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handhavers

Handhavers is a term used in speculative fiction and tabletop game lore to describe individuals or guilds charged with guarding and stewarding hands, manual artifacts, and the tacit knowledge associated with touch. It is not a real-world profession; rather, it appears in world-building to anchor craft, ritual, and technology rooted in manual interaction.

The word is a neologism formed from hand and haver, with no single authoritative origin; authors and

In many settings, handhavers are responsible for maintaining libraries of specialized implements, repairing and calibrating tactile

Culturally, handhavers are typically portrayed as custodians of practical wisdom who stand at the intersection of

designers
have
used
it
in
different
contexts,
sometimes
as
guardians
of
tools,
sometimes
as
custodians
of
gesture-based
technologies.
devices,
and
training
apprentices
in
manual
skills.
They
may
oversee
the
safe
handling
of
artifacts
that
respond
to
touch,
document
methods
that
rely
on
sensation,
and
mediate
the
transfer
of
knowledge
between
generations
of
craftsmen.
Ritual
or
ceremonial
elements
often
accompany
the
mentoring
process,
recognizing
the
hands
as
both
instruments
and
symbols
of
responsibility.
craft,
ritual,
and
technology.
Their
depiction
ranges
from
austere
guilds
that
guard
fragile
techniques
to
travelers
who
carry
portable
workshops
and
teach
in
improvised
settings.
The
concept
serves
worldbuilders
as
a
hook
for
exploring
themes
of
embodied
knowledge,
mentorship,
and
the
limits
of
control
when
hands
interact
with
powerful
artifacts.