The San'lyn

''"We have a duty to protect the past." - ''

The ancient San'lyn is the oldest established organization in Edvensfall. They are are the descendants of Elves who were charged by Avo himself with the sacred duty of preserving the world's knowledge, history, art, plant life, and treasures, until "The Great Shattering". To augment this, each member is given an opportunity to undertake a ritual that results in immortality, though very few have done so. For the past 2,000 years, they have maintained their vigil in the Sanctuary, their secluded and ancestral monastary, watching civilizations rise and fall, great events and terrible tragedies unfold - watching silently as they still catalogue the ancient knowledge of the First Age in The Anthenaeum, wisdom long since lost to the outside world.

Practices
As a general rule, all affairs are made public and there is little privacy within the Sanctuary - the concept of "family" does not exist within the San'lyn. It is a brotherhood, all of equal rank are your brothers and sisters, all below you are your apprentices, and all above you are Elders, or Blood Knights. Dormitories are not separated by sex, and sharing "company" is not discouraged. Blood Knights get their own separate quarters, as does the Elder, whose rooms are generally lavishly furnished and decorated with red and gold trappings. Communal meetings are generally held in the Hall of Interlude, the massive entrance hall, while ceremonies and tribunals are held in the Temple of Light, where also stands the Altar of Avo, for the Test of Blood.

Philosophy
The San'lyn, as the Lorekeepers of the land, are insular and secretive, for what they posses could be used for great creation or destruction. To this end, they remain highly secluded in their fortified and well-hidden sanctuary, sending out scouts only to survey the immediate vicinity for signs of threats, or on small covert expeditions to recover artifacts. Very rarely does anyone even approach the enclave, and only twice has a traveler seen the Sanctuary itself - both times were marauding bandits, near death, and they were humanely executed.

The San'lyn believes itself to be the epitome of good, and in many respects, it sets the highest standard for civilization in Edvensfall. The Acolytes work tirelessly to uncover ancient secrets, the Vanguards train and teach the young, and the Blood Knights are living history, preserving the ancient ways through their own sacrifice and force of will. However, their xenophobia and isolationistic attitude prevents them from fufilling their purpose - they are content to merely catologue the ancient world and reap the benefits, while the land outside withers and dies.

Rite of Blood and Immortality
After the age of thirty (which is quite young for an elf), Adepti are given the choice to undergo the Rite of Blood, an extremely dangerous ritual that tests one's devotion to the the ideals of the First Age - valor, nobility, honor, and pride. More often than not, the ritual overwhelms the Adepti, and he or she is ultimately judged "unworthy", and dies, though not after being embraced by a warm light, assumed to be Avo's mercy. Over the course of two millenia, there have only been fourty-seven successful rituals, with Alexandros being the newest.

The ritual itself involves reciting the three tenants of the San'lyn, while performing a blood offering to the Altar of Avo, which is then blessed with ____. The Adepti then places his hand on the Altar, and is "judged". The experience varies from person to person, but it is generally assumed to involve visions, dissassociative feelings, and memory loss, akin to a near death experience.

Should an Adepti survive, they are bestowed with the San'lyn's greatest power - immortality, agelessness. With the power, comes the title and priveledges of the Blood Knights, a group who has earned the distinction (privately, of course) as being the most well-trained and disciplined fighters in the history of Edvensfall. Those who die are honored for their sacrifice and resolve, and their remains are cremated and placed within handcrafted urns, which join the others within the vault.

Structure
The San'lyn are divided into ranks depending on their chosen vocation, and whether they choose to undergo the Test of Blood. At birth, all members are initiates, and begin education in the rudimentaries of First Age knowledge at the age of five, which equates to mid-to-upper tier instruction in Vaelien society. These include the basics of mathematics, language, and biology, along with a physically-fitness routine. When the initiates are able to score perfectly on a set of mental and physical tests, they become Adeptus or Adeptae (based on gender). From there, your choice to undergo the Rite of Blood, or you mental or physical prowess determines your course.

The Blood Knights
The Blood Knights are the singuarly most powerful fighters in Edvensfall, and possibly beyond. It is their code to protect the Sanctuary at all costs, and, to do so, use their immortality to train in the forgotten arts of combat, as a method of practice, and as a way to keep the tradition alive. Their training regimen is, in fact, based on the legendary Ancient Imperial Knights', albeit an improved one, and their combat style mirrors it perfectly. They are dextrous and quick beyond measure, and use light, decorative armor and First Age kiteshields, whose method of production have were lost with the Imperial City. Only fifty remain, the last of it's kind in the hands of Alexandros, gifted to him by Leotheras.

Beyond their practice of ancient combat, the Blood Knights spend a great deal of time in the Athaneum, deciphering texts that would take mortals decades. Cadmus, a senior Blood Knight, spent a century deciphering a single passage from an Aendidan scroll - the resulting incantation brought Liane von Furher to Edvensfall.

Should a Blood Knight fall in combat, an honorary service of the