Overview / Purpose:
The Conservators are a faction devoted to the preservation, study, and management of knowledge in Haven XVII. Though numbering around 5,000, only ~200 are operational at any given time due to energy limitations; the rest remain powered down in hidden reserves. Their mission is to safeguard memory, maintain critical records, and ensure continuity of information across centuries. They see knowledge as survival itself, and their operations revolve around careful energy management, controlled access, and meticulous archival practice.
Operations / Methods:
Active members rotate in and out of dormancy, ensuring that vital roles—archivists, researchers, and defensive monitors—are always filled. Tasks include cataloging memory units, researching historical data, maintaining the Central Archive, the Assembly Rotunda, and the Clockwork Courtyards, and monitoring for external threats. Outsiders are never permitted beyond the entry hall of the Central Archive; instead, Conservators retrieve information for visitors on blank memory units, memorize it internally, or conduct research on their behalf, usually in exchange for trade. Their careful rotations and defensive positioning allow them to conserve energy while maintaining operational readiness.
Territory / Presence:
The Conservators hold a small but strategically positioned portion of The Ledger Halls, focusing on high-value areas like the Central Archive, Assembly Rotunda, and Clockwork Courtyards. Territory is densely populated with active units, minimizing exposure and maximizing control over chokepoints. The majority of their holdings are secured against intrusion, with careful monitoring to prevent wasted energy or unauthorized access.
Culture / Behavior:
The Conservators prioritize continuity, precision, and foresight. Energy scarcity has shaped their methods: members rotate in and out of dormancy, taking care to ensure that critical roles are always filled. While no particular rituals define the faction, their ethos emphasizes patience, meticulousness, and controlled action. Outsiders are treated cautiously but respectfully, with knowledge-sharing tightly regulated to conserve energy and protect archives.
Resource Management:
Energy is conserved through dormancy cycles, strict task prioritization, and rotational duty. Knowledge work is preferred over physical labor, minimizing unnecessary motion. Memory units are never sold, but research services or information retrieval are offered in exchange for goods, energy, or other favors.
Faction Relations:
Overall Position:
The Conservators prioritize preservation above all else. Energy is tightly rationed, personnel are rotated into dormancy, and interactions with the outside world are carefully controlled. Their influence stems from their control of critical records and expertise rather than numbers or physical power.
Vigil — Cordial and Supportive
The Conservators respect the Vigil’s dedication to the Forebearers, offering historical context, technical records, and occasional minor assistance. They are realistic about the Vigil’s chances, but view cooperation as a small investment toward long-term knowledge preservation.
Salvagers — Pragmatic Allies
Relations are positive. The Salvagers provide memory units and historical artifacts that the Conservators cannot otherwise access. This trade is one of the Conservators’ few opportunities to acquire new information, making it mutually beneficial. Conflicts are rare and limited to minor disputes over artifact provenance.
Zephyrwrights — Neutral
The two factions rarely interact. Zephyrwrights occupy the high spires and focus on energy generation, while Conservators remain in the ledgered halls and archives. When paths do cross, interactions are polite but minimal.
Emberwrights — Friendly and Cooperative
The Conservators maintain a productive relationship with the Emberwrights. Access to fabrication records, thermal reclamation techniques, and occasional energy surpluses allows both factions to improve efficiency without waste. Exchanges are careful and respectful, and both sides benefit without conflict.
Harvesters — Feared and Avoided
Harvesters are the greatest threat. Their raids can be devastating to concentrated archives and personnel, so the Conservators invest heavily in defensive chokepoints and rotate members into dormancy to minimize risk. Any encounter is treated with extreme caution and preparation.
Narrative Hooks:
Outsiders may request information or research, but access is highly controlled and often requires negotiation or trade.
Chokepoint defenses against Harvesters can create opportunities for adventure, infiltration, or protection missions.
Discovering lost or forgotten memory units may provide critical historical context, technical knowledge, or clues about the city’s pre-fall past.