The Order of the Quinary
An ancient order of Elven seers, mystics, philosophers, and explorers. The Order is so ancient that it probably predates Elve’s arrival in Naru from the far west more than 2,000 years ago. The Order follows a codified “rule” that defines the actions and lifestyle of its members, but it is not exactly a religious order.
The Quinary is dedicated to the acquisition and accumulation of knowledge in all its forms. Literature, oral traditions, songs, sculpture, engineering, cartography, magic, astronomy, alchemy, medicine, horticulture, philosophy and history are all segments of study within the Quinary. This knowledge is gained by individual members and then collected and catalogued at the Order’s primary repository in the city of Melorian, known as the Domum Cognitum (House of Knowing in Gnomish). Each of the 10 Archontates of Naru have a dedicated Domum, smaller than that in Vytu but impressive, none the less.
The Quinary is a order of devotees to knowledge and learning in all its mortal forms. It is a known among Elves and Gnomes as an Order Regular, meaning that it demands that its adherents and participants live their lives and conduct their efforts according to a common set of "regulations" or rules. Membership in the Quinary is a lifetime commitment and requires a high degree of training and study to maintain.
Structure
The Quinary is structured as a hierarchy, where the highest office is that of Magnus Dominus (literally "great master") who is required to master all seven of the Order's Disciplines to gain the title. Each of the Schools of Disciplines are overseen by a Grand Dominus of that Discipline. Below the Grand Dominus is the Primum Quaesitor, who assists the Grand Dominus in his or her duties. Below the Primum are the various Grand Quaesitors followed by the lowest rank of the Order, the Quaesitors (which literally means "seeker" or "searcher" in Gnomish).
The Disciplines are Lectio (reading), Loquio (speaking), Accumulator (collecting), Custodio (protecting), Magistor (teaching), Constructor (building) and Incantator (enchanting).
History
There are some fascinating and unexplained similarities between the Quinary Order and the Gnomish Order of the Votaries of Knowledge. It is generally understood that the current Order of the Votaries of Knowledge is less than 1,000 years old while the Quinary is measurably older than 2,450 years old. The mystery is in the ancient and much revered language employed by the members of the Quinary and the terminology and titles that the order uses for its hierarchy… many of which are Gnomish in origin, rather than Elvish. To date, no one has been able to explain this anachronism definitively, but it is sometimes speculated that the Quinary is a Gnomish institution that is older than 2,500 years and became an Elven institution after the migration to Naru and the persecution of the Gnomes by Elves. The word “Quinary” stems from the Elven root “kui a’Nari” which means Elven wisdom in Elvish. The actual word "quinary" is Gnomish, however, and denotes an association with a order or rank of "five" ("quina" in Gnomish means five), even though there are seven disciplines or schools within the Quinary. Furthermore, the initial rank of a member of the order is quaesitor which means seeker or searcher in Gnomish. In fact, all the ranks and titles of the Order are in the Gnomish tongue rather than the Elvish.
Type
Information Network
Alternative Names
Quinary Brotherhood, Mystic Knights
Leader Title
Parent Organization
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
