Dael

These words are enscribed over the arching entryway to one of the oldest Imperial structures standing in Solitude - the Temple Archives. The Temple of the Divines houses the faithful, but it is the Archives that houses their greatest works. Referenced by historians, diplomats, solicitors and soldiers, bards and adventurers alike, the Archives has been the the beginning of many quests, and the resting place of their legacies, for better or worse.

Many of the congregation could be forgiven for forgetting the Archives exist. They link to the Temple proper through a drafty corridor, built into the city wall and facing the bleak cliffs looming over the Sea of Ghosts. Though visitors are always welcomed, few rarely come to the Temple seeking wisdom beyond what prayer and gentle encouragement might offer.

But for those that need more, the Archives wait.

Though one might expect such a place to be run by a group of dry-as-bone scholars, the priest-librarians of the Archives are as colourful a cast as those who come seeking the knowledge they preserve and protect. After all, though Julianos is the God of Knowledge, his sphere intersects with many others. Dibella presides over the plays and poetry skalds come seeking, Zenithar business legalities, Stendarr the rule of Kings and Arkay the genealogy of families as they rise and fall. Thus, each section of the Archives from History to Law to Culture has their Loremaster, as well as Scribes under their purview. They guide visitors, make copies of precious texts, mantain cleanliness and order and ensure that all the knowledge documented within is be protected for future generations. They are headed by Curator Albjerd Johann, along with his right hand Archivist Gregory Rickard.

During the day the Scribes ensure the Archives are a place of quietude and contemplation, that visitors may study unhindered. But when the evening falls and books are carefully returned to their places, wine is cracked open, stories are told, and the stony halls echo with laughter. The Curator insists on a careful equilibrium; it's all too easy to be lost to the vast expanses of knowledge known and unknown, to live life through only the words of others. By encouraging interaction, adventure and friendship, he hopes to keep these scholars engaged with the real world.

Of course, sometimes stereotypes exist for a reason...