the Radfrijan
To the maiden calls the mother, to the mother calls the crone. Deaf are those who walk the streets to calls from empty homes.Solemn are those who walk with the weight of death on their shoulders, as are the Radfrijan. Gothadrun welcomes many unto her gloam banner, and in streets oft glimmering silver with glimpses of steel, the Radfrijan are a rare group that remain untouched by the vagaries of politics and doubt. To speak more plainly, the Radfrijan are a sombre and fiercely independent charitable organisation that aim to give orphans of Gothadrun a home and a start to life. They are largely a matriarchal organisation, and are not known for their kindness or loving nature - indeed, the opposite is instead true. While Gothadrun is frequently embroiled in political intrigue, none are foolish enough to involve the Radfrijan beyond handing the results of particularly lethal battles into the arms of the Mother-Maidens.
Adequate Care by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
They take in any child that is unable to be raised by their parents, whether it be through death or inadequacy, and provide for them as any parent should. They provide full educations with strict centralised curricula, run regular health checkups, and establish pathways for those in their care to transition to adulthood.
Though not originally linked to Gothadrun's monarchy, they were offered an official writ and grants alongside it as a reward for their service in 4831, and have been closely allied with the monarchy since. As a state-sponsored organisation, they have access to far more territory than many of their foreign equivalents. This, they do not squander.
To better provide for the lost, the Radfrijan have constructed many of their spires across the nation, with their headquarters of Weinicspier standing tall in the capital of Altragenturm. The lands that are not dedicated for the everyday functionality of these spires are utilised as storage, public facilities that permit training opportunity, or specialised facilities.
Purpose
When I needed a mother, they were there. Never as warm nor as kind, but I hate to wonder what I would have become in any other country.It is the first stated goal and purpose of the Radfrijan to offer every child a chance in life as even and equal as they can. A child that comes to them drowning under the weight of poverty and suffering will be treated with just as much care as a spoilt heir whose fortune is beyond reach until they hit adulthood. If a child is failed by the Radfrijan, it is only ever by betrayal of their core tenets, for the life and soul of a child are placed on a pedestal that shall not fall until they hit adulthood.
To this end, the organisation follows a series of canticles written originally by Matron Kunegunde. The canticles lay out rules for both children and adults and have been added onto many a time since they were first written, as times have changed.
Each child welcomed into the Radfrijan and each adult that joins of their own volition must study these canticles with frequency akin to that of a religious text, for the rules and etiquette within are intended to be guidelines for entire lives.
The canticles are mostly stern in nature, calling for a life of hard work and service. They worship no god, but suggest that such devotion is valued well. They discourage poor communication or frivolous use of time, and instead advocate for hobbies to grow one's personal strengths or patch weaknesses. They are, in a word, pragmatic.
This has always been controversial outside the Radfrijan. Some call it brainwashing, others itch at the strict constraints the canticles offer.
Studying the Canticles by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
Structure
A rarity, perhaps, to find an organisation so strictly led by age - but considering the immortals...The Radfrijan fully embrace the triad concept of the mother, maiden, and crone into their organisation's history and structure. They enforce an age-based hierarchy, which should only be surprising to those unfamiliar with Gothadrun's political intricacies and conspiracies. Though the organisation is matriarchal, the majority of their titles are gender-neutral and gender is rarely a limiting factor. Despite being supposedly rooted in myth, the titles used in the organisation are simplified into titles understandable by children: the Mother-Maidens make up the bulk of the populace (with male equivalents referred to as Brothers), the Professors handle schooling, and the Preceptors handle administrative matters. Above them all are the Matrons and Wardens. The Mutter Oberin, or Mother Superior, is the head of the organisation and resides in Weinicspier to manage concerns across the entire organisation.
An Acolyte Listens by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
Other job titles, such as treasurer or medic, are considered sub-titles and are appended to an individual's first title. A young healer joining the Radfrijan might be known as the Mother-Maiden Healer, for instance. In urgent situations, they may be called for by these secondary titles to ensure clarity of communications.
A special title of Acolyte is also offered to adults that feel like the guidance of the Canticles would be a welcome boon to their souls. These acolytes are welcomed in as assistants to the Mother-Maidens and as students themselves, and must adhere to orders with far more rigidity than any other member of the organisation.
They seek a pathway to adulthood, and they may find it here - but at the cost of their freedom for a time, and with strict rules around where they may go after. Acolytes typically sign contracts permitting the Matrons great levels of control over them for at least a decade after they join.
Children, meanwhile, are offered a far more simple structure based on their age category. They are universally known as students, and their age - adjusted as appropriate for their species - grants them a numbered level (written in formal documentation using Roman numerals).
This level dictates everything from the colours they may add to the grey robes of their standard uniforms (an easy way for Mother-Maidens to identify children running amok) to the places they may traverse and the classes they can take.
Though the usual scale for students is one to twenty based on the lifespan of humans and half-elves, the sheer variance in species results in some strangeness around the maximum end of the spectrum.
An elven student, though rare, may not graduate fully until their eleventh decade despite reaching a more mature age decades prior, for instance, and thus may require more levels to indicate their difference from their peers.
Student XVII by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
Culture
As you age, you will soon learn to tell who is necessary, and who is not. Spend your words on those who may become relevant, and spare not a thought for the rest.The Radfrijan exist as a kindness to the orphans of Gothadrun, yet it is not kindness they provide. To be raised in their spires is to be raised with calculated efficiency and pragmatism, instilling a sense of loyalty for the nation and a sharp, logical mind into the bubbly forms of these bereft children.
Students Bonding by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
They are never left to grow alone and bonds of companionship are encouraged, but rarely will they receive the hugs and comforts of a regular family.
This cold culture extends, too, to the adults. There is little time wasted on frippery in the ranks, with the organisation's canticles indicating that casual chatter is a waste of time that can better be directed elsewhere.
Members of the Radfrijan are encouraged to spend even their free time dedicated to self-improvement so that they may serve as excellent role models for the youth. Acolytes are permitted little time to get up to chaos themselves, and are subject to strict behavioural rules designed to ensure their adherence to the canticles that ever loom over them.
Despite this, the Radfrijan truly becomes a home for children and adults alike. The shared canticles and comfort serve as the basis for a solemn but intimate bond, and friendships are seen as a boon due to the trust and care they foster.
To give the Young a Chance
Radfrijan Spire by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
Founding Date
4719
Type
Activist, Charity
Demonym
Radfrijan
Ruling Organization
Location
Etymology
The name of 'Radfrjian' derives from Earth's Proto-Germanic, brought to Istralar by humans along with their many other languages. Specifically, it derives from the terms raduraz and fōrijaną . In this sense, while the title of Mother-Maidens (which many use to refer to the organisation as a whole due to their visible presence in society) describes their frequent role in society, their formal name links directly to their role in carrying orphaned children through the wheel of life. Similarly, their headquarters of Weinicspier derive their name from Middle High German's weinic and Middle English's spier.
Radfrijan Classroom by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
Layout of each Spire
A typical Radfrijan spire is a tall, narrow spire constructed of grey stone, with bars across every window to prevent unfortunate accidents. These spires are not where orphans sleep, but where they spend their time studying and practicing for the strict curriculum set out by their spire's Matrons. The dormitories are generally underground or directly adjacent to each spire. Underground areas are considered far more defensible - which has sadly been a concern for the organisation over the years - and are thus greatly preferred, especially in border areas. Other areas, such as outdoor exercise areas, are placed on the grounds surrounding the spire and guarded by tall walls. Children given to the care of the Radfrijan are well-protected, if somewhat isolated. They rarely see beyond these walls without reason.The worst part about being a student there were the uniforms. Gods, the grey was so depressing! I was so glad when I got to Student XVI and was allowed to add so many accessories. I'd been reading the canticles on independence and fashion for years by then.
Infernal Links
It should come as no surprise that the canticles of the Radfrijan can often be found translated into the language of the Hells. When founded, the Radfrijan would have struggled to gain foothold or public trust without a little bit of extra encouragement. Orphans in Gothadrun were once considered a valuable resource for other beings, and the removal of that easy plunder was not something approved of by those holding power. Fortunately, an intrigued someone - and a someone wielding significant power of their own, at that - had recently been drawn into a quarrel with those other beings. With their assistance, establishing the charity as a well-trusted group was almost too easy. Overnight, public opinion shifted on the group from distrusting their very attempt at existence to welcoming them into a warm embrace. While little is known of the mysterious patron of the matrons, it is almost a certainty that the games they play are very long indeed.Devils? No, we just learnt Infernal to deal with Medimians if they're being stubborn.
History
How is any nation meant to be truly strong when half of their citizentry are wasted on the streets?
Planning an Orphanage by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
Like so many good things, the Radfrijan first began on a drunken night in a pub in a small forgotten village somewhere within Gothadrun's many forests. A gathering of older women and their friends - some touched by age, and some as perfect as they would ever be - toasted to a fallen friend, whose teenage son was left to fend for himself.
Matron Benedicta set about with her recruitment efforts, for she had been running the local women's group for a few years now and had tutored a number of the village girls in their readings and writings before that.
The story, they'd all heard before. With the amount of war plaguing Valathe, grief sat on their brows like the sun's own sting. Too many of their own had passed, and too many children were left to hold up the future unguided by their loved ones.
One of the older members of the group, her faced marred with the evidence of war's cruel touch and lined with the folds of many a smile, suggested that they gather up all of the young ones and teach them what they needed to know. No more wastrels begging for coin, she said: instead, these could be productive members of society. They'd all learnt lessons at their parents' knees, why not spend their free time sharing that with the lost youth?
Nobody is entirely certain of the timeline beyond that, but gradually, as more of the elders added ideas to the pile, the Radfrijan were formed. Matron Kunegunde, who still looks wonderful for an age doubtless numbered in the hundreds, was given the role of writing the initial Canticles as her sisters and friends pestered her with ideas for them.
Canticles of the Radfrijan by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
I was raised as one of the Radfrijan students, you know. They found me at ten years of age. I'd been so sure of my abilities when my dad went off to fight for a few months, but then he didn't come back, and I nearly burnt the place down because I didn't know not all fires can be put out with water. It felt like school at first. We had uniforms, which I knew the fancier schools in the cities had, and dormitories, which I'd only heard about in the stories the occasional bard told us about. It felt like home the more I settled in. I learnt how to cook, how to sew, how to swing a knife at a mugger and hide things from people I don't trust - no, that wasn't just from experience, we had lessons. I run my own little bakery now, just down the road from the spire I grew up in. One of my level-mates runs the pub over the street. The Mother-Maidens who raised me are Matrons now, or left to lead new families of their own. They still check in on me whenever they pop in for a bun, like I'm a child of theirs still and not just an obligation. I don't know how they manage to have so much care, even after all these years reading the canticles for insight.
Abandoned Orphan by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
I love this! The opening quote is so beautiful. I particularly liked the story of how the organization began :) This was a great read!