Spider's Little Sisters

Like most of the monastic houses, each convent is independent of the others. They are supposed to be under the supervision of the local bishop. More often than not, it's fobbed off on some local priest who resents having to deal with the sisters.

Inside the monastery, the Abbess's word is law, and I mean LAW. Whatever she says goes. Technically, the poor priest who has been assigned to making sure the convent is following orthopraxy has the final say, but I wouldn't want to go up against most Abbesses. How strict the convent holds to the monastic rule is pretty much up to her. Most of Spider's Little Sister's ones are middle of the road. You can expect to spend a few vigils on your knees instead of bed if you miss midnight prayers, but just dirty looks for whispering at meals, for example.

Smaller convents have no hierarchy beyond their abbess. Large convents will have a group of elder nuns in charge of different aspects of the convent. For example one of the older sisters might be in charge of the novices. Like most things at the convent, the exact form this takes is up to the Abbess.

The Spider's Little Sisters were founded under the idea that charity is the most important virtue that the gods demand of humanity and fae. More than most monasteries, these women concern themselves with the needs of the least of the gods' people, the poor, those struck by disaster, the sick, the orphan, and the elderly. They preach that these people are an opportunity to allow Kindattu's love to fill us and shine through us.

In practical terms, the sisters live a simple life. They wear plain tunic dresses of undyed wool. They eat austere meals, usually soup and barley bread. And they work incredibly hard. As a monastic order, most of their time not working is spent in contemplation or prayer.

The Sisters' attempt to make the least of the gods' people feel cared for. To that aim, they collect old clothes, scraps of fabric, and even rags from the nearby towns or cities. These they turn into quilts which they give to those struck by misfortune, orphans, and those in hospital.

You might be asking, why go beg for scraps. Wouldn't it be safer and make sturdier quilts to weave the fabric themselves? This is where these nuns are either brilliant or insidious, I'm not sure which. It's to remind the people, particularly the wealthy, that they are supposed to give to those who have less. More over, the nuns in many places try to give the quilts to be used in the same area that the fabric came from. The quilt's recipient will see fabric left over from Miss Snobbyton's market dress and know she donated it. The hope is that the recipients will feel that their whole community cares in their time of need.

It's real hard to say what assets the entire Spider's Little Sisters have. Individual convents range in wealth from a few buildings and enough land to feed themselves to as much land, rents, and buildings as a small principality. Unlike some religious orders, the Sisters usually give away any money in excess of what they need to carry on their work.

The name comes from the belief Kindattu loves spiders for their industrious nature.