The White Hand of Músila
Long ago, one of the Supreme Matriarchs of the healing church of Amersellen determined the worshippers of Músila could do great good if they educated others in the arts of healing, charging them with the spreading of those arts. Called the White Hands, these healers were formed into a third holy order of the healing halls, and given a formal education in the ways of healing—and of Músila. Across the lands, the White Hands of Músila are revered for their amazing powers of healing. Skilled in healing disease, madness, and other afflictions of the body and soul, the white hands are not ceremonial clergy but dedicated healers who serve in all walks of life. Some are attached to large military groups; others have shops in great cities where they offer their healing for a mere pittance. They are trained and educated by the worshippers of Músila for the express purpose of spreading healing and comfort throughout the land. Most of them are not religious zealots, but highly skilled individuals with a desire to help. Over the years, the worshippers of Músila stressed Músila’s teachings less and less in the education of the White Hands. To spread healing, the healing halls now embrace the White Hands as an almost secular order, existing more for healing than spreading faith. Because of this, the order has boomed in size and its numbers now outstrip the rest of the churches. All of them are driven to learn the ways of healing for any number of reasons, and because the education is readily available and inexpensive, it is widespread—at least in the lower circles. Upper-circle White Hands are rarer and are usually serene, dedicated practitioners, kind and gentle. Either way, it is not particularly common for them to travel in groups, or even to perform specific duties for their order. They go about their lives, helping people whenever they can.
Structure
The education of the White Hands is an eight-step process. As one progresses, one moves on to greater circles of healing until certified in the eighth and final circle. A White Hand tells people her circle whenever she introduces herself—“I am _____, a White Hand of the fourth circle,” for instance—but gains no other honorifics. In formal introductions, their circle of learning is added to whatever other titles they might hold in the format, “a White Hand of the (individual’s) circle.” It is important to let people know how competent a healer the White Hand is, so they do not expect results she is not capable of delivering. A White Hand moves up a circle by being educated and trained by a White Hand at least one circle above her. To become a white hand of the eighth circle, she must travel to the Tower of the White Hands and meet with the heads of the order. They will administer a test that takes several days, making sure she knows every nuance of the healing art. Once she passes, the White Hand is admitted to the eighth and final circle.
Public Agenda
The healing halls are homes to those of truly decent and merciful dispositions. Their residents are neither politically motivated nor cunning plotters who hoard secrets. The faithful of Músila are exactly what they appear to be: the most loving, kind people in the world. They value hope and joy over victory and dogmatism. They purge themselves of pride and self-importance, and live to protect, serve, aid, teach, and heal a wounded world. In this they try to live out the mystery of Músila, who purged herself of the power of fire, given to all the gods, to heal her family. It is easy to see why the followers of Músila grow scarce. Most people do not attend their services or join their numbers because they feel they simply are not up to a lifetime of service and personal perfection. For those who are members of the healing halls, either as congregants, clergy, holy warriors, or white hands, the principles of the faith surround a four-word maxim: Charitable, Merciful, Gentle, and Wise. Following this maxim, the Músila faithful lend aid to all people and seek out those who are good, or who might be good if lent a hand, to help them spread the four virtues.
Tenets of Faith
“When I was young and righteous, it seemed to me that the world was a place of abundant goodness, and I asked, ‘Why do men do evil?’ But I am old now, and I have no time to wonder at this anymore. Now I see that evil is everywhere, its path perilously easy to walk. At my age, I wonder why men ever do good, for what rewards do good deeds offer? They are few, and many years in the delivering. No, I will let the young cry out in the streets about the wickedness men do. I will leave it to the righteous to shake evil from men’s souls with hard words and harder steel. I choose to spend my remaining days tending to hearts that are safe for goodness, for good is not easy to find, and harder still to embrace.” —The Final Ruminations of Ana Codhwyn, White Hand of the Eighth Circle.The healing halls are homes to those of truly decent and merciful dispositions. Their residents are neither politically motivated nor cunning plotters who hoard secrets. The faithful of Músila are exactly what they appear to be: the most loving, kind people in the world. They value hope and joy over victory and dogmatism. They purge themselves of pride and self-importance, and live to protect, serve, aid, teach, and heal a wounded world. In this they try to live out the mystery of Músila, who purged herself of the power of fire, given to all the gods, to heal her family. It is easy to see why the Músila grow scarce. Most people do not attend their services or join their numbers because they feel they simply are not up to a lifetime of service and personal perfection. For those who are members of the healing halls, either as congregants, clergy, holy warriors, or white hands, the principles of the faith surround a four-word maxim: Charitable, Merciful, Gentle, and Wise. Following this maxim, the Músila faithful lend aid to all people and seek out those who are good, or who might be good if lent a hand, to help them spread the four virtues.
Charitable
If it is in your power to aid another, why would you not? In her grace, Músila has given a limitless bounty to the children of the earth. If we can aid others, what could dissuade us? Músila gave up her fire, the very power of the soul, so the other gods might live; what might the faithful give that could match this, the ultimate act of charity? For this reason, The White Hand does not demand money for their healing unless there is a good reason (see Wisdom, below) and they gravitate toward areas where the needy congregate. This doctrine stymies the church’s recruitment efforts, as there is nothing to be gained for oneself by joining, except a sense of peace. One does not attend a healing hall to make political connections or business deals.Merciful
If you are wronged, you must forgive. If you have an enemy in your power who is redeemable, you must seek to redeem him, even though your heart tells you it is folly. Redemption is always better than punishment, and sometimes the mere example of mercy is enough to redeem even the hardest heart. For this reason, The White Hand never kills people of one of the five mortal races if they can avoid it. Instead, they work tirelessly to redeem the person in question, offering them chance after chance to better themselves.Gentle
War is never the first resort or second resort, and not even the third resort. The White Hand believe violence against kin—meaning the mortal races—should be avoided at all costs unless self-defense requires it. The White Hand are not pacifists; they take up arms against evil races, undead, dangerous beasts, and fiends. However, against the redeemable (which they tend to define as any person of one of the mortal races, though individual followers of Músila may believe in redemption for other beings—or rarely, that a group within one of the mortal races, such as dark elves, can’t be redeemed), The White Hand does not raise hands in anger. They fight only if attacked.Wisdom
It should be obvious that the first three parts of the followers of Músila maxim could result in a group of people who are easily exploited, but Músila is the goddess of wisdom and her followers are no fools. They are not being taken advantage of when they give freely. It is this doctrine that keeps the faithful from doing things that are clearly foolish. A follower of Músila that is a shopkeeper does not give up his shop simply because someone else needs it, but believes he does the most good by owning a successful business and donating his surplus to the healing halls. While The White Hand are thought foolish by those who would exploit them, they in fact hold to the hope they can save such people through good deeds.Worship
The life of a Músila worshipper is understandably difficult. People disappoint them all the time, and their hopes are often shattered by the petty wickedness of common folk. In their most trying times, the followers of Músila utter the following invocation.
“Holy Mother, heed my prayer. Lend me your wisdom, So that I might see clearly; Give me your patience, That I might bear what I see.”
Priesthood
A character must be proficient in medicine to join the White Hands and take the Healer feat at the first opportunity. As the skills of the White Hands are so useful among those who often find themselves in battle, many fighters, rangers, and monks become White Hands so they can better tend the wounds of their fallen brethren. Anyone desiring to become a White Hand must swear the following oath.
I am the White Hand against the Red Wound, I am the hope for the hopeless, the help for the helpless. I swear to provide healing to any child of man in need, If it is within my power to do so and if that person is not an enemy of goodness.
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