At the height of 'Script Obsoli' and the widespread destruction of Atheist machines within Enaeth, questions were asked in philosophical circles; how could civilization be sustained if it lacked the wisdom of its maintenance?

These questions were quietly put towards the then government, the dictatorial Tributionary Body. While openly decrying counter-religious practice and scientific thought, it hypocritically recruited a number of detained psychologists to quietly solve this problem. With an unlimited budget and ethical concerns considered 'secondary', a solution was found; through training of the preconscious mind, Augur's could store data as lived experience and recall it for analysis.

The Tributionaries secretly established a number of schools teaching this 'Intraception' as advertising for government secretariats. These students were subjected to intense mental trauma as part of their studies, and experienced Rampancy and even death as their subconscious minds were overwhelmed with data not compatible with the human mind.

The knowledge of these schools leaked to the public, and they underwent massive reforms, only allowing younger applicants, and forcibly retiring them after five years of service.

The modern 'Tariat' has been relatively unchanged since their questionable establishment, long after the Tributionaries' dissolution. Stored underground in large banks, 'Archives', the most common form of Tariat, are the physical storage of the Classifications. Almost exclusively fairies due to their reduced upkeep, they are regularly sedated to keep their minds in a fugue state until their portion of data is required.

This data is distributed by the Directories, who update the Archives and pass information on to the other classifications. They speak in 'Intratone', a complex language of pitched creaking and croaks that conveys minutes of verbal information in seconds.

Data is then disseminated by Catalogues, Censuses and Codexes, acting as the advisory branch in matters such as accounting, legalese, logistics, sociology or strategy.

Although there is no formal leadership, the Tariats are administrated by the Indexes, the lecturers and educators of the Classifications. Little is known of these mysterious beings, as the schools are closed off to outsiders.

The mysterious nature of the leadership and their continued unethical practices are quietly brought up in policy meetings, and just as quietly dismissed. Without the Tariats, or the extinct machines they replaced, record retention on a mass scale would be next to impossible, and the survival of organised civilization during the passing of stable and chaotic eras would be lost to history, maybe forever.

And despite the known risks of training and employment, poor and rich young people alike flock to these schools, offering prestigious education at no cost, and offering a life of prestige after retirement.

Though few graduate, those that do are set for life. Paid in lump sum at the end of their internship, a Tariat could retire comfortably at a young age. Few do completely, preferring instead to continue working as political advisors, strategists, civil servants or returning home to enhance their families standing and reputation.