Shemsu-Nisut: Priests of the Fourfold Pillars

Structure

Hierarchy & Roles First Hand: One per temple - Oversees doctrine, resolves disputes between initiates. Advises city rulers on matters of divine law (e.g., trials, oaths). Fourfold Masters (4 per temple, one per Pillar) 1. Master of Strength: Iron Pillar (Strength): Trains city guards, military officers. 2. Master of Dexterity: Needle Pillar (Dexterity): Teaches precision arts (archery, needlework, surgery). 3. Master of Endurance: Stone Pillar (Endurance): Prepares spies, desert scouts. Administers survival trials (fasting, heat resistance). 4. Master of Grace: Silk Pillar (Grace): Coaches diplomats, courtesans, dancers. Guides dance, diplomacy, and posture. Blade-Seeds (Initiates): Undergo 12-year training (3 years per Pillar). Must pass the "Fourfold Proof" (a test in each Pillar) to advance. Recruited from noble families or military prodigies. Serve the state for 10 years post-training.

Tenets of Faith

"The Body is a Temple of Four Pillars" - Mastery of Power (Al-Qudra), Precision (Al-Hikma), Patience (Al-Sabr), and Elegance (Al-Anaqa) is sacred. "Serve the Sand and the State": Loyalty to Sharadiya’s teachings and the Faizum Kingdom’s laws. "The Hand Must Strike True": Skills learned in Dar al-Arba’a ("House of the Four") must never be wasted—used only for justice, survival, or duty. "No Pillar Stands Alone" - A disciple’s weakness in one Pillar must be balanced by strength in another. "The Unworthy Are Blown Away": Those who fail their trials are exiled to the desert—no second chances. They can travel to wherever they would like just not here "Silence is the Fifth Pillar" (For a spy-focused branch). "The Wind Judges All" (For ancestral reverence).

Worship

Dar al-Arba’a "House of the Four" - Each Pillar has its own wing, marked by a colored sand mosaic (red for Strength, blue for Dexterity, etc.). The Heart-Sand: A central courtyard where the First Hand delivers teachings. Training is worship Symbol: A stylized scarab with four legs, each holding one of the Pillar symbols. A vertical spear, A curved needle, A coiled rope, open palm Use: Branded on initiates’ right shoulder after their first trial. Carved into dojo weapons and temple doors.