Order of the Divine Nepeta
While still a relatively young organization at roughly 1500 years of age, the Order plays an important role in the recent history of the kingdom. Some may find them too proud, too prudish, maybe too straightlaced and no fun. But no one doubts their cause, no one doubts their loyalty, no one doubts the power of their individual members, and no one questions that without them, maybe the kingdom would have fell hundreds of years ago.
The Order of the Divine Nepeta was founded in the year 143 of the Eighth Era, towards the end of the First Great War of the Realms, after Catus separated the original realm into Dominicus Felinus proper, and the Grimmfell to contain the malevolent cat spirits that were created by the First Great War. The first group of the most devote and powerful of the followers of Catus became the founding members of the Order. The founding lead cat of the Order was First Seer Asir. The humans who aided the cats in the First Great War became the first group of summoners, laying the foundation for the Warden-Summoner partnership. The Order named itself after the Nepeta Cataria, also known as catnip, a plant that is believed to have cleansing powers and help cats obtain enlightenment. The main temple is the Lamiaceae Sanctuary, situated in the town of Nepetanopolis. Located within the confines of the Sanctuary are the divine relics and artifacts of old and the Sacred Garden. The Rite of Flames that occurs four times a year, is also initiated at Nepetanopolis.
Structure
Keepers of the Divine Leaf
The Keepers of the Divine Leaf is the branch responsible for leading the rituals and ceremonies of the kingdom, many of which are instrumental to the upkeep of the Misty Vale. Members serve as general lorekeepers, archivists of history, and advisors on all matters divine. They also tend to the Sacred Gardens in the Order Sanctuaries throughout the kingdom, from which they recieved their name. A subsect of this group also act as traveling healers, mediators, adjudicators and even teachers throughout the kingdom.
The Keepers recruit from cats who show aptitude for ritual magic, a magic that is considered impossible to master without the purposeful aid of Catus. In fact, the general lore is that all Keepers are cats who in their previous reincarnations were members of the Order, even they do nor recall any past lives, thus tracing their origins back to the time of the First Seer.
Wardens of the Everbloom
Council of Flowers
The administrative Council of the Order, consisting of the 5 Prelates of Flowers from the Keepers, and the 4 Lord Wardens. The Council is tasked with overseeing the adminstrative tasks of the Order, and advising the reigning monarch on decisions deemed important to the safety of the kingdom, including at times diplomatic relations with neighboring countries. The Council regularly meets four times a year at Nepetanopolis during the Rite of Flames, and in cases which the monarch deems necessary. Issues such as demotion of Wardens are also decided by the Council.Assets
The Sacred Gardens
