Archivist

The archivist is a role designed to support the Fenixian Empire as a whole, and so they are asked to give up their allegiance to their family and become an adopted member of the imperial family. Because of their neutrality between the families, they were one of the Emperor's closest advisors.

Appointment

When the archivist feels they are approaching the end of their time, they list the role as available for the Phoenix Designation Ceremony within all the families. Once the role is chosen, one of the family burns a special powder to create a blue flame on the roof of the family tower. This informs the other families that the role has been taken, so it is no longer available. Since the The Final Emperor passed, the importance of this role has diminished, meaning it has been hard to find new candidates willing to choose to give up their family.

Role

The main task of the Archivist is to maintain the archive. This vast collection of books, scrolls, and treasures is housed across multiple rooms. Each one has their own feel, and the archivist is expected to be familiar with all of them, as well as acquiring new material to expand the collection.
They also keep records of the Fenixian Empire, this includes maintaining the collection of meeting notes from the various councils and governing bodies. They also keep records of the length of each of the seasons and other meteorological data. And they create records of any other important happenings that impact the empire and its peoples.
When the Emperor ruled, the archivist was one of the people on his advisory council, along with the Parents of each family. Though after The Final Emperor passed, this council was disbanded and the archivist was excluded from the Family Council meaning they no longer have a role in governing the Empire.
They are also available to family members to undertake research on their behalf. For this, there is an expectation that they will be renumerated in accordance with the importance of the task.

Benefits

As the person who chooses this role must give up their membership of their family, they are given an appartment within the Emperor's Palace to live in. Most of the restrictions on access to the inner parts of the palace are voided for them, so they can sit in the inner courtyard, and have often been invited to the solar to spend the evening with the emperor. Their close connection and relationship with the emperor gives them unique insights into the ruler and they often act as the emperor's foremost advisor.
To assist them in their task, between two and five assistants are employed from the palace servants. They ensure the archive is keep clean and do all the menial tasks needed.