Temple of Chauntea - Earth Mother

The beautiful buildings and gardens of the Temple of Chauntea at Subhas Oasis have stood for hundreds of years on the desert wind and sun. The lush gardens are tended by the resident monks and are designed to lead into the deep blue Contemplation Pool. Here, visions of prophecy are received and such divinations can be received for a small donation.
Constructed of baked bricks with minimal artifice, the building houses many small, cool rooms with small vents instead of windows. The central altar room is dominated by a beautiful wooden statue of Chauntea herself, which is said to miraculously come into leaf and bloom every few years.
Twenty monks and the High Priestess Hebeki live in the temple, tending to travellers and their animals, healing the sick and diseminating wisdom. It is a calm, restorative place and very few who pass through Subhas Oasis miss the chance to visit the gardens.

Structure

The temple is overseen and managed by the High Priestess. All others are referred to as priests or monks and all have equal standing in the temple.

Public Agenda

All those who seek to grow and harvest foods and other resources are fervent worshippers of Chauntea in Zama Ramal. It is widely believed that her blessing alone keeps the oases fed with water and the crops abundant. The temple ensures that offerings are made to the Earth Mother to continue this blessing and that all should make at least one pilgrimage to the temple at Subhas Oasis in their lifetime.

Assets

The greatest asset of the temple is its gardens and the Contemplation Pool. Here, the aquamancy is carried out. Fortunes are told, omens are foreseen and predictions made for the future of the harvests and the rains. Rare plants and animals that live only by the oasis here are treasured and nurtured to enhance the beauty and the honour to Chauntea.

History

The temple was initially a simple shrine to Chauntea along the Golden Road as it passed Subhas Oasis. As time passed, a permanent presence of monks and a steady flow of offerings and valuable donations came to the shrine. This allowed construction of the temple buildings, the main altar and statue of Chauntea. Then as popularity and renown grew, the gardens were designed and constructed around the deep blue pool that joined the oasis lake. A wall was made around the pool to prevent people from falling into it while meditating or receiving visions. The temple now houses 20 monks and the most recent High Priestess, Hebeki.

Mythology & Lore

Chauntea (pronounced: chawn-TEE-ah), known as the Green Goddess or the Earth Mother is the goddess of life and is seen as being the embodiment of all things agrarian or agriculture. She is a goddess of agriculture, plants cultivated by humans, farmers, gardeners, and of the harvest. Some worshipers claim that her divine blessing gave life to the natural world, while some contend that she created and gave birth to all mortal races. Chauntea is believed to be one of the eldest deities in Faerûn, born when Toril was created by the primaeval battles between Shar and Selûne. Selûne favoured her and nurtured her with her light, with the help of Mystra.

— Writings of Tyresti, High Priestess

Tenets of Faith

The faithful to Chauntea respect life and living things, from the most meagre seedling to the giant nut palms and all crawling and walking creatures from tiny storm thrips to the wild lions of the desert.
The most powerful tenet is to harm not a living thing without cause. Birds, plants and animals are all respected and treated well. The monks and the High Priestess themselves do not eat dead flesh and subsist on the harvest from their garden alone.

Ethics

It is considered sinful or an offence to Chauntea to hurt, wound, torment or otherwise be cruel to any living thing, any humanoid, animal or plant. Though the holy initiates do not eat dead flesh, they permit that people must consume meat in a land so limited in resources. It is ruled that slaughter must be humane and no part should be wasted.
Acts of piety include tending to travellers and the sick, their animals and servants at the oasis. It is also a blessed act to bring a harvest to fruition, to bring in a crop of apples or seed, to tend a plant from seedling to maturity and have it thrive.

Worship

Daily worship consists or prayers at the altar of Chauntea every day at dawn. This is followed by a day of work in the gardens and around the oasis. Prayers are offered again at dusk, to include any requests received for specific blessings, for example, if a herdsman needs prayer for stronger goat kids to be born, or for the waters to flow well this year. After dark, lights are kept burning at the temple gates and doorways as a welcome to all travellers.
A weekly libation of wine and rich foods from the offerings left by visitors are made to Chauntea, to beg her mercy and her blessing on all things growing, and her kindness to all things living.
The only festive holiday observed by the Chaunteans is Jawm Al-Nahr, the return of the rivers, whereby all monks visit Akhang-Ahvar to be washed and to help with washing animals and children and to offer blessings to all festival-goers and healing for the sick or injured.

Priesthood

All races and genders are welcomes as acolytes. Those initiated donate all worldly goods to the temple and have only their pale green robes to wear. They tend the gardens, heal the sick and serve all visitors to the oasis with food and water.

Granted Divine Powers

The most divine power bestowed upon the Chauntean priests is that of prophecy by aquamancy. As a part of their initiation, monks must receive a vision from the Contemplation Pool. It is known that some kind of divine spirit inhabits the pool but none has ever investigated its source or questioned its validity. The visions and prophecies received are usually quite accurate, if sometimes generalised. The monks are permitted to request a donation in return for sharing their wisdom and such remuneration is given without question with thanks for the guidance.

Nature will find a way.

Common Worship of Chauntea
Zami Ramal is a desert land, bounded by a narrow mountain range in the south and a dense strip of forest to the north. As such, agriculture and food production is challenging for the Zamians. Their almost unanimous worship of Chauntea provides a common cause and community bonding in the struggle to feed everyone. Daily thanks are given at every meal to Chauntea and all work together to entreat the goddess for kindness and mercy. The land does seem unusually blessed with resources for such a harsh environment.

Type

Religious, Temple

Alternative Names

Earth Mother's Haven, The Aquamancery

Demonym

Chaunteans

Location

Subha's Oasis

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High Priestess Hebeki
Hebeki was initiated from acolyte to priestess at the age of 22 after 6 years of service to Chauntea at the smaller temple in Hajdib. Hebeki is exceptionally beautiful, with blonde hair and hazel eyes, though her pale skin is unusual among Zamians. She wears delicately embroidered pale green fine woollen robes and no footwear. Hebeki is philosophical and devout. She wishes only to serve her goddess well. She fears failing in her duties. She is always preceeded by a young acolyte sweeping with a brush to ensure that she does not inadvertently step upon an insect or a seed.
Armour Class 10 Hit Points 18 (4d8) Speed 30 ft. Alignment LG.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	11 (+0)	10 (+0)	15 (+3)	16 (+3)	15 (+3)

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