Scribe

"Wolfin, my friend, spends his days in the scriptorium rewriting my words." - The Unknown Orator , Carmen Agricolae

A scribe was an individual who copied texts for public or private distribution. A scribe did not write original texts, but rather, renewed them for larger audiences.

Scribes Among Cultures

In Rowen and Trebai cultures, scribes continued to occupy a position of great importance by the Fifth Era, bearing some of the longest written traditions. The Rowen were the first to possess written records, writing their first parchments just before the start of the First Era. Their religion, the The Order of the Wanderers, spread to the Trebai, who adopted their own script to write religious documents. As the Rowen began to settle in one place, they along with the Trebai began to produce written literature, philosophical treatises, business transactions, speeches, and more. Writing among the Trebai allowed for more standardization of religious belief. Both cultures heavily valued the written word.   The Alois began to heavily employ scribes after the increased unity following the formation of the Godscar. More centralized systems of power required written records and business transactions. The Alois would not branch out into other types of writing, such as literature, until the Fourth Era, when ranches mostly replaced nomadic herders.   In the The Everglade Wastes, Eripean scribes served a double role as priests. The area's hot climate did not allow for the long conservation of physical written records, so scribes instead undertook a magical procedure known as gaseous glass formation, or lustrography. Using a combination of plant material and vapors collected from the swamp, Eripean scribes would form colored, gaseous letters in the air, readable against the night sky. The most difficult part of the process came next, when the scribe would store the "text" inside of a clear vial. If stored even slightly improperly, the scribe would be forced to start over. These "luster vials" were highly valued by the Eripe, and highly expensive. Making the vials was a religious process, and scribes followed the direction of the Goddess Q'rama when doing so, hence their classification as priests. Because of their rarity, luster vials were handled by civic officials, and often displayed publicly and read aloud in the evening. The majority of Eripean scribes were women.   Uburi gnomes adapted writing from the Rowen in the First Era. They heavily adapted the craft, their artisans producing some of the first bound books. The Uburi often heavily decorated their books, even adding illustrations which were unique to each copy. While not associated with religion, scripture was seen as a highly artistic pursuit that enriched the mind.