Dain (Saul) Lonair is a member of the Order of the Erdaenos Collectors ("OEC"), a secret organization dedicated to rebuilding the Library and Museum of the city of Erdaenos. The Order is headed by Hanrel Tannison, a human champion who led the group of oathsworn, librarians, sages, and scholars back to the Library of Erdaenos to secure its collection. Or, at least that is all the public knows.

Privately, the group is dedicated to regathering all the knowledge and magic that was lost as a result of the Dramojh and Giantish invasions, for their own purposes. They use Erdaenos as their base of operations, and have secret agents spread across much of the realm.

While not anti-giant, the OEC believe that the ruling Giantish members of the Diamond Throne hierarchy would not be pleased to hear that non-Giants are attempting to gather so much knowledge and power for themselves. They have therefore kept this part of their goals private, and value discretion in most of their actions.

Prior to joining the OEC, Dain was a skilled craftsman near Navael. He left home in pursuit of knowledge, eventually traveling to the famed Library of Erdaenos. Once there, he met Uxilach, a Verrik Akashic woman who serves as a freelance guide for visitors to the Library, and secretly serves as a recruiter and spy for the Order. Her profession as Library guide conveniently places her in the position of often being a newcomers first contact in the city.

Unknown to Dain, Uxilach was impressed with the young Akashic's intelligence and quick wit, and decided to put Dain through the Order's qualifying test. Dain successfully passed the test, finding his way unaided through the elaborate maze of the Library at Erdaenos, and discovering there the planted book on the history of the Order, with instructions on his duties should he agree to participate in the initiation ceremony.

Dain agreed to participate in the ceremony, and was initiated into the Order. The details of that ceremony are rather private in nature, and are even more closely guarded than the existence of the Order itself.

Dain is a now a neophyte Akashic and relatively new member of the OEC. Dain himself is not privy to what the ultimate goals of the OEC might be for using the knowledge and power they are gathering, but he is attracted by the opportunity to study with them and seek lost knowledge and artifacts. After training for some time with the OEC, Hanrel Tannison has sent him his first real mission. He is to travel to Gahanis.

The OEC has learned through extensive research in the Library of Erdaenos that Gahanis was the primary destination for the people of the realm who escaped from the Dramohj rule, including several powerful Magisters and Akashics alive at the time. Those fleeing people traveled there with great stores of valuable artifacts that they wished to hide from the Dramojh.

It is further believed by the OEC that below Gahanis lies a vast natural cave system, with an entrance within the old fortress of Gahanis. The OEC think that the caverns were used by many of those who escaped, and may still contain the hidden caches of artifacts. In addition, an ancient castle within the Floating Forrest known as Ebonring Keep lies just north of the city, and it is believed to contain the secret to a Dramojh artifact. Dain is to investigate the city, the old fortress and caverns, and Ebonring Keep in search of any artifacts hidden in those places by people fleeing the Dramojh, or by the Dramojh themselves. If possible, he is to return any powerful artifacts discovered therein (though he may use such during his travels, if necessary and important to his mission), and send word of any additional knowledge that might hint to the location of other items. Should any other locations be discovered along the way that might also hold powerful knowledge or artifacts, Dain is authorized to seek out those locations as well.

This mission is expected to last quite a while, and the OEC is not anticipating that they will see Dain again for a very long time. They have provided him with an additional stipend of 100 gold pieces to assist him in his mission, and free use of their forge facilities for the practice of his armor and weaponsmithing crafts in preparation for the mission.

Should Dain discover anything of vital importance, he can send a message back to the OEC by means of a Verrick Akashic/Magister known as Nefenr, a trusted contact of the OEC. Nefenr will know how to deliver a message or package to the OEC. He can usually be found performing his "memory art" somewhere in the city, and is generally not difficult to track down, should the need arise. Nefenr is aware of Dain's mission.