Cyphers are students of ancient history and runic lore. They are respected in some ways for their depth of knowledge about history, yet some people find them dangerously stubborn in their pursuit of secrets best left lost and in their borderline obsession with any scraps or fragments of rubble with markings that even remotely resemble runes. Much of the labor of the Cyphers seems to others to be wasted on pondering and searching for hidden meanings and sublime significance that simply may not exist. Nonetheless, Cyphers are dogged in their pursuit of knowledge and are often secretive, not only with outsiders but also with one another, as each strives to uncover a forgotten scrap of lore, unearth a choice bit of architecture, or present a triumphant dissertation to his Cypher peers or to academics half a world away.