The Keepers of the Lost

People aren't the only things that fall through the cracks in the grim over to the Praetermundus. Books, gem, even family heirlooms that have been lost in the grim sometimes show up in the cracks. When people in the grim tell of the famous book whose last copy has gone missing, or the lost contents of the Library of Alexandria, they are unknowingly speaking of the prized collections of the Keepers of the Lost. The Keepers have, for a long time, collected all of the rare and valuable "lost" items that have found themselves drifted into the Praetermundus. They keep and manage a library of lost things in New Dunston and have access to items and knowledge unheard of for centuries in the grim.

Internal Structure

The Keepers of the Lost have an open recruitment policy; anyone wishing to apply for membership is accepted as an initiate. For an initiate to become a full member, he or she must pass a series of ordeals, consisting mostly of oaths to serve the Keepers and protect their secrets above all else. As members move up in levels, more oaths of service and secrecy are taken. As such, the structure of the Keepers looks something a cult, lead by the Chief Librarian who leads both the oaths and the day to day business of the Keepers.

The current Chief Librarian is Alexander Baptiste, a rather charismatic man who has been with the faction from his birth in Greece. Alexander is currently concerned mostly with paying off the debts that the Keepers of the Lost owe to the House Somerset, the Steel Barons, and the New Dunston Post Office for their financial assistance in moving the library to New Dunston. While he is also trying to develop the interests of the Keepers in the city, they currently are unable to purchase a seat in the Chamber of Commons.

History

The Keepers of the Lost can trace their history back to the first libraries. The library that they hold so dear had been hidden in Greece since the earliest days of civilization in that area of the world. After the First World War the Keepers realized that the library was not safe in Europe and so moved it, in it's entirety to the United States. After several decades of it being in small sections throughout the country, the keepers finally moved to Pittsburgh in 1920. Since then, they have been consolidating their resources and looking to purchase a seat in the Chamber of Commons.

Relationships with Others

The move was a significant financial undertaking, and the Keepers had to seek funding from House Somerset and the Steel Barons as well as accruing a significant debt to the New Dunston Post Office for the physical move. To keep the financial debts manageable, the Keepers also agreed to look for books within the library that their creditor factions want, but not give them actual access to the library. Alexander has been trying to foster positive relationships with the other factions in New Dunston, largely by offering to look for specific items in the library, but without the political pull that comes with having a seat in the Chamber of Commons, he has been unable to form solid alliances with any of the other factions, though many of them owe the Keepers favors.