I know you wanted some more info on the Searing. Not much exists that I haven't shown you: Library's pretty hush-hush about the whole thing. Seems there really is more than meets the eye here. You know just how much misinformation surrounds the whole event. I'm almost as intrigued as you are.
Got this one from my buddy Theseus. But I do have a few more articles for you, if you so choose. I'll send them your way if I get the word. This one mentions the searing in brief, really goes to show just how little we have. I nicked it from an archive and made a few copies. Footnotes are by the author's daughter. Not much more I know about it or them though.
Get back to me as soon as possible with your thoughts.
An Abridged History of the Reconformers: Their Status, Goals, and Downfall
By Dr. Ohlm Holly
Edited by Beatrix Holly1
Approved for explanative use by the Archivist's Book Club
There is a prison beyond space and time, in a realm only known to deific entities. Its inmates are solely those who pose the greatest threat to the multiverse: the Reconformers. Once (and never) an incredibly powerful group of 'time-regulators', they were erased from history by a collection of gods for crimes unforgiveable. They are the reason there is a so-called 'baseline reality': a reality or sense of normalcy that takes precedence above all others. The individual members became Neverwere, and their legacy became faint legend. Whispers of what they had done echoed across the Library and other places of common knowledge. Instead of allowing for multiple timelines to exist at once, they regulated all universes into one 'canon', or as it was commonly referred to by the group as 'the Tenet', which they proclaimed above all others. They (couldn't have) used powerful magicks2 to plant seeds of destruction in these offshoots; A dark Yggdrasil in any time they saw as unsavory.
Some say they even erased those who rebelliously created other timelines through thaumaturgy or the like. Some say they were not physical beings at all, but a group of powerful reality-warpers. Who knows. It is taboo to even speak of them, for fear they may begin to exist again. Hopefully, the prison shall hold. A false reality holds them to their plane of non-existence, fabricated by those who stood against them. It is said the Serpent had a hand in their imprisonment, but this remains unverified as no one has spoken to the Serpent in years3. Some hypothesize that the Serpent is the prison, and this holds more merit.
The Library is haven, maker, and epicenter of many alternate realities. It would make sense that the foundations of the Library would be built on the proverbial bones of those who would stifle such diversity. The exact details around the Serpent are foggy at best4, and to think there is a prison within those cold scales is not unfathomable. Perhaps the venom produced by the gargantuan snake that is rumored to cause nightmares has something to do with their incarceration? As for motivation: after the Tenet was dissolved, and many branches grew on the Worlds-Tree, an infinite amount of new stories could appear.
It is rumored that the East Wing contained restricted material5 on the Reconformers before the Great Searing. Conspiratorial thinkers have long spewed deceitful theories about the nature of the Searing in relation to the Reconformer material. However, after the Great Searing, a group of intrepid wanderers sought to reclaim the lost material either through scavenging or magic. Strangely, the Archivists did not permit this. Their reason, however veiled, is most likely valid. It has been confirmed that a rouge member of this group, Johan Jakal, managed to divine a single page of the Reconformer manifesto into baseline reality6. Soon after, multiple reality-bending events took place for an unknown but possibly correlated reason. Jakal is rumored to still be in the possession of the manifesto page.
Due to the nature of Neverwere,7 fascination regarding the Reconformers is often rightfully stifled by Archivists and veteran Patrons. However, if one is to present these interests to members of the Serpent's Hand, they may receive a different answer. The Hand's dubious leadership status naturally fosters discussion about such topics, due to the anarchic and 'truth-seeking' morals of their group. Curiosity is forefront to the Hand, sometimes to their detriment. It is speculated that members of the Hand had long been inquisitive in matters regarding the Reconformers. Some accounts tell that said members are the first to launch inquiry into the restricted material in the East wing. All such accounts remain unconfirmed. It should be noted that the relation between the Archivists and the Serpent's Hand has been bitter-sweet at best.
There are three primary theories about the nature of the Reconformers:
1.) They were once mortal beings,8 a sect of Daeva who used certain magicks to supersede physicality and become reality-benders to exact their will across the universe.
— Theory one provides significant evidence to support the Daeva-to-reality-benders idea. Three texts carbon-dated to the appropriate time that seem to confirm this narrative, and an eyewitness who has sworn his True Name on theory one. It is the most popular and agreed upon thought within these circles of discussion.
2.) They were always Neverwere, and had been exacting their will via mortal Avatars for eons. Said Avatars still exist, though their connections to their masters remains severed. It is theorized these Avatars are still attempting to bring their masters from the prison. The only way to do this is to burn the Library and the Serpent again.
— Most evidence for theory two revolves around anecdotes and stories. It is popular amongst those who believe the archivists intentionally created the inferno in the East wing, for reasons this article will not discuss. Stupidity should not be dwelled upon. I encourage readers to disregard this theory entirely. It has only been mentioned for prosperity's sake.
3.) They were present at the dawn of creation, and still exact their will on the universe. We are the ones in the simulated universe. There is no multiverse, simply the illusion of one now. The Tenet remains intact. Stories of imprisonment are a deception. The idea that other universes exist is a fantasy, but could become a reality if we simply find and destroy the Reconformers.
— Theory three is the least confirmable, but the most interesting. A well-known and credible oracle is said to have originated this theory after several months of divination9 on the topic. The oracle was later assassinated,10 which only bolstered subscribers of theory three in their cause. It has become a rising movement in underground gossip dens and the like.
How exactly the Reconformers exacted their judgement of branch universes is widely unknown. Perhaps such things should not be revealed, lest we repeat former mistakes. Much history surrounding the Reconformers is shrouded in myth. What should be taken away from this article is simple: they were (never) dangerous, and are no longer. Where they are kept or how is up to speculation, and the rest to fable and legend. A terrifying and restricted force was put to rest, and further prying is unadvised. Let this article serve as the definitive end to discussion about such things, or at least a pacifier to conspiratorial thoughts and intentions.11
