Monastery of the Winter Bloom
Apr 7, 2017 20:36:12 GMT
Post by Talaiel on Apr 7, 2017 20:36:12 GMT
NAME: Monastery of the Winter Bloom
KINGDOM AT A GLANCE: A monastic community in a hidden valley where the eastern mountains meet the Great Eastern Forest, it is a shelter and haven for all who seek harmony and wisdom.
SIZE AND LOCATION: Small, in a hidden valley where the Great Eastern Forest meets the eastern mountains, northwest of Celeb Dor. The community is a central monastery building, with multiple outbuildings and fields surrounding it.
WEALTH: The monks and nuns of the Monastery take an oath of poverty when they become initiated, so nothing is personally owned. Instead, everything is communally owned and managed for the good of the community and its visitors. They are self sufficient, but not luxurious.
STABILITY: High
DANGER TO TRAVELERS: Low, while the mountains themselves are dangerous, and the wood is as well, the Order of the Winter Bloom is a peaceful, benevolent society.
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: There is a council of the wisest and most experienced members, led by the eldest, who make decisions and lead the instruction of their initiates. Members are ranked as novices, initiates, monk/nun, and then elders, with the transition taking place over time and with aging.
FREEDOM AND OPPRESSION: It is an interesting mix of self-disciplined freedom. Those who join seek to achieve harmony with the world around them and work to make it better. That is achieved through self-control, meditation, hard work, and martial arts focusing on controlling one's self.
COMMON SPECIES: 55% Halflings, 15% Dwarves, 15% Humans, 5% Elves, 5% Dryad, 5% Orc
MILITARY FOCUS: The Order is peaceful and wishes for harmony. However, they know that the world is a dangerous place. So, all members are trained in martial arts- emphasizing unarmed and staff combat for personal defense. Their biggest defense is the difficulty it takes to reach the valley and that the path to the valley is never in the same place twice. Only the pure-hearted who earnestly seek harmony and personal growth are permitted to find their way into the valley, and if a member of the Order leaves, they may not be able to find they way back again.
TECHNOLOGY: Medieval
PLAYER CONTROLLED:No
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History: The Great Eastern Forest is known for its feral halflings, but its secret halfling monks is far less well known. Centuries ago, in a time of conflict and danger, a band of Halflings realized that their ways of life were fraught with hardship and death. They sought to make life better, so they traveled out of the deepest woods until they came across a hidden valley, guarded by the tree spirits and a local Fae-Queen. Recognizing the earnestness and kindness of these pilgrims, the Fae and Spirits allowed the Halflings to establish their order in the valley, forming the Order of the Winter Bloom, after the green valley they found in the depths of winter. A bargain was struck between the Halflings and Fae for their continued protection in exchange for part of the Order's crops and wisdom.
So the Order was founded, living in seclusion, except for the few pilgrims drawn to its presence. At first, it was all Halflings, and they still compose the majority of the Order. But others, scarred and hurt by a dangerous world, followed their own path until it led them to the monastery, leading to a peaceful, multi-species community.
KINGDOM AT A GLANCE: A monastic community in a hidden valley where the eastern mountains meet the Great Eastern Forest, it is a shelter and haven for all who seek harmony and wisdom.
SIZE AND LOCATION: Small, in a hidden valley where the Great Eastern Forest meets the eastern mountains, northwest of Celeb Dor. The community is a central monastery building, with multiple outbuildings and fields surrounding it.
WEALTH: The monks and nuns of the Monastery take an oath of poverty when they become initiated, so nothing is personally owned. Instead, everything is communally owned and managed for the good of the community and its visitors. They are self sufficient, but not luxurious.
STABILITY: High
DANGER TO TRAVELERS: Low, while the mountains themselves are dangerous, and the wood is as well, the Order of the Winter Bloom is a peaceful, benevolent society.
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: There is a council of the wisest and most experienced members, led by the eldest, who make decisions and lead the instruction of their initiates. Members are ranked as novices, initiates, monk/nun, and then elders, with the transition taking place over time and with aging.
FREEDOM AND OPPRESSION: It is an interesting mix of self-disciplined freedom. Those who join seek to achieve harmony with the world around them and work to make it better. That is achieved through self-control, meditation, hard work, and martial arts focusing on controlling one's self.
COMMON SPECIES: 55% Halflings, 15% Dwarves, 15% Humans, 5% Elves, 5% Dryad, 5% Orc
MILITARY FOCUS: The Order is peaceful and wishes for harmony. However, they know that the world is a dangerous place. So, all members are trained in martial arts- emphasizing unarmed and staff combat for personal defense. Their biggest defense is the difficulty it takes to reach the valley and that the path to the valley is never in the same place twice. Only the pure-hearted who earnestly seek harmony and personal growth are permitted to find their way into the valley, and if a member of the Order leaves, they may not be able to find they way back again.
TECHNOLOGY: Medieval
PLAYER CONTROLLED:No
---------------------------------
History: The Great Eastern Forest is known for its feral halflings, but its secret halfling monks is far less well known. Centuries ago, in a time of conflict and danger, a band of Halflings realized that their ways of life were fraught with hardship and death. They sought to make life better, so they traveled out of the deepest woods until they came across a hidden valley, guarded by the tree spirits and a local Fae-Queen. Recognizing the earnestness and kindness of these pilgrims, the Fae and Spirits allowed the Halflings to establish their order in the valley, forming the Order of the Winter Bloom, after the green valley they found in the depths of winter. A bargain was struck between the Halflings and Fae for their continued protection in exchange for part of the Order's crops and wisdom.
So the Order was founded, living in seclusion, except for the few pilgrims drawn to its presence. At first, it was all Halflings, and they still compose the majority of the Order. But others, scarred and hurt by a dangerous world, followed their own path until it led them to the monastery, leading to a peaceful, multi-species community.