Ghyll:Council for Quezlarian Research

Apologies in advance to our readers: The Council for Quezlarian Research demanded that we allow them to review this entry before its inclusion in the Encyclopedia. As a result, and to maintain a friendly relationship with the Council, we must honor their redactions and editorial decisions.

Introduction

The Council for Quezlarian Research is shrouded in secrecy and silence. Very few independent scholars have managed to get far in exploring the origins or present day practices of the Council, and almost none have managed to widely distribute any work which has not first been subject to their close review. As a consequence, what is known about the council is mostly constrained to what they'd like to be known. That said, the Council's benevolence and great contributions to society cannot be denied.

The Quezlar family, from whom the Council gets its name as well as most of its funding, have been for years the top contributors to philanthropic organizations. Almost all of the family elders are deeply involved with the Amphitheatre aristocracy, through whom they channel many projects.

Membership

As a group, its members are well known for their contributions to philanthopic causes and research advances they've released to the world. However, as they are mostly anonymous and careful with their privacy, all releases or contributions are credited to the Council itself. The emblem of the Council, a pair of vorpcara crossed, is recognized everywhere as a symbol of ingenuity.

The Council is very conservative with what it shares, however, including contact with its members. Every year, a few students are selected from the best and brightest in an enormous range of disciplines. These students virtually disappear from the world, occasionally (such as in the case of Bysted Timperton) reappearing as a senior member or in some other public-facing role. These students are isolated from family and friends, yet it is assumed that they are treated richly and provided with everything they would ever need to pursue research.

Recently, though, there have been questions asked by students' families who claim to have been contacted by their children after entry into the Council's service. These students have asserted fantastic and sensational happenings-- some even claiming to have witness real rites of Aquentravalkeration and worship of the Alezan pantheon. These students are rarely heard from twice.

However, it is generally agreed upon by scholars that the Council has been invaluable in cultivating the best minds in the world for the good of all.

Activities

The Council pursues advance in many fields, including governance, sociology, science, and technomancy. Some of their well known achievements include Quezlarian Numerals and the Quezlarian Ooo, both of which (despite the whimisical eccentricities surrounding tales of their origins) have served as the basis of the thriving Ghyll economy. Conspiracy-minded talespinners have, from time to time, claimed that "contributions" such as these only serve to give the Council hidden influence over the workings of society itself, but the Council's generosity cannot be denied.

The Council also has close ties to the Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge. Where the Council's aims lead mostly toward the future, the BoFK looks to the past. Less charitable scholars, however, regard the Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge as the place akin to a grazing field where forgotten Council members go when they tire of the Council's relentless pace. In any case, these two organizations together drive the leading trends in scholarly research and discovery.

Citations: Bysted Timperton, Quezlar family, Quezlarian Ooo.

--Tamlin Moon 11:17, 24 Sep 2004 (EDT)