Agreement to Assist

Since the Order of Eight led the Displaced into the world of Karenth from Els'tar, the Order recognized the need to contain the populace under their watchful eye, keep intelligence on what was going on, and extend its influence as the world spread.
The Order has created written documents that they take to cities and towns when they are formed mandating that they willingly work with the Order in whatever capacity is required. This requirement is perpetual and may not be retracted. In return, the Order agrees to help the city or town if it deems the need to do so, but also to provide relevant intelligence that is found in a timely fashion.
In addition, and most importantly any information or item found that is not part of the known world or Els'tar must be given to the Order for research as soon as possible. Often times these items are returned as they are unimportant, but the Order never knows when the next Rosetta Stone type object might show up, or magical item of interest.
These agreements are not just to the cities and towns, but sometimes extended to powerful individuals, adventurers, lords, and so fourth.
The agreements also describe what will be done in the case that the contract is broken, disregarded, or the party in question refuses to subscribe to the agreement in purpituity for the city, or that the agreement be let known to the public. This usually involves the offender being removed permanently from Karenth, and those that might, even unintentially, become aware of the agreement will fall into the same fate.
The existance of the Agreement is known by most, but can be proved by few.
Variations of the Agreement to Assist exist for cities, towns, other areas or landmarks, individuals, group, landholders and scholars. The agreement is very far reaching, and few have ever broken the contract, as there are stories of what have happened to those that broke the agreement. Many of the stories are either blown out of proportion or created by the Order as rumours to keep people in line.
However the Order does follow through on its threats. Some people and groups have just disappeared, and other have had their entire memories erased. In one case a town of over a 1000 people simply vanished.

Type

Contract, Civil