Aurelian Relic Keeper

This article is a concept created during SummerCamp 2023! It is subject to changes, retcons, or may be sent to the secret vault after the event.

Some of these relics do bear quite the penchant for collecting dust and grime, you see. But you can't simply scrub it off, you see, no... you would damage the coating, then destroy the paint underneath. We needed to use these special solvents...

— The beginning of a long lecture after asking a former relic keeper about relic maintenance

Aurelian relic keepers were once the well-respected street historians and preservers of Aurel's publicly displayed relics and royal heirlooms.

Keepers of Aurelian Lore

In the days of the Monarchy, these keepers would lead tours in the city streets for interested parties, in particular students and travelers, to educate them on the different pieces of history which sat on display in the city. These were passionate civil workers who held a deep love for the city they called home and the culture it was built upon.

Preserving History

More than glorified tour guides, the responsibilities of the relic keeper were to track the state of each relic in the city, and to preserve their quality through regular upkeep and maintenance both for the relics themselves and their displays. While Arsavela had no shortage of street cleaners at its disposal, the cleaning of these relics and displays was left only to the relic keepers, as their knowledge would prevent any undue damage from befalling these often priceless heirlooms of the Arsaces family and relics of the Kingdom as a whole.
As the influence of the Alabaster Hand grew stronger, interest in the city's ancient history became less and less of a positive trait to express publicly, and the relic keepers soon found themselves studying and maintaining the relics full-time.

End of an Industry

With the dwindling business in the relic keepers' educational duties, many keepers were pushed into other industries, and those that remained in spite of the hardship were eventually told that their preservation services would no longer be needed, by representatives of the Alabaster Hand, who claimed they would personally handle the care of the relics going forward.
Thus, the profession ceased to be, their role never to truly be adapted as promised. Many former relic keepers were forced to watch as their beloved relics wasted away and fell to pieces due to lack of proper care, unable to take matters into their own hands on pain of imprisonment or worse.

Inscrutable Origins

Many of Arsavela's relics have origins that even their keepers could never identify. Though it is broadly accepted that the relics of the Kingdom are objects created or owned by the Antecedents of old, attempting to recreate the relics or understand the way they functioned had proven impossible.
It was shortly after the keepers began speaking amongst each other about the possibility of more than just the human hand being involved in their craft, that the Alabaster Hand began to press the keepers to begone from their posts, and prioritize removing relics from public view.

What a cruel fate, to watch something crumble to ruin, that you spent a lifetime protecting.

by Strixxline via Midjourney

Location

Kingdom of Arsavela
Aurel

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No More Tours

Sessions with relic keepers were once booked regularly, but this practice has dwindled significantly over time as fewer travelers came to the city, then plummeted completely as the Alabaster Hand poisoned the public opinion of the monarchy.
In doing so, the act of pursuing the history lessons and tours provided by the relic keepers started to be seen as pro-monarchy, and citizens were keen on avoiding behaviors which would put such a label on them.