Rhetors

Overview

“Rhetors” is a so‑called organization from outsider stories about the mathic world. In such tales they are frequently paired against the Incanters. Within the maths, avout treat “Rhetors” as an item of Iconography—a recurring stereotype used in the Saeculum—rather than a confirmed order with members or rites. No reliable sources identify real offices, hierarchy, or membership.

Some reference works define a "Rhetor" as a legendary figure associated with Procians, said to be able to "alter the past" by manipulating memories and physical records. Avout present this as a folkloric description of persuasive and editorial practices, not literal history change.

Purpose and Structure

In outsider portrayals, Rhetors are described as masters of influence and persuasion who work through rhetoric and social placement rather than open force. Some popular accounts claim they cultivate talent through particular maths (sometimes naming Unarian schools) and guide recruits into civic roles as Burgers; avout present these as outsider caricatures, not established fact. No formal structure is attested in reliable accounts.

Practices

Attributions vary by story, but common tropes include: - Subtle manipulation via speech and argument, contrasted with the Incanters’ supposed direct action - The claim (in entertainments and lore) that Rhetors "change the past"—specifically by reframing or editing memories and physical records, not by undoing events These descriptions are studied as iconography and are not endorsed as real capabilities by avout.

Known Members/Associations

• No confirmed members are known.
• Commonly presented in opposition to Incanters in stories.
• Outsider narratives sometimes associate Rhetors with Procians and contrast Incanters with Halikaarnians; avout caution that such pairings are iconographic rather than historical.

Usage in current discourse

• During a public dialog at Tredegarh, the label “Rhetor” was applied colloquially to a prominent Procian interlocutor, and a witness recalled the saying that Rhetors “have the power to alter the past, and do so every chance they get.” In context this functions as an iconographic shorthand for persuasive skill and retroactive reframing, not a literal claim about history‑changing powers nor evidence of a concrete order.
• In subsequent diplomatic proceedings aboard Daban Urnud, senior teachers described practical cooperation between tendencies commonly labeled—by outsiders and colloquial avout—as “Rhetors” (Procian‑leaning) and “Incanters” (often linked to Halikaarnians). The framing underscores that these are tendencies within mathic discourse, not formal orders.
• Jests about "Rhetor sorcery" affecting memory surfaced in the same period, reflecting the trope’s presence in common speech rather than attesting to any verified practice.

Recent Activity

A frequently retold anecdote set near Muncoster describes construction workers uncovering a colossal skeleton embedded in a new parking structure. Popular versions credit the “Rhetors” with having “started” this manifestation and the “Incanters” with “finishing” it; other details include chanting heard from a Thousanders tower and the structure appearing normal the next day. Avout accounts emphasize that nothing about the incident can be known for certain and present it as folklore rather than evidence of a real organization.