“ | The Keepers were training me to be one of them. But I had other uses for those skills. | ” |
— Garrett |
The Keepers are an ancient order of expert observers and seers dedicated to preserving balance in the world. Garrett once belonged to the organization, and it is shown that the Keepers' training is the main reason for his aptitude for remaining unseen. Even though Garrett refuses further willful involvement with the Keepers, they inevitably manipulate him into acting out their prophecies and obscure designs in all three games.
The Keepers are shrouded in mystery until Thief: Deadly Shadows, where the player is allowed a greater look into the organization's motives and functioning.
Thief: Deadly Shadows reveals glyphs to be the main source of the Keepers' magical abilities.
Ancient Keepers[]
The Ancient Keepers established the Keeper order. They were the ones who had discovered how to control the vast powers of the glyph and had influenced the full outcome of The City's history since its founding. They created dogma that preached against corruption such as selfishness, arrogance and pride as these were considered acts of imbalance in one's life. They also foretold prophecies in order to warn future Keepers of the dangers involving the fanatical Pagans (TDP), Mechanists (T2) and of the Keepers' own imbalance (TDS).
The Ancient Keepers prophesied that future generations would go into a state of imbalance, so they created The Final Glyph as a safeguard. The Final Glyph purged all Glyphs in existence, to either destroy the Keepers, or make it so they would begin anew.
Hierarchy[]
The highest rank of Keeper is the First Keeper. This person directly leads all other Keepers, he/she takes note of all activities and notions involving the order. Along with the Keeper Council, comprised of Elders, decide all courses of action whether it be criminal sentences, discussing problems amongst the order, library problems, and etc.
Next come the Elders, Keepers who are in charge of various activities, usually regarding the library. They are magic users, carrying wands with them and command all scribes and initiates.
Keeper is the general title given to all members of the order, but are lower in rank then elders. It is also a default title of Keeper's in-game if their rank or duty is not known.
Scribes are found both in the Keeper Library and the Compound. Their work involves writing down any and all information and researching through books. Their services can range from writing down history, Keeper council meetings, finding and delivering books other papers and even research prophecy. They take direct orders from Elders and possibly The Reader.
Acolytes are, according to Keeper Isolde, initiates who have undergone Keeper training and obtained the door glyph.
Initiates are members who have been recruited into the order. Not much information is given about them other than the title, but they are probably, as the name implies, the lowest rank, and most recently joined members. Garrett can be considered an initiate during Thief: The Dark Project/Thief Gold since he had recently joined via Artemus.
Other titles and sub-groups:
- Keeper Instructors are found only during the starting level of T1/TG. They supervise Keeper training.
- Keeper Enforcers, during TDS, act as sentinels, assassins and trackers.
- The Translator translates the prophecies for the interpreter. Translators can succeed Interpreters.
- The Interpreter deciphers the prophecies and sometimes helps with council affairs. The Interpreter is assisted by a Translator. A notable Interpreter is Interpreter Caduca, who briefly appears in Thief II, but has a more significant role in Thief: Deadly Shadows.
- The Glyph Warden may be a specialist dealing specifically with Glyphs.
- Third Keeper may mean the third in command (only one Third Keeper has been mentioned, no Second Keeper or Fourth Keeper has been observed) or the third chronological Keeper.
- The duties for The Reader are not known. The only Reader known votes in the Keeper council, indicating that Reader is a Elder level rank, possibly over that of The Scribes.
The First Dark Age[]
See The Dark Project
The Second Dark Age[]
See The Metal Age
The Third Dark Age[]
Places of Interest[]
Persons of Interest[]
- Artemus
- Orland
- Caduca
- Gamall
- Garrett (left the Keepers)
- Ogilvy
- Loremaster
- Keeper Council
- Keeper Enforcer
Books[]
- Armand's Factoriums
- The Collected Essays of D'Aberon
- Compendium of Reproach
- Imbris Analects
- Keeper Scribe Lessons
- The Book of Names
- The Letters of Diocen
- The Writings of Albrech
See also[]
References[]
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