Archive:Order of the Eternal Seal: Difference between revisions
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=== History and Ideology ===
Within the Maesters of old, the Order of the Eternal Seal had existed for millennia, slowly gaining influence within their ranks. Tasked with guarding the trove of knowledge that was studies of the occult, members of the Order were typically isolated from the rest of the maesters, possessing knowledge the others were forbidden to learn by the doctrine known as the ‘Eternal Seal,’ containing all teachings of the mystical to within their ranks. Eventually, with the ascendance of the previous Grand Maester Yusan of Kaer Nevura to the position of King of Aerdale, a prominent member of the Order known as ‘Vaiyn’ rose to the position, a role she would eventually use to reform the Maesters as a whole, marking the birth of the True Order of the Eternal Seal.
Where the Order of the Maesters and the Order of the Eternal Seal differ is primarily the way in which the knowledge they seek is interacted with in relation to the outside world, as well as what is permitted to be studied within their ranks. While the Maesters sought to gain knowledge and push forward their disciplines, they did so with a careful watch on who this information was exposed to. Regardless of their mastery of a subject, Maesters were not permitted to share information that was not directly relevant to a situation that may arise, even to the lord they served or to other members of the High Council on which the Grand Maester held a place. Among the Order of the Eternal Seal, this limitation of the sharing of information is no more, with all amongst the Order being encouraged to spread knowledge to the fullest extent, as the Order of the Eternal Seal believes the sharing of information to be essential to the betterment of all peoples. Unlike the Maesters, the Order does not bar the teachings of any recognized discipline or area of study, sharing its original members' learnings about the mystical and occult with the rest of the order. Though the Maesters are respected within the Order, as they directly preceded its formation, their mindset regarding the spreading of knowledge and the limitation of certain subjects is seen by members of the Order of the Eternal Seal as primitive and fearful, serving to hold the Maesters in a position of power above others and seal knowledge away from the world. The Order of the Eternal Seal’s primary belief is that knowledge should be sought for by all peoples and has a right to be shared, and that true mastery over all subjects is the path to enlightenment and truth. Members of the Order believe that to hide knowledge away is to actively harm those it is not shared with.▼
=== Duties ===
Duties
As those who have proven themselves within their subject(s) of choice, Tien of the Order may be assigned to specific castles or noble families throughout the Elyrian realm to serve and advise the Lords or Ladies in anything they may require. Certain nobles may have multiple Tien assigned to them depending on the subjects which they have mastered, with Masters of Ravenry (a subdiscipline of zoology) and Masters of Healing and Medicine in particular being almost a necessity. Those Tien who have mastered the aforementioned disciplines are far more likely to be assigned to a noble family or a castle by the Conclave, being favored as they will hold responsibilities wherever they are assigned that no other could carry out. Upon being placed in the service of a noble family or castle, Masters of Ravenry will be tasked with sending long distance communications using trained messenger ravens, as well as training and caring for these ravens in the castle’s rookery. Those who are Masters of Healing and Medicine will be tasked with serving as the resident medical expert of the castle, responsible for all duties that will maintain or improve the health of those in their care. Tien who do not possess mastery in these subjects, or possess other masteries in addition to them serve to counsel the Lord or Lady they have been assigned to. Whilst their allegiance remains with the Order, rather than their specific noble family or castle, Tien are expected to aid those whom they would advise to the best of their abilities, and make every effort to keep them informed and knowledgeable in their decision making. If a Tien with mastery of a subject relevant to a certain situation is absent, the Lord or Lady in question is not only permitted, but encouraged to direct their Master of Ravenry to send word to the Conclave, where those who have mastered the aforementioned subject will provide this information in their stead.
▲Where the Order of the Maesters and the Order of the Eternal Seal differ is primarily the way in which the knowledge they seek is interacted with in relation to the outside world, as well as what is permitted to be studied within their ranks. While the Maesters sought to gain knowledge and push forward their disciplines, they did so with a careful watch on who this information was exposed to. Regardless of their mastery of a subject, Maesters were not permitted to share information that was not directly relevant to a situation that may arise, even to the lord they served or to other members of the High Council on which the Grand Maester held a place. Among the Order of the Eternal Seal, this limitation of the sharing of information is no more, with all amongst the Order being encouraged to spread knowledge to the fullest extent, as the Order of the Eternal Seal believes the sharing of information to be essential to the betterment of all peoples. Unlike the Maesters, the Order does not bar the teachings of any recognized discipline or area of study, sharing its original members' learnings about the mystical and occult with the rest of the order. Though the Maesters are respected within the Order, as they directly preceded its formation, their mindset regarding the spreading of knowledge and the limitation of certain subjects is seen by members of the Order of the Eternal Seal as primitive and fearful, serving to hold the Maesters in a position of power above others and seal knowledge away from the world. The Order of the Eternal Seal’s primary belief is that knowledge should be sought for by all peoples and has a right to be shared, and that true mastery over all subjects is the path to enlightenment and truth. Members of the Order believe that to hide knowledge away is to actively harm those it is not shared with.
Upon joining the Order of the Eternal Seal, a’Turas are expected to distance themselves from their political and familial allegiances. Though they may retain their connections with their family and those outside the Order, if this is seen by the Conclave to impair their judgment or interfere with their duties in any way, any member of the Order may be cast out immediately, as this would be a breach of the Eternal Vow. It is for this reason many continue the practice set in place by the Maesters of dropping their family name, as it is often seen as a persistent reminder of their former loyalties. When a Tien is assigned to a castle, they take residence at said castle and serve its people without question. Regardless of who holds the castle in which they reside, Tien are bound by their vows to serve the Lord or Lady in question. Tien are expected to hold loyalty only to the Order and their castle, rather than any specific Lord or Lady, and thus upon the changing of possession of the castle the Tien resides in, they are expected to serve their new Lord to the best of their abilities. While it is not a breach of their vows to advise the current Lord or Lady in military matters, if the castle officially changes hands the Tien must advise their new Lord in the same manner as they did the previous.
Though the Order of the Eternal Seal possesses a seat on the Elyrian Court and serves the Elyrian people, its loyalty is considered to be to the realm, rather than to the crown. Though Tien are assigned to the castles of Elyria, all members of the Order, including Irraih and a’Turas are encouraged to spread their wealth of knowledge throughout the realm, so that it may see a prosperous future to come. Members of the Order are also expected to continue their studies perpetually, and seek to discover all there is to know in the realm. It is in this interest that many members of the Order spend vast amounts of time scattered across the world, as the pursuit of knowledge extends far past the borders of the lands they serve.
=== Hierarchy ===
==== Ard-Solas ====
'''<nowiki/>'Higher Light,' 'The Enlightened,' 'He who knows all' -''' The highest rank and leader of the Order of the Eternal Seal is known as the Ard-Solas, a name shared by a powerful ancient rune studied by the original members of the order. Members of the Order of the Eternal Seal are instructed to refer to the Ard-Solas by the title of Grand Master followed by their given name, as the title of Ard-Solas refers to the wealth of knowledge these individuals possess. On official documents, the Ard-Solas is to be referred to as such, with the title of Grand Master preceding it in reference to the title holder’s rank. Within the Order, those who ascend to the rank of Ard-Solas are only those with a mastery over knowledge in all areas of study, thought to be the living representative of all information that exists within the realm. These individuals are typically adorned in solid black or white robes, with no less than thirteen golden chain links hung around their neck representing their mastery of each of the thirteen
While the Ard-Solas
▲While the Ard-Solas may command the utmost respect amongst the members of the Order and sit at the head of its governing body, they hold no more power than the other members of the Conclave. The Ard-Solas serves as the representative of the Conclave and the Order of the Eternal Seal as a whole in the King’s Court and is an elected position that persists until death or deposition via unanimous vote. If no unanimous vote can be reached by the other members of the Conclave upon the end of the previous Ard-Solas’ term, the next Ard-Solas has not been found, and the Conclave as a whole will be consulted on matters that concern the Order until a unanimous nomination can be determined. Regardless of this, a nominee via majority vote will still be seated among the King’s Court, however they must consult the rest of the Conclave before informing the King on matters they hold no mastery over. Upon removal from the position, regardless of circumstance, the deposed Ard-Solas is stripped of their rank and titles within the Order of the Eternal Seal, and is barred from the Order for the remainder of their lifetime. If an Ard-Solas steps down for any reason of their own volition, they are granted the title of ‘Fior-Solas’ and retain this title until their death or removal from the Order.
==== Tien / "Masters" ====
'''<nowiki/>'He whose desire for knowledge burns' -''' Within the Order of the Eternal Seal, the rank of Tien is granted upon mastery of a single discipline, represented by a single golden chain link, which is worn around their neck on a cord with a designated color for their mastered area of study. Those that choose to continue their studies will continue to add chain links of various metals corresponding to their current understanding of a discipline to their initial one, though the cord will remain the same color representing their initial field of study. Typically, upon achieving enough chain links to form a full loop that can be worn in place of the cord, it will then be tied around their waist atop their robes. Those that have achieved the rank of Tien are considered ‘Masters’ of their discipline, being consulted on matters regarding their area of study and carrying out the responsibility of passing their knowledge on to those that will follow them.
'''<nowiki/>'''
The Conclave of the Order of the Eternal Seal consists of thirteen seats, with one representing a master of each area of study. While Tien can earn further chain links beyond their original one, the color of the cord worn around their waist indicates their primary subject and thus determines which Conclave seat they may be chosen to fill. When a seat is left vacant after the death or deposition of the current seat holder, the other twelve members must reach a majority vote from those masters of which fall under the previous one’s area of study. If the votes for a candidate reach an impasse (6-6), the Ard-Solas’ vote will be counted as two, and the Tien who has the majority will be granted a seat on the Conclave. Tien are to be referred to by other members of the order as ‘Masters,’ being referred to as Master Tien on official documents. Tien may be called upon to serve as advisors to the regional lords, using their area of mastery to aid them in the decision making process or provide knowledge of a certain area the lord or lady lacks experience in.
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