The Association of Historicals, Scribes and Explorers
It was only following continual discoveries of unknown and eminently powerful Legacy technology that the people of the Empire began to realise the importance of writing down what was discovered, so that future generations would understand the discoveries made by those who were currently seeking knowledge and deciphering the ways of the Forerunners. The Association consists of those who wish to explore and record both these histories and the ongoing history of the Empire itself and to discover further technologies. Most noble Houses provide a basic education in such arts, but for further study and to undertake research and explorative jobs in the field, the Association provides several academies and bases.
The most troublesome factor in the research of the forerunners is the complex language system they used. Thus far the Historicals have reached no consensus on the translation on most of the writings which appear alongside or as part of most legacy technology (such as the holographic displays on most space vessels, on wall panels in autofactories and in preservation technology etc.). Some speculate that the codes used for different types of technology may be different, and many differing translations of even simple forerunner texts have been produced. The field is therefore rather slow to move, although new discoveries by explorers often bring jumps in knowledge by provide potential new keys to the puzzle.
The most significant discovery in recent memory occurred in 558EY, when a large earthquake shook the southern hemisphere of Sala, a farming planet of House Machello. The tremors were certainly detrimental to the crops that year, but also a large crater was discovered under a mountain in the obscure district of Kino. Painstaking excavations by Explorers specialising in architecture uncovered thousands upon thousands of the crystals, which are known to be necessary for the smooth running of Legacy technology of all kinds. Many shapes and sizes were discovered, including those large enough for use in ships, but the majority seemed to have been damaged in the earthquake which uncovered this collection.
The current Grand Library is being copied by hundreds of trainee Scribes and stored in weather proof vaults. Crystals can be broken or fail and it is not know why or how this happens in some cases as they still appear to be perfectly formed. Work is still going on today to investigate which of the myriad of crystals have been left unharmed. The search for further 'Crystal Libraries’ is ongoing, and it is hoped by many in the guild that further exploration of the new planets which hyperspace maps are uncovering will be instrumental in finding them.
Members
The Association has a board of directors who allocate funds and organise training in the three separate arts. These are sufficiently disparate disciplines that the members of each speciality may never interact, although they do become less discrete at higher levels. The current chairman of the board is Larden Zemkiss Truniss, who trained and worked as a Scribe before taking the position. At 76, he is expected to retire soon and many expect the Secretary Keiran Daleara Vinka, a former Explorer, to take the position without much opposition.
All members of the board of directors are Masters of their art. Each Aspect of the Association ranks their members similarly, these ranks being; Scholar, Journeyman, Provost and Master (in system terms these correspond to ranks 1-4 in the skill Influence)
The three Aspects of the Association include:
Scribes - who have training in scripture and Law. They are given the task of recording events, both of the forerunners, as the Explorers and Historicals discover it, and of the current affairs of the Empire. All Houses have several official Scribes who track their histories. Scribes may, once qualified, oversee the oaths given between citizens. (Not PC playable)
Explorers - who brave new and unfamiliar territories in search of technologies and evidence of the Forerunners which has yet to be recovered, such as their old cities and other settlements and artifacts. This is a fine profession for any up and coming noble, to continue in the tradition of the founders of the Empire.
Historicals - who are patient and methodical in decoding the information left to us. Many believe that through extensive studies of what they left behind, we can find out who the Forerunners were, why they left, and what the artefacts they left to us could achieve if only we understood their ways, languages and philosophies.