The Holy Order of Tranquillity – Guild Leaders, Buildings & Deity

Guild Leaders

Osmand Kandamar

(Human)

Osmand is a young Priest of Yarrianne from the Ferns and one who has had an up and down career throughout the short years of his life. He was born in 1991 and entered into the guildic training community when he was six years old under placement by his parents. His Father is a politician working in the Norfell council and community called Armund West and his Mother who was born a Trent Family, a noble line of the Shadowmane family who spent much time in community projects and works. Whilst both were deeply altruistic their work took precedence over their son and their friends which forced a young boy who was showing strong tendencies towards an artistic and expressive nature into a life of hard and militant training.

Osmand, as an only child, found it difficult to forge connections at first, lacking an assertive nature and soon took to the physical side of training to try to fit in. For the first six years of his time at the Academy he worked to be a swordsman with a hope to being a member of the Oath in the days that followed. However his heart was not in the role and in truth he wanted nothing of the life of bloodshed that this might bring him. His techniques were sloppy and his instructors believed that, whilst he certainly would not fail, he was not cut out for the life of a Guilder and would retire early after a potentially early career.

Around the age of twelve he met young man called George Kandamar who was two years his senior and a training member of the Oath. He was of the Order of Craftsman and one who found expression through painting and sculpture and almost immediately saw the potential in the handsome young man. He introduced him to his friends, none of whom followed the paths of warrior or the like but fell into the role of Priests, Hawkshaws and other Craftsman and through the care and tutelage of these people he soon began to feel another path for himself. Within two years he was training as a Priest of the Oath with strong beliefs towards Yarrianne, Naed and Terref, his instructors much happier with his progress and attitudes.

When he came to his passing out in 2007 his excellence in the arts of Focus Casting and the pure reliance of his chosen Faith to Yarrianne brought the attention of the Holy Order. With a few weeks to go before his final guild choice was made Lady Catherine Hamerinshire personally visited him to speak about his future. What she spoke of had a lasting impact on the man and it was with her that he left the Academy to join the Holy Order. This led to a further two years of retraining in the roles and responsibilities of the faith where his path seemed to be taking him to a role of service to Zutor, instead he took himself to the service of Aroseria, of beauty and despite his practice with weaponry, gave up the path of the warrior.

Once his training was finished he made several changes to his life; Firstly he began a relationship with George Kandamar, the two of which had been in love for many years. Secondly he successfully lobbied for the formation of a small but successful new order called the Order of Artists and Poets that would sit alongside such Orders a Politicians and Battle in the training process. Thirdly and finally he swore to dedicate his life to the inspiration of the people for a better and freer life from the obligations of their current society through expression and through art. Some of these attitudes were to test the resolve of much of the church particularly the older members of the faith and the members that made up the Clergy.

His attitude seemed to speak out against the regimes of the government and in many ways the traditions of the Churches and the Clergy. His beliefs that the people should be free to worship as they wish, through whatever medium that they wished. Theses expressions often came in the form of imagery that spoke of a populace that was free of the control of the Tables and the Clergy and that feared the Colleges to a degree that they were portrayed as Daemons themselves. To this degree the Clergy took a slightly extreme approach and promoted him, at only the age of 22 to the position of Master of Novices and set him to training so that he could start training others.

This next position found him successful but stymied, he was 23 by the time he started teaching and the curriculum that he was pushed into kept him away from the policies that he had been pushing. However he indulged himself in after class activities – Teaching and running art classes and becoming involved in philosophical and ethical groups and meetings which gave him a strong following among the followers of Misholo. His beliefs and teachings soon gave him a strong following among the younger pupils of the faith and by the time he was 25 many of the groups that were calling themselves The West Outlook attended his wedding to George which descended into a great gathering of open doors to the people of the township of Golmun where all felt equal.

Just before the Shadow Wars Osmand was in the process of being investigated as being a cult leader that may have had Devourite connotations but then the Omar effect came. When the war was over the land was so shell shocked that Osmands sins were forgotten and he came to the front of the rebuilding efforts bringing art and happiness to the people as much as the hope of new buildings. He has caused a swelling in the ranks and has a huge following of the younger generations and newer followers. With the death of Lady Hamerinshire the elder statesmen of the Church gathered to discuss matters, finding it difficult to chose her successor. This was not an issue for the majority of the Church however.

As the new Primusy neared its new leadership it became obvious to the Church that a new leader simply must be elected and they called for candidates and a vote. To the surprise and perhaps horror of the elder statesmen of the Church it was Osmand that won the vote with a huge section of the younger church voting for him in the name of change. Whilst he is a fresh leader of the Church his beliefs and ideals are strongly felt among the church and his Naedite and Terrefian values are still strong among them. As the days unfold so we may well see many changes among the Church of Yarrianne and the way that their belief is interpreted.

Major Centres of Worship

The Capitol of Haven boasts the Great Cathedral of the Holy Order of Tranquility which is the heart of Yarriannite worship across the basin.

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Yarrianne (Ya-Ree-Anne) offers succour and mercy to those that are in pain or suffering due to injury or happenstance. She is the healer of flesh and bone, mind and spirit. She is the beauty in the world; she is the guardian of children and the inspiration of love and Romance. Where there is war she brings peace, where there is anger she brings calm, where there is poverty she brings benevolence. She is the much loved, the carrier of your burden, she is the purity; she is the best in all men and women. Yarrianne is a kind, good-spirited goddess with an easy smile and a warm, inviting sense of humour. She is the pacifistic Goddess, taking no hostile action during times of war, she prefers to spread her word through the good actions of her followers and the belief and hope that this brings.

It is commonly considered that Yarrianne is the strength of the triumvirate of the Gods of the Morning, keeping an uneasy peace between Naed, Tiberius and the lesser deities that populate that pantheon. Whilst Naed and Tiberius are both deities dedicated to the cause of the Rising Sun they have deep-seated differences that only a skilled negotiator and diplomat such as Yarrianne can keep below the surface. She also acts as the voice when speaking with the courts of the day, Ekimelahw, Terref and Bethylak and through that court into the one of the dusk. However Yarrianne has no warmth for the goddess Rayvahn who opposes every aspect of Yarriannite portfolio and unlike the clear links between Notelexus and Yarrianne no commonality can be found between the two powers. Their clergy, however, differ in that they are forced to act together.

On her visits to the mortal realm Yarrianne has taken the form of a perfect being, viewable to each race as one of their own, clad in the purest white satins and silks. Her voice is said to move the listener to tears and her eyes have had the most vocal of romantic suitor’s tongues tied in knots. Her followers dress in simple robes, often of white or lighter blues, with the symbol of the Holy order emblazoned clearly about their outfits. Her clergy is made up primarily of Hospitalliers, who are the favoured of their Goddess, although a number of Priests always populate the churches to carry out the more day to day aspects of its function. A number of Tempered Blades are also known to travel the land, clad in their shimmering armour, acting as swords against the abominations of Rayvahn, life and those that would blight the innocent.

Dogma

The Yarriannites are charged to help all those who are in pain and are suffering, offering mercy and taking the burdens of these ills upon themselves where necessary. The Yarriannite dogma is a difficult one to live up to, whilst they are allowed to fight in self-defence it is against the code of the Yarriannite to initiate any form of violence as this would indicate a giving way to hatred, anger and violence. To this end Yarriannites stick to the doctrine of diplomacy and pacifism as part of their code when faced with any hostile situation.

Yarriannite dogma has been somewhat bastardised over the years, the words of Yarrianne have been interpreted a hundred different ways but the Priests have discovered that the majority of what is taught is incredibly incompatible with the rest of the world. To this end beliefs of peace and unity are placed after thoughts of family, which are extended in a metaphysical sense to the groups in which a Priest travels. That is to say that in any situation where a priests comrades find themselves at odds with another group the priest can act in favour of their comrades without immediate moral dilemma based around the proposal that the group to which they belong is in effect their family unit. Such interpretation often results in much meditation as the priests attempt to reach serenity but maintains a certain status quo that would otherwise be unattainable in today’s society.

“Persevere in the face of pain; heal the sick, the wounded and the plagued. Comfort the dying, the grief-stricken and the heartsick. Take on the burdens of the pains of others, Champion the cause of the Passionate and the Romantic and give shelter and council to the lost, the lonely and the ruined. Pursue the work of Yarrianne; spread the wealth that is provided to her amongst the impoverished and the broken and bring beauty and life to those for whom these things have been shattered and taken. Protect the families, the children, the parents and the old, allow no bond of passion or love to be broken by unscrupulous means. Take up the tasks that no others would dare to do with a glad and happy heart.”

From the Holy Tablets of Grace

Archangels

Angels of Power

Servants

Yarrianne is served by a number of Lesser Powers that can also be worshipped by Priests and Ley Followers, these powers have fallen under the remit of the Lady over the years and given their power to increase the strength of The Gentle Hand

The Demi Power Finydan

“It is to the children we must look. All that is to be, all that could be; they represent both the best and worst of us. We must insure the best aspects are nurtured till the worst fades to nothing. The innocence of youth must be protected at all costs. To die in defence of the young is no ill or sad thing. They shall live on and make a world even brighter than it was before.”

Defending the young is the primary concern of all followers of Finydan. Whilst they view all life as precious it is children they protect more than any other. It is the sworn duty of all Finydan followers to defend and if necessary die to protect the young of any race, be it human, Eaölf, Orc or otherwise. Many of those who set up funds for street children or orphanages in war torn areas are followers of Finydan, even if they aren’t aware of it. She smiles down on those who teach youngsters how to be better people, how to overcome hardship and encourage them to go on and help others when they are grown. It is believed in life she ran her own orphanage before being chosen to ascend as a power under the protection of Yarrianne but her full story is lost.

Another area she specializes in is that of fertility. Couples not blessed with children can take comfort in her and her followers words if approached and sometimes come away only to realise shortly afterwards that they are pregnant. Whilst not a sure thing it is thought those truly deserving of the gift of young shall not leave a place of worship without her gifts falling upon them. Some come away angry that they have not been chosen, she once offered an explanation;

“Some come to me because they wish to carry on their line. Some come to me because they wish for extra hands for a farmstead. Some come to me because they know their lives are incomplete without a child and wish to love and cherish it with all their hearts. Who do you think I give the gift of children to?”

In order to aid her followers in their defence of the young she gifts them with curative magics that require no chants, sacrifice or payment.

An ancient fertility statue was chosen to be the holy symbol of Finydan. This is because regardless of religious leanings, political standpoints, race or country of birth, if you wish to defend the young she will stand with you regardless. A religious festival takes place in the Spring every year where her follows don flowered garlands and sky blue robes to give thanks for the coming year and to bless those currently with child or wishing to be that their young are born strong and healthy.

The Demi Power Misholo

“You have chosen to follow me Mortal. Interesting. Why might I ask? Some come to me seeking hidden knowledge. It is within my gifts to grant you such, but why do you seek such things? I seek what lies in your heart and mind. What governs them? What drives you? Think on these things till you are certain of your soul. Only then shall I be certain of you.”

It is the responsibility of Gods to guide their followers down what they deem to be the correct path in day to day life. Often they do this by laying down codes, laws and tenets that they demand their followers adhere to. Not so with Misholo. She does not force scripture and doctrine on them. She prefers to watch and judge those who claim to work in her name and give rewards if they are true to her without the need to be forced into doing so.

Ethical dilemmas, opposed philosophies and situations that might call upon them to break their own moral code; these are the times she tries to aid her followers. She wishes them to stay to the true path, not only because it is the morally high path, the righteous and thoughtful, but also because that path is true to their own nature. If they find themselves swaying from it, she understands her ways are not theirs and shall cease to watch over them.

Whilst she has never said to her followers what the true path is those with good intentions and an immovable moral compass are those most favoured by her. In exchange for this mystery and secrecy in regards to her own workings she blesses those who follow her with secrets of the world that might otherwise remain unknown to them.

The followers of Misholo wear her sacred symbol without fear in the Basin; a woman of great balance blessed with an air of divinity. On Watersdown 1^st her worshippers gather together to have great ethical debates across the country. Those observing would view it as a gathering of philosophers rather than believers of a deity.

The Demi Power Daysor

“The care of one’s family is not the purview of sentient beings alone. Does the Wild Dog not defend his mate in their den, the simple Blackbird sit upon her eggs through the storms and tempests of the night? All family are sacred, all bonds to them, imposed by your own nature or the growth of ties between you, shall be upheld and when damaged re-grown one hundred times stronger so that none shall break them again. Grow, learn, love, persevere; it is all I ask.”

Oaths are sacred, be they enacted with words, deeds or written to be preserved for all time. To break them is to be devoid of all honour, a symbol to the world of your failings as an individual, untrustworthy and despised. Yet so often oaths are broken and punishment is not forthcoming so many forget that they are judged for all time by those who are ever watchful.

Daysor watches the oaths between family, both the family that births you and the one you make for yourself; the friends you keep close, the comrades you stand with in battle and the leaders you look upon to guide your actions. Unlike many Gods he does not instantly judge those who break their oaths; family is about forgiveness. To blunder and fall from the path is a mistake, to not mend the damage done is the true sin. He asks his followers to seek out those who have broken their oaths and not made amends before the followers of others such as Urus find them and enact vengeance. They must do all in their power to raise the Oath breaker up again in the eyes of their family and repair any damage done so that peace is restored and if possible re-forge the oath into a stronger one to stand the test of time.

A simple nest is the symbol for this God, with a cluster of eggs at its centre. The eggs are individuals bound together by their oaths of kinship, the nest, which defends them from the rest of the world. The 8^th of Earthnew is an important date in the Daysor calendar; followers are asked to make an Oath to a member of their family which they shall fulfil in the next year. When the oath is fulfilled the family of that believer holds a small feast celebrating their bonds and the strength between them.

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