4.15.1 Roleplaying an Archivist

Archivists are scientists at heart, trained in skills that both require acute analysis and precision, as well as daring. Their skills are honed through research, development, and practice.

What are the Spheres?
Numerology is the foundation of an Archivist's craft, wherein the universe and reality are ordered and manipulated through numbers. Orchestrated through a latent use of Kalsu, these numbers, also known as the Spheres, have the potential to build and unravel reality. These mathematics are echoed in all of creation, from the fractals of frost and leaves to the power old Magi found in the faceted shapes of their crystals. The Archivists see what the rest of Sapience overlooks.

Number       Sphere of Influence       Reference examples
Yuef     1   The Individual            a point, a circle; a thing in itself
Ef'Tig   2   Pairs and Relationships   a line between points, intersections,
                                       material composition, races, language
Rafic    3   Place and location        a triangle, measurement, position, time
Jherza   5   Physicality               a pentagon, will, a body, melee, impulse
Yi       7   Mystery/Magic             a heptagon, conceptual thought, writing
Jhako   11   Balance                   scales, eleven-pointed star, symmetry
Lgakt   13   Chaos and Uncertainty     thirteen-pointed star, gambling, water

An eighth number, called the Immortal Number, is hypothesized, but as yet has eluded contemplation by Numerologists. It is said that the mortals who grasp this eighth and final Sphere will transcend mortality altogether, and become like unto the Gods. All previous attempts by Numerologists to contemplate the Immortal Number have resulted in disastrous and destructive events.

How your skills work:
- Manipulating the Spheres through Numerology
- Geometrics through the use of your codex, which provides a
  stabilized foundation for more purposeful expressions of will
- Ambient shadow in the environment, and in the body, using it
  to break through the order of spirit to augment bioessence
- Tokens are a malleable, movable reference point, providing
  another stabilized foundation for expressions of will.

Numerology in itself allows the practitioner to elicit changes and effects depending upon which Sphere they are contemplating. This is expanded in the application of Geometrics, utilizing a codex to hold complex and basic shapes as a focus, which allows the Archivist to manipulate complicated arcane algorithms in a more stable fashion. Bioessence brings further extensions of these concepts into the physical, augmenting and amalgamating the way the elements work within mortal bodies by using ambient shadow to alter the relationship between spirit, fire, water, air, and earth. 

Visual style of the class:
Archivists follow precise but fluid movements as they work, drawing power and direction from their codex and materializing effects with their tokens. 

Side effects of the class skills:
Numbers could, if wielded with enough reckless mastery and power, unravel all of Sapience. The secrets to this kind of use are tightly kept, but it is enough to caution Archivists to research responsibly - tales abound of Numerologists who unwittingly erased themselves from existence. Bioessence can have irreparable and unexpected consequences if the craft is not minded carefully, given that the nature of shadow is unpredictable.

Roleplaying the class:
Not necessarily all bookworms, but a good number tend to be. Archivists, like their Cabalist predecessors, often have an affinity to one number over the others, which can inform temperament and the types of utility you prefer. Their innate understanding of shape and power allows them to use their shapes in simple and utilitarian ways, such as a symbol of illumination in rooms, which crystallizes a little in the air, temporarily altering the environment of the room they are in, and so on. They can also enhance and modify themselves through bioessence (altering elemental pieces, using shadow to keep spirit from putting it back in order, and the physical reactions that come with this), and many experiment on others to improve their mastery and understanding of the mortal shell.