The Guild of Scribes

The Guild of Scribes, a reclusive and secretive organization with a somewhat meaningful agenda. Though they have yet to name themselves to the galaxy, they keep an eye on the inhabitant's goings on with an almost vindictive eye, taking part in logging down history of all races as well as intervene in any self-proclaimed unsavory activity within the empires. With the best intentions for the safety and happiness of the galaxy, the Entropium works in the shadows until it is ready to reveal itself.

The Inquisitors and the Inquisition

    The highest title in the Entropium culture, the Inquisitors have incredible amount of political power, controlling both executive and judicial order as well as a large say in the legislative decision. Although there is no maximum or minimum number to the title Inquisitor, very few take the position due to its strict requirements of achievement: Inquisitors must unanimously be elected by the Council of Scholars and must be summoned to the position. Put simply, one does not "aspire," to be an Inquisitor -- they are chosen.

    Inquisitors must have also proven mastery over all recognized branches of magic and integrity to their peers: unanimous elections typically address the candidates trustworthiness and translucent character revered by the Guild. compared to the Scholars, Inquisitors are powerful sorcerers of arcana and in a completely different league. To defeat an Inquisitor signifies great power or mastery of skill.

    The class of Inquisitors is called the Inquisition.

The Circle of Scholars

    The second greatest power within the Guild. The Circle of Scholars is made of of the recognized teachers and researchers who have mastered a magic or study to it's fullest current potential, or else have made great leaps and bounds in an unknown art or subject, particularly unstable arcana uses. Since the Guild highly values learning and overcoming species weakness, these mages and professors have earned their Scholarly titles and have taken seats within this loose legislative order. While they may be the driving force behind the Guild's laws and orders, they possess the power to persuade in executive and judicial choices.

    The number of seats vary depending on the amount of fields of study, but the number usually varies between three or four dozen, not uncommonly five dozen, as teachers, masters, and even research assistants take the honor of being within the circle. Anyone formally recognized by the group to be an adequate scribe of his aspirations join these ranks. However, this is only if the Scribe so chooses, as there are many others that decide not to be a part of the political system directly...

The Peacekeepers

    The Peacekeepers make up both the basic law enforcement and military personnel of the guild of Scribes. While military branches are taught many strategic maneuvers and powerful techniques, local enforcement specializes in defensive magics and affliction magics to protect the peace within the Guild's territory. Like most empires, Peacekeepers are made obvious, dressed in runed chest pieces and helms to appear as disincentives for crime, albeit the acts of such are uncommon. In order to protect public property, personnel are known to use teleportation magic to warp themselves and the rioters to a brawler's area known as the Arena, where they can continue to apprehend the suspects with minimal collateral damage.

    Peacekeepers all bear the same title, though subtle differences with speech and etiquette can be visible to show that there is a close knit system of authority. Those recognized as such will actually be called "Tacticians," off-handedly, despite their official and shared title. These Tacticians are considered the highest rank within the close-knit but loose system of enforcement.

Caretakers and Quartermasters

     Perhaps what is considered the bulk of the Guild of Scribes, the Quartermasters and Caretakers are the ones in charge of the Guild's so-and-so 'economy,' although it'd be hard to call it that, as each anamcara isn't really paid for their services -- most do it out of passion, and for the sake of others, share their excess labor such as food and other energy sources. While the Quartermasters gauge the amount of resources the Guild has in order to ensure a plentiful stock of nutrients and luxuries along with assigning Tier and Relation numbers to empires and species, the Caretakers are in charge of creating or cultivating these items, as well as ensuring and refugees taking sanctuary are well taken care of.

     The Quartermasters and Caretakers take great pride and passion in their work. It would be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't enjoy or take focus into their duties, as they are deemed important for the well-being of the guild itself. The backbone, the liferoot, and the very essence of the guild's survival.

Scouts (Watchmen)

     While the Keepers may have abandoned their old ways of history cataloging, the Entropium haven't. Finding history and preservation of the idea to be incredibly vital, the Guild of Scribes have taken it upon themselves to continue the Keepers' work. In order to handle and control the mass influx of history of so many different Empires and species, the Guild has set up a group of Entropium known as the Scouts, or less commonly, the Watchmen. These Scouts are assigned to planets and colonies and watch the goings on of each empire through the eyes of a supposed, everyday commoner.

     In order to keep their secrecy, the Watchmen have developed ways to hide themselves from scrutiny and suspicious eyes, most of them learning and specializing in illusion and transmutation magics in order to disguise themselves as another, usually native, species. From there, they take on a fake name and persona, hiding among the people, from a lowly beggar to a wealthy merchant -- however eternally keeping themselves from becoming any major or critical figure in order to preserve the 'purity,' of the Empires' history.

Salvation Runners

     The most recent development in the Guild's ranks, the Salvation Runners are a group adopted from the Guild's strong disposition against slavery, xenocide or genocide and oppression of species. Though perhaps intrusive (as even themselves admit), the Salvation Runners have developed an intergalactic system, like an underground railway for refugees and fugitives, often making themselves known by only those that actively seek their freedom but are unwilling to face the wrath of their oppressors. They take great care to not get caught in their duty, and if they do, tend to disappear from the scene and return as a new figure to continue their duties.

     The Salvation Runners use methods similar to the Scouts, taking on fake personas of native peoples until their targets have gotten comfortable in their presence. However most do tend to try and take on higher classes in order to make their duties easier to perform -- there is less suspicion on a wealthy landowner herding slaves than a beggar speaking to them.

     Once their quarry has been successfully off-planet, the Salvation Runners take an immense care to ensure that whomever should try to follow the escapees does not re-capture their prisoners. This can at times be incredibly easy thanks to Entropium versatility in magics.

Novices and Trainees

     When a newly born Anamcara is found, usually they are taken in and introduced to the Guild, where, should they decide to stay (and most of them do due to the confusion of their birth) begin their studies. Their studies mostly include the basics of all magic branches, the theories of new magical studies, and of course, the latest developments in all core classes (Math, Science, Social Studies and Language, usually the Entropium's). Because of this vast amount of study, basic learning usually takes around thirty to forty years, and after that, optional and advanced studies are open to the Anamcara, which most if not all trainees and novices take for love of higher learning.

     While it is true there are cases where an Anamcara will not be found or spotted, most are and will become part of the guild of Scribes within due time. Overall, Learning times vary, and the more there is to learn, the more years it takes, and some novices even admit they've been studying for near on a century and a half.

The Scribes and the Scripture

     Perhaps the most fundamental and essential aspect of the Guild of Scribes (hence the name) would be its fondness and respect for scripture and written text. Calligraphy, penmanship, language control and other characteristics of beautiful writing are highly revered and well kept by the Guild and its Caretakers. Their texts vary on a number of things, but are most known for their historia works, which they take great pride in cataloging all forms of Empire history, be it lost to other species or not.

     They not only log history, but other information as well. Writing down miles upon miles of information on things such as philosophy, science, and literature. Anything that has been written is almost guaranteed to have been copied and stored by the Guild within its endless mazes of library halls. All ranks of the Guild take part in writing, and compare each other's calligraphy skills and master of foreign languages, oftentimes holding competitions to decide who reigns supreme in the beauty of writing and knowledge.

     Even though technology has advanced in recent years, the Guild prefers sticking to the old fashioned pen and parchment as well, even if they do back up the information in other ways. The Guild's library (Also known as the Great Archives) is handled with care and respect. A lack thereof is a great offense to the scribes, so many Caretakers are placed together to handle the exceedingly large building.

Ceremony

     The Guild will be the first to say they have no official celebrations, however, in order to preserve lost cultures and societies, often participate in allowing a quarterly "vote," on an old form of celebration, usually presented after being petitioned by an Entropium that wishes to learn of the ceremony they discovered through history reading.

    Otherwise, those four times per year all share a similar aspect: A week of release from studies to relax and focus on their passions, to create and celebrate for life and its blessings, and hope for the future, hoping one day that their aspirations for the galaxy will be complete.

Preservation and Reserves

     Another responsibility the Guild has taken upon themselves is to not only preserve history in literature, but to aid in saving supposedly extinct species and forming new artificial habitats for what they can salvage. Many different constructed "greenhouses," have been used to conserve lost or forgotten species, particularly, mostly fruit-bearing flora.

Tier Systems

    In order to make the ability of preservation of species and liberation of enslaved peoples more uniform and neat, the Guild has set up several tier systems. Three, to be exact, the first, is the arcana strength of individual species. This list is gauged by the mass majority of a species' characteristics, with only two exceptions needed for an individual to need a re-assigned tier: The first exception is that of an outlier individual, or someone with a unique skill set uncommon in their species, an example being a Terran with magical prowess or a wolf with sapience. The second exception are that of Dual-Tier Hybrids, offspring with two different species on different Tier levels, usually needing to be integrated into the system on their own merit.

    The second and third systems are used to classify independent sapient species and empires and their relationship within the galaxy and the Guild's standing, although this doesn't mark for individual people, it is used for the general populace in order for Salvation Runners to know who to watch and who to be wary of when it comes to performing their duties. They are assorted in color codes, which when looking up the species within the system, their name will appear as that color.

• Code Red: EMPIRICAL (HOSTILE). Empires that actively seek war and territory, considered heavily watched by the Guild. These Empires are considered dangerous and unethical by the Guild's highest values, and there conquests are usually scorned and occasionally sabotaged by the Salvation Runners.
  
• Code Orange: EMPIRICAL (STATIONARY). These Empires are much like benign empires, keeping to themselves and refraining from territorial wars, however unlike benign empires, have settled with previously conquered empires, maybe for generations at a time and the conquered empire has mostly melded into the Empirical empire.
  
• Code Green: BENIGN. Empires that are neither conquered nor conquerors, rather keeping to their own territory than holding reign or going to war with other races or species, and instead keep to themselves and govern their empire alone.
  
• Code Yellow: CONQUERED. Empires or populations of species that still "exist," but are not led by their own persons, rather controlled by another empire and are usually culturally oppressed. Examples given: The Homunculi-Born conquered by the Aurum Empire; Hexenfolke in the Satare Empire; Felids under Canid control.
  
• Code Black: PRESUMED EXTINCT. Code reserved for empires completely wiped from existence. In example, the Shifter Empire, although not individually extinct, their empire is no longer a rectified union.
  

Empire Intervention and Watches

     Since the Fall of Historia, the Guild has set up a complex and intergalactic underground system spread across the empires. This is not only to experience and witness history as they see fit, but to perform a much more intrusive task -- seeking out enslaved or even oppressed species and helping them on a path to liberation. Many Empires have been put on watches to ensure that the Guild is immediately notified of any moral or ethical changes on the matter, and should the Guild see fit, they will not hesitate to reveal themselves and directly work on the liberation of said species. Should they have to, they may vary well resort to violence.

     Despite that, the guild wish to perform their duties and beliefs peacefully, and have openly admitted they know that their beliefs are highly invasive to other cultures, but, for the benefit of other creatures' salvation, will openly defend their disgust to Slavery and oppressive acts.