Keeper

• Survival Prestige: Must have demonstrated exceptional survival skills, such as enduring major storms, saving caravans during dangerous journeys, or successfully stretching resources during famines
• Domain Expertise: Deep, proven knowledge in a specific survival area (water management, security, food preservation, mining, etc.)
• Community Trust: Established reputation for honesty, reliability, and putting community survival above personal interests
• Leadership Experience: Proven track record of managing people and resources during crises
• Moral Authority: Demonstrated ability to make harsh decisions necessary for survival

• Age: Must be a proven adult (18+) who has completed their right of passage (Vessel or Bighorn Rite), typically middle-aged or elder with extensive experience
• Species: Human (Saltfolk)
• Community Standing: Must be "drawn from families that manage wells, salt mines, and food stores"
• Survival Record: Must have survived significant hardships and proven indispensable to community survival
• No Disqualifying Actions: Cannot have history of wasting resources, betraying community trust, or violating core Saltfolk taboos

Selected by consensus among existing Council of Keepers or through community acclaim when positions become vacant. The appointment involves a formal ceremony in the Keeper's Den where the new Keeper receives their ceremonial symbol and takes an oath before the community. The Desert Keeper typically officiates the ceremony, and the appointee must perform the ritual gesture of touching thumb to forehead, then chest, before accepting the role.

• Community Survival: Primary moral obligation to ensure the survival of all Espera residents
• Resource Stewardship: Sacred duty to prevent waste and maximize efficiency of scarce resources
• Justice Administration: Obligation to enforce community taboos and laws fairly and consistently
• Protection of the Vulnerable: Special responsibility for children, elders, and those unable to care for themselves
• Cultural Preservation: Duty to maintain Saltfolk traditions and pass them to future generations
• Collective Decision-Making: Obligation to work collaboratively with other Keepers for community benefit

• Domain Management: Complete authority over their specialized area (water, security, preservation, etc.)
• Council Participation: Regular attendance at formal Council meetings in the Keeper's Den
• Legal Decisions: Authority to decide punishments for taboo violations, including exile or execution
• Resource Allocation: Decisions about ration distribution, trade negotiations, and emergency supplies
• Crisis Leadership: Taking charge during storms, external threats, or other emergencies
• Succession Planning: Training and mentoring potential future Keepers in their domain

• Authority: Second-highest level of power in Espera, with near-absolute control in their domain
• Respect: Enormous social prestige and deference from community members
• Resources: Priority access to food, water, and shelter during shortages
• Information: Access to all community intelligence, trade secrets, and strategic planning
• Legacy: Opportunity to shape Espera's future and leave lasting impact
• Protection: Community loyalty and willingness to defend Keepers against external threats

Each Keeper wears a distinctive symbol of their office:

• Desert Keeper: Weathered stone pendant
• Well Keeper: Clay jar sealed with salt
• Salt Keeper: Pure white salt crystal on a cord
• Security Keeper: Carved horn tip bound with leather
• Preservation Keeper: Small clay vessel filled with dried herbs
• Trade Keeper: Strips of dyed cloth in multiple colours
• Memory Keeper: Bone charms carved with spiral motifs
• Plant Keeper: Dried agave leaf bound with grass cord

These symbols are handcrafted, irreplaceable, and carry deep cultural significance. They're worn prominently during formal occasions and passed between holders of the same office.

Keepers can be removed through:

• Community Consensus: If a majority of other Keepers agree they're unfit for office
• Gross Negligence: Failure that results in unnecessary deaths or resource loss
• Taboo Violation: Breaking fundamental Saltfolk laws, especially those regarding waste or betrayal
• Loss of Competence: Age, illness, death, or other factors that impair their ability to serve
• Voluntary Stepping Down: Personal choice to retire or pass responsibility to successor The dismissal ceremony involves removing their symbol of office and formally releasing them from their oath.

• 2031: Title established with Espera's founding when first refugees needed formal leadership structure
• 2032-2035: Role evolved from informal community coordinators to official governmental positions
• 2036-2040: Council of Keepers formalized with ceremonial elements and defined domains
• 2041-Present: System refined and strengthened as Espera grew and survival challenges intensified

Being a Keeper represents the highest achievement in Saltfolk society - proof that an individual has mastered both survival skills and leadership wisdom. The title embodies core Saltfolk values of endurance, community responsibility, and practical expertise over abstract authority. Other post-Collapse communities often view Keepers with mixture of respect and curiosity, seeing them as examples of effective survival governance.

• Maelle Corvain: Desert Keeper and co-founder of Espera, renowned for her water purification methods and unflinching leadership
• Henrik: Security Keeper known for his tactical expertise and unwavering defense of the settlement
• The First Well Keeper: (Name lost to time) Legendary figure who discovered Espera's primary water source
• Various Trade Keepers: Individuals who established crucial trade relationships with Archive settlements