Monk

Ascetic Aesthetic

The Monks of Vrashyn differ little from those that can be found across the multiverse. Heeding neither the difficulty of the landscape nor the suspicious stares of the local population, they set up monasteries all across Vrashyn, each ascribing to their own set of values and traditions. While not as powerful a religious force as the major religions of the Clerics, monasticism still plays a key role in many communities, providing the wayward soul with a purpose-driven and contemplative life. For others who take a more shallow view, the showy fighting abilities and magical abilities learned by most monks are reason enough to join, though Monks have a way of turning the most cynical novice into a true believer with enough time and, of course, social isolation.  

Monastic Traditions

Scholars believe that monasticism must have emerged shortly after The Cataclysm, filling the vacuum left when the major priesthoods of Vrashyn collapsed. During this time of strife, the common folk gathered together in walled towns and hilltop hideaways, defending themselves with what little magic and fighting expertise they had. When the crisis abated slowly over the following centuries, these now tight-knit communities began developing their own spiritual practices in their isolation. It is from these humble origins that the oldest monastic traditions arose, resulting in a wide variety of practices and beliefs.  

Way of Shadow

This tradition arose in what is now The Outlands and the nearby elvish kingdoms. Unlike other monastic orders, they eschew walled monasteries for mobile encampments, and this strategy has led to their spread across both major continents. They usually settle within several miles of a major city where their knack for subterfuge can be of some use. While not inherently evil, monks who follow this path have a deserved reputation for being less than trustworthy at the best of times. Cities believed to have significant populations of monks in this tradition include Arka, Sheimas, Hyelle, and Dolophon  

Way of the Drunken Master

The Drunken Masters are a favorite in the Satyr kingdoms and Dwarvish Communes, though they are also seen in along both sides of the Washujin Channel and along the Dohirin Coast. Way of the Drunken Master Monks are unusual due to their constant travels and attraction to urban locales. Though they build monasteries like any other order of Monks, they spend the majority of their time on the road and don't tie themselves to any one monastery. Because of this lifestyle, they make excellent and entertaining adventuring party members.  

Way of the Four Elements

Monks in this order focus on the relationship between ki and the four elemental forces. This group is the most internally diverse of the monastic tendencies, with differences in approach and which elements are focused on being so numerous that no two monasteries have the same traditions or practices. They do tend to congregate in certain areas where the powers of the four elements are most prominent, such as on mountains or by rocky shoreline cliffs. A notable subset of these Monks count themselves as part of the Order of the Scathe, seeing the fires of The Scathe as the ultimate material expression of ki.  

Way of the Kinsei

Though these Monks may find their way onto the battlefields of the great central kingdoms of Vrashyn, they hail from the periphery. They arose both north of the Hobgoblin Clans and in the border region of The Outlands. Despite this split beginning, the two groups maintain enough communication that mutual learning has bled their traditions together, though they still differ on which weapons they favor. Hobgoblins, Kenku, and Humans are the most common members of this order.  

Way of the Long Death

These Monks study the nature of death and how living things strive to avoid it. They live almost exclusively in the colder western regions of Vrashyn where hibernation and preservation reveal unique insights in their field of study. Monks in this order are likely to attach themselves to adventuring parties in the pursuit of knowledge, offering their expertise in the cold wilds in return for the safety of numbers that a party provides. The short-lived Kenku make up the majority of this order in The Outlands , while in its Ereki incarnation, membership is a more diverse mix of the local races.  

Way of the Open Hand

Despite the martial nature of their traditions, Monks of the Open Hand are the most common in peaceful lands. Their order began in and is largest in Parthil, but has spread across Laivra and northern Rhovra. The order offers the martially-inclined a positive outlet for their fighting abilities, redirecting potential violence towards a life of meditative self-reflection. Lords are often eager sponsors of their temples because they cut down on banditry and can be coaxed to fight for their host in war, though the Monks will only fight in defensive battles.  

Way of the Sun Soul

Common across the arid eastern regions of Vrashyn, Way of the Sun Soul monks have a particularly strong foothold among the Laivran Dwarves. Many of them are Dwarves, and the other members of their order are the only non-Dwarves allowed to permanently reside in the communes. Both honored and feared for their control over raw ki, the monks provide the peaceful mining communes with a major deterrent to raids and play an active role in the mining process. In other parts of eastern Vrashyn, the monks seek out isolated desert and mountain areas to practice their techniques away from prying eyes.