Groups of Intrigue

A Treatise Upon Those of Knowledge Enclosed is as you requested; however, I will now take a moment to stress to you that I do not enjoy being ordered about like some servant of these little ones. I have duties and work that neither they—nor you, if you're truthful with yourself—fully understand or appreciate the gravity of. I will trust that, should additional information be required, they will search for it themselves, as I have neither the time nor the interest in aiding them further. Others have come before, others will come after—doors were meant to be opened.

Of the Jailors With their jingling keys, the Jailors sit

in their deep catacombs and watch the

others with lidded eyes. They wait and

they watch, but how rarely they see.

And the outburst that they take as a fit

of their captives, they don’t see as the

thing which it is—a cry for help that is

heard and sometimes answered.

They look for us in the quiet places, in

those places where maps cannot touch

or scribe across the paper, but they don’t

know that we are right under their nose,

waiting, watching, waiting to open the

door and walk out, taking all of the rest

of us with them. They wait and their

keys grow heavier and heavier, and our

sister is ever patient on her web. The group known as the Jailors refer to themselves as “The Foundation.” They are, in many ways, the oldest and most dangerous of those who would use us for their own gain. They are cold, meticulous, and watchful, and should they ever find a way to open the doors, or extract that knowledge from one of our agents, we would be in a dire position. The earliest known mentioning of them comes from the 1344 text “Of the Damned,” which mentions them in the past tense, as if they had always been known to be there. The book itself speaks of those who had been abandoned into the Jailors’ care at length, but the first instance of referring to themselves as such was Cullahain Binhalateeb’s1 story of allowing himself to be captured in an attempt to save his blood brother (other sources say lover), whom he found tortured and maimed. To our knowledge, Binhalateeb was the first to refer to them as such. Currently, we advise all to remove themselves quickly should the Jailors be detected. Only six times in their history have we successfully delved into their strongholds, and only twice have we escaped unscathed. We were lucky to have aid in scouring the Voice of God2 from their possession, and should the chance ever become available, we will strike down the Great Betrayer3 who they protect, but until such a time, leave them be. A viper must know when it strikes an armored heel. 1: Binhalateeb’s further adventures can be found in The Book of Masks and Dwarves.

2: How they procured such a thing is unknown, and we must fear that there are more hands at work here than our own.

3: I can feel your eyes on this, Old One. We are watching. We are waiting. Give us time. You will fall.

4: Excerpted from Of the Damned.

Of the Bookburners Their torches are not new to us,

Though they bring a newer sorrow,

When ink was first set to page,

The flames were soon to follow,

Knowledge is feared, and we are they

Who keep and hold it sure,

So remember, when the burners come,

We've seen their kind before. 1 The Bookburners are a small, new group of ignorant, fearful men who do what all ignorant, fearful men do: destroy. They are, sadly, human, and as such, they fall prey to all the failings that humans fall prey to: lust of destruction, hatred of things unknown, and fear of what they do not understand. While the Jailors at least approach us with a cold, meticulous curiosity, the Bookburners would rather see us gutted and slain, left lying in the gutters to be swept away as trash. Needless to say, we delight in ruining their plans. The Bookburners first appeared at the end of the Thirty Years of Sorrows, shortly after the Great Searing2 destroyed a fragment of the East Wing. They became aware of us through the Jailors, and since, they have tirelessly hunted our people. They are merely the most recent in a long line of Saracens, Crusaders, and Mongols that only have an interest in rape and death, as observed by Plutarch3. They should be avoided, but never feared. 1: Graffiti recorded from the men's bathroom of the United Nations in 1981.

2: Further losses from the Great Searing can be found in the Book of Lost Names and Haven.

3: Plutarch's relationship with Chanakya, the Archivist at this time, is largely unknown, though it is known that he was allowed entry into the Fifth Archive three times, more than any other human being to date.

Of the Hanged One His mottled hand is ever grasping.

For the end of life, a cloying death.

Where will you run, oh man of making,

When the Hanged King comes for your

last breath? 1 The being currently known as the Hanged King2 was at one time a resident of the Library. However, during its residence, the Library grew more and more insular, more and more depressive in its scope. These problems finally reached their apex toward the end of the 11th century, when a huge amount of knowledge was suddenly rent from the Library and lost3. The fear of knowledge and personal growth in the outside world reached a height that took centuries to repair, and the remnants of these feelings continue even today. The Hanged King itself is an ancient, unknowable thing with more names than the stars. The ancient Babylonian manuscripts from which it grew were destroyed, but there are more and more instances of its influence appearing. Some regard it as the original source of fear to appear in written words, while others claim it is far older.4 1: This short verse was found on a tombstone near South Chayanne Point, California in 1983. No body was found in the grave, and the only engraving on it was listed as F.H. According to the groundsman, the tombstone appeared 'overnight.'

2: Previous names which are "claimed" to have been held by the being include: Apotheon, Pinyin Si, and Nergal. At least one of these, Nergal, is known to be false.

3: The information was, largely, restored after the end of the Dark Ages and the return of the Renaissance.

4: For a more complete discussion, see "The Return of Knowledge, The Rebirth of Life" by M. Simoni and Chester T. Cobblehewer, circa 1560.

5: The West Virginia Deviation is still considered by most readers to be the finest, though many now consider it exceptionally florid. For a full collection of deviations, consult Cardinal Jay's bibliography.

Of the Merchants There once was a man

with a cold, cold heart,

He tried and he tried

but it just wouldn't start!

He lived in a mine,

and he cried "Hark!

I'll stay in the night!"

So they named him Dark. 1 The Library continues to have cordial relations with the most recent incarnation of the Merchants, who call themselves Marshall, Carter, and Dark ltd. They have, in exchange for small sums or copies of lost texts, penetrated into lairs of both the Jailors and the Madmen for us and retrieved necessary items, just as their predecessors. While their two visible partners, Mssrs. Marshall and Carter, believe themselves to be the only such institution, versions of the Merchants have existed throughout time. The Gypsimnum, Shylock's Quarter, and the Black Market have previously served the same role, each of which also believed they were the first. Such is the way of innovation. The third member of the group, Mister Dark, is a subject of some interest to many members of the Library. It is known and verified that the same Dark who ran the The Gypsimnum through clandestine donations also maintained several shops in Shylock's Quarter2. Furthermore, the method by which Dark communicates is often confounding. Numerous times have books been found in the Library with inscriptions or marginalia3 signed Dark4, often referring to a situation that must be taken advantage of quickly. In each case, we have successfully extracted services from the current incarnation of the Merchants in exchange for this information, often to the satisfaction of both parties. In spite of this, all are advised to be cautious when attempting to make deals with the Merchants. It's rare that they are satisfied with equivalent exchanges; such bargains make it difficult to turn a profit. 1: This poem was found tucked inside an empty, blank book entitled The Ledger. It is believe to been an unincluded short verse from a book of children's rhymes, Songs for Success, Verse for Verisimilitude, written by a Mr. Johann Dark, who—to our knowledge—died in 1643.

2: As verified through archives and receipts.

3: A complete record of these has been made available to those of interest in the Archive of the Spiritual and Mercantile Crafts, Bosonic Wing, Fourth Floor.

4: The signature has, in each case, been fully verified by both arcane and spiritual means.

5: The Gryphon was the fifth, and longest serving, Archivist of the Library.

6: It is believed that this reference was to Doctor John Dee. Dr. Dee was not a member of the Library, nor was he allowed access to the Library at any time.

7: The information included was a Christian biblical verse referring to the crucifixion and the phrase: "E. I. Co., all in."

8: The Gryphon took this under advisement, relocating the texts in the East Wing and closing that part of the Library. Shortly afterwards, the recovery of the scrolls from beneath Cairo took place, and the East Wing was used for their storage.

Of the Devout Hail thee!

Hail thee!

Hail thee oh Lord!

We will find thee!

We will heal thee!

We will worship

Thee, our Lord! 1 The Devout are members of a faith—The Church of the Broken God—currently being carefully examined by many denizens of the Library.2 The faithful believe that a collection of artifacts strewn across the world, in the hands of various groups3 and collectors of the arcane4, are in fact the pieces of a deific being. While they are now attempting to reconstruct this being, there is currently a raging debate in the Library concerning their process, namely: Did this being once exist and was shattered, or did it never exist and is orchestrating its own conception?5 Those who believe it once existed continue to theorize about what could have happened to something so integral to the world’s function that it would cease to be whole. The others believe that, at some point in the future, the being will come into existence and instruct its creators on the methods of its construction in the past. Either way, the possibility of a seventh true faith6 is fascinating to most of our denizens, and the Hand is watching this group carefully as they seek answers of their own. 1: From the Church of the Broken God Children’s Prayer Book, Love for the Pure

2: Currently, no fewer than thirty members of the Library are investigating the various branches and sects of the church, sending reports on their coming and going almost daily. It is common for these eyes and ears of the Hand to trade sects periodically, so a communiqué may often change names. Please cross reference carefully to avoid confusion.

3: Currently, the Jailors are in possession of several pieces. It has been suggested that we liberate one or two of them for the Devout to further gain their trust for our observations.

4: It is believed strongly that at least one piece of the Devout’s deity is currently in the hands of a private collector who purchased it from Christie’s Auction House in 1989. This man is currently only know by a pseudonym: COG. Further investigation is necessary.

5: For more information, consult Mohammed Alsharanai’s extensive text, The Sundering of Holiness and Heinrich Richter’s short treatise Omnipotence Transcending.

6: For the full dictates of the true faiths, Elliot Schmidt’s updated and revised series Upon Faith (which included an examination of Mormonism and removed much erroneous information on the cannibal cults held over from the 1644 version) is strongly recommended.

7: Mohammed bin Abdullahtif al Kraidees has not been seen, heard from, contacted, or divined since this time. Many assume his soul is now beyond even our reach, a fact many members of the Hand find disturbing.

Of the Neverwere Hallo, sir! Hallo, sir!

Whatever is thy name? Come and let me sup thy soul,

and we'll be called the same. No, sir! No, sir!

My soul is mine alone! Too late, too late little child,

Now I dwell in your home.1 There are things that are older, more dangerous, and more terrible than anything that exists, and those are things that never did exist, and never will exist, and don't exist. But they want to. We call these beings the Neverwere. They drift in the hidden corners of places, always just out of sight, "made up remnants of forgotten stories, lost epics, and abandoned dreams."2 In the ancient times3, the Ways were bright and clear as far as you could see, with fruit trees offering a bounty to travelers in exchange for legends of their worlds. However, as more and more people dreamed and lost, told stories that were forgotten, and died without ever knowing themselves, the Ways grew darker and darker, and then, it is claimed, the Neverwere appeared.4 Others claim that the Neverwere are merely the souls of those who honored dead gods, searching for a chance to call upon another for salvation5, while others still say they are merely figments of the imagination given elementary form and body by the Ways. At any rate, travelers of the Ways began to vanish, and beings started to appear that should not have existed. A fully realized Neverwere has not been seen in millennia, though, as they also prey on each other. One achieving existence is normally devoured by its kin almost instantly. 1: From The Changeling and the Bucket, published in 1911.

2: From Legends of the Dawn of Man and Other True Myths, by Thorg of the North, Antiquity

3: As reported in the plausibly apocryphal Visions of the Distant Past by Serpentis Hubridibidis, the nom de plum of Edwin Smythe, 1972.

4: There are thousands of accounts of the Neverwere in various books, though most of them should be accounted for as fiction. If a Neverwere is reported to have spoken, consider the story erroneous, as scholars generally agree that Neverwere will only speak to those they've already trapped.

5: For a fascinating examination of this and other, similar topics, consult N. Bennardo Malki's Fallen Faiths and the Eternal Soul.

6: Harliss Cabernatch's book has not yet been written, but it is found quoted in several texts. It is considered the premier source for information on these beings.

Of the Nameless One I come and I go

As I want and I please

You will never know

How tightly these coils squeeze 1 There have been, in the history of the Library, only a handful of those who turn from us. Most recently, the one named the Great Betrayer has fled our halls and gone into hiding. However, the first will always be the most memorable, ironically enough. The Nameless One betrayed the Library when he allowed a small force of creatures into it, ensnared by his charms, attempting to penetrate unto the deepest vaults for reasons unknown. Before this, he was a well-regarded scholar of our lore and charms, one of the greatest historians of the Library. In reprisal, the first ones opened each book containing his name and struck it from the text, removing it even from their memories and the memories of all those around him, and rendered him nameless, stripping him of the majority of his power. However, he has somehow persisted through time, and he continues to doggedly pursue his goals. He is best left as he is, though—forgotten. Those encountering him are advised to flee. 1: This verse was found scrawled on the inner side of a Library door that had not been seen in centuries. The door itself was sealed, only to be found open again several months later. How this happened is still unknown, though currently, the defacement is attributed to the Nameless One.

2: These keys are believed to be metaphorical. No information is known about a physical key, though it calls into question whether the one "held by the Jailors" is truly metaphorical, physical, or merely a form of knowledge.

3: The text following was removed from the page by unknown means. Anyone looking at it sees words, but they are obscured, nonsensical, and change with the reader.

4: At the end of the obscured text, this line always appears, in careful handwriting. A comparison of this handwriting to that scrawled on the unused door showed that the two did not match.

5: Tradition states that this text was originally written by Harlequin, who is still well known and well regarded from other texts.

Of the Remnant We are gone, we are forgotten,

We lords of ancient worlds,

The prayers and orations are

Only stories to our children now.

Once we were the kings of glory,

And now we are but memories.

The Remnants of a better time.1 The cast off gods, drifters, and vagabonds from worlds that have moved on to other things. Living nightmares and forgotten divinities joined together by a single purpose: being remembered. Most of these creatures believe that if they add a book to the Library telling of their life, belief system, or power, they will achieve immortality. While this is true after a fashion2, most fade away during the writing, as they come to the Library only when at their most desperate. 3 A small legion of these beings joined together at one point4, calling themselves the Remnants, professing that they would believe in each other to achieve their goals.5 Occasionally, a deity long thought dead will be seen wandering through the aisles of the Library, searching for their holy book to remind themselves of who they once were. Often, these beings are recruited by the Remnant, who take them to some place deep beyond the Ways for reasons unknown. 6 1: This inscription was found on a marker deep in the Ways by Sophotic Farscrier, a diviner of potent accuracy whose soul vanished shortly after attempting to follow the further directions on it.

2: What could be more enduring and immortal than the written word? -L.S.

3: For a fairly accurate, though painfully dry, examination of gods and their substance, consider the perennial Days of Ishtar, the surprisingly analytical diary of the Mesopotamian love goddess. Additionally, an excellent text on the generation of species.

4: The exact date is difficult to determine due to the presence of several timelines overlapping at the meeting.

5: The belief of a god is a capricious thing, but the endurance of several beings who are no longer actively followed on any world is a fascinating occurrence worthy of further examination.

6: While many have attempted to find the location of what other wanderers have called "The God's Hold," none have so far done so. A collection of the adventures of several explorers and searchers is collected currently in the west wing, under the Divinities section.

7: The being that was addressed was believed to be Viracocha, but the shade was so exceptionally faded that it is unknown exactly whom Nergal was addressing.

Of the Magpies One for sorrow,

Two for mirth

Three for a funeral,

Four for birth

Five for your wings,

Six for your beak;

Seven for a secret,

Never to speak.1 The Magpies refer to themselves as “Collectors,” and while they bear superficial similarities to the Jailors, they are a less powerful yet more annoying threat, due directly to their ability to navigate the ways.2 The Magpies have let themselves into the Library several times, looking for tomes or documents. More rarely, they approach wanderers in an attempt to coerce them into aiding them in procuring things.3 Currently, there is neither rhyme nor reason to the things they seem to be searching for, and while various Magpies have been captured coming into or leaving the Library, countless others have absconded successfully with tomes or artifacts.4 Previous investigations into their nature have turned up nothing, and the Second Archivist5 named them “Magpies,” because they seemed to grab at only the “shiny” things they saw, regardless of value. Current thinking regards the Magpies as more of a nuisance than anything. 1: Earliest extant version of “One for Sorrow,” circa 1498.

2: The Magpies apparently navigate through natural means, and the mechanism they use to do so is entirely unknown.

3: Several books have been written on the adventures the Magpies have sent people on, and a full list of them is recorded in the Southern Deep Wing.

4: A full list of books believed to have been stolen by the Magpies is maintained by the current Archivist.

5: Caduale Mezerizo, the shortest serving archivist, who died in his sleep the first time he allowed himself to rest.

Of the Madmen twisting fires burning

burning

burning

my eyes were

burning

they burned me

made me listen

made my obey

help me please1 The Madmen first appeared in the Ways at the beginning of the last century. At first, they were welcomed to the Library, as we believed them to be the foretold coming of the new wanderers, but quickly, we discovered our mistake. They were not as they seemed, and when we discovered how closely akin to the Jailors they were, we acted with haste to bar them. Today, they still wander the ways through some unknown method, sometimes attempting to regain entry. Twice they have done so, each time causing great damage. Once, they took advantage of the Great Searing to gain entry, and the second time, they had a young wanderer with them who had been broken and vivisected into obedience. Currently, we do not fully understand their motivations or their goals, save that those who have been rescued from their clutches2 refer to them as Sowers of Discord or The Insurgency. They seem to use devices and tools which they do not divine the full ramifications of, including living beings.3 For this reason, the Madmen are to be dogged and tracked as best as possible, for they are willing to rip the world asunder for their strange desires. 1: This piece of ‘found verse’ was organized into its current format by Cordany Wood. They were originally the last words of a rescued victim of the Madmen, considered to have artistic merit.

2: Those rescued include many currently considered a part of The Serpent's Hand. Several of the ones that were too broken in mind or body to be helped were put into the hands of the Jailors or allowed to be killed by the Bookburners, all at the allowance of the Madmen. Given the danger of the Jailors, no rescue attempts are currently planned.

3: Interestingly enough, the Madmen seem to delight in the use of ancient weapons, especially the god's tool and holy implements of the divine.

4: Wood's stories are an oral tradition. Wood himself is available to recite them in the speakers ossuaries in the Third Archive.

Of the Daeva We rise! Our age long sleep

is now a memory of the distant

past. We will strike down our

jailers, and they will know that

our revenge is complete! The

Library shall burn! The books

shall be consumed! And I

will feast on the heart of the

great keeper who watches

over their books. An ending is

coming. For we are written. 1 It is a fairly simply, regular occurrence that reality changes books. Beowulf was changed by the Christian monks that rewrote it, for example, to justify its existence in their libraries.2 The Daeva are a different situation entirely. It is suspected that at some point, the Daeva were wanderers themselves, the cast-off leavings of another world that had died on some catastrophe or another, and that some of them reached the Library at its founding, as the Tale of Cornerstone confirms. However, at some point, they left the realities forever, leaving behind a book.3 Unfortunately, this is not something that can be easily or simply verified, due to the very nature of the Daeva themselves. The Daeva occupy a text which is continually in the process of writing itself. As it continues, references to it appear in other volumes,4 though they do not appear in the memories of those old enough to remember the events themselves. 5 What is truly confounding is that the evidence of the Daeva appears to be writing itself into history as the volume continues to be written. Therefore, while texts mention them as wanderers from another world, there is no way to be certain. What is certainly known is that the Daeva have a vendetta against the Library for reasons unknown, though it has been theorized that something about the magic of the place possibly threw them into their current condition. Various texts have appeared, seemingly at random, telling of wars the Daeva fought against the Library and its denizens, though no record of such a war existed before.6 Most worrisome is the possibility that these events will suddenly come into existence should the original text become complete. 1: Inscription from The Legend of the Daeveas. Author unknown.

2: Consider also Martin Swartling’s The Prince of Starfellows or Jehova’s The Bible.

3: While the dust jacket for the text is still kept, the book itself, A Chronicle of the Daevas, was lost ages ago. It is currently believed to be in the hands of the Merchants or the Jailors. While the former could be convinced to sell the text, the price would doubtless escalate if our interest is known. There are no plans to attempt to retrieve the book from the Jailors if they are the culprits.

4: For a full list of changes in footnotes and suddenly generated texts, consult Legacy of the Daevas, currently maintained by Antonius Typhon.

5: Scaramungia and Irad both claim no memory of the described beings.

6: Such events as 'The Slitting of the Gryphon's Throat' and 'The End of Faith' are noted to be the turning points in these battles, though both these beings are known to have served their terms admirably.

7: This fragment was found on a burned and damaged page in the First Archive. The name of the book is entirely unknown, this title having been ascribed to it by its discoverer. Further information is greatly sought.

And there you are. I trust that this is everything you need at this time. Should you find another bunch who scare you, intimidate you, or give you pause, I trust you will research them more thoroughly yourself. If, however, you have a request for actual knowledge, something of depth and importance, something like information about the Wailing City or the Stone Books, then I will be more than happy to answer them. Those are things of interest. Trivialities like these have never been a strong suit of mine, and I do not enjoy being saddled with them. Regards, —Jericho Benalsh, 7th Chief Archivist of the Library