Monastic Scribe

All novices in the Abbey spend a considerable part of their training in the archives, learning basic skills like reading, writing, mathematics and the basics of rhetoric, as well as more specific studies on more advanced topics like theology, philosophy, history and more, as suits their nature. As with other segments of the Abbey, those who show the most promise as a scholar are invited to become a monastic scribe at the end of their novitiate.   Those who accept this offer become initiates, and are given a much more thorough education, studying a broad range of subjects, while also being taught the skills needed to copy and illuminate manuscripts and bind them into books, a task they are required to perform numerous times throughout their career as a monastic scribe. The last of these required lessons, taught in the 6th and final year of their induction as a scribe is the safe handling of ancient texts, for the archive contains many originals, some of which are well over a century old.   After this phase, most monastic scribes are granted free access to the majority of the library, to study as they desire. Throughout their careers, they will not only produce copies of texts, but also translations, commentaries and sometimes original texts of their own. The only restrictions are access to the ancient and fragile texts, which can be accessed with permission by the Curator, if they deem the reason for the request to be suitable, and a small collection of arcane texts that are considered dangerous, which can only be studied by an Arcanist.   Those who choose to study magic in depth eventually rise to the position of Arcanist. Those in this position are responsible for various magical duties throughout the Abbey, including a preservation seal over Abbey's collection of original texts, protecting them from the ravages of time. Taking on this role means accepting a number of duties that demand attention beyond confines of the library, costing them a degree of time that would have been available for study, but they are also permitted to access the more dangerous arcane books, as well as permission to requisition any magical supplies they might need directly, rather than needing to seek approval from the Head Scribe   Finally, the library is managed by two leaders. The Curator manages the collection in the library, tasked both with maintaining the original texts, marking restricted arcane texts as such, and more generally imposing some manner of order over an enormous collection of literature on a vast array of topics. Meanwhile, the Head Scribe manages the day to day affairs of the people, ensuring needed tasks are done, ensuring novices and initiates receive enough tutelage while also ensuring their teachers find enough time to continue their own studies, and other such tasks. Both positions are formally elected by all monastic scribes, assuming the role for life, until they step down, or, theoretically, until they are removed for failure to perform their duties. In practice, however, each Curator and Head Scribe picks a successor and teaches them how to perform their duties, and these chosen successors are traditionally the one elected, often unanimously.