Order of the Flaring Sun
The Order of the Flaring Sun is a monastic order in the Dolan Theocracy. Contrary to other orders, the Flaring Sun only accepts women.
History
The founder of the Flaring Sun, Illianthe the Prophet upon the Hill, an elven disciple of the Order of Tears, was blessed with a divine message from Mea'hana. Illianthe had been traveling with her peers to the plains in the north near Pu'he. She wandered off to pray before the day had dawned, and, lost in the darkness, she was left behind by her companions. She hiked to the top of the tallest hill in the area so that she could hopefully sight her peers from its summit, but this was in vain. Illianthe sat down and began to pray for deliverance, for she had no experience in the wilderness and was afraid of the creatures that lurked there. Upon her hill, Illianthe was suddenly bathed in light as the sun rose, and she heard the voice of Mea'hana comfort her and tell her to be not afraid, for all living things deserve equal respect and charity.
Illianthe took Mea'hana's words and traveled back to the nearest settlement through the plains, coming upon the small settlement of Kelke. There, Illianthe began to spread the message of charity, free will, and respect. She eventually gained enough of a following to form a small community nearby, the Flaring Sun Monastery, and her reputation as a wise and benevolent judge grew. The order continued to grow even after her death, as her three, most devoted, disciples took over for her.
The three disciples managed the day-to-day operations in concert, but one gradually grew to have more influence than the other two. The genasi Ahmazda became the next head of the Order, as the other two disciples bowed to her interpretations of Illianthe's beliefs. It was Ahmazda that made the Flaring Sun a women's only order, for the Red Order had been making claims of witchcraft against many of the lay disciples of the Flaring Sun. In order to protect them, Ahmazda instructed the monasteries to teach their disciples the way of the staff, whip, and slingshot, weapons that could be used non-lethally but still protect. From then on, the followers of the Flaring Sun were often retained as guards for the sacred spaces of Dola, including shrines, temples, natural areas, and important dignitaries. They were also the chief interpreters of the legal code and they traveled wherever the people needed an impartial arbiter.
Mythology & Lore
In the beginning of time, long before any creature disturbed the tranquil emptiness of its vast plains, Mea'hana, the World Maker, dreamed of freedom. Her brothers and sisters misunderstood her distant gaze, thinking she wanted to claim the throne of power for herself, and cast her out. Justly heartbroken by a betrayal of those dear to her, Mea'hana escaped to the farthest corner of the universe, where her family could never follow. There, she wept, and a single tear fell, glistening, from her cheek. Cupping it in her hands, Mea'hana wondered at its beauty, and from this tear, she fashioned the seas and oceans. She whispered her hopes for the world, thus creating the winds. With her blood, she made the volcanoes of Jaya, and from her flesh rose the continents. Mea'hana gazed on her creation at last, after five days, and the light in her eyes became the sun. She plucked two gems from her crown and made the moons. But the world lay barren and Mea'hana could not bear to have such a beautiful thing unknown to anyone save herself. So she created the races of the world to inhabit her jewel and bestowed upon them the freedom she herself gained at the cost of everything. Three thousand years passed in the flow of time, and the world evolved beneath the benevolent shine of Mea'hana's Light.
Cosmological Views
The Order believes in the supremacy of Mea'hana as the supreme deity who is the source of all things. They also believe that Mea'hana gave portions of her divine power to lesser demigods and demigoddesses, and they require the same respect as Mea'hana. However, their prayers are directly sent to Mea'hana and they do not worship the lesser gods, for Mea'hana is supreme.
Tenets of Faith
The Order of the Flaring Sun subscribes to four major tenents:
1. Respect for all living things, regardless of belief, race, or nationality, including animals and non-sentient beings like plants.
2. Charity to all who follow in the footsteps of good, for the dispersion of charity brings happiness and further spreads good.
3. Goodness in deed, word, and thought for their instrinsic value as good, without expectation of reward.
4. All living things have absolute free will. To hinder the exercise of free will is a travesty, regardless of the outcome of its exertion.
Priesthood
The Order of the Flaring Sun comprises thirty-seven smaller communities and monasteries that are spread throughout Dola, though most are concentrated in the north and along the Coppergrass Sea. There are two major monasteries that serve as embassies to the neighboring countries of Jaya and the Republic of Invercia located in their capitol cities. Each community is headed by an abbess, who is the most senior practitioner in the community. Below her in the hierarchy are the Listeners, the disciples who have been with the Order for five or more years and have passed a martial test of skill and theological test of knowledge. These tests do not have to be passed together; some disciples have passed one or the other, and remain as a senior lay disciple throughout their lives.
The abbess is denoted by a sun pendant she wears around her neck and by a hood with yellow sunbursts. The Listeners, next senior in the order, are denoted by their robes of white with a tabard that has a flaring sun with eight rays and by their belts that are two cords of yellow and orange twined together. Senior laypeople who have passed the martial test have a belt with the orange cord, and those who have passed the theological test have a yellow cord. All disciples wear a white robe with a tabard that has the flaring sun with four rays.
Granted Divine Powers
Through study and meditation, the disciples of the Flaring Sun have gained the power to amplify light. Even the faintest glow can be nurtured into a blinding glare in the hands of a knowledgeable disciple.
Political Influence & Intrigue
As one of the three monastic orders in the Dolan Theocracy, the Flaring Sun has significant influence over politics in the country. The Ard Shagat is one of the Ard Righ's chief advisors and helps formulate domestic policies.
Type
Religious, Monastic Order
Leader
Deities
Location
Controlled Territories
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