The Order of Mysteries was regarded as the oldest of the many orders. Official members of the order were known as mysterians. While there were few true mysterians, frequently a city only had a handful of full members, many people learned basic history at the feet of a mysterian. Mysterians maintained a sanctum in every city-state and many smaller towns. Knowledge was important and was regarded as the greatest possession by many omrun cultures. The mysterians acquired knowledge, but they did not do so to share it. The Order of Mysteries believed that too much knowledge could be dangerous. They also believed a lack of knowledge was dangerous. So mysterians recruited likeminded scholars and other gifted individuals to the Order of Mysteries. They hoarded tomes and manuscripts in locked vaults and meted out parts of history only to those who proved themselves worthy. The mysterians created a cult around learning. They held power and sway amongst nations because over time they had secreted away bits of history that were lost outside their sanctuaries. The mysterians claimed their practices prevented the loss of previous knowledge, but in many ways they encouraged it with the silence brought about by their elitist nature.
The Order of Mysteries was famous for the zeal of its adherents. Everyone who was part of the Order, whether a full mysterian or not, had a numeric ranking. The rankings were earned through extensive learning and testing. It took gyres to move upward through the ranks, but that number determined what parts of history or teachings you could know. The basic elements of history were taught openly, and mysterians referred to these as the Rank Zero teachings. This led to those outside the Order being called Zeroes in reference to their lack of numerical rank.
Full members of the Order received deep black sashes without adornment or pattern. Legends claimed that a person could stare into the abyss of the black sash and secrets would be exposed. The sashes were generally not thaumines, though the Order of Mysteries did recruit magi and a few black sash thaumines were created. Their exact purpose and powers was only known to their creators.
Mysterians believe their founder, who lived hundreds of scores ago, was reincarnated in every generation. Everyone who joins the Order is told about this constant reincarnation of the founder, and encouraged to remember previous lives. The founder lived an ascetic lifestyle and was said to spend rotes fasting and meditating next to a pond. Nature was believed to speak to the founder and aided in expanding the founder’s working knowledge of all things. If low-ranking mysterians attempt to emulate this in the hopes of realizing they are the reincarnation, so much the better.
The sanctums of the Order existed everywhere. Some whispered that mysterians traded in current knowledge, such as political secrets, as well as ancient knowledge. It was rare for any government to accuse mysterians of spying, since without the libraries and teachers the Order provided a nation could lose its intellectual edge, but Order of Mysteries was excellently positioned throughout the orbs and had zealous followers. If the Order partook in clandestine activities, few would be able to pierce the veil of mystery.
Kristofor Loren Carlson 