operation that seems to focus on just the acquisition of new knowledge to keep and protect it for future generations.

The Record Keepers:
There are three record keepers active at any one time in the society. They are responsible for maintaining all records on the members of the society. They are the only ones who know the true identities of the various members as well as their specialties and code names. Due to the nature of their jobs, they are never allowed to leave the inner sanctum of the base.

The Hounds of Deneva/Osheth:
The Hounds are responsible for the actual hunting down and acquiring of new knowledge, technology, and items for the Keepers. They are the ones sent out on assignments and missions. Those on legal missions name themselves after Deneva, while those on illegal mission name themselves after Osheth. The Hounds are also the only branch of the society not recruited by traditional means. When individuals of the desired talents are found, offers of employment and membership can be offered by one of the Hidden.

The Hidden Hand:
The Hidden are the agents sent to infiltrate and watch. They rarely, if ever leave their post once assigned. Every major city has a Hidden in their court, usually as a trusted adviser or similar position. Many headmasters/mistresses have been one of the Hidden, or at least one professor is. This is to keep an eye out for potential recruits, new magic, experiments, and books.

The Analysts
The Analysts are the scientists and experimenters of the Keepers. They rarely leave the main base of the society, instead content to spend their time experimenting on new potions, spells, or general research.

The Lore Keepers:
At the highest echelons of the society sit the Lore Keepers, these three beings represent all factions of the Keepers. Each wear a different color robe and oversee a specific section of the Keepers. The White Keeper watches over the librarians and the legal acquisition of knowledge. The Black Keeper is the head of the all the illegal activities the society engages in. The Grey Keeper on the other hand turns their eye inward to oversee the storing of knowledge, magical instruments, and experiments. All member disputes are handled by the Grey Keeper. They also act as the tiebreaker on any matters that require a vote. The Grey Keeper is chosen from the Record Keepers, as the Record Keepers are the only ones who know the identities of the members. As such, the Grey Keeper will only leave the base if great necessity dictates it.

Becoming a Member
Prospective members are told to "Seek the center" if they wish to join the organization. Nothing more is ever given, as it is assumed that if one fails to understand, they do not belong in the society. If they manage to answer the riddle and gain entrance to the sanctum, then the Record Keepers will interview them as a final test of their candidacy. Loyalty to the society is given by a binding contract tattooed onto their person. They are then given their code name and the cloak. For potential Hounds, the Hidden submit the name of the individual to the Record Keepers for evaluation. If their talents are sufficient for the purposes of the society and their temperament and ideology fits within the frame of the society, the Hidden are then given permission to approach and test the waters for a potential recruit.