Tengri Temple: The Tanrishavi

Monastery: Tengri Temple
Element: Air
Orientation: Good
Resident Classes: Monk, Votary (Tengri), Reverend, Clerk, Mounted Archer, Dervish
Location: Falconcrest Territory, Empire of the Horse
Founder: The Silver Stranger
Affiliations/Alliances: Since the collapse of the Serene Kingdom system, the Tanrishavi have been willing to recognize the authority of the dominant power in their area as long as it recognized the traditional holdings of the temple and stood against the expansion of the Dragon Empire. The Chief of the Falconcrest Clan currently ruling over the desert plateau north of the Dragon Empire respects the monks for their fighting prowess but distrusts their intentions as more devoted to heavenly than earthly affairs. As long as they are willing to train the best of the warriors he sends them, they are considered a valuable community within the territory.

Culture

Although the original Tengri Temple was further south in what is now Showa Dragon territory, the founders were ancestors of the same Tengric culture shared by the eastern clans of the Empire of the Horse. Its customs have always been steeped in these northern traditions, setting it apart somewhat from the other O13 monasteries.

History

By the late age of kings and chiefs, the communities of the northern lowland region of Shoulun had been reduced to de facto serfs for the northern plateau tribes who, instead of establishing a presence and ruling properly, would periodically descend into the lowlands, loot the foodstores, destroy any fortifications, and put to death anyone who would try to lead or establish order among the victim villages. It was into this intolerable situation that the Silver Stranger arrived to teach the most religious among the villagers to how to channel elemental forces into a fighting style that would fend off the invaders. An unusually stormy season kept the invaders away longer than usual and over the course of six months, the Stranger and his entourage of assistant instructors had trained an elite force to lead the villagers across the base of the plateau, and had equipped and trained the remaining villagers themselves with bows superior to anything their tribal neighbours had seen.
The following summer, when the weather finally let up enough for the northern riders to descend, they spilled out into the open fields as usual but found themselves bombarded from all sides with arrows. The barrages were enough to mow down enough of the invading force before it could find the archers and chase them down that the newly trained holy warriors of the lowlands were able to fend off the remaining invaders in melee combat. The chief of the Eagle clan that had been responsible for the raid was so impressed with the villagers' fighting that he offered to provide protection over the lands if his elite warriors could learn these fighting techniques. This was agreed to on the promise that the warrior monks be given their own plot of land and that the chief build a temple and training centre on it dedicated to the common sky god of both the lowlanders and highlanders. This established the first Tengri Temple in 12,000 AB.

The chief placed his sons in the care of the temple to be raised as great warriors, but they also were raised to be loyal to the monastery. The next heir to the chieftainship was proclaimed a Serene King by the monks, blessed to rule on behalf of the gods, and the nomadic Eagle clan settled into the Serene Kingdom of the Eagle. In the 17th millennium, the lowlands of the Eagle Kingdom were gobbled up by the Dragon Empire right to the base of the plateau and the original temple was burned. A new temple was established in the highlands, which remains today. In the meantime, the land in which it sits has passed from the Eagle clan to the Tulpar clan to the Yakwagon clan to the Falconcrest clan, which has remained in control of the territory since the clans were united under the Empire of the Horse in the 20th millennium. The temple has remained safe throughout most of this time as all major Tengric clans hold it in high respect, although there are periodic rogue bands that have attacked, as well as the orcs, gnolls, and hobgoblins who do not recognize human claims to the northernmost regions of Shoulun.
Although Tengri temple hasn't had the cross-cultural influences of the O13 monasteries that were visited by missionaries from Baghadeesh, it has been open to learning what it can about fighting from whatever power might be in place. Practices like equestrian training that were never part of the original lowland society the Tanrishavi descend from are now among their standard repertoire, and they've come to be known for the wide variety of fighting styles they teach, picked up from various tribes and refined.

Education

Common Script: Showee
Common Tongue: Tengric
Liturgical Script: Dwarvish
Liturgical Tongue: Angelic
Other Languages Taught: Showa, Zoron
Sage Topics: Calligraphy, Physics, Metaphysics, Mechanics, Theology, Religious Rites, Astronomy, Mathematics, Geometry, Numerology, Astrology, Cosmology
Martial Arts: Air Force, Air Temple Style, Qigong, Kyumichi, Ying Zhao Pai, Pe Ho Cun, Diamond Fist, Qishiquan, North Star Qigong, Bajutsu, Jiaomenquan, Xingyiquan, Tantui, Chaquan, Bajiquan, Pigua Zhang, Olden Kicking
Elemental Mastery: Void, Light, Time, Spirit, 5 Elements, Air, Water, Earth, Fire
Weapons: Lajatang, Spear, Daikyu, Longbow, Shortbow, Hankyu, Light Crossbow, Siangkam, Dandao, Jian, Chicken-Sabre Sickles, Wind and Fire Wheels, Flying Fork, Sword-Staff, Qinglong Ji, Chan Zi Dao, Bagua Sabre, Tessen, Gunbai, Flying Weight, Flying Talon, Bo, Dagger, Javelin, Sai, Double-Spear, Light Hammer, Dadao, Dao, Zhua, Chain Whip, Three-Piece Rod, Shield, Bagh Nakh, Chakram, Nodachi, Nagamaki, Bill, Halberd, Kwandao, Glaive, Fauchard-Fork, Tachi, Tageshima, Falchion, Spike, Jo, Miaodao, Hanbo
Apprenticeships: Martialist, Purist, Scholar, Stealthist
Classes Trained: Monk, Votary, Reverend, Clerk, Mounted Archer, Fighter, Kensai, Bushi, Sha'ir, Dervish

Mythology & Lore

The following deities are revered at Tengri Temple:
Tengri, god of sky and creation
Ak-Ana, goddess of water and creation
Ay-Ata, god of moon
Bura, god of horses
Karakus, god of birds
Kayra, god of time
Kun, goddess of sun
Od-Lyesi, god of fire
Pegasus, god of tulpars
Umay, goddess of archery
Ur-Ana, goddess of earth

Founding Date

12,000 AB (original temple), 16,680 AB (2nd temple)