Keepers

History is written by the victors unless knowledge of all things is preserved forever. That is the purpose of the Keepers, to harbor knowledge in all its forms. However, their mission has become dire in the current times due to the Church's crusade against them.

Who are the Keepers?

The Keepers are people who use blood magic to modify themselves and become repositories for information. The knowledge they each possess is passed down from generation to generation. They were once a diverse institution back during the 1st era, however, over time they have become more insular and incestuous making them a culturally disparate people from the rest of the Luorran Kingdom. The Keepers of the current era are all related in one way or another, they believe this forms stronger bonds personally and magically.

Where are the Keepers?

With the rise of the Church many Keepers were slain all over the Veil and now most Keepers are displaced from their homes and live in hiding. Some people hear whispers of when Keepers are in town and seek them out in hopes of gaining valuable information. However, the life of a Keeper is one of constant moving and no Keeper stays in one place for too long for fear of persecution.

What do Keepers do?

Ancient blood magic lost to time is a Keeper's claim to fame. Upon a Keeper's birth, they are kept bald and blood formulas are etched onto their heads. This blood magic enhances a Keeper's memory retention and comprehension, allowing them to remember all they have seen, heard, tasted, smelled, and touched. Throughout a Keeper's life they absorb the knowledge of the world, never writing it down only storing it in their minds. To prevent loss of knowledge Keepers when they become elderly, link their minds with a younger Keeper, the blood magic that binds them in this way ensures memory transference upon death.

Notable Keepers

Amongst the Keepers there were three who stood out amongst the rest. They were known for undergoing a blood ritual in which you diminish some of your senses and physical abilities to become enhance others and their mind. They together held most of the knowledge of the world. Keeper Sikia, They Who Hear, sacrificed their sight and speech to heighten their hearing. Keeper Wona, She Who Sees, sacrificed their hearing and speech to enhance their sight. Keeper Haiba, He Who Speaks, sacrificed their sight and hearing to have complete mastery of their other senses.

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The Church's Sin

Knowledge is power and the one who controls how, where, and what information is disseminated has the most. The Church felt threatened by the Keepers and launched a worldwide crusade to find all Keepers and eliminate them. They did so under the guise of protecting the general populace from vitans, aka blood mages, even though Keepers are mostly non-hostile. This is the reason why blood magic, in the Kingdom of Luorra and in the Godhead's Cape which is controlled by the Church, is illegal and punishable by death. The Church succeeded in twisting the narrative which deters most people from ever wanting to know more about Keepers, but that does not stop some people from seeking out the truth.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Most Keepers know every language spoken, written (including symbolic), and signed, as language is one of the most important pillars of knowledge.

Shared customary codes and values

Perservation of knowledge is the shared value amongst Keepers. They learn at a young age that all things are precious and are meant to be kept. The sound of a baby's cry, the feel of worked steel, the taste of raw hibiscus, the smell of death, the visage of a werewolf's transformation, all things, sacred and maintained for generations.

Due to the storing of knowledge within their collective minds, the Keepers rarely write anything down although the knowledge of written languages is preserved. This allows for the knowledge to stay within the Keepers and not easily fall into the wrong hands.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Blood Baptism

Being a people who embrace blood magic, it is used heavily in the birthing process to reduce pain. The amount of blood typically lost during labor is utilized by Keepers to empower the birther and also to strengthen the baby at birth. A newborn is bathed in the blood of their birth and they obtain their first blood formula upon their head, this one is written in blood so as not to risk skull injury. If a baby is born with hair the parents wait till the hair falls out to complete the baptism.

Coming of Age Rites

Naming

Unlike other cultures who typically name their child at or shortly after birth, Keepers don't name their young. Instead at the age of 15 young Keepers perform a naming ritual where they declare their name and obtain a blood formula upon the base of their spine and neck, that links them to an older Keeper. Typically the older Keeper is a direct parent or grandparent, but it can be any other Keeper.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Memory Transference

Unless death comes prematurely, when Keepers become of age they are linked to one another. Upon their death, the blood magic transfers all memories stored to the survivor. This only happens within a certain range, so it is customary for the bound to spend their lives together till the end. However, this is not always possible so most Keepers try to return to their links before their death otherwise the knowledge they have stored will be lost forever.

Funeral

The link between Keepers is a powerful, empathic one, as such, upon a Keeper's death, the survivor and the dead are both honored. The survivor is praised and treated like royalty while the dead are remembered and celebrated for their life and the knowledge they've gained. Then the bodies are consumed by a blood ritual, draining their corpse wholly of all blood and melting the remains into the earth where it lay.