I've always prided myself on my conviction to keep adventuring, keep going. The Monks of Santua ol'Sola Estada put my conviction to shame. — Hajar Stoutsong, famous adventurer
Meaning
Sola Estada is Old Tongue. It translates 'Unwavering Soul'. Whilst
estada's most direct translation is 'steady' or 'level', in the context used here, 'unwavering' is the generally agreed interpretation amongst scholars of languages.
Worship & Tenets
Sola Estada isn't necessarily a religious way of life. There are no prescribed gods to worship, though many followers of
Sola Estada will worship Odum, the god of order & law. Toar, the god of strength and Alios, god of light, tend to feature highly amongst that prescribe to both Sola Estada and deity worship. However, being devout to a god is not required to follow the ways of
Sola Estada.
There are only three written tenets of
Sola Estada:
- Listen to all sides of the story
- Be true to others
- Be true to yourself
In many ways, it shares a lot with the Wildfolk culture. Amongst scholars, it is believed that Wildfolk may have been a chapter of
Sola Estada that separated with the addition of specifically requiring a pacifistic stance on life.
Sola Estada itself does not forbid conflict. In fact, the monks of Sola Estada have very occasionally been called upon to fight against unnatural threats that have arisen in Suriima in the past. They do tend to avoid joining conflicts between nations, though.
Santua ol'Sola Estada
Santua ol'Sola Estada is a temple in northern Suriima, just east of the port of city Ellaluna. Nestled in the jungle is the largest static community of
Sola Estada monks. They live off the land, never taking too much - much like the Wildfolk - and keep to themselves. It is said they keep guard over sacred artefacts entrusted to them by great heroes throughout time. However, if they are, they are sworn to secrecy as no monk as ever confirmed this.
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