Vaultmen

Female names among the Vaultmen frequently draw from medical, botanical, or data-related terminology, reflecting the Archive's scientific focus. Examples include clinical terms (Elena, Vera, Iris), compound designations (DataCore, BioSec), and names honouring Pre-Tide female scientists and researchers.

Male Vaultmen often bear names reflecting scientific concepts, technological terms, or pre-Tide academic traditions. Common patterns include: classical names from scientific history (Darwin, Tesla, Newton), compound names incorporating tech terminology (Silvan, Quantum, Vector), and designations that reflect their role within Archive hierarchy (Scout-Seven-Alpha, Research-Prime).

The Archive Collective has developed a system of designation-based names used regardless of gender, particularly for those in specialized roles: Codex, Archive, Vault, Station, Protocol, and clearance-based identifiers (Alpha-Seven, Beta-Prime).

The Vaultmen have largely abandoned traditional family naming conventions in favor of functional designations. Most members adopt the surname of their Archive station (e.g., "Langford of Grapevine Peak") or their scientific specialty (e.g., "Thorne-Biotech"). Some retain Pre-Tide family names as a mark of prestige, particularly those descended from prominent researchers or military leaders who founded the Archive Collective.

• Clearance Designations: All Vaultmen possess security clearance codes that function as secondary names (e.g., "seven-seven-alpha").
• Station Affiliations: Members are often known by their station location (Grapevine Peak, Salt Mine Central).
• Research Tags: Specialists may carry research-based designations indicating their field of expertise.

• Standard Archive: A technical pidgin mixing English, scientific Latin, and military terminology.
• Clearance Codes: Numerical and alphabetic designation systems for security communication.
• Station Dialects: Regional variations based on specific Archive installations, incorporating local technical terminology and operational codes.

Inherited from the Past:

• Advanced pre-Tide technology and scientific knowledge
• Academic and military institutional structures
• Research methodologies and data preservation techniques
• Biotech labs and weapon prototypes
• The motto "Knowledge Survives. Even If We Don't"

Modern Preservation Efforts: Aggressive data archiving, protection of research facilities, and recruitment of individuals with valuable knowledge or technical skills.

• Knowledge Preservation: "Knowledge Survives. Even If We Don't"
• Species Survival: Individual needs are secondary to humanity's continuation
• Scientific Rationality: Decisions based on data and logical analysis
• Containment Protocol: The Verdancy must be controlled, contained, or weaponized
• Hierarchy and Clearance: Respect for knowledge-based authority structures
• Technological Superiority: Maintaining pre-Tide technology as humanity's salvation

The Vaultmen maintain the highest technological capability among post-Tide factions. They possess:

• Functional generators and power systems
• Advanced laboratory equipment
• Military-grade weapons and vehicles
• Bio-containment and research facilities
• Sealed water recycling systems
• Data storage and communication networks

However, this technology is not widely accessible—it's controlled through clearance hierarchies and distributed based on role necessity.

Meeting protocols involve stating clearance level and station affiliation. Conversations prioritize technical accuracy over social pleasantries. Disagreements are settled through data presentation rather than emotional arguments. Respect is shown through technical competence rather than age or traditional authority. Interrupting research or containment procedures is considered deeply offensive.

• Standard Issue: Military-inspired uniforms in earth tones (greys, browns, dark greens) designed for underground environments.
• Protective Gear: Reflective visors, environmental suits, and breathing apparatus are standard.
• Status Indicators: Clearance badges, station insignia, and specialized equipment that reflects role and rank.
• Practical Function: All clothing serves specific protective or operational purposes rather than aesthetic ones.

Archive architecture is purely functional—underground bunkers with slate floors, steel walls, and bio-locked security doors. Art consists primarily of technical diagrams, data visualization, and scientific documentation. When decorative elements exist, they're usually repurposed pre-Tide technology or scientific instruments. The aesthetic is clinical, sterile, and designed to resist Verdant infiltration.

The Vaultmen survive on preserved foods, rations, and carefully controlled hydroponic gardens. Meals are utilitarian—focused on nutritional requirements rather than flavour or texture. Special occasions might feature Pre-Tide canned goods or foods acquired through trade with settlements like Espera. Food preparation is clinical, with emphasis on contamination prevention and resource conservation.

Newborns undergo genetic screening and contamination testing. If deemed viable, they're assigned preliminary clearance codes and integrated into Archive education systems. Birth is viewed as a potential contribution to species survival rather than a celebration.

Clearance Trials: Young Vaultmen must demonstrate technical competency, loyalty to Archive principles, and resistance to Verdant influence. Successful candidates receive their first official clearance designation and station assignment.

The dead are processed for useful biological material while their knowledge is archived through digital recording and documentation. Memorial involves updating Archive databases rather than emotional ceremonies. The phrase "Their knowledge endures" serves as the primary funeral benediction.

• Verdant Sympathy: Any suggestion that cooperation with the Verdancy is possible
• Data Hoarding: Withholding research or technical knowledge from Archive leadership
• Clearance Violations: Accessing information above one's designated level
• Contamination Risk: Deliberately exposing oneself or others to Verdant influence
• Resource Waste: Frivolous use of preserved technology or supplies

Foundational Myth

The Archive believes in "The Great Preservation"—that they are humanity's designated guardians, chosen to preserve civilization until the Verdancy can be defeated or controlled. This myth positions them as the inheritors of pre-Tide scientific glory and the sole hope for species recovery.

• The Delhi Researchers: Scientists who recognized the Verdancy threat and founded the Archive
• Station Founders: Engineers who established the first underground installations
• Dr. Elan Thorne: Prominent Archive scientist and original Verdant biocode researcher

The Vaultmen value intellectual acuity and technical precision over physical appearance. Ideal beauty is found in mental sharpness, technological proficiency, and unwavering dedication to the Archive's mission. Physical traits that suggest good health and resistance to Verdant contamination are prized. Those with visible signs of Spore Lung or other Verdant-related conditions are treated with clinical detachment rather than aesthetic judgment.

Gender roles within the Archive are largely functional rather than traditional. The primary gender expectation is competence and loyalty to the Archive's mission. Both men and women are expected to contribute through research, military service, or technical expertise. However, there's an underlying current of masculine-coded authority in military and security roles, while research tends to be more gender-neutral.

Romantic relationships among Vaultmen are viewed through the lens of genetic compatibility and intellectual partnership. Courtship involves demonstrating technical competence, sharing research interests, and proving one's value to Archive society. Relationships that produce intellectually gifted offspring or advance Archive research are particularly celebrated.

The Archive promotes pragmatic partnerships based on mutual utility and shared commitment to species survival. While emotional bonds exist, they're secondary to the relationship's contribution to Archive goals. Polyamorous arrangements are tolerated if they serve research purposes or maintain genetic diversity. Relationships with outsiders (Saltfolk, Rootbound, Frostborne) are heavily discouraged and monitored.

• The Archive Collective: The overarching organization governing all Vaultmen communities
• Station Commands: Local governmental structures for individual installations
• Research Divisions: Specialized scientific and technical branches
• Security Forces: Military and containment personnel
• Recruitment Corps: Teams responsible for finding and integrating valuable individuals from outside settlements