Cayrien Order

The Cayrien Order is one of the nine Old Guilds. It is a hyper-reclusive monastic scholarly society dedicated to preserving the history of the man-kin at all costs. The Order holds the oldest known written records in their various monasteries. The Order's collection is eclectic -- they keep absolutely anything of interest -- and dates back well into the ante axum period (before Water's Age).

The Order is best known for promulgating the creation myth of Eterra and the Long Night, although all firsthand records from those periods are long lost. The Cayrien Order is often associated with the philosophy of the Cayrien Folly, believed to be the "original sin" of man-kin. The Order teaches its followers that man-kin are hopelessly and irreparably flawed (the "Cayrien Folly"), that society will inevitably collapse, and that the most noble profession is to simply prepare for that day by preserving the memory of man, so that the survivors can carry on afterward. This fatalistic view renders the Order indifferent to politics and aloof toward world events.

The Order's collection is scattered seemingly randomly among their many monasteries. This makes the collection difficult to reference and research. However, it also provides a degree of redundancy and safety. Many Cayrien monasteries have been burned, looted, sacked, or otherwise destroyed throughout the many violent periods of Landfall's history, but no single loss has ever destroyed all records on a single subject or time period (that we know of). Thus, even as records or artifacts from one monastery are lost, stolen, or destroyed, other records or artifacts from the same time period will survive at another monastery.

The Cayrien Order is one of the nine Old Guilds (also known as the Dark Societies). As such, they have no allegiance to any king or state, and they are allowed to operate freely worldwide. Their symbol is a black moon fully eclipsing a white sun, but they also fly the Great Compass of the Izu'a'ir for diplomatic immunity. They have no political impact whatsoever, are generally economically productive, and thus are easy to welcome and ignore. They maintain a presence not only among the Thlossian cultures of the Green Cradle, but also among the Tazitan and Shaolei. As individuals, they are usually welcome in state museums and libraries. They are sometimes called to court for their skills in translation. The biggest threat they face is independent thieves or wandering nomadic tribes.

In the series, the records of the Cayrien Order are often cited for supporting lore. Certain ancient Cayrien records and artifacts prove priceless and essential to the main characters, both good and evil.

In Book 1, Khazr impersonates a Cayrien monk to gain access to the library under Snow Anchor Palace, where he meets Mikoa. He calls himself "Saj."