Timekeepers of the Ice Cap

The **Timekeepers of the Ice Cap** are a mysterious cult of polar bears who kidnap cubs and kill the mothers. They enlist bears called "Roguers" to steal the cubs to work for them. Roguers from the Timekeepers of the Ice Cap met Svenna outside her den, trying to force her in surrendering her young cubs to them. However, Svenna convinced them to take her instead of Stellan and Jytte, as she had been reared in Ga’hoole and thus knew how to read and write. The Roguers agreed to her proposal and gave her a few days to get ready.

The group originated when a clock was constructed to keep time in order to try and predict the next Great Melting, but the bears soon began to worship the clock, transforming the Timekeepers into a dangerous group of antagonists.

## Roles

There are several roles in the society of the Timekeepers.

### Tick Tock

Tick Tocks are the cubs captured by Roguers. They are switched out at regular intervals. They work inside the clock, and they must keep perfect time with the great spiky wheel that turns inside or they risk being killed or injured. Many cubs die in this position, horribly mutilated, and even dreams about it is enough to make one deathly afraid of becoming one. They appear to be thought of as sacrifices to the Ice Clock, with the Grand Patek as the sacrificer. If you survive being a Tick Tock, you may advance to a low-level Numerator.

### Numerator

Numerators are what the majority of non-Roguer adults within the Timekeepers are. They spend their days doing math, presumably to help the Clock “predict the Next Great Melting.”

### Roguer

The main guards of the area, often sent out to find and force cubs into being Tick Tocks. Known for wearing the blood of their recent kills and parading them proudly in three big stripes on their chest.

### Mystress of the Chimes

An important member of the Gilraan, a sort of high council at the Ice Cap. \*More Coming Soon.\*

### Chronos

Member of the Gilraan. \*More Coming Soon.\*

### Mystress of the Hands

Member of the Gilraan. Suspected second in-command leader. Wears jewelry made of broken-off pieces of scrap metal and gems from the part of the clock machinery made to stop friction. Described as a "rather corpulent, squat bear whose paws were adorned with golden sticks, like those of the clock.”

### The Grand Patek

Member of the Gilraan. The Grand Patek is the title of the primary leader. Often has personal bodyguards with him. Current one described as lavishly adorned, including an ice crown and a decorative shield, although this couldn't hide his scars. He was badly scarred.

## Schedule

Once a day, the Summoning Chimes are rung, calling the bears of the Ice Cap to a room called the Formalrium. In this chamber, they kneel before the ice clock and say a chant. There are punishments for bears who fail to chant correctly, and if one of the large-eared bears with sharp hearing who preside over the ceremony catches you chanting wrong, you are never seen again. The chant is as follows:

*Almighty Clock, protect us always from the demon melting waters*

*May your gears and paddles turning*

*Save us from perdition*

*Let the faithful be rewarded*

*When the last chime tolls*

*Repent, repent, those who stay*

*And take our humble Tick Tock offering*

*And spare us from the last most dreadful day*

*We ask this in the name of the Highest Authority*

*The Grand Patek.*

The next portion of the Formalrium ritual is the switching of the Tick Tocks. Two cubs are removed from the balancing mechanism, always thin and scarred, and two more take their place.