Chronicler (Right) and his apprentice (Left).
Long before the birth of the Dominion , the humans of Cassus took great pride in keeping and maintaining the history of their people via the chroniclers - storytellers who preserved the history of humanity in both oral and written histories. So important were these traditions that the destruction of the Chronicle Houses - which were replaced with temples of the Vigilant Church - caused many humans to fight back rather than allow their traditions and their past to be swallowed up by the new religion.
Today,Exile humans carry on the proud tradition of the chroniclers in the Chronicle Houses that stand in nearly every Exile community. Chroniclers ensure Exile humans don't forget who they are and where they came from, and the tradition has spread to other Exile groups as well. Chroniclers are a mix of sage, priest, and historian, but they also officiate at weddings and funerals, and discover the truth behind legal disputes.
Most chroniclers instruct at least one apprentice, sometimes more. These apprentice chroniclers spend a great deal of their time recording the oral histories maintained by their masters, studying those same chronicles well enough to recite them from memory, and even seeking new tales to add to the chronicles themselves. This last task is very important, as it teaches the apprentice how to distinguish between unimportant happenings and those events worthy of chronicling.
Chronicles[]
Chronicles are the officially recorded history of the Exile humans. Chronicles are usually maintained in traditional bound books, and the originals are handwritten by the chroniclers or their apprentices before being printed for wider distribution among Exile communities. Electronic versions are also available for datachron reading, but Exiles generally prefer to either read the real documents or hear the stories told by an actual chronicler.
Chronicles are one part historical document, another part news of the day, and they even contain inspiring biographical stories about heroic, real-life adventurers. And unlike the popular periodical TALES FROM BEYOND THE FRINGE!, they tend to strive for accuracy as opposed to exaggeration. Chronicles may not be bought or sold, but are considered the communal property of all Exiles - therefore there is no profit to be made with hype or sensationalism.
Chronicle Houses[]
Storytelling is both a spiritual rite and a community tradition - - and many Exile communities have established their own Chronicle Houses to record the true history of what is taking place on Nexus. Chronicle Houses maintain a store of local chronicles that go into great detail about the immediate area. Most also maintain at least electronic copies as well as the larger, more widely distributed chronicles describing events suach as the arrival of Dominus, the Cassian Civil War, the discovery of Nexus, and more recent happenings such as the founding of Gallow or the Gambler's Ruin arriving is orbit around the planet.