Mimge, Hawthorne Agents and House Agents
There had always been those who moved between villages, towns, farms, ranches and cities bringing with them news of the world beyond. They are scholar warriors who remember history and tell stories that keep it alive for the people of the world. At some point after the defeat of the Kol Draahl, a number of these who were considered masters codified what would be accepted behavior for those engaging in these activities. A formal training regimen was created for apprentices to learn the tales and trade. A person must approach a Mimge and petition for admittance into the group. The Mimge then tests their knowledge and personality. Above all else, a Mimge must be willing to tell the truth of history as much as is known. Stories must be memorized to reflect the reality of what happened so that tragedies won't repeat. Any editorializing is quickly squashed; the Mimge feel the weight of the duty they've imposed upon themselves. They are to remain true to history, including and especially the ugly parts of it. That is of paramount importance.
Over the years, after the disappearance of the Doeneik, a man named Hawthorne who possessed incredible power and skill at teleportation. He formed an organization of information gatherers known as his agents. All were given an item of jewelry they could use to pass information on to the man himself. In exchange, they could petition for information from him. All was done at a price. Hawthorne and his Agents soon became walking libraries of information, much of it secrets. The organization lasted several decades, beyond the duration of a normal human lifespan, so it is assumed that Hawthorne died and someone else took over the organization. Some believe the bard Madigan had become the leader, but there is no evidence to support this theory. Shortly before the death of the Emperor of Anterre, largely considered the end of the Age of Dreams, Hawthorne's Agents disappeared. None know how it is the organization died away but as always theories abound. When an organization's stock and trade are secrets, often of a deadly nature, that are for sale to the highest bidder it is only a matter of time before the wrong secrets are learned. The most popular theory is that they ran afoul of the Characedo. If the Characedo actually exist.
As had been mentioned earlier, a constant throughout history are the Noble Houses. Noble Houses have a need to ensure their holdings, passing information, conducting investigations and generally acting in their best interests. They do this through their Agents. Unlike Hawthorne agents, an Agent of a Noble House has the backing of the Noble House they serve. This will provide them with equipment and authority as they need in order to carry out their duties. Some Agents are legal representatives to Court. Some are spies. Some are saboteurs or mercenary soldiers or even assassins. Each House handles their Agents independently. What is known that each House has them fulfilling various roles as they see fit. They have and continue to shape the world in accordance with the wishes of the Patriarch or Matriarch. They are fiercely loyal to the House, often this is a psychic or magical compulsion. Those who betray such oaths rarely live, even should they somehow get around the compulsion for the full power of the betrayed House will fall down upon them. Every House has secrets. It is the role of the Agent to protect them.
A note about Noble Houses and Agents; this sort of Nobility is based off certain conspiracy theories and history. European lines of nobility cross national boundaries. I took that idea and crossbred it with concepts like the Illuminati to come up with these Agents. Mimge are essentially House Agents without a Noble house; they serve history and humanity (here meaning all sentient beings) which puts them at odds with House Agents. In many ways, this is a shadow war that is constantly being fought with the House Agents striving to control the flow of information to favor themselves and the Mimge fighting to keep it pure and truthful. Agents and Mimge are spies, assassins and special forces operatives. Theirs is a dark, dangerous world that exist within the confines of polite society. The general populace is aware of Mimge only as storytellers and unaware of Agents other than Emissaries.
Hawthorne was a man trying to buck the system. He thought he could create an organization that ran counter to the Mimge, who work to keep the Houses from absolute rule over the 'little folk' and the Houses by manipulating the information flow. The Hawthorne Agents were almost certainly wiped out by a combination of Houses, likely by hiring the Characedo but that is a tale yet to be revealed.
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