Archive

"Behind all that bluster and bravado is merely a dead man."

"You couldn't fathom the number of dead men behind me".

-Gaoler Setmut Anpu Qureshi

An Archive is an ancient artefact - by far among the most dangerous of the treasures guarded by The Order of Binders, yet also the most potentially useful. Most take the form of nondescript tomes, often bound with heavy metal clasps.

Archives are kept in a sealed chamber in the centre of She'Ammut's College of Binders, behind countless arcane walls, traps, and illusions. Each Archive is bound in chains forged from strongest steel, and enchanted with as many Abjurations as the Gaolers can muster to ensure that they are kept secure.

Despite these precautions, on very rare occasions, an Apprentice is found either within the Archive chamber or in their own beds, clutching a freshly unbound Archive in their arms with little to no memory of how they managed to bypass all of the defences set up by the Gaolers.
Each Archive has its own distinct personality, which is a gestalt entity formed from all of their previous bearers. When an Archive bearer falls - as they all inevitably do, whether by age or by combat - the Archive returns itself back to the College's vaults.
A compatible Binder who is fully attuned to their Archive is a terrifying sight to behold. It is perhaps fortunate that, as far as the Binders are aware, an Archive has never been fully attuned to its bearer.
There are currently two Archives held by Binders outside of the vault - The Liber Goetia, and the Liber Yazata

Item type

Magical