Scribe

"I’ve never seen writing like this before. It may be a seldom used form of Archaic Imperial. Perhaps, I can find a clue in one of my books…"

## Basic

(Core) Since most citizens of the Empire are illiterate, Scribes are very much in demand. Virtually every government, civil, military, or religious institution requires a large number of Scribes for record keeping. There are also public Scribes, who make a living writing and reading letters for the common folk. Scribes are well educated and many go on to become Scholars or lawyers. A few tire of reading about the adventures of others and resolve to have some of their own. With their extensive knowledge of other languages, they make excellent translators for foreign expeditions.

### Secondary Profile

**Skills:** Academic Knowledge (any one), Common Knowledge (the Empire) or Gossip, Perception, Read/Write, Secret Language (Guild Tongue), Speak Language (Breton), Speak Language (Classical), Speak Language (Reikspiel or Tilean), Trade (Calligrapher)

**Talents:** Linguistics

**Trappings:** Knife, A Pair of Candles, Wax, 5 matches, Illuminated Book, Writing Kit

### **Career Entries**

Apprentice Wizard, Cartographer, Initiate

### **Career Exits**

Agitator, Apprentice Wizard, Cartographer, Initiate, Navigator, Scholar

## Anton Hollenberg and His Amazing Pantograph

Anton is not only a masterful scribe, but also the inventor of a fabulous device – the pantograph. The pantograph is a mechanical wonder a scribe wears like a glove. The glove is linked by delicate and cleverly jointed arms to another pen that duplicates the writer’s every move. Thus Anton has invented a very crude sort of copying device. Whenever Anton performs his duties as a scribe, he always uses the pantograph. This ensures he has not only the copy he submits to the client, but also a copy for his own records. That is why his life is now in grave danger.

One of Anton’s clients was a wealthy merchant. He had Anton carefully and studiously copy letters and stationary from the merchant’s rough and barely legible hand into Anton’s beautiful calligraphy. Anton then returned both the original and the copy to the client. But he kept the pantograph’s copy for himself. It turned out that the merchant in question was actually a powerful magus of a chaos cult. Encoded within those letters were instructions to his minions. Now the witch hunters have started to ferret the merchant out. He has burned all of his incriminating letters. It was only by a stroke of luck that he learned about Anton’s pantograph.

Desperate, he needs all those letters and Herr Hollenberg destroyed to completely cover his tracks. Using his underground contacts, assassins have been hired. Soon, a hapless scribe will be stalked by professional killers.

## The Faithful Brotherhood of Scribes and Scriveners

At first glance, this appears to be a normal and rather pedestrian guild. In reality, this scribe’s guild is not to be trifled with. Years of copying and sorting through the records of every major institution means the scribes have dirt on everyone. The Brotherhood’s records vault, a legendary depository of blackmail material, is sealed , hidden, and kept under great security. The Faithful Brotherhood rewards its members for turning in dated, verifiable, and incriminating documents on prominent citizens. They are patient, preferring to slowly accumulate information until their evidence is indeed damning. What do the scribes do with this information? Nothing, so long as their members are well treated, well paid, and fairly dealt with. Crossing a guild scribe is a truly dangerous undertaking.