Cobalt Soul

Structure

The Cobalt Soul is an order publicly dedicated to the search for and preservation of knowledge, making it as accessible to the public as possible, guided by the light of Ioun, The Knowing Mistress. While their archives are available to everyone, the curators of the Cobalt Reserve privately determine what knowledge is too dangerous to be included — typically, information magical in nature or secrets that may be used against unjust leaders, cults, and any other antisocial factions. Some members of the Cobalt Soul are monks, while others are knowledge clerics of Ioun, bards, or fighters. Many folks are just standard researchers, caretakers, and historians.
The Cobalt Soul operates several libraries, including the Cobalt Reserve in Westruun, the Cobalt Vault in Vasselheim, and several archives on the continent of Wildemount: the main archive in Rexxentrum, the Valley Archive of the Cobalt Soul in Zadash, and an archive in Port Damali. These libraries are offered a degree of governmental protection.
Ranks High Curator: Those to whom all other members of their archive must ultimately answer. The High Curator of Vasselheim and the High Curator of Rexxentrum (Yudala Fon) share dual and equal leadership over the entire structure of the Cobalt Soul. Curator: A small group of three to five curators manage the top-level operations of each archive. Expositor: Trained in the art of espionage, the expositors take on the duty of uncovering secrets and obscure knowledge. Their true mission is unknown to low-ranking monks, who see them simply as well-trained field agents. Expositors report only to their High Curator. Archivist: Charged with organizing the overwhelming flow of information from returning researching expeditions, training new monks, and performing administrative tasks within their local archive. Monk: A member of the library with the most visible public duties: searching out knowledge both modern and archaic, and aiding archivists with its preservation within an archive. In the Ank'Harel library, any volunteer can perform a monk's duties, and are officially accepted into the order after about six months of probation.

Public Agenda

Untold knowledge was lost when the Calamity brought the Age of Arcanum to its fiery end, and so too was the case when Ioun was mortally wounded in that terrible war. Since that day, the Cobalt Soul and their progenitors have sought to recover what was lost. They hope that, in time, their tireless effort will eventually usher all societies to an enlightened future.
Ioun is still wounded, but her wisdom and grace has returned to the world-at least in part. Under the guidance and wisdom of their patron god, members of the Cobalt Soul seek to enlighten themselves through study and research. They devote their lives to studying the mysteries of the world, and turning that knowledge to protect it from another Calamity. To this end, the Library makes the immense breadth of knowledge within their archives available to anyone and everyone who seeks to educate themselves-though some secrets are so potent that they must remain hidden from the public until the proper time.
Empires thrive on misinformation and propaganda, yet it is necessary for the Cobalt Soul to operate within the Dwendalian Empire. As such, the Cobalt Soul works to provide the truth to those who will listen, to covertly update revisionist history, and to remove false information before it can spread too far. Unfortunately, imperial agents and even spies from foreign powers have successfully infiltrated the Library over the centuries, and some of their attempts to rewrite fact and history in favor of their own interests have succeeded. In response, the Library has had to construct a powerful, hidden force of expositors to defend their texts from manipulation and uncover truths that remain guarded.

History

The Cobalt Soul was born in Wildemount, just after the Calamity. Since the rise of the Dwendalian Empire there, the Cobalt Soul and the Cerberus Assembly have worked in an antagonistic lockstep for the better part of a century. They do not outwardly show aggression towards each other, but have maintained a series of checks and balances. Both sides have done what they can to curb the influence of the other and prevent the other from achieving internal goals that went against the needs and wants of their own faction. They also work together at times out of necessity, both publicly and behind the scenes. Sometimes they maintain a relationship of frustrated convenience, and at other times, a subversive antagonism.

Demography and Population

Known Members of the Cobalt Soul:
High Curator - Azariah Keycaryn Curator - Faint Night Archivist - Relliah Wolfstalker Expositor - Bolin Raskulo Expositor - Cressida Holt Expositor - Dairon Expositor - Sia Kresh Expositor - Bolin Raskulo Expositor - Fraelin Dursk Expositor - Marcella Dukon Expositor - Ujarg Expositor - Maukan Slywalker Expositor - Kulmey Expositor - Suldembrod Expositor - Brilwin Goldengift Expositor - Emren Madrest Expositor - Reyndeth Braveboot Expositor - Leoberos Olticar Expositor - Sarro Ravencloud Expositor - Qimoira Willowpride Expositor - Sylrora Expositor - Ornan Stoutfield Expositor - Doceli Twinsong Expositor - Rhazoc Expositor - Yesda Copperdew Expositor - Marora Expositor - Kharzug Expositor - Ukam Expositor - Mandok Vrokiba Expositor - Ralva Nanzerna Expositor - Sha Hua Expositor - Surin Wildfeather Expositor - Vin Markoz Expositor - Treslak Expositor - Coursing River Expositor - Darissa Expositor - Kaira Monk - Ladril Orren Monk - Azal Erdelver Monk - Althalos

Territories

The Cobalt Soul operates several libraries, including the Cobalt Reserve in Westruun, the Cobalt Vault in Vasselheim, and several archives on the continent of Wildemount: the main archive in Rexxentrum, the Valley Archive of the Cobalt Soul in Zadash, and an archive in Port Damali. These libraries are offered a degree of governmental protection.

Foreign Relations

The Library tries to remain autonomous, but their agents within the empire are under constant siege by Theolocrat Kon Bruda, a once-respected monk of the Cobalt Soul who is now just another corrupt lackey of the Crown. Bruda and the archivists wage a quiet battle of wills and subterfuge, each trying to outsmart and undermine the other. This situation, combined with the empire's efforts to prevent the education of their people, has created palpable unrest within the Library.
 The perceptive ears of the expositors often hear rumors of unwholesome practices behind closed doors within the Soltryce Academy and other places under the Cerberus Assembly's oversight. The Library is concerned about the assembly's secretive cabal but has thus far been unable to infiltrate deep enough to uncover anything damning.
Meanwhile, a small number of volunteers from within the Library have agreed to travel deep into Xhorhas in the hopes of communicating with the Kryn Dynasty to learn more about their mysterious society, and to understand the level of threat they pose to the people of Western Wynandir and beyond. None of the volunteers have yet returned.

Founding Date

~50-100 PD

Type

Religious, Monastic Order

Leader

Yudala Fon

Leader Title

High Curator

Executive Body

The High Curator of Vasselheim and the High Curator of Rexxentrum share dual and equal leadership over the entire structure of the Cobalt Soul.

Location

Rexxentrum

Notable Members

• Azariah Keycaryn
• Bolin Raskulo
• Faint Night
• Reliah Wolfstalker