Juno Zeta

An illustration of Juno Zeta by decemberiste

The Archivists

> *“The King Undying resurrected us with eyeballs for a reason, children.”*
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**Juno Zeta** is an archivist of the Sixth House. A seasoned researcher and friend of Palamedes Sextus and Camilla Hect, she acts as a mentor—bringing them along on her work and allowing them the opportunity to use and prove their skills.

## **Biography**

### **Early Life**

Juno Zeta made scholar at fifteen and proceeded to work her way up among the archivists.

### **The Mysterious Study of Doctor Sex**

Juno Zeta, aware that the warrant on the study of Doctor Sex is about to expire, spends her morning lurking around the Archaeology Department. She pushes back the secretaries, stakes her claim, and proceeds to the juvie dormitories where she collects Palamedes Sextus and Camilla Hect for the unsealing.

As they make their way to the study, Zeta explains the chain of deaths, sabbaticals, and bureaucratic red tape that has allowed her to claim this room, as well as asking after Palamedes's father. Down in the bowels of the basement, Zeta's four-scholar team awaits them, ready to work. She cuts down the "Achaeology Department" tape with gusto and proceeds to organize her crew.

The crew barely has a chance to begin cursory documentation of the state of the room, when Palamedes spots a pair of skeletal hands sitting on the desk of Doctor Sex. Zeta directs her team to make note of the remains and search the room for anything more. Finding nothing, she instructs Julia to use psychometry on the hands to date them. Perplexingly, the result is over 200 years after the study was sealed. A flurry of debates over the proper forms and procedures ensues, and most of the team leaves to track down the signatures required to proceed with the investigation.

After a bit of solo investigation, Palamedes and Camilla call Zeta over to show her a service tunnel above the desk. Explaining that he believes the rest of the skeleton will be inside, Zeta allows Palamedes to follow his hypothesis (putting both of their reputations at stake). They send Camilla through the tunnel and she reports back that the rest of a maintenance servitor is hunched over the grate— in a position that would make it possible to lever off his hands. They poke around the study while they wait for the Collections team to return.

With everyone back, Zeta explains their findings, and more forms and documentation is pulled out. At a snarky comment from an Archaeologist, Palamedes claims to know what has happened and outlines his theory to the group. As he makes his case, Zeta probes him with questions and clarifications, all of which he answers aptly. He ends his presentation by unlocking a wooden puzzle, revealing a note of ancient paper. The team hurries into action recording and investigating this new information.

Zeta and her team pursue the leads offered by Palamedes, confirming the servitor skeletons AWOL date and location, as well as exhuming the body of Doctor Sex and seeing signs of his becoming a revenant. Later, Zeta finds Palamedes and Camilla in the dining hall to convey this information. Palamedes asks about doing a Scholar's Report for extra credit, and Zeta informs him that he can, but she won't help him push it through.

## **Appearance and Personality**

Camilla describes Juno Zeta as thus:

> *"Describing Juno Zeta as she was then would be stupid, because it’s the same Zeta as she is now. Very tall, age anywhere from forty to sixty. Brunette at the front, but iron grey at the end lengths of the hair, twisted up with black pins at the base of the skull. Round-cheeked and sweet-eyed. Voluble. Cheerful as a child. The Warden always said that this was a deeply sinister and inappropriate façade for her brain, which should have required thermal paste to keep from overheating."*
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Juno Zeta is a powerful force of research. Having been trapped in the Sixth House bureaucracy for many years, she plans her research out years in advance and is capable of pushing projects through committee impossibly quickly when luck is on her side. Despite her intimidating presence, she is a good teacher and mentor to Palamedes, including him on her most interesting finds and genuinely valuing his input and judgment despite being decades his elder.

## **References**

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Mysterious Study of Doctor Sex"