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Spoiler warning!
This article or section contains plot spoilers for the Mortal Engines quartet. Proceed at your own risk. |
The Guild of Historians was one of London's four main guilds. It was responsible for the collection and preservation of Old Tech and other surviving items from the Sixty Minute War.
It is unknown if the Guild of Historians existed at the time of Fever Crumb, or indeed when the Guild was established.
All members of the Guild can be found here.
Description[]
The identifying mark of a Historian is the Guild-mark tattoo between their eyebrows in the shape of a blue eye. All members of the Guild, regardless of position, wear black.
Organization[]
The Historians' Guild is made up of fully-fledged Guildsmen called Historians, and Apprentices of varying classes. The head of the Guild is the Head Historian, and underneath them is the Deputy Head Historian. At the time of Mortal Engines, these two positions are filled by Thaddeus Valentine and Chudleigh Pomeroy respectively. Other Guild positions include Chief Curator and Curator of Ceramics.
Apprentices of the Guild train to become Historians. To earn the title and the Guild-mark, each Apprentice must pass a Guild exam, the contents of which are not described. Should an Apprentice fail the exam, they may be relegated to a menial job such as assisting a curator. Those who fail are not granted the title of Historian.
Apprentices belong to one of three categories: First-Class, Second-Class, and Third-Class. The classes correspond roughly to the quality of education the Apprentice receives in preparation for the exam, with First-Class providing the best training. It is possible, and probably quite common, for parents to pay for a First-Class Apprenticeship for their child, as seen with Herbert Melliphant. Regardless of how the Apprenticeship was gained, Apprentices may be promoted and demoted to other classes; Melliphant himself is demoted and conspires to "claw his way back up to First Class".
History[]
Pre-Series[]
In the Golden Age of Traction, the Historians' Guild was nearly as powerful as the Guild of Engineers, an indicator of London's respect for knowledge and learning, as well Old Tech's importance to the city. It was not unheard of for London to travel thousands of miles at the request of the Guild to catch a town with a renowned museum or library. Following the Big Tilt, the Engineers regained their place as the dominant guild, taking with them the majority of council seats and leaving the Historians at 15%, on par with the Guild of Navigators. This arrangement would continue for the rest of the Guild's existence.
In 997 TE, London's mayor Magnus Crome promoted Thaddeus Valentine to the position of Head Historian over the heads of the senior Guildsmen. This action disgusted and was envied by several Historians, including Chudleigh Pomeroy.
Mortal Engines quartet[]
Mortal Engines[]
The events of Mortal Engines saw the final days and the end of the Guild of Historians. The Guild sheltered Apprentice Engineer Bevis Pod after he defected from his guild helping Katherine Valentine. Bevis was disguised as an Apprentice Historian in the London Museum. When Magnus Crome destroyed another traction city with the energy weapon MEDUSA, the Guild was perhaps the only portion of the London populace that did not celebrate.
They came to the aid of Katherine and Bevis once again when the two were caught in the museum by a group of Engineers in an attempt to destroy MEDUSA. Led by Chudleigh Pomeroy and armed with the museum's ancient weapons, the Guild clashed with the Engineers and their Stalker reinforcements. The Guild sustained heavy losses, Dr Arkengarth and Dr Weymouth numbering among the dead. MEDUSA's destruction deactivated the Stalkers, ending the Historian-Engineer battle, but by this time only a "handful" of Historians were still alive. Though some managed to escape the near-total obliteration of London by MEDUSA, the Guild itself was effectively terminated.
A Darkling Plain[]
It was revealed that Chudleigh Pomeroy survived London's destruction and became the mayor of New London.
Film[]
One of the film's protagonists - Tom Natsworthy - hails from this guild. The Historians' role in the film is similar to their role in the original novel, except more condensed with some content removed (to keep everything contained within a 2-3 hour film).
Quotes[]
"The Historians' Guild had never been as quick as the rest of London to welcome new inventions from the Engineers, and they made no exception for MEDUSA." - Mortal Engines
"None of us [the Historians] are friends of the Lord Mayor." - Chudleigh Pomeroy, Mortal Engines
Gallery[]
