The Archives of Light is the name for a collection of knowledge and culture, and a home for those who add to this collection. Those who seek to uncover ancient history, to learn the mysteries of those glyphs called "writing" and to pore over the ancient tomes of Cepheus, to search out the old carvings on the cave walls and learn from them; those who would record the music, history and stories of the modern era so that it--unlike mere mortal creatures--will never be lost... these are those who come and go through the Archives' hallowed halls.

The Archives are located in Cepheus, where the great library of the Palace is periodically open to Gembounds. The opportunity to study these ancient relics is sure to attract the keener minds, and their convergence will serve as the foundation of the Archives of Light as a group.

The Archives of Light are a loose collection of Gembounds linked not by true set-in-stone goals, but by a common theme: the gathering and preservation of knowledge. The scientifically minded may come to pick through ancient knowledge; bards may visit to record their sagas; and magicians may come to record their most powerful spells. Gembound come and go freely, with their own goals and ideals, cooperating to aid one another where they wish.

This is no tribal clan, with rigid ranks and tasks set by a leader; nor are the Archives a family that keeps its knowledge to itself. They may have roles: a chronicler of major cave events, a historian learning from ancient tomes, or a journalist interviewing Gembounds of other groups for their history and culture, so as to preserve it for all time. But these roles are fluid, self-assigned; the only tasks pursued are the ones which the Archives' intellectuals choose to.

With no truly unifying goals and no system of ranks and leadership, what do the scholars of the Archives actually do?

...Whatever they wish! Some may strive to uncover knowledge by learning to read and write to translate old tomes; artists might work to preserve their creations; archivists could copy old tomes to ensure that knowledge is kept intact for future generations. A group may gather to aid one another in translating old library tomes into a new language, or an expedition may set out to discover old writing in the distant corners of the caves. Other Gembounds or representatives from other groups may come to seek the Archives' aid: do any of Cepheus's books, perhaps, note the amount of water needed to grow mint plants, or list a history of how the door to Canis came to be? Members of the Archives may choose to delve into their stores of knowledge to provide these answers, and thus better the caves as a whole.

From curling up together with hot drinks and a good book, to setting out on a grand adventure across the caves--the scholars of the Archives of Light seek knowledge wherever they can find it.