Uldien Abbey
The Abbey was founded in 380 TR by Lord Remnar
Ubael as a private family monastery and mausoleum for his
beloved wife Uldine who had died defending Uldien during
his absence in the Kaldoric Civil War.
This shows clearly in the Abbey's lay-out. The outer buildings along the wall are arranged in the symbolic shape of Hyvrik, Larani's shield, superimposed by the Abbey Church shaped as a stylized sword reminiscent of Avarkiel, the Sword that strikes True. This practice of symbolically arranging a monastery's buildings has fallen out of favour on Hârn and can nowadays only be seen in old church holdings that have not been substantially altered over the centuries.
The Abbey was granted to the Order of the Spear of Shattered Sorrow and is subordinated spiritually to the Bishopric of Serelind. Financially, it is independent of the Laranian church of Kaldor, depending on lavish land grants to the north of Uldien and donations by Clan Ubael and their vassal knights.
This makes the Abbey virtually independent of church politics, a fact that was already foreseen at the time of the Abbey's founding and counteracted by the Abbey's founding charter.
The main points of the charter and resulting rule in the monastery are: the Serolan (abbot) of Uldien Abbey must be chosen from members of Clans Ubael, Yaronne, or Kobarney, who in turn are dutibound to care for the well-being of the Abbey's clerics; the maximum number of monks in the Abbey has been fixed at one Serolan, four masters, six Matakea, and 12 Ashesa (priests-in-training and lay monks all monks are bound by vows of obedience, personal poverty, and celibacy; a daily mass must be held for the glory of Saint Uldine and the deceased members of the patron Clans, especially the welfare of Clan Ubael; the Abbey must inter the mortal remains of all Ubaels and their vassals who led a Larani-fearing life and expressed their wish to be buried on the Monastery gounds; members of Clan Ubael and their vassals must be allowed to attend Soratir and Alamirata (lay and high mass) at their leisure; the Abbey must provide sanctuary of 40 days to any man or woman claiming the right by touching the tomb of Saint Uldine or the altar cloth and asking for sanctuary; the monks are granted the privilege to practise any trade free of guild influence or fees, as long as work is carried out solely on Abbey grounds and the produce is neither sold nor bartered.
Relations with the Peonians across the street are cordial. In lean times, the Abbey donates food to their poor brethren. In return for this generosity the Laranians do not have to maintain an infirmary of their own. Ill monks are cared for in their own cells by Peonian nuns, unless the malady or injury is severe, in which case the patient is transferred to the Peonian infirmary.
(1) The present Abbey church was built in the years 403- 431 TR around a small chapel housing the marble tomb of Saint Uldine which was dismanteled once the new church was finished. It is built of hardy Balimshire granite and much larger and more lavishly decorated than could be expected of such a small town – this is due to the patronage of generations of Barons and generous donations from local pilgrims. The main portal of the church is of stout Kaldoran oak and decorated with 16 bronze panels that depict the life and martyrdom of Saint Uldine. The decorations are regularly polished by pilgrims and gleam wonderfully in the late afternoon/early evening, depending on the season.
(2) The vestibule is decorated with ten statues of the knights of Tirith, maintaing eternal vigil over the approach to Saint Uldine's tomb. The holy warriors are depicted turned towards the sepulchre, with their heads bowed respectfully, and expressions of grief and mourning on their hardened faces. Due to the overhanging nobles' balcony, the vestibule is shrouded in semi-darkness, obscuring the fine detail of the statues. During Soratir masses small candles are lit before the statues, creating a solemn atmosphere reminiscent of a wake.
(3) The grand marble tomb of Saint Uldine, raised on a stone dais, occupies the crossing of the nave and the transept. Perpetually lit by four large candleholders, it is an artistic masterpiece with a carved lid showing Saint Uldine in mortal repose, her face beatific and her hands folded over the hilt of a broken sword. The columns surrounding the sepulchre are hung with many votive tablets donated by grateful adherents depicting miracles worked by the Saint. The tomb is the main destination of pilgrimages to Uldien and during most daylight hours pilgrims kneel on the steps in prayer, touching the sides of the sarcophagus, giving voice to their pleas and sorrows. A offertory box affixed to the northern pillar is emptied daily by the Suloran of the pilgrims' offerings and donations.
(4) The southern transept holds a winged altar to Saint Uldine. The triptych is normally closed, showing images of Saint Uldine and Saint Perelyne of Tengela on their outer wings. Only on the 22nd of Savor, the day of Uldine's death and martyrdom, is the altar opened and one of the Abbey's main relics displayed – the torn and blood-stained gown worn by Saint Uldine at the time of her passing. Most pilgrims flock to Uldien on her feast day and the Abbey church holds high mass in the morning and two lay pilgrim masses at midday and in the evening of her religious festival. On every other day, the compulsory soul mass for Clan Ubael and the Abbey's patrons is read here in the evening by one of the Matakeas.
(5) The northern transept is dominated by an altar to Saint Ambrathas carved of Uldien yew and lavishly painted and gilded. This is the traditional chapel for the Tirannon in Uldien, when squires hold a 24-hour vigil over their arms and armour right before their knighting ceremony. A glass casket set into the altar holds an old-fashioned broadsword believed to have been wielded by Lord Remnar Ubael during the Kaldoric Civil War.
(6) The choir stalls of Kaldoric oak are carved with lifelike scenes from the trials of Saint Ambrathas. Especially the fearsome monster and demon heads have given more than one young lay brother nightmares over the centuries. The Abbey choir is famous throughout Balimshire for their beautiful voices and is one of the few spiritual ensembles that still practice Egenis' plainchant, the sacred music composed by the third Laranian Sebrath (pontiff) in the 3rd century TR.
(7) The apse is dominated by a 12-foot-statue of Larani in her aspect of the “Terrible Lady of the Flowing Red”, wielding her sword and shield. The statue is carved of Kaldoric oak, painted in reds and whites and her sword, mail and helmet are gilded with red gold that gleams brightly under the morning sunlight falling through the painted windows set high into the apse walls. The tapestries show images of Tirithor and Dolithor to the left and the struggle between Larani and Agrik and Larani's victory over the demonic hordes of Balgashag to the right. The Abbey's main altar holds a reliquary containing a lock of hair of Saint Perelyne of Tengela.
(8) The sacristy holds ceremonial robes in the cabinets in the northern niche and sacred vessels and supplies of incense for the masses in the chests on the southern wall. It is mostly used as a robing room before mass.
(9) The death house is used to prepare the dead for burial. The large stone table has a groove and drain to channel run-off water and embalming fluids. The chest and shelves hold supplies for embalming and linen shrouds to wrap the prepared bodies in. Tapestries around the walls show the passage to Tirithor and the vigil of Mendiz the winged lion guarding the gates of Dolithor. Behind the tapestry of Mendiz are located the stairs down to the crypts.
(10) A well-equipped workshop for smith-work and carpentry. Most repairs and maintenance for the Abbey can be provided here. Supplies and storage are on the floor above.
(11) A workshop for weaving and hide-working. The loom is used to weave the cloth for the cleric's robes and undergarments, while hidework is used only for the monk's shoes and in book-binding. Parchment is procured through Roslynn of Regdin, Uldien's local lexigrapher. Supplies and storage are on the floor above.
(12) A lavatory with two toilets and a bathtub separated by curtains. The Abbey's rule holds the monks and sisters to high standards of cleanliness, requiring them to bathe twice a week. Since the lavatories have no heating facilities to minimize the danger of fire, all bathing water has to be heated in the common room or the kitchen and carried over in cauldrons – an unpopular task left to the youngest and strongest lay brothers. Out of charity towards their fellow brothers, most clerics settle for lukewarm water.
(13) The Ashesa cells are all located on the ground floor. Most of the acolytes are lay brothers and sisters who work in necessary trades in the Abbey and will never train for full priesthood, since the number of Matakea is fixed at six. The cells are spartan but comfortable, holding a cot bed, a small table and stool, and a chest for the acolyte's robes, personal belongings, arms, and shield.
(a) Middle-aged brother Elgin is the Abbey's chief cook and baker. Other Ashesa assist him on a rotating basis to prepare and serve the meals for the monks and pilgims.
(b) Brother Ambras is the monastery's cellarer and brewer, an important task for the welfare and contentment of the monks. He is wont to sample his products a little to often, but Serolan Kolas overlooks this fault since his ale, beer and cider are excellent.
(c) Brother Theron works as the Abbey's ostler. He has always been a simple, impressionable man, but since a mule kicked him in the head three years ago he has become even more touched, experiencing visions and having seizures. Serolan Kolas ministers to him personally and over the last year his visions of Saint Uldine have become more detailed and frequent – curiously coinciding with the abbot's new petition to have Saint Uldine canonized.
(d) Burly and morose, Brother Varec is nevertheless a skilled blacksmith with an artistic bent. The intricate fourarmed candleholders in the Abbey church are his work.
(e) Loquacious Brother Brand is the Abbey's carpenter and woodcrafter. He has great troubles with his vow of celibacy and has spent many a night in the porter's lodge lock-up for trying to peep at the female clerics during their bathtime.
(f) 68-year-old Brother Peran can no longer work at physical tasks due to gout and old age. Two years ago, Serolan Kolas appointed him as the main porter guarding the gate. He loves this work, which allows him to bask in the sun and chat with town residents passing by.
(g) Brother Lartyn oversees work in the fields and the vegetable plots to the north of the Abbey. He is hardworking and popular with the serfs who respect his gentle but firm leadership. He is responsible for the granaries as well.
(h) Brother Narn does the hideworking and bookbinding for the scriptorium. He shares the workshop with Sister Kera and also has an illicit affair with her which would lead to severe punishment if it were discovered.
(i) Pretty Sister Kera is the weaver and clothier of Uldien Abbey. She has begun an illicit affair with Brother Narn four months ago and is scared about the consequences, especially since her menstruation stopped a month ago. She not only fears the severe legal consequences of a pregnancy but also has moral problems with breaking her vows.
(j) Sister Erynn is over 70 but still in good health and does most of the gardening on the Abbey grounds. She has suspicions regarding Sister Kera and Brother Narn but thus far has convinced herself that she must be mistaken.
(k) Sister Ulda works in the Scriptorium as an illuminator. She likes to hide sarcastic snipes in her illustrations and has been chided by the Serolan for this on several accounts. Her artistic talent is so great (as well as her skills as a forger) that he has abstained from punishing her more severely thus far, but one of her most outrageous initials, depicting a Rekela as a gluttonous pig, almost resulted in an investigation by church authorities.
(l) Sister Serena Yaronne trains for the priesthood and works in the Scriptorium as a scribe. She is very gifted and intelligent but might have to wait a long time until one of the Matakea posts becomes empty for her to advance in the Abbey hierarchy. The walls and floorboards of her cell have become wet and spotted with mould from dampness rising from the cellar giving her a nasty cough, but she won't complain for fear of appearing weak and ungrateful.
(14) The common room is the place where most Ashesa spend their little free time, especially in bad weather. It is also the only room where the acolytes can warm themselves during the cold season. It serves the Valaran as a lecture room for religious education of the clerics and the children of the townfolk.
(15) The stable houses two mules and four palfreys owned by the Abbey, as well as the monastery's wagon which the Serolan uses for his infrequent travels. The hay storage at the northern end only holds a limited supply of fodder for the immediate use of the animals and has to be regularly restocked from the tithe barn to the north of the Abbey. Brother Theron is very diligent in his work but due to his frequent seizures the other brothers look into the stables on a regular basis to ensure that he is well cared for.
(16) The refectory is the dining-hall of Uldien Abbey. All meals are eaten here in silence. One of the Matakea or Ashesa reads from holy scripture during the meals to enlighten the spirit. Speaking during the reading is strictly forbidden and punished. This lack of regular communication at the tables has lead to the creation of a simple handcode to signal the other brothers for necessities like passing the salt. Monastery fare consists of many variations of grain broth, soup, and fish. Meat is reserved for special occasions and for the masters' table where it is served three times a week. The chests at the southern end contain tableware, cutlery, linen, and containers for salt and spices.
(17) The large kitchen is used to prepare all the meals served in the refectory. Brother Elgin is undisputed master here, assisted by other lay brothers. Kitchen work is most popular during the cold season when this room is the warmest area in the Abbey. Sometimes Ashesa sneak into the kitchen to sleep next to the warm fireplace. This is strictly forbidden and punished with several nights spent in the drafty lock-up in the porter's lodge. Bread, one of the main staples in the monastery, is baked in the large oven right outside the kitchen building.
(18) The brewhouse contains fermenting vats and casks where ale, beer, and cider are brewed by Brother Ambras. He also experiments here with distilling a herbal liqueur which he calls “Uldine's Tears”. The recipe needs some more refining but the first batches have been very promising, thus far. Serolan Kolas intends to use bottles of the liqueur as gifts to important personages and so spread word of Saint Uldine in a pleasant context.
(19) The small pantry only contains enough food to feed the residents and guests for a day or two. It is restocked by the cellarer Brother Ambras on a daily basis from the extensive stores in the basement.
(20) This ramp leads down to the wine cellar and is used to roll down barrels. It consists only of packed earth and is very treacherous in wet weather or when covered with ice or snow.
(21) Access to the Abbey grounds is controlled by the porter Brother Peran who spends most of his days in front of the porter's lodge, weather permitting. The main gate is open during daylight hours, but closed during mass and meal times. Visitors and pilgrims arriving when the gate is closed can arouse the porter's attention by working a bell-pull next to the gate and if their business stated satisfies him, are allowed entry into the Abbey. The porter's lodge serves as shelter during inclement weather but also holds the lock-up used to punish wayward Brothers and Sisters and to hold criminals accused of violating canon law. The porter must sleep in the lodge when the lock-up is in use, otherwise he spends his nights in his cell in the main building.
(1) The balcony stretches over half the nave and the northern and southern transepts. It is reserved for noble churchgoers and visiting higher clergy. The view down towards the altar apse and the side altars in the transepts is very good, but the view up towards the painted dome is breath-taking. The 45-foot-high dome is painted with a vision of Tirithor, the Laranian heaven, with winged lions carrying banners inscribed with chivalric mottoes, trailing their general Mendiz who swoops towards the dome's apex. The transept balconies are also used to hear the confessions of lay worshippers since the Abbey Church has no modern confessional booths.
(2) The dome's apex is crowned by a small belfry hung with the Abbey's 500-lbs.-sacring-bell “Uldine's lament”. The bell is rung to signify the time for worshippers to go to mass, or to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service. It is rung at the highpoint of the mass when the priest blesses the worshippers present to signify that Larani's grace has been granted to the faithful. Its position high above Uldien means that its ring can be heard for many miles around which makes it also useful for alerting the countryside to imminent danger like hostile troops, flooding, or wildfire.
(3) This windlass operates the sacring-bell's hopper. It can be worked by a single brother, usually Brother Theron who likes this task very much.
(4) The windlass on the opposite balcony is used to raise and lower the huge chandelier suspended above the choir. The task of replacing the candles and cleaning the elaborate ironwork most often falls to junoir lay brothers who dislike the heavy work. At times it is given to pilgrims seeking penance for their sins.
(5) The second floor is ringed with painted glass windows set high in the walls, the most magnificient decorating the choir and the apse. These windows are each dedicated to one major saint and depict his life story and major miracles in 12 panels each. The saints venerated (from north to south around the apse) are:
Saint Janasyn the second pontiff
Saint Fardir of Tenil of the Spear of Shattered Sorrow
Saint Ambrathas of Alamire of the Lady of Paladins
Saint Perelyne of Tengela the first pontiff
Saint Uldine Ubael of Uldien
Saint Orthas the Defender
Saint Chelrik the Just
Saint Branik the Compassionate
[see “Lady of Paladins”, written by Kerry Mould, 2001, for descriptions of the last three saints].
(6) The granaries hold the Abbey's grain stores in four wooden bins containing wheat, barley, rye, and oats. The northern granary stores the Abbey's seed reserve for the next year, while the two others hold the grain to be consumed over the current year. The granaries are constructed of wood and raised on staddles – thick supports that elevate the structure from the ground protecting its contents from vermin and water seepage. The granary doors are built with a small cat flap that allows the Abbey's cats to hunt rodents in the storage bins. The ladders can be detached and hung upon hooks in the granary walls – another safety measure to prevent vermin from getting at the valuable grain by removing easy access.
(7) This large storeroom above the workshops holds supplies and extra tools for smithing, carpentry, hideworking, and fieldwork. It also stores raw wool to be spun into cloth and large wooden beams for building repairs. Most of the supplies are raised and lowered via a rope & pulley system attached to a heavy beam outside and above the access door in the southern wall. The crowded room with its confusing layout is a favourite spot for monks shirking their duties to take a short nap away from prying eyes.
(8) Lavatories. See under (12) in the ground floor description.
(9) The offices and cells for the masters are more lavish than those for the Matakea or Ashesa. Each master has a comfortable bed that could easily sleep three persons, and a chest that holds his personal possessions, clothes, robes, arms, armour, and religious treasures like prayer books, rosaries, or blessed medals. The master's personal space is divided from his reception area by a curtain. Here each master has two comfortable chairs to receive visitors, hold official meetings with his subordinate Matakea, and hear private confession from his fellow monks.
(a) This office is shared by the Valaran (master of acolytes) and the Suloran (master of archives) but often stands vacant, since the Valaran does little book-keeping and the Suloran often uses the librarian's office beside the sriptorium.
(b) The office shared by the Obasaran (master of secular affairs) and Menoran (master of the fighting order) is mostly occupied by the Obasaran who keeps meticulous records of his dealings with the feudal lords and aldermen. The chests also hold his copious written correspondence with fellow Obasarans in Kaldor. The Menoran has little use for an office since no members of the Order of the Lady of Paladins are stationed at Uldien. He spends most of his time on training the Ashesa and Matakea at arms and helps tollkeeper Irgen of Ranvar (see the Tollhouse #25 in Uldien) in training the militia.
(c) Menoran Garen Kobarney is a former chaplain to the Order of the Lady of Paladins and has fought in numerous skirmishes as well as the crusade against the Solori. He misses the action on the battlefield and the camaraderie amongst the fighting order, but an old battlewound in his abdomen keeps him away from the fray these days. He spends most of his time on weapons practice with the Ashesa and Matakea who fear his fiery temper but benefit from his vast experience.
(d) Obasaran Keldan of Benren is a worldly priest in his sixties. He often sits on the Alderman court as juror and is popular in Uldien for his keen insight and just rulings. His skillful rhetoric has persuaded many a nobleman to donate far more to the Abbey's coffers than expected. He is very close to the Serolan and writes many of the treatises and petitions connected to Saint Uldine's canonisation process.
(e) Suloran Pervis Lartyne is a close-mouthed and fastidious bookkeeper. He juggles the Abbey's finances throughout the year and always has that little bit extra in store to finance the Serolan's latest extravaganza. He often lies awake at night worrying about the day when Larani herself reviews his books and finds them wanting for all the money spent on bribes and gifts to further the abbot's schemes. Pervis is not a happy man.
(f) Valaran Hedira Radavern is a pious and kind woman in her fifties who always has an open ear for the sorrows and needs of her charges. She nevertheless is very strict in her adherence to the vows and demands obedience to her orders. Most acolytes adore her but fear to disappoint her all the same. In over 20 years as Valaran she never had to raise her voice above conversational level to make herself heard.
(10) The most opulent cell is inhabited by 44-year-old Serolan Kolas Ubael, a 2nd-degree cousin of Baron Karsin. The northern half of the room is used as a council chamber for the Abbey's council of five and for deliberations between the abbot and clerical or worldly visitors. It is hung with rich tapestries that depict Saint Uldine ministering to the poor and healing the sick. The tapestry behind the head of the council table shows a poetic map of Balimshire that is much admired by visitors. The southern half of the chamber is used by the Serolan as a bedchamber with a huge canopied four-poster carved with his clan's coat-of-arms and as a workroom dominated by his writing desk and three huge chests that hold countless documents related to the Abbey's rights and privileges and Saint Uldine's canonisation. Many of these are copies of first hand accounts of miracles ascribed to the Saint (embellished by the Obasaran's skillful rhetoric) and copies of historical documents from the time of the Civil War that describe minutiae of Uldine's life and piety (many of these are very good forgeries since only few genuine documents have survived in Kaldor from that turbulent peroid). When traveling, Serolan Kolas takes many of these accounts with him in the locked trunk to keep them close and produce them as evidence in theological debates. Serolan Kolas' infinite trunk has become something of a joke among the theologians of Kaldor since Kolas seems to have an unlimited supply of relevant documents in his chest that he produces to underline his statements or invalidate another's criticism or doubts.
(11) The Matakea cells are only slightly more comfortable than those assigned to the Ashesa. The main differences are more comfortable mattresses and braziers used to warm the cells in cold weather.
(a) Brother Dernal Ubael is the Serolan's 25-year-old nephew and his personal secretary. Dernal is deeply involved in the Serolan's schemes and intrigues to further the canonisation process but tends to stay out of the limelight and coordinate the abbot's plans behind the scenes. He also maintains the Serolan's network of contacts and spies in other Abbeys and Temples in Kaldor to get an early warning of rivals' moves to counter the Serolan's schemes. He is very loyal to his uncle and Kolas already grooms him as his successor for the day that his hard work finally pays off and elevates him to the rank of Rekela.
(b) Brother Olvar assists the Valaran in her daily work. He oversees the Ashesa in their tasks to ensure that they do their work and don't sneak off to catch a nap and also spends time in the library to research the topics for the Valaran's theological lessions. He especially likes to bully the acolytes with his sanctimonious rebukes and takes delight in every punishment imposed due to his vigilance. Hedira, pious as she is, is blind to his sadistic streak.
(c) Brother Wrenn assists the Suloran as librarian and guardian of the written works. He is very well-read and curious about many things, especially forbidden lore about the practices of the dark churches. In his two years as librarian he has found only two blasphemous tomes in the Abbey's library but he is sure that more must be hidden among the laden shelves. One future day his prying might lead him down a darker path that could drag many of his fellow monks down along with him.
(d) Brother Korwyn assists the Obasaran in his duties. He works as a secretary writing out letters dictated by the Obasaran and accompanies him on his travels within the Barony, visiting the manors and ministering to the spiritual needs of the vassal knights. Korwyn is devoted to his master and is very keen on learning logic from him, acting as his court scribe at Aldermanic trials.
(e) Sister Benra is the main scribe of Uldien Abbey supervising the work of her fellow brothers and sisters in the scriptorium. She is a bookish, fussy, and agitated middleaged woman who has become very short-sighted in her demanding work. She also does most of the translations being fluent in over a dozen languages and scripts. Benra is not very popular with her fellow brothers and sisters, a fact she does not even seem to realize.
(f) Sister Rhona is the Abbey's general dogsbody and factotum. Orphaned as a baby, she was raised in the household of Thyris of Nellag, the metalsmith attached to the Abbey (see #23 in Uldien), and entered the Abbey as an Ashesa at the age of 12. Now 23 years old, highly intelligent and personable, she aids all the masters during busy times, manages the pilgrims' hostel, and chaplains to the Ubaels when the Serolan is away on his travels. Serolan Kolas considers training her as an exorcist, a duty that falls to him alone at the moment, and which he would very much like to delegate to someone else. Rhona is closest to Menoran Garen Kobarney who treats her more like a daughter than a fellow sister and spars with her often, which has turmed her into a very capable swordswoman.
(12) The pilgrims' hostel, managed by Sister Rhona, houses all the pilgrims seeking aid from Saint Uldine who cannot or will not spend money to stay at one of Uldien's inns. The quarters are very spartan, housing up to 24 common pilgrims in bunk beds, but also providing comfortable space for distinguished guests in the private guestroom right beside the entrance at the northern end of the hostel. Opposite the guestroom is the hostel's common room, actually just the widened hallway furnished with a long trestle table and stools. Meals are eaten alongside the Abbey's brothers and sisters in the Refectory. Only the guestroom and the common room are heated with braziers. The hostel is not too cold anyway, since it is situated above the stables and benefits from the warmth generated by the animals stabled there. The pilgrims' hostel is busiest in the month of Savor around Saint Uldine's holy festival on the 22nd. Pilgrims are housed for up to one tenday free of charge, provided they spend at least four hours each day in the church praying to Saint Uldine. At the end of their stay they are expected to donate to the Abbey's coffers, but this is not compulsory. Many pilgrims wish to confess at the beginning of their stay and are often given menial tasks around the Abbey as penance in addition to prayers. This constitutes an important contribution to the Abbey's workforce.
(13) The Scriptorium of Uldien Abbey is always busy with about half of the brothers and sisters working here at any time, writing and illustrating pages to be bound into manuscripts. Most of the work done here entails copying or translating the texts from the library to be given away or sold to other monastaries and temples, only rarely to rich laymen who can afford the steep prices a manuscript fetches on Hârn. Working in the Scriptorium is hard work, straining the back in a cramped position and ruining the eyes squinting at miniscule letters. The room is well lit from the many windows along its length, but on overcast days the lamps along the wall are lit as well to provide sufficient illumination. The shelves on the opposite wall hold books from the library to be copied, supplies of parchment and black ink, as well as blankets for the monks (no braziers or fires are allowed near the books) and and consoles for the writing desks (parchment to be written on is never laid flat on a table but always clamped to an angled board). The chests at the western end hold valuable inks, colour pigments, and carved magnifying glasses and crytals. The Scriptorium is supervised by Sister Benra, who rules it with an iron fist. Many of the lay brothers chafe at their duties in the Scriptorium and try to shirk them, especially during planting and harvest times, when they are needed for the physical work. She has little sympathy for their needs, feeling that the manuscripts are far more important than food or similar trivialities. Brother Brand often saves the day for his brothers by imitating their voices – which is often enough to convince Sister Benra that the Scriptorium is working at full capacity while only a fraction of the scribes are present – her eyesight is really that bad.
(14) The librarian's office is shared by Brother Wrenn and Suloran Pervis who likes the company of the librarian and often sits in on the Scriptorium calculating his figures with a perpetual frown on his face. Wrenn holes up in his office most of the day, studying volumes from the library and working on an index to catalogue its contents. A formidable task, since his predecessors considered an index catalogue a waste of time and valuable parchment and instead relied on their memory. The current librarian has been shocked at the diverse contents of the library's manuscripts and pleased at the same time to find blasphemous works forgotten over the centuries. The middle section of the shelves on the southern wall are constructed to swing inwards when a lever hidden under one of the boards is pulled, allowing access to a secret door to the hidden forger's workshop. Only the Serolan, Suloran, librarian, and Sister Ulda know of this door and the workroom beyond.
(15) The forger's workroom is a hidden small Scriptorium used mostly by Sister Ulda. Here she works on forging historical accounts of Saint Uldine's life to further the canonisation process as well as official documents for the Abbey. Many monasteries on Hârn maintain a similar institution to provide genuine looking copies of all their legal documents lost to mould, fire, or the teeth of vermin. This is nothing unusual, but the work in Uldien Abbey's forger's workshop goes far beyond accepted copying. Ulda is responsible for replenishing Serolan Kolas' “infinite trunk” and she is very good at it. The chests hold all the necessary supplies for the forger's art: inks, pigments, and parchment of all sorts, along with alchemical solutions to artificially age parchment and leather, a huge collection of different types of sealing wax and fine tools to forge seals, thread for the stitching of book spines, and cords and ribbons to affix the seals to.
(16) The library of Uldien Abbey is very encompassing, having been collected over 340 years without a single outbreak of fire that might have damaged the stock. The collection includes mostly works on canon law (compiled especially for the previous attempts at canonisation), hagiography (biographies of saints), church history, theology, warfare, natural history, mundane law, medicine, herbology, geography, and folklore. Hidden amongst the laden shelves are also works on diverse subjects ranging from arcane lore, pvaric philosophy, the theology of the dark churches and demonology, to architecture, and treatises on apiary (bee-keeping). In short, almost any topic of interest could be covered in one of the manuscripts, provided someone can find it. The tomes are grouped together loosely according to subject, but centuries of librarians with different views on logical arrangement have muddied the waters, causing treatises on Kandian wool-shearing to end up next to essays on Halean temple-dances (complete with detailed illustrations) – a chaotic jumble that would tax even the sanest mind, and Brother Wrenn's mind could not be considered sane even at the best of times. Access to the library is granted only to the Serolan, Suloran, and the librarian Brother Wrenn. A sturdy oaken door with a good-quality lock keeps out the curious and unauthorized. Visitors and scribes working on the manuscripts ask for the volumes needed, which are brought to their desk in the Scriptorium by the librarian.
The Refectory and kitchen building has a full undergound level, as well as the Abbey church which holds the crypts under roughly 2/3rds of its groundfloor area. The long-stretched building housing the monks' cells at the north-eastern edge of the Abbey compound should not have an underground area at all, since it stands much too close to the mill brook (Quelan brook), but see under (1). The underground areas are connected by secret tunnels, one of which (8) also runs south-east until turning left and connecting to the cellars of Caer Ubael (off-map, not shown, see map of Caer Ubael).
(1) These damp, mouldering, and partially-flooded cells are all that remains of a short-lived mystic movement in Uldien Abbey that existed in the years 604-623 TR. Shocked by the brutality of the Baronial Revolt, three young monks from Uldien Abbey, who had fought in the revolt, swore an oath to abandon the light of the world and, in solitude, seek Larani's forgiving light within themselves. They were granted permission to found their “Brotherhood of the Inner Light of Tirithor” by the Serolan of the day who also had part of the building undercellared to install three dark cells for the enthusiastic mystics. The movement proved shortlived. A permanent withdrawal from sunlight has devastating effects on the human body and psyche – bones become brittle, joints ache, the skin thins and loses its pigmentation, eyesight fails, and the mind deteriorates into depression and insomnia. Within 15 years, two of the tree Brothers had died, one from hanging himself with his rosary, the other from self-inflicted starvation. The last Brother, a former knight named Ramlen, was made of stronger stuff physically, but his mind started to fail. He was tormented by nightmares and waking dreams that attracted the attention of Naveh's demons who started to pursue him in his dreams and showed him visions of their horrible homeland. Near the end of his strength, Ramlen avoided sleep for over three weeks to scratch his visions into the cell's walls as a warning to his fellow brothers and sisters. Once he had finished, he lay down on his cot and died from sheer exhaustion. His brothers brought food for another three days and when they saw it untouched, concluded the last of the mystics had died. When the Abbey's embalmer entered the cell to collect the body, he was deeply shocked by the blasphemous writings on the wall and fled the cell, claiming the body of Ramlen had been spirited away by Saint Uldine – he rather told a heretical lie than having to face the cell again. The cells were then abandoned and slowly fell into disrepair. Water from the mill brook started to seep through the wall, bringing mildew and rot to the foundations. Over the decades the rot has started to creep up through the walls, with dire consequences for one of the Ashesa (see under (13l) in the ground floor description). Nowadays practically no one enters these cellars anymore – it is not that they are a secret, but rather that no one sees the point in coming here. The writings in Ramlen's cell might prove of interest for someone wishing to delve into the inner mysteries of Naveh and his servants. Hints for finding them might come from some scholar familiar with the Brotherhood, from a random note in a Laranian holy book, from Brother Ramlen's restless spirit that longs for a decent burial, or from a chance discoverey when the Abbey officials finally start to clear the source of the rot and mould plaguing their home.
(2) This secret passage connecting the mystics' cells to the crypt church has been truly forgotten. It was originally built to provide the mystics with a means to hear mass in the crypt church without breaking their vows of solitude and avoidance of the light. The secret doors pivot on a central axis and can simply be opened by pushing against one of their edges, but centuries of grime, water-seepage and rot have caused them to become solidly stuck. The passage itself is unlit, dank and smells strongly of mildew and rat urine.
(3) The crypt church is furnished simply with an unadorned altar and two candleholders. Nowadays it is only used for the traditional wake beside the open casket and burial service right before a new coffin is stored in one of the niches. Brother Theron occasionally comes here for a moment of private devotion and quiet when his visions and nightmares plague him heavily.
(4) The burial niches underneath the choir hold the mortal remains of the Serolans and masters who administered Uldien Abbey over the centuries. The niches are closed by heavy stone plaques that are inscribed with the deceased's name, rank, dates of birth and death, and their coat-of-arms in case of noblemen. Some of the coffins hold precious objects like rings, rosarys or medals, but graverobbing has never occurred here (as far as living memory serves).
(5) The lay brothers and sisters are entombed in simple niches under the northern transept, stacked three rows high. The niches are also closed with a plaque commemorating their names and dates, but the niches themselves only hold the remains in a simple shroud with no precious goods anywhere. Sometimes, the newly occupied niches are visited by relatives or friendly brothers of the deceased who lay down flowers or simple wreaths in front of the plaque.
(6) At the crossing of the transept and nave crypts stand four elaborate marble tombs that house the remains of important Ubaels who wanted to be laid to rest underneath the sepulchre of Saint Uldine. From north to west these are:
Sir Remnar Ubael, first lord of Uldien
Sir Kerac Ubael, first Baron of Uldien
Sir Basca Ubael, Baron during the Barional Revolt
Sir Konin Ubael, father of the current Baron.
Baron Karsin visits his father's tomb regularly to pray for his soul, especially since he died under mysterious circumstances. The sepulchre always has flowers or a dried wreath as decoration.
(7) The crypts under the southern transept are used as a burial ground for the mortal remains of members of Clans Ubael, Yaronne, and Kobarney. Not all the family members are interred here, many chose to be buried in private crypts on their holdings or cemetaries close to their homes. Those noblemen and -women inhumed here are laid to rest in niches covered with stone plaques noting their names, titles, dates and coats-of-arms, usually carved of marble for the Ubaels or granite for their vassals. Within the niches are coffins holding the mortal remains, often along precious jewelery or rusting arms and shields. At the end of the western-most hallway is a secret door that grants access to a tunnel connecting the crypts to the storage cellars underneath the Abbey's Refectory and Caer Ubael. The door can be opened by depressing a small latch hidden in a narrow gap in the masonry, which causes the door to swing open silently on well-oiled hinges. The existence of the secret tunnels and its means of access is known only to Baron Karsin, his immediate family, constable Selvos Yaronne, and Serolan Kolas.
(8) The secret tunnel is one of the newest additions to the Abbey, having been built during Caer Ubael's construction in the 570ies TR. It is well maintained and dry. For connections and access see (7) above.
(9) The huge storage cellar under the Refectory houses the Abbey's supplies of non-perishable food and goods. Sacks and crates full of dried vegetables and fruit are stacked on low wooden platforms that raise the stores from the ground keeping them better protected from spoilage due to wetness, especially during early spring when the water-table of the mill brook rises from the snow melt-off. Brother Ambras, the cellarer and brewer of Uldien Abbey, is very diligent in his duties and regularly checks the stores for foodstuffs that are close to spoiling, which are then either served quickly if they are still edible or added to the Abbey's compost heap north of the grounds if they are not. The chests to the west and east are full of spices, pots of honey, other seasonings, and beeswax used for the sweet-smelling candles lighting the church and the Serolan's quarters. About half of the southern wall is hung with dried, smoked and salted meat, either from the Abbey's own lifestock or donated by wealthy pilgrims.
(10) The Abbey's wine cellar is the whole pride and joy of Brother Ambras who stores many different vintages of local and imported wines for the Serolan's table. The lay brothers are also served wine regularly, but their vintage is closer to vinegar than wine. The casks along the south-western wall are filled with ale and beer left to mature for several days or weeks and then served to pilgrims or brothers who cannot stomach the sour wine.
Saint Uldine is a typical example for a multitude of local saints venerated all over the Hârnic Isles. During the early days of the Laranian church on Hârn in the 3rd century TR, many missionaries preaching their faith were martyred. Their influence was often limited to a small region where their reputation made them local saints venerated by the converted population, but could not spread further than the immediate area. Only important saints immortalized through scripture like Saint Ambrathas or through their exalted position like Saint Perelyne were worshipped throughout Laranian lands. No formal process for canonisation (official recognition as a saint and adding the saint's name to the canon) existed, opening the way for the veneration of many dubious claimants to sainthood, often the ancestors of the local lord. Once the church had stabilized and the regional authorities were firmly ensconced, it fell to the Rekelas to recognize the local saints and allow veneration or expurge fraudulous saints and expunge their heresies. In the 5th century TR the Sebrath (pontiff) realized the importance of centralised recognition of the saints and tasked the Ethelanca (Laranian holy office & inquisition) with the canonisation process. Since then, official investigations are held when a temple, diocese, or other clerical body wants to have their local exemplar of piety canonised. The process is quite involved, the worthiness of the saint-to-be's claim has to be proven without doubt through witness accounts vouching for their pious life and works and for the veracity of miracles worked either during their life or after their death. Worshipping false saints is heresy and punished harshly, while the canonisation of a local saint brings fame and prosperity to the local area when pilgrims start flocking to the saint's burial site, donating and spending their money freely. Saint Uldine's case is a bit more complicated than many others. She was martyred not by Agrikans or barbarians, but rather by mercenary troops under the leadership of a Kaldoric freelance – hardly better than a mercenary himself, but still a knight raised under the guiding hand of the church, and from a family that later rose to the rulership of the Barony of Yeged. For that reason, the previous attempts at canonisation failed – the pontificate did not want to tear open old wounds in one of the most important countries on Hârn. Serolan Kolas has vowed to succeed where his predecessors failed. He expects stiff resistance from the Londels, the Serolan of Brynd, and other Kaldoran clerics who fear for the importance of their own pilgrimage sites. He has collected more witness statements for the process than necessary and his spies and informers within the church work hard to uncover the plots of his adversaries. His attempts to spread the word about his saint have upped the ante and a negative ruling by the Ethelanca would probably result in an accusal of heresy. He is doomed to succeed.
Saints are faithful believers who led an exemplary life, either through dying for their faith (martyrs) or through upholding and spreading their faith under adverse conditions (confessors). Laranian (and Peonian) theology asserts that these outstanding individuals, upon their death, immediately enter heaven and are welcomed into the direct presence of their deity where they take an exalted position. Their heavenly state allows them to intercede (pray) for the needs and plights of the faithful who turn to them in prayer. In a sense, they are an advisory body to the deity that is much closer to it than the believers who are still on Kethira – closer because the saint still has an earthly presence due to his relics. Relics are either his mortal remains or objects connected initimately to his life or martyrdom (i.e. his priestly vestments, his staff of office, torture implements used during his martyrdom, etc.). To establish contact with the saint, the faithful venerate him in ritual prayer and by touching his relics – this is also the reason why pilgrimages are so popular: to venerate and handle the saint's relics you have to journey to the site where they are kept. Many believers find it easier to turn to a saint with their wishes and needs than directly to their deity. The saint is one of their own, a former mortal, and thus seems more familiar and maybe tractable than a deity that always remains mysterious, especially since the Concordat limits the gods' actions in a way that is completely incomprehensible to the common man. It also seems safer to turn to a saint with a selfish request that might anger the deity.
To represent the role of the saints in the rules, the following optional rule might suit your needs:
When adjudicating a call for divine intervention (see HM Religion, pages 5 & 6) add the following line to the Divine Intervention Table: Saint +10 -30 +0 This means that addressing a saint increases the chances for Divine Intervention but also increases the chance for conditions, while retribution does not become more likely. Praying over the relics of the saint may further increase the chance of intervention by the rating of the relic at gm's discretion. Conditions imposed by saints are often in the form of donations to be made, usually a new reliquary to house a relic, or votive candles or plaques that commemorate the miracle granted on behalf of the saint's intercession. These votive offerings are not meant to elevate the saint, but rather to bolster the faithful by giving testament to the power of their faith and the mercy of their deity.
Relics are holy items connected to the saints (or very rarely to the deities themselves). The Treasure chapter of the various rules editions state that a relic gives a flat +10% bonus to divine intervention calls and has 2d6 charges. This might be suitable to a holy item created by a priest through a ritual invocation, but not for a true relic derived from a venerated saint. Relics of the saints come in very different shapes and levels of power. To distinguish these from created holy items, a system of rating a relic should be established. A true relic has a numeric rating from 1 to 10 which is added to the intervention roll and holds no charges – a relic's powers do not diminish, but might increase if the saint is venerated by many people. Sample relic ratings are:
Rating Description
1-2 blessed pilgrim's badge (only works for the pilgrim who went on pilgrimage rosary or prayer beads blessed at major pilgrimage site
3-4 item possessed by minor saint (priestly vestments, staff of office, personal rosary, etc.)
5-6 item possessed by major saint; bone of a minor saint.
7-8 bone of a major saint; whole body of a minor saint; blood or hair of greatest saint (Ambrathas).
9 whole body of a major saint; bone of a greatest saint.
10 whole body of greatest saint.
Possession of true relics with ratings above 2 is restricted to the churches. These relics belong to the whole congregation of the faithful and not to single individuals. Only on very rare occasions are laymen given special dispensation by the pontiff to own true relics. This favour always comes with very high fees and donations and thus is affordable only for kings or emperors and even then is almost never granted for the supplicant must also be of undoubtable character and faith. Temples and churches are very interested in obtaining true relics to increase their attractiveness as pilgrimage sites. Powerful relics draw many pilgrims who spend money on donations and votive offerings and also hear mass and sermons in the church. Major relics not only represent easier access to divine grace, but also temporal power and prestige. For this reason many plots and intrigues within the churches revolve around the central question of who holds powerful relics and who is able to hold onto them. The number of true relics is limited and usually only increase when a new saint is canonised, so many churches petition the church hierarchy for recognition of their local saints or turn to canon law trials, bribery or power pressure to obtain the relics of lesser temples, usually with the rationale that powerful relics should be venerated where more believers can easily reach them or that they should be kept where they are safest. Lesser temples usually resist these arguments by declaring their local saint as their patron saint whose intercession and help is most often granted to the inhabitants of the local area. This diminishes the church's attractiveness as a major pilgrimage site but usually helps to keep the relics within the local church.
This shows clearly in the Abbey's lay-out. The outer buildings along the wall are arranged in the symbolic shape of Hyvrik, Larani's shield, superimposed by the Abbey Church shaped as a stylized sword reminiscent of Avarkiel, the Sword that strikes True. This practice of symbolically arranging a monastery's buildings has fallen out of favour on Hârn and can nowadays only be seen in old church holdings that have not been substantially altered over the centuries.
The Abbey was granted to the Order of the Spear of Shattered Sorrow and is subordinated spiritually to the Bishopric of Serelind. Financially, it is independent of the Laranian church of Kaldor, depending on lavish land grants to the north of Uldien and donations by Clan Ubael and their vassal knights.
This makes the Abbey virtually independent of church politics, a fact that was already foreseen at the time of the Abbey's founding and counteracted by the Abbey's founding charter.
The main points of the charter and resulting rule in the monastery are: the Serolan (abbot) of Uldien Abbey must be chosen from members of Clans Ubael, Yaronne, or Kobarney, who in turn are dutibound to care for the well-being of the Abbey's clerics; the maximum number of monks in the Abbey has been fixed at one Serolan, four masters, six Matakea, and 12 Ashesa (priests-in-training and lay monks all monks are bound by vows of obedience, personal poverty, and celibacy; a daily mass must be held for the glory of Saint Uldine and the deceased members of the patron Clans, especially the welfare of Clan Ubael; the Abbey must inter the mortal remains of all Ubaels and their vassals who led a Larani-fearing life and expressed their wish to be buried on the Monastery gounds; members of Clan Ubael and their vassals must be allowed to attend Soratir and Alamirata (lay and high mass) at their leisure; the Abbey must provide sanctuary of 40 days to any man or woman claiming the right by touching the tomb of Saint Uldine or the altar cloth and asking for sanctuary; the monks are granted the privilege to practise any trade free of guild influence or fees, as long as work is carried out solely on Abbey grounds and the produce is neither sold nor bartered.
Relations with the Peonians across the street are cordial. In lean times, the Abbey donates food to their poor brethren. In return for this generosity the Laranians do not have to maintain an infirmary of their own. Ill monks are cared for in their own cells by Peonian nuns, unless the malady or injury is severe, in which case the patient is transferred to the Peonian infirmary.
GROUND FLOOR
(1) The present Abbey church was built in the years 403- 431 TR around a small chapel housing the marble tomb of Saint Uldine which was dismanteled once the new church was finished. It is built of hardy Balimshire granite and much larger and more lavishly decorated than could be expected of such a small town – this is due to the patronage of generations of Barons and generous donations from local pilgrims. The main portal of the church is of stout Kaldoran oak and decorated with 16 bronze panels that depict the life and martyrdom of Saint Uldine. The decorations are regularly polished by pilgrims and gleam wonderfully in the late afternoon/early evening, depending on the season.
(2) The vestibule is decorated with ten statues of the knights of Tirith, maintaing eternal vigil over the approach to Saint Uldine's tomb. The holy warriors are depicted turned towards the sepulchre, with their heads bowed respectfully, and expressions of grief and mourning on their hardened faces. Due to the overhanging nobles' balcony, the vestibule is shrouded in semi-darkness, obscuring the fine detail of the statues. During Soratir masses small candles are lit before the statues, creating a solemn atmosphere reminiscent of a wake.
(3) The grand marble tomb of Saint Uldine, raised on a stone dais, occupies the crossing of the nave and the transept. Perpetually lit by four large candleholders, it is an artistic masterpiece with a carved lid showing Saint Uldine in mortal repose, her face beatific and her hands folded over the hilt of a broken sword. The columns surrounding the sepulchre are hung with many votive tablets donated by grateful adherents depicting miracles worked by the Saint. The tomb is the main destination of pilgrimages to Uldien and during most daylight hours pilgrims kneel on the steps in prayer, touching the sides of the sarcophagus, giving voice to their pleas and sorrows. A offertory box affixed to the northern pillar is emptied daily by the Suloran of the pilgrims' offerings and donations.
(4) The southern transept holds a winged altar to Saint Uldine. The triptych is normally closed, showing images of Saint Uldine and Saint Perelyne of Tengela on their outer wings. Only on the 22nd of Savor, the day of Uldine's death and martyrdom, is the altar opened and one of the Abbey's main relics displayed – the torn and blood-stained gown worn by Saint Uldine at the time of her passing. Most pilgrims flock to Uldien on her feast day and the Abbey church holds high mass in the morning and two lay pilgrim masses at midday and in the evening of her religious festival. On every other day, the compulsory soul mass for Clan Ubael and the Abbey's patrons is read here in the evening by one of the Matakeas.
(5) The northern transept is dominated by an altar to Saint Ambrathas carved of Uldien yew and lavishly painted and gilded. This is the traditional chapel for the Tirannon in Uldien, when squires hold a 24-hour vigil over their arms and armour right before their knighting ceremony. A glass casket set into the altar holds an old-fashioned broadsword believed to have been wielded by Lord Remnar Ubael during the Kaldoric Civil War.
(6) The choir stalls of Kaldoric oak are carved with lifelike scenes from the trials of Saint Ambrathas. Especially the fearsome monster and demon heads have given more than one young lay brother nightmares over the centuries. The Abbey choir is famous throughout Balimshire for their beautiful voices and is one of the few spiritual ensembles that still practice Egenis' plainchant, the sacred music composed by the third Laranian Sebrath (pontiff) in the 3rd century TR.
(7) The apse is dominated by a 12-foot-statue of Larani in her aspect of the “Terrible Lady of the Flowing Red”, wielding her sword and shield. The statue is carved of Kaldoric oak, painted in reds and whites and her sword, mail and helmet are gilded with red gold that gleams brightly under the morning sunlight falling through the painted windows set high into the apse walls. The tapestries show images of Tirithor and Dolithor to the left and the struggle between Larani and Agrik and Larani's victory over the demonic hordes of Balgashag to the right. The Abbey's main altar holds a reliquary containing a lock of hair of Saint Perelyne of Tengela.
(8) The sacristy holds ceremonial robes in the cabinets in the northern niche and sacred vessels and supplies of incense for the masses in the chests on the southern wall. It is mostly used as a robing room before mass.
(9) The death house is used to prepare the dead for burial. The large stone table has a groove and drain to channel run-off water and embalming fluids. The chest and shelves hold supplies for embalming and linen shrouds to wrap the prepared bodies in. Tapestries around the walls show the passage to Tirithor and the vigil of Mendiz the winged lion guarding the gates of Dolithor. Behind the tapestry of Mendiz are located the stairs down to the crypts.
(10) A well-equipped workshop for smith-work and carpentry. Most repairs and maintenance for the Abbey can be provided here. Supplies and storage are on the floor above.
(11) A workshop for weaving and hide-working. The loom is used to weave the cloth for the cleric's robes and undergarments, while hidework is used only for the monk's shoes and in book-binding. Parchment is procured through Roslynn of Regdin, Uldien's local lexigrapher. Supplies and storage are on the floor above.
(12) A lavatory with two toilets and a bathtub separated by curtains. The Abbey's rule holds the monks and sisters to high standards of cleanliness, requiring them to bathe twice a week. Since the lavatories have no heating facilities to minimize the danger of fire, all bathing water has to be heated in the common room or the kitchen and carried over in cauldrons – an unpopular task left to the youngest and strongest lay brothers. Out of charity towards their fellow brothers, most clerics settle for lukewarm water.
(13) The Ashesa cells are all located on the ground floor. Most of the acolytes are lay brothers and sisters who work in necessary trades in the Abbey and will never train for full priesthood, since the number of Matakea is fixed at six. The cells are spartan but comfortable, holding a cot bed, a small table and stool, and a chest for the acolyte's robes, personal belongings, arms, and shield.
(a) Middle-aged brother Elgin is the Abbey's chief cook and baker. Other Ashesa assist him on a rotating basis to prepare and serve the meals for the monks and pilgims.
(b) Brother Ambras is the monastery's cellarer and brewer, an important task for the welfare and contentment of the monks. He is wont to sample his products a little to often, but Serolan Kolas overlooks this fault since his ale, beer and cider are excellent.
(c) Brother Theron works as the Abbey's ostler. He has always been a simple, impressionable man, but since a mule kicked him in the head three years ago he has become even more touched, experiencing visions and having seizures. Serolan Kolas ministers to him personally and over the last year his visions of Saint Uldine have become more detailed and frequent – curiously coinciding with the abbot's new petition to have Saint Uldine canonized.
(d) Burly and morose, Brother Varec is nevertheless a skilled blacksmith with an artistic bent. The intricate fourarmed candleholders in the Abbey church are his work.
(e) Loquacious Brother Brand is the Abbey's carpenter and woodcrafter. He has great troubles with his vow of celibacy and has spent many a night in the porter's lodge lock-up for trying to peep at the female clerics during their bathtime.
(f) 68-year-old Brother Peran can no longer work at physical tasks due to gout and old age. Two years ago, Serolan Kolas appointed him as the main porter guarding the gate. He loves this work, which allows him to bask in the sun and chat with town residents passing by.
(g) Brother Lartyn oversees work in the fields and the vegetable plots to the north of the Abbey. He is hardworking and popular with the serfs who respect his gentle but firm leadership. He is responsible for the granaries as well.
(h) Brother Narn does the hideworking and bookbinding for the scriptorium. He shares the workshop with Sister Kera and also has an illicit affair with her which would lead to severe punishment if it were discovered.
(i) Pretty Sister Kera is the weaver and clothier of Uldien Abbey. She has begun an illicit affair with Brother Narn four months ago and is scared about the consequences, especially since her menstruation stopped a month ago. She not only fears the severe legal consequences of a pregnancy but also has moral problems with breaking her vows.
(j) Sister Erynn is over 70 but still in good health and does most of the gardening on the Abbey grounds. She has suspicions regarding Sister Kera and Brother Narn but thus far has convinced herself that she must be mistaken.
(k) Sister Ulda works in the Scriptorium as an illuminator. She likes to hide sarcastic snipes in her illustrations and has been chided by the Serolan for this on several accounts. Her artistic talent is so great (as well as her skills as a forger) that he has abstained from punishing her more severely thus far, but one of her most outrageous initials, depicting a Rekela as a gluttonous pig, almost resulted in an investigation by church authorities.
(l) Sister Serena Yaronne trains for the priesthood and works in the Scriptorium as a scribe. She is very gifted and intelligent but might have to wait a long time until one of the Matakea posts becomes empty for her to advance in the Abbey hierarchy. The walls and floorboards of her cell have become wet and spotted with mould from dampness rising from the cellar giving her a nasty cough, but she won't complain for fear of appearing weak and ungrateful.
(14) The common room is the place where most Ashesa spend their little free time, especially in bad weather. It is also the only room where the acolytes can warm themselves during the cold season. It serves the Valaran as a lecture room for religious education of the clerics and the children of the townfolk.
(15) The stable houses two mules and four palfreys owned by the Abbey, as well as the monastery's wagon which the Serolan uses for his infrequent travels. The hay storage at the northern end only holds a limited supply of fodder for the immediate use of the animals and has to be regularly restocked from the tithe barn to the north of the Abbey. Brother Theron is very diligent in his work but due to his frequent seizures the other brothers look into the stables on a regular basis to ensure that he is well cared for.
(16) The refectory is the dining-hall of Uldien Abbey. All meals are eaten here in silence. One of the Matakea or Ashesa reads from holy scripture during the meals to enlighten the spirit. Speaking during the reading is strictly forbidden and punished. This lack of regular communication at the tables has lead to the creation of a simple handcode to signal the other brothers for necessities like passing the salt. Monastery fare consists of many variations of grain broth, soup, and fish. Meat is reserved for special occasions and for the masters' table where it is served three times a week. The chests at the southern end contain tableware, cutlery, linen, and containers for salt and spices.
(17) The large kitchen is used to prepare all the meals served in the refectory. Brother Elgin is undisputed master here, assisted by other lay brothers. Kitchen work is most popular during the cold season when this room is the warmest area in the Abbey. Sometimes Ashesa sneak into the kitchen to sleep next to the warm fireplace. This is strictly forbidden and punished with several nights spent in the drafty lock-up in the porter's lodge. Bread, one of the main staples in the monastery, is baked in the large oven right outside the kitchen building.
(18) The brewhouse contains fermenting vats and casks where ale, beer, and cider are brewed by Brother Ambras. He also experiments here with distilling a herbal liqueur which he calls “Uldine's Tears”. The recipe needs some more refining but the first batches have been very promising, thus far. Serolan Kolas intends to use bottles of the liqueur as gifts to important personages and so spread word of Saint Uldine in a pleasant context.
(19) The small pantry only contains enough food to feed the residents and guests for a day or two. It is restocked by the cellarer Brother Ambras on a daily basis from the extensive stores in the basement.
(20) This ramp leads down to the wine cellar and is used to roll down barrels. It consists only of packed earth and is very treacherous in wet weather or when covered with ice or snow.
(21) Access to the Abbey grounds is controlled by the porter Brother Peran who spends most of his days in front of the porter's lodge, weather permitting. The main gate is open during daylight hours, but closed during mass and meal times. Visitors and pilgrims arriving when the gate is closed can arouse the porter's attention by working a bell-pull next to the gate and if their business stated satisfies him, are allowed entry into the Abbey. The porter's lodge serves as shelter during inclement weather but also holds the lock-up used to punish wayward Brothers and Sisters and to hold criminals accused of violating canon law. The porter must sleep in the lodge when the lock-up is in use, otherwise he spends his nights in his cell in the main building.
SECOND FLOOR
(1) The balcony stretches over half the nave and the northern and southern transepts. It is reserved for noble churchgoers and visiting higher clergy. The view down towards the altar apse and the side altars in the transepts is very good, but the view up towards the painted dome is breath-taking. The 45-foot-high dome is painted with a vision of Tirithor, the Laranian heaven, with winged lions carrying banners inscribed with chivalric mottoes, trailing their general Mendiz who swoops towards the dome's apex. The transept balconies are also used to hear the confessions of lay worshippers since the Abbey Church has no modern confessional booths.
(2) The dome's apex is crowned by a small belfry hung with the Abbey's 500-lbs.-sacring-bell “Uldine's lament”. The bell is rung to signify the time for worshippers to go to mass, or to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service. It is rung at the highpoint of the mass when the priest blesses the worshippers present to signify that Larani's grace has been granted to the faithful. Its position high above Uldien means that its ring can be heard for many miles around which makes it also useful for alerting the countryside to imminent danger like hostile troops, flooding, or wildfire.
(3) This windlass operates the sacring-bell's hopper. It can be worked by a single brother, usually Brother Theron who likes this task very much.
(4) The windlass on the opposite balcony is used to raise and lower the huge chandelier suspended above the choir. The task of replacing the candles and cleaning the elaborate ironwork most often falls to junoir lay brothers who dislike the heavy work. At times it is given to pilgrims seeking penance for their sins.
(5) The second floor is ringed with painted glass windows set high in the walls, the most magnificient decorating the choir and the apse. These windows are each dedicated to one major saint and depict his life story and major miracles in 12 panels each. The saints venerated (from north to south around the apse) are:
Saint Janasyn the second pontiff
Saint Fardir of Tenil of the Spear of Shattered Sorrow
Saint Ambrathas of Alamire of the Lady of Paladins
Saint Perelyne of Tengela the first pontiff
Saint Uldine Ubael of Uldien
Saint Orthas the Defender
Saint Chelrik the Just
Saint Branik the Compassionate
[see “Lady of Paladins”, written by Kerry Mould, 2001, for descriptions of the last three saints].
(6) The granaries hold the Abbey's grain stores in four wooden bins containing wheat, barley, rye, and oats. The northern granary stores the Abbey's seed reserve for the next year, while the two others hold the grain to be consumed over the current year. The granaries are constructed of wood and raised on staddles – thick supports that elevate the structure from the ground protecting its contents from vermin and water seepage. The granary doors are built with a small cat flap that allows the Abbey's cats to hunt rodents in the storage bins. The ladders can be detached and hung upon hooks in the granary walls – another safety measure to prevent vermin from getting at the valuable grain by removing easy access.
(7) This large storeroom above the workshops holds supplies and extra tools for smithing, carpentry, hideworking, and fieldwork. It also stores raw wool to be spun into cloth and large wooden beams for building repairs. Most of the supplies are raised and lowered via a rope & pulley system attached to a heavy beam outside and above the access door in the southern wall. The crowded room with its confusing layout is a favourite spot for monks shirking their duties to take a short nap away from prying eyes.
(8) Lavatories. See under (12) in the ground floor description.
(9) The offices and cells for the masters are more lavish than those for the Matakea or Ashesa. Each master has a comfortable bed that could easily sleep three persons, and a chest that holds his personal possessions, clothes, robes, arms, armour, and religious treasures like prayer books, rosaries, or blessed medals. The master's personal space is divided from his reception area by a curtain. Here each master has two comfortable chairs to receive visitors, hold official meetings with his subordinate Matakea, and hear private confession from his fellow monks.
(a) This office is shared by the Valaran (master of acolytes) and the Suloran (master of archives) but often stands vacant, since the Valaran does little book-keeping and the Suloran often uses the librarian's office beside the sriptorium.
(b) The office shared by the Obasaran (master of secular affairs) and Menoran (master of the fighting order) is mostly occupied by the Obasaran who keeps meticulous records of his dealings with the feudal lords and aldermen. The chests also hold his copious written correspondence with fellow Obasarans in Kaldor. The Menoran has little use for an office since no members of the Order of the Lady of Paladins are stationed at Uldien. He spends most of his time on training the Ashesa and Matakea at arms and helps tollkeeper Irgen of Ranvar (see the Tollhouse #25 in Uldien) in training the militia.
(c) Menoran Garen Kobarney is a former chaplain to the Order of the Lady of Paladins and has fought in numerous skirmishes as well as the crusade against the Solori. He misses the action on the battlefield and the camaraderie amongst the fighting order, but an old battlewound in his abdomen keeps him away from the fray these days. He spends most of his time on weapons practice with the Ashesa and Matakea who fear his fiery temper but benefit from his vast experience.
(d) Obasaran Keldan of Benren is a worldly priest in his sixties. He often sits on the Alderman court as juror and is popular in Uldien for his keen insight and just rulings. His skillful rhetoric has persuaded many a nobleman to donate far more to the Abbey's coffers than expected. He is very close to the Serolan and writes many of the treatises and petitions connected to Saint Uldine's canonisation process.
(e) Suloran Pervis Lartyne is a close-mouthed and fastidious bookkeeper. He juggles the Abbey's finances throughout the year and always has that little bit extra in store to finance the Serolan's latest extravaganza. He often lies awake at night worrying about the day when Larani herself reviews his books and finds them wanting for all the money spent on bribes and gifts to further the abbot's schemes. Pervis is not a happy man.
(f) Valaran Hedira Radavern is a pious and kind woman in her fifties who always has an open ear for the sorrows and needs of her charges. She nevertheless is very strict in her adherence to the vows and demands obedience to her orders. Most acolytes adore her but fear to disappoint her all the same. In over 20 years as Valaran she never had to raise her voice above conversational level to make herself heard.
(10) The most opulent cell is inhabited by 44-year-old Serolan Kolas Ubael, a 2nd-degree cousin of Baron Karsin. The northern half of the room is used as a council chamber for the Abbey's council of five and for deliberations between the abbot and clerical or worldly visitors. It is hung with rich tapestries that depict Saint Uldine ministering to the poor and healing the sick. The tapestry behind the head of the council table shows a poetic map of Balimshire that is much admired by visitors. The southern half of the chamber is used by the Serolan as a bedchamber with a huge canopied four-poster carved with his clan's coat-of-arms and as a workroom dominated by his writing desk and three huge chests that hold countless documents related to the Abbey's rights and privileges and Saint Uldine's canonisation. Many of these are copies of first hand accounts of miracles ascribed to the Saint (embellished by the Obasaran's skillful rhetoric) and copies of historical documents from the time of the Civil War that describe minutiae of Uldine's life and piety (many of these are very good forgeries since only few genuine documents have survived in Kaldor from that turbulent peroid). When traveling, Serolan Kolas takes many of these accounts with him in the locked trunk to keep them close and produce them as evidence in theological debates. Serolan Kolas' infinite trunk has become something of a joke among the theologians of Kaldor since Kolas seems to have an unlimited supply of relevant documents in his chest that he produces to underline his statements or invalidate another's criticism or doubts.
(11) The Matakea cells are only slightly more comfortable than those assigned to the Ashesa. The main differences are more comfortable mattresses and braziers used to warm the cells in cold weather.
(a) Brother Dernal Ubael is the Serolan's 25-year-old nephew and his personal secretary. Dernal is deeply involved in the Serolan's schemes and intrigues to further the canonisation process but tends to stay out of the limelight and coordinate the abbot's plans behind the scenes. He also maintains the Serolan's network of contacts and spies in other Abbeys and Temples in Kaldor to get an early warning of rivals' moves to counter the Serolan's schemes. He is very loyal to his uncle and Kolas already grooms him as his successor for the day that his hard work finally pays off and elevates him to the rank of Rekela.
(b) Brother Olvar assists the Valaran in her daily work. He oversees the Ashesa in their tasks to ensure that they do their work and don't sneak off to catch a nap and also spends time in the library to research the topics for the Valaran's theological lessions. He especially likes to bully the acolytes with his sanctimonious rebukes and takes delight in every punishment imposed due to his vigilance. Hedira, pious as she is, is blind to his sadistic streak.
(c) Brother Wrenn assists the Suloran as librarian and guardian of the written works. He is very well-read and curious about many things, especially forbidden lore about the practices of the dark churches. In his two years as librarian he has found only two blasphemous tomes in the Abbey's library but he is sure that more must be hidden among the laden shelves. One future day his prying might lead him down a darker path that could drag many of his fellow monks down along with him.
(d) Brother Korwyn assists the Obasaran in his duties. He works as a secretary writing out letters dictated by the Obasaran and accompanies him on his travels within the Barony, visiting the manors and ministering to the spiritual needs of the vassal knights. Korwyn is devoted to his master and is very keen on learning logic from him, acting as his court scribe at Aldermanic trials.
(e) Sister Benra is the main scribe of Uldien Abbey supervising the work of her fellow brothers and sisters in the scriptorium. She is a bookish, fussy, and agitated middleaged woman who has become very short-sighted in her demanding work. She also does most of the translations being fluent in over a dozen languages and scripts. Benra is not very popular with her fellow brothers and sisters, a fact she does not even seem to realize.
(f) Sister Rhona is the Abbey's general dogsbody and factotum. Orphaned as a baby, she was raised in the household of Thyris of Nellag, the metalsmith attached to the Abbey (see #23 in Uldien), and entered the Abbey as an Ashesa at the age of 12. Now 23 years old, highly intelligent and personable, she aids all the masters during busy times, manages the pilgrims' hostel, and chaplains to the Ubaels when the Serolan is away on his travels. Serolan Kolas considers training her as an exorcist, a duty that falls to him alone at the moment, and which he would very much like to delegate to someone else. Rhona is closest to Menoran Garen Kobarney who treats her more like a daughter than a fellow sister and spars with her often, which has turmed her into a very capable swordswoman.
(12) The pilgrims' hostel, managed by Sister Rhona, houses all the pilgrims seeking aid from Saint Uldine who cannot or will not spend money to stay at one of Uldien's inns. The quarters are very spartan, housing up to 24 common pilgrims in bunk beds, but also providing comfortable space for distinguished guests in the private guestroom right beside the entrance at the northern end of the hostel. Opposite the guestroom is the hostel's common room, actually just the widened hallway furnished with a long trestle table and stools. Meals are eaten alongside the Abbey's brothers and sisters in the Refectory. Only the guestroom and the common room are heated with braziers. The hostel is not too cold anyway, since it is situated above the stables and benefits from the warmth generated by the animals stabled there. The pilgrims' hostel is busiest in the month of Savor around Saint Uldine's holy festival on the 22nd. Pilgrims are housed for up to one tenday free of charge, provided they spend at least four hours each day in the church praying to Saint Uldine. At the end of their stay they are expected to donate to the Abbey's coffers, but this is not compulsory. Many pilgrims wish to confess at the beginning of their stay and are often given menial tasks around the Abbey as penance in addition to prayers. This constitutes an important contribution to the Abbey's workforce.
(13) The Scriptorium of Uldien Abbey is always busy with about half of the brothers and sisters working here at any time, writing and illustrating pages to be bound into manuscripts. Most of the work done here entails copying or translating the texts from the library to be given away or sold to other monastaries and temples, only rarely to rich laymen who can afford the steep prices a manuscript fetches on Hârn. Working in the Scriptorium is hard work, straining the back in a cramped position and ruining the eyes squinting at miniscule letters. The room is well lit from the many windows along its length, but on overcast days the lamps along the wall are lit as well to provide sufficient illumination. The shelves on the opposite wall hold books from the library to be copied, supplies of parchment and black ink, as well as blankets for the monks (no braziers or fires are allowed near the books) and and consoles for the writing desks (parchment to be written on is never laid flat on a table but always clamped to an angled board). The chests at the western end hold valuable inks, colour pigments, and carved magnifying glasses and crytals. The Scriptorium is supervised by Sister Benra, who rules it with an iron fist. Many of the lay brothers chafe at their duties in the Scriptorium and try to shirk them, especially during planting and harvest times, when they are needed for the physical work. She has little sympathy for their needs, feeling that the manuscripts are far more important than food or similar trivialities. Brother Brand often saves the day for his brothers by imitating their voices – which is often enough to convince Sister Benra that the Scriptorium is working at full capacity while only a fraction of the scribes are present – her eyesight is really that bad.
(14) The librarian's office is shared by Brother Wrenn and Suloran Pervis who likes the company of the librarian and often sits in on the Scriptorium calculating his figures with a perpetual frown on his face. Wrenn holes up in his office most of the day, studying volumes from the library and working on an index to catalogue its contents. A formidable task, since his predecessors considered an index catalogue a waste of time and valuable parchment and instead relied on their memory. The current librarian has been shocked at the diverse contents of the library's manuscripts and pleased at the same time to find blasphemous works forgotten over the centuries. The middle section of the shelves on the southern wall are constructed to swing inwards when a lever hidden under one of the boards is pulled, allowing access to a secret door to the hidden forger's workshop. Only the Serolan, Suloran, librarian, and Sister Ulda know of this door and the workroom beyond.
(15) The forger's workroom is a hidden small Scriptorium used mostly by Sister Ulda. Here she works on forging historical accounts of Saint Uldine's life to further the canonisation process as well as official documents for the Abbey. Many monasteries on Hârn maintain a similar institution to provide genuine looking copies of all their legal documents lost to mould, fire, or the teeth of vermin. This is nothing unusual, but the work in Uldien Abbey's forger's workshop goes far beyond accepted copying. Ulda is responsible for replenishing Serolan Kolas' “infinite trunk” and she is very good at it. The chests hold all the necessary supplies for the forger's art: inks, pigments, and parchment of all sorts, along with alchemical solutions to artificially age parchment and leather, a huge collection of different types of sealing wax and fine tools to forge seals, thread for the stitching of book spines, and cords and ribbons to affix the seals to.
(16) The library of Uldien Abbey is very encompassing, having been collected over 340 years without a single outbreak of fire that might have damaged the stock. The collection includes mostly works on canon law (compiled especially for the previous attempts at canonisation), hagiography (biographies of saints), church history, theology, warfare, natural history, mundane law, medicine, herbology, geography, and folklore. Hidden amongst the laden shelves are also works on diverse subjects ranging from arcane lore, pvaric philosophy, the theology of the dark churches and demonology, to architecture, and treatises on apiary (bee-keeping). In short, almost any topic of interest could be covered in one of the manuscripts, provided someone can find it. The tomes are grouped together loosely according to subject, but centuries of librarians with different views on logical arrangement have muddied the waters, causing treatises on Kandian wool-shearing to end up next to essays on Halean temple-dances (complete with detailed illustrations) – a chaotic jumble that would tax even the sanest mind, and Brother Wrenn's mind could not be considered sane even at the best of times. Access to the library is granted only to the Serolan, Suloran, and the librarian Brother Wrenn. A sturdy oaken door with a good-quality lock keeps out the curious and unauthorized. Visitors and scribes working on the manuscripts ask for the volumes needed, which are brought to their desk in the Scriptorium by the librarian.
CELLAR / CRYPT
The Refectory and kitchen building has a full undergound level, as well as the Abbey church which holds the crypts under roughly 2/3rds of its groundfloor area. The long-stretched building housing the monks' cells at the north-eastern edge of the Abbey compound should not have an underground area at all, since it stands much too close to the mill brook (Quelan brook), but see under (1). The underground areas are connected by secret tunnels, one of which (8) also runs south-east until turning left and connecting to the cellars of Caer Ubael (off-map, not shown, see map of Caer Ubael).
(1) These damp, mouldering, and partially-flooded cells are all that remains of a short-lived mystic movement in Uldien Abbey that existed in the years 604-623 TR. Shocked by the brutality of the Baronial Revolt, three young monks from Uldien Abbey, who had fought in the revolt, swore an oath to abandon the light of the world and, in solitude, seek Larani's forgiving light within themselves. They were granted permission to found their “Brotherhood of the Inner Light of Tirithor” by the Serolan of the day who also had part of the building undercellared to install three dark cells for the enthusiastic mystics. The movement proved shortlived. A permanent withdrawal from sunlight has devastating effects on the human body and psyche – bones become brittle, joints ache, the skin thins and loses its pigmentation, eyesight fails, and the mind deteriorates into depression and insomnia. Within 15 years, two of the tree Brothers had died, one from hanging himself with his rosary, the other from self-inflicted starvation. The last Brother, a former knight named Ramlen, was made of stronger stuff physically, but his mind started to fail. He was tormented by nightmares and waking dreams that attracted the attention of Naveh's demons who started to pursue him in his dreams and showed him visions of their horrible homeland. Near the end of his strength, Ramlen avoided sleep for over three weeks to scratch his visions into the cell's walls as a warning to his fellow brothers and sisters. Once he had finished, he lay down on his cot and died from sheer exhaustion. His brothers brought food for another three days and when they saw it untouched, concluded the last of the mystics had died. When the Abbey's embalmer entered the cell to collect the body, he was deeply shocked by the blasphemous writings on the wall and fled the cell, claiming the body of Ramlen had been spirited away by Saint Uldine – he rather told a heretical lie than having to face the cell again. The cells were then abandoned and slowly fell into disrepair. Water from the mill brook started to seep through the wall, bringing mildew and rot to the foundations. Over the decades the rot has started to creep up through the walls, with dire consequences for one of the Ashesa (see under (13l) in the ground floor description). Nowadays practically no one enters these cellars anymore – it is not that they are a secret, but rather that no one sees the point in coming here. The writings in Ramlen's cell might prove of interest for someone wishing to delve into the inner mysteries of Naveh and his servants. Hints for finding them might come from some scholar familiar with the Brotherhood, from a random note in a Laranian holy book, from Brother Ramlen's restless spirit that longs for a decent burial, or from a chance discoverey when the Abbey officials finally start to clear the source of the rot and mould plaguing their home.
(2) This secret passage connecting the mystics' cells to the crypt church has been truly forgotten. It was originally built to provide the mystics with a means to hear mass in the crypt church without breaking their vows of solitude and avoidance of the light. The secret doors pivot on a central axis and can simply be opened by pushing against one of their edges, but centuries of grime, water-seepage and rot have caused them to become solidly stuck. The passage itself is unlit, dank and smells strongly of mildew and rat urine.
(3) The crypt church is furnished simply with an unadorned altar and two candleholders. Nowadays it is only used for the traditional wake beside the open casket and burial service right before a new coffin is stored in one of the niches. Brother Theron occasionally comes here for a moment of private devotion and quiet when his visions and nightmares plague him heavily.
(4) The burial niches underneath the choir hold the mortal remains of the Serolans and masters who administered Uldien Abbey over the centuries. The niches are closed by heavy stone plaques that are inscribed with the deceased's name, rank, dates of birth and death, and their coat-of-arms in case of noblemen. Some of the coffins hold precious objects like rings, rosarys or medals, but graverobbing has never occurred here (as far as living memory serves).
(5) The lay brothers and sisters are entombed in simple niches under the northern transept, stacked three rows high. The niches are also closed with a plaque commemorating their names and dates, but the niches themselves only hold the remains in a simple shroud with no precious goods anywhere. Sometimes, the newly occupied niches are visited by relatives or friendly brothers of the deceased who lay down flowers or simple wreaths in front of the plaque.
(6) At the crossing of the transept and nave crypts stand four elaborate marble tombs that house the remains of important Ubaels who wanted to be laid to rest underneath the sepulchre of Saint Uldine. From north to west these are:
Sir Remnar Ubael, first lord of Uldien
Sir Kerac Ubael, first Baron of Uldien
Sir Basca Ubael, Baron during the Barional Revolt
Sir Konin Ubael, father of the current Baron.
Baron Karsin visits his father's tomb regularly to pray for his soul, especially since he died under mysterious circumstances. The sepulchre always has flowers or a dried wreath as decoration.
(7) The crypts under the southern transept are used as a burial ground for the mortal remains of members of Clans Ubael, Yaronne, and Kobarney. Not all the family members are interred here, many chose to be buried in private crypts on their holdings or cemetaries close to their homes. Those noblemen and -women inhumed here are laid to rest in niches covered with stone plaques noting their names, titles, dates and coats-of-arms, usually carved of marble for the Ubaels or granite for their vassals. Within the niches are coffins holding the mortal remains, often along precious jewelery or rusting arms and shields. At the end of the western-most hallway is a secret door that grants access to a tunnel connecting the crypts to the storage cellars underneath the Abbey's Refectory and Caer Ubael. The door can be opened by depressing a small latch hidden in a narrow gap in the masonry, which causes the door to swing open silently on well-oiled hinges. The existence of the secret tunnels and its means of access is known only to Baron Karsin, his immediate family, constable Selvos Yaronne, and Serolan Kolas.
(8) The secret tunnel is one of the newest additions to the Abbey, having been built during Caer Ubael's construction in the 570ies TR. It is well maintained and dry. For connections and access see (7) above.
(9) The huge storage cellar under the Refectory houses the Abbey's supplies of non-perishable food and goods. Sacks and crates full of dried vegetables and fruit are stacked on low wooden platforms that raise the stores from the ground keeping them better protected from spoilage due to wetness, especially during early spring when the water-table of the mill brook rises from the snow melt-off. Brother Ambras, the cellarer and brewer of Uldien Abbey, is very diligent in his duties and regularly checks the stores for foodstuffs that are close to spoiling, which are then either served quickly if they are still edible or added to the Abbey's compost heap north of the grounds if they are not. The chests to the west and east are full of spices, pots of honey, other seasonings, and beeswax used for the sweet-smelling candles lighting the church and the Serolan's quarters. About half of the southern wall is hung with dried, smoked and salted meat, either from the Abbey's own lifestock or donated by wealthy pilgrims.
(10) The Abbey's wine cellar is the whole pride and joy of Brother Ambras who stores many different vintages of local and imported wines for the Serolan's table. The lay brothers are also served wine regularly, but their vintage is closer to vinegar than wine. The casks along the south-western wall are filled with ale and beer left to mature for several days or weeks and then served to pilgrims or brothers who cannot stomach the sour wine.
Saint Uldine and the canonisation process
Saint Uldine is a typical example for a multitude of local saints venerated all over the Hârnic Isles. During the early days of the Laranian church on Hârn in the 3rd century TR, many missionaries preaching their faith were martyred. Their influence was often limited to a small region where their reputation made them local saints venerated by the converted population, but could not spread further than the immediate area. Only important saints immortalized through scripture like Saint Ambrathas or through their exalted position like Saint Perelyne were worshipped throughout Laranian lands. No formal process for canonisation (official recognition as a saint and adding the saint's name to the canon) existed, opening the way for the veneration of many dubious claimants to sainthood, often the ancestors of the local lord. Once the church had stabilized and the regional authorities were firmly ensconced, it fell to the Rekelas to recognize the local saints and allow veneration or expurge fraudulous saints and expunge their heresies. In the 5th century TR the Sebrath (pontiff) realized the importance of centralised recognition of the saints and tasked the Ethelanca (Laranian holy office & inquisition) with the canonisation process. Since then, official investigations are held when a temple, diocese, or other clerical body wants to have their local exemplar of piety canonised. The process is quite involved, the worthiness of the saint-to-be's claim has to be proven without doubt through witness accounts vouching for their pious life and works and for the veracity of miracles worked either during their life or after their death. Worshipping false saints is heresy and punished harshly, while the canonisation of a local saint brings fame and prosperity to the local area when pilgrims start flocking to the saint's burial site, donating and spending their money freely. Saint Uldine's case is a bit more complicated than many others. She was martyred not by Agrikans or barbarians, but rather by mercenary troops under the leadership of a Kaldoric freelance – hardly better than a mercenary himself, but still a knight raised under the guiding hand of the church, and from a family that later rose to the rulership of the Barony of Yeged. For that reason, the previous attempts at canonisation failed – the pontificate did not want to tear open old wounds in one of the most important countries on Hârn. Serolan Kolas has vowed to succeed where his predecessors failed. He expects stiff resistance from the Londels, the Serolan of Brynd, and other Kaldoran clerics who fear for the importance of their own pilgrimage sites. He has collected more witness statements for the process than necessary and his spies and informers within the church work hard to uncover the plots of his adversaries. His attempts to spread the word about his saint have upped the ante and a negative ruling by the Ethelanca would probably result in an accusal of heresy. He is doomed to succeed.
The role of Saints
Saints are faithful believers who led an exemplary life, either through dying for their faith (martyrs) or through upholding and spreading their faith under adverse conditions (confessors). Laranian (and Peonian) theology asserts that these outstanding individuals, upon their death, immediately enter heaven and are welcomed into the direct presence of their deity where they take an exalted position. Their heavenly state allows them to intercede (pray) for the needs and plights of the faithful who turn to them in prayer. In a sense, they are an advisory body to the deity that is much closer to it than the believers who are still on Kethira – closer because the saint still has an earthly presence due to his relics. Relics are either his mortal remains or objects connected initimately to his life or martyrdom (i.e. his priestly vestments, his staff of office, torture implements used during his martyrdom, etc.). To establish contact with the saint, the faithful venerate him in ritual prayer and by touching his relics – this is also the reason why pilgrimages are so popular: to venerate and handle the saint's relics you have to journey to the site where they are kept. Many believers find it easier to turn to a saint with their wishes and needs than directly to their deity. The saint is one of their own, a former mortal, and thus seems more familiar and maybe tractable than a deity that always remains mysterious, especially since the Concordat limits the gods' actions in a way that is completely incomprehensible to the common man. It also seems safer to turn to a saint with a selfish request that might anger the deity.
To represent the role of the saints in the rules, the following optional rule might suit your needs:
□ Saint's intercession
When adjudicating a call for divine intervention (see HM Religion, pages 5 & 6) add the following line to the Divine Intervention Table: Saint +10 -30 +0 This means that addressing a saint increases the chances for Divine Intervention but also increases the chance for conditions, while retribution does not become more likely. Praying over the relics of the saint may further increase the chance of intervention by the rating of the relic at gm's discretion. Conditions imposed by saints are often in the form of donations to be made, usually a new reliquary to house a relic, or votive candles or plaques that commemorate the miracle granted on behalf of the saint's intercession. These votive offerings are not meant to elevate the saint, but rather to bolster the faithful by giving testament to the power of their faith and the mercy of their deity.
Relics
Relics are holy items connected to the saints (or very rarely to the deities themselves). The Treasure chapter of the various rules editions state that a relic gives a flat +10% bonus to divine intervention calls and has 2d6 charges. This might be suitable to a holy item created by a priest through a ritual invocation, but not for a true relic derived from a venerated saint. Relics of the saints come in very different shapes and levels of power. To distinguish these from created holy items, a system of rating a relic should be established. A true relic has a numeric rating from 1 to 10 which is added to the intervention roll and holds no charges – a relic's powers do not diminish, but might increase if the saint is venerated by many people. Sample relic ratings are:
Rating Description
1-2 blessed pilgrim's badge (only works for the pilgrim who went on pilgrimage rosary or prayer beads blessed at major pilgrimage site
3-4 item possessed by minor saint (priestly vestments, staff of office, personal rosary, etc.)
5-6 item possessed by major saint; bone of a minor saint.
7-8 bone of a major saint; whole body of a minor saint; blood or hair of greatest saint (Ambrathas).
9 whole body of a major saint; bone of a greatest saint.
10 whole body of greatest saint.
Possession of true relics with ratings above 2 is restricted to the churches. These relics belong to the whole congregation of the faithful and not to single individuals. Only on very rare occasions are laymen given special dispensation by the pontiff to own true relics. This favour always comes with very high fees and donations and thus is affordable only for kings or emperors and even then is almost never granted for the supplicant must also be of undoubtable character and faith. Temples and churches are very interested in obtaining true relics to increase their attractiveness as pilgrimage sites. Powerful relics draw many pilgrims who spend money on donations and votive offerings and also hear mass and sermons in the church. Major relics not only represent easier access to divine grace, but also temporal power and prestige. For this reason many plots and intrigues within the churches revolve around the central question of who holds powerful relics and who is able to hold onto them. The number of true relics is limited and usually only increase when a new saint is canonised, so many churches petition the church hierarchy for recognition of their local saints or turn to canon law trials, bribery or power pressure to obtain the relics of lesser temples, usually with the rationale that powerful relics should be venerated where more believers can easily reach them or that they should be kept where they are safest. Lesser temples usually resist these arguments by declaring their local saint as their patron saint whose intercession and help is most often granted to the inhabitants of the local area. This diminishes the church's attractiveness as a major pilgrimage site but usually helps to keep the relics within the local church.
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