Monastic Brotherhood
The Monastic Brotherhood is a martial holy order that serves primarily the Church of the One Sun. The Monastic Brotherhood trains day and night for the battle against the darkness. They are more isolated from the political agendas and structures of the Church itself, instead choosing to serve the people over the nobles. This has led to constant strain between the Monastic Brotherhood and their rival order, the Fellowship of the Palm. The Monastic Brotherhood occasionally even serves the Church of St. Keshush, due to similar beliefs and faiths, but it all depends on who takes an active stand against evil. They are proud monks and paladins who can be counted upon to aid the weak and protect the innocent.
Structure
The Monastic Brotherhood has a rigid organizational structure, from the lowliest acolyte to the Grandmaster himself. The monks of the Brotherhood are expected to follow the instructions of their superiors without hesitation or question, acknowledging the higher good of their faith. It is believed that it is impossible to see the whole picture in the fight against evil, and therefore an individual should be focused upon the goals or objectives immediately in front of them. The ranks and their duties are as follows:
Acolyte: The acolytes of the Brotherhood are those who have just enlisted, and many are of quite young age. They typically act as servants within the Cathedral itself, maintaining weapons and armor, and taking care of cleaning and cooking duties. All who serve the Brotherhood must accomplish at least two years as an acolyte, regardless of their social rank and origin.
Vanguard: The vanguards of the Brotherhood make up the majority of the ranks of the organization, and most rarely advance beyond this position. These are those who serve in a chosen role, whether as spies, scouts, administrators, or warriors. Each have a solemn oath to pursue perfection and dignity in their position, and only occasionally and through great merit, does one get selected for promotion by the Grandmaster.
Crusader: The crusaders are the officers of the Brotherhood, who oversee the various operations and tasks launched by the Brotherhood in the fight against evil. Occasionally multiple crusaders will assigned to the same task, in which case the Grandmaster will appoint one of them as the High Knight, temporarily for the duration of the mission.
Grandmaster: The Grandmaster is selected by acclamation from the ranks of the Brotherhood, regardless of the candidate's rank. Typically the Grandmaster comes from the ranks of the Crusaders, but there have been several points in history where this has not been the case, instead elevating a vanguard or even an acolyte. The Grandmaster has absolute authority over the Brotherhood, and assigns missions and tasks for those who serve.
Public Agenda
The Monastic Brotherhood has two primary agendas, which bring it into frequent conflict. The first of these is to fight against evil whenever and wherever it appears. This includes various monsters that exist throughout Emicara, and the Monastic Brotherhood often sends a force to eliminate them when they become a grave threat to humanity. The second agenda is to obtain, catalog, and secure any magical items or artifacts that could render too much power into the hands of one person. This frequently brings them into conflict with the Fellowship of the Palm, who believes that these types of artifacts should be destroyed completely rather than stored. The Brotherhood believes, on the other hand, that these magical items may one day be required in the fight against evil, and to destroy them weakens the hands of the warriors of the good for future conflict.
Assets
The Monastic Brotherhood consists of over one thousand known operatives throughout Emicara, and a likely significant amount of spies and operatives scattered around the world. The warriors of the Brotherhood typically gain specialized training either in unarmed combat or various weapons, and a goodly number instead favor arms and armor over sneaking and stealth. The Brotherhood does maintain open monasteries for its ranks of small size in the Kingdoms of Bamard, Forard, and Losana, but the primary center of their operations is at the Cathedral of the Brotherhood in the Kingdom of Columba. This Cathedral houses the bulk of their armed forces when they are not out on operations, the treasury of the Brotherhood, and the vast majority of the collected objects and artifacts they have recovered. The amount of magical artifacts possessed by the Brotherhood is unknown to most outside of the order, but based on stories alone is likely quite substantial.
History
The annals of the Brotherhood actually state that the order predates the churches it serves. It was actually established as a nondenominational quasi-religious group not too long after the Last War and the collapse of the Nameless Empire, centered around the worship of the One Sun, but allowing other faiths to be involved. Their focus was on providing faith and support for the people in the land around their headquarters. They produced weapons and food, and helped distribute it to the countryside. This brought them into conflict with a local gang of thugs and raiders, who sought to obtain their own authority. The thugs and raiders found a powerful magical artifact and managed to detonate it within the confines of the Cathedral. The center of the Brotherhood's power and everything within a fifty mile radius was destroyed by the blast. The only survivors were those who had been out on patrol.
These survivors continued to do their best to help protect and serve the people of the Jakonian Peninsula, well before the empire emerged. When the Jakonian Empire expanded and conquered their neighbors, they offered a place of support and resources for the Brotherhood, in exchange for their service as elite warriors. For nearly one hundred years, the Monastic Brotherhood served as elite shock troops for the Empire, and as a reward, a new Cathedral was built upon the ruins of the old, in the same starkly devastated lands which continued to suffer from the effects of the original attack. The new Cathedral was brilliant in its strength and power, and the Brotherhood of old began to return, this time with new missions, facing down the horrors that blighted the greatly expanded empire, while keeping their independence from the Fellowship of the Palm.
The collapse of the Jakonian Empire and the independence of the Kingdom of Columba gave the Monastic Brotherhood the most independence it had yet seen. Although the Church of the One Sun repeatedly requested the Brotherhood to move their operations to the Imperial City, the Grandmasters have used this chance to give themselves more freedom of operation. Requests and orders from the Church of the One Sun are now treated as suggestions rather than demands, and the Brotherhood has begun establishing ties with the Church of St. Keshush and opening up its ranks to nonhumans. Their efforts have become more and more successful, and the Brotherhood has gained a great name for itself, growing in respect and glory as the empire declines.
We Stand in the Darkness to Preserve the Light
Founding Date
83
Type
Religious, Monastic Order
Leader
Parent Organization
Location
Notable Members
Comments