The Guild of Torturers (or formally the Order of the Seekers of Truth and Penitence) is a guild in the fantasy work The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, the starting point for the character Severian, the narrator of the tale.

History

Organisation

There are three ranks in the guild, apprentice, journeyman and master. Only one distinction within these ranks is given, that of captain of apprentices, the oldest boy amongst the apprentices.

The Matachin Tower

The guild is housed in the Matachin Tower of the Citadel, in the southern reaches of the city, Nessus, the capital city of the Commonwealth. Like many of the towers of the citadel, it is a long grounded spacecraft, with one of its levels, the examination room, underground.

Notes

Citations

References

• Wolfe, Gene (1981). The Shadow of the Torturer (1 ed.). London: Arrow Books. ISBN  0099263203.
• Wolfe, Gene (1982). The Claw of the Conciliator (1 ed.). London: Arrow Books. ISBN  0099274701.
• Wolfe, Gene (1982). The Sword of the Lictor (1 ed.). London: Arrow Books. ISBN  0099295407.
• Wolfe, Gene (1983). The Citadel of the Autach (1 ed.). London: Arrow Books. ISBN  0099320606.