"When stories fracture and truth crumbles, the Mythkeepers arrive—not to mend, but to record."
Origin:
The Mythkeepers are ancient, metaphysical entities that exist outside the boundaries of the System and even the influence of the Celestial Patrons. They are not creations of the apocalypse, nor are they participants in it—they are archivists of deviation. These beings chronicle the moment when a world diverges from its intended fate.
No one knows who created the Mythkeepers. Some believe they are remnants of the Original Author, the omniscient force who first designed the universe's narrative. Others claim they were born from story glitches—places where fate contradicts itself, giving rise to awareness in the seams of reality.
What is known is this: they only appear when the script of the world is no longer being followed.
Appearance:
Mythkeepers manifest differently to each individual, shaped by their perception of "story" and "record." However, they often share certain features:
Robes of ink-stained parchment, endlessly flowing and inscribed with forgotten words.
Eyes that flicker with constellations or ancient alphabets.
Floating quills, often alive and independent, scribble the present moment into the air as it happens.
Some versions have masks shaped like blank pages or scrolls bound over their faces.
Their presence warps reality, distorting time slightly—like stepping between the margins of a book.
Nature and Purpose:
Mythkeepers are neither friend nor foe. Their allegiance is to the story, not to the people inside it.
They:
Document divergences: Any major shift from fate, such as a character acting out of alignment with their narrative, attracts their attention.
Offer Bargains: In exchange for something meaningful—memories, truths, names—they provide rare insight into how the story is shifting or unraveling.
Catalog impossible things: Characters or events that were never written, or those that should no longer exist, are of particular interest to them.
Seek anomalies: Individuals like Kang Hyun-woo, who operate outside of the world's logic (i.e., as a Reader), are rare and dangerous anomalies to them—fascinating but unpredictable.
Powers:
Mythkeepers do not engage in battle. Their powers are abstract, yet potent:
Narrative Perception: They can "read" a person's role in the story, even if that role has changed or been erased.
Memory Transaction: They can extract or implant knowledge, history, or even fictional truths—often at a steep cost.
Chrono-Ink Manipulation: They can pause, distort, or rewind micro-moments in their immediate surroundings for observation or recording.
Reality Drafting: Very rarely, they can write something into the story—a phrase, a prophecy, a character trait—that subtly alters how reality unfolds.
However, they are bound by laws:
They cannot lie.
They cannot interfere with physical events unless bargained with.
They cannot record something that has not diverged from the story.
Hierarchy & Types:
There are rumored to be different ranks among Mythkeepers, though only whispers confirm their existence:
Scribes – Lesser Mythkeepers who simply observe and record.
Archivists – Intermediaries that interact with anomalies and offer bargains.
The Pagewarden – A mythical high-level Mythkeeper said to guard the "First Manuscript"—the original script of all creation.
The Redacted – A forbidden class of Mythkeepers erased from the story. If one appears, it signals the end of narrative coherence altogether.