Stationeri

From Discworld & Terry Pratchett Wiki
Revision as of 00:12, 24 September 2012 by Osiris (talk | contribs) (1 revision: Discworld import 2)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

The Stationeri are a Department of nomes in the Bromeliad series. Unlike the other Departments, which appear to be tribes, the Stationeri are a priesthood. They are all male, being under the impression that women can't learn to read as it overheats their brains, so they presumably recruit boys from other departments to be novices.

The department are headed by an Abbot, the old Abbot being fifteen years old (ancient for a nome) and rather shrewd ("in a stuffy way", as Dorcas del Icatessen puts it). He teaches Masklin some valuable lessons about leadership, especially that "The important thing is not to be right, but to be sure. Though being right helps." before dying to be replaced by Gurder.

The Stationeri exercise considerable authority over the other departments and are largely responsible for stopping them fighting wars amongst themselves. Their main day-to-day duties involve reading books, especially the Book of Nome, guarding knowledge and interpreting signs (the notices in the store). Their doctrines that Arnold Bros (est. 1905) created the Store for nomekind and that the signs and the Book of Nome are to be heeded seem to be ironclad but individual priests are allowed more flexibility when it comes to nonessential legends, such as those concerning Bargains Galore and Prices Slashed.