Yuralin Tabadhik
The Yuralin Tabadhik are an organization that is primarily found within the Empire of Wamato. It was initially founded by Watali priests from the island of Sazanami, but has spread throughout the Empire over the last few centuries. Yuralin Tabadhik is the Nikvhi name, and means "The Guardians of Sacred Sites". Outside of Sazanami, the organization is known by its Yanjinese name, Jinja no Gādian.
The Yuralin Tabadhik are a clerical order entrusted with the preservation and protection of sacred locations. They oversee the maintenance and conservation of revered shrines, temples, and natural landmarks associated with the Nindattam and the Kami. They ensure that these sites remain accessible, undisturbed, and spiritually potent, serving as sacred spaces for reverence and connection with the divine.
Sworn to protect these hallowed grounds against any desecration or harm, the priests adhere to a strict code that forbids them from carrying weapons. However, they have honed their bodies and minds to become formidable defenders, specializing in the art of unarmed combat. They are also the creators of the art of mystical tattooing known as Mahōbori, which allows them to access supernatural gifts of strength, stamina, and speed (among other things).
When a young person joins the Yuralin Tabadhik, they begin a course of training that takes decades to complete. During this time, they will move frequently from teacher to teacher, at different shrines around the Empire. These teachers bear the title of uchitel, a Nikvhi word that has been used throughout the order's history. The priests believe that there is a shrine that resonates with the spirit of each person, and one of the first missions of their initiates is to find the sacred place that is a pair to their soul. While most will find their place among the hundreds of shrines in the Empire, there are some each year who travel further afield. To the Yuralin Tabadhik, no shrine is any more or less sacred than any other, including those dedicated to spirits from the other cultures of the Great Ring. When a young priest feels that they must seek further to find the home of their spirit, the elders of the Yuralin Tabadhik provide them with supplies, funds, and advice for their travels, and allows them to follow their heart. While some of these wanderers are never heard from again, enough do find their home shrine beyond the Empire to validate the practice in the minds of the elder priests.
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