Thorned Braids
"The girls suffer because of our sins. Seek atonement, so that they may be granted peace." - Nun of the Sisters of the Sacred Thorn
Menra's Curse
The Cardinal Elves of San Cardel are known for their faith in the High Will and the Decentur Church. The basis of their faith is the Original Sin, the belief that all elves are sinful creatures that can only find salvation in the teachings of Father Magnus. This has created a culture centered on forgiveness and an endless search for penance within San Cardel. Grisly acts of mutilation and self-sacrifice are all too common in the land of golden grass. These practices are only spurred on by the mysterious biology of the Cardinal Elves, who have a series of strange genetic disorders that are often seen as signs of divine punishment. The greatest example of this is the Thorned Braids, a condition where an elf is born with thick, bramble-like hair with sharp thorns. This condition is a genetic defect that only affects women, which doesn't reveal itself until they are five years old, in which their hair will fall out and be replaced with thorny strands. Once the condition is discovered, the young girl is taken to a priest, where her fate will be decided. In the late Ancestral Era, girls with this trait were deemed cursed by Menra, the Lord of Lies, and the only way to save them was death. Girls with this condition would've been horrifically killed in a ceremony known as Purgatio Sanctulus, where the victim will have molten gold poured onto their head. As time went on, the practice of killing children with this condition fell out of favor. By the mid First Era, many elves with this condition were spared from death and were allowed to live to adulthood with the Thorned Braids. Life for these women was painful, with the thorns stabbing their skin every waking moment; many choosing to just keep their heads shaved entirely. Sadly, women who attempted to cut away the bramble-like hair would find it grew back quickly and even denser than before. It wasn't uncommon for those with this condition to eventually take their own lives, unwilling to live another day in pain caused by their own body. After years of attempts, no cure or way to slow their growth was discovered. Many women were ostracized and made into outcasts for simply having this condition. Sometimes mobs formed to hunt down these women and have them burned at the stake for being Menra's spawn sent to turn them away from the High Will. While ceremonial killing by the church was no longer practiced, the church leaders did nothing to stop these incidents, sometimes even supporting them.Holy Penitence
In 1034 1E, a nun named Mother Candela founded the Sisters of the Sacred Thorn and began taking in women and girls with this condition. She believed that the Thorned Braids were a blessing from the High Will so that they would suffer for the sins of others. Their purpose was to be martyrs for the elves of San Cardel to learn from; their suffering was brought upon them because of the sins of the Cardinal Elves; only through atonement could these girls ease their pain. Church leadership was initially skeptical of Mother Candela's ideas, for they contradicted everything taught about the condition. It rewrote the belief that these girls were cursed by their god's greatest enemy and changed it to be the reminder by the High Will to the masses for what their sins are bringing upon the world. Eventually, Mother Candela gained support, as her monastery would take the afflicted women and girls away from the public eye and keep them under the supervision of the Decentur Church. Her monastery was built in the northwestern hills of San Cardel, far away from any town or city. Mother Candela was given free rein to do as she wished to those brought to her monastery for as long as she brought the afflicted women and girls to other towns and cities to preach to the masses. The girls were given a special head covering that somewhat protected their necks and back from the thorns, but this was truly the extent of Mother Candela's generosity to them. Beatings, verbal abuse, malnutrition, and poor conditions were all too common for the afflicted. Many girls were punished for any slight or even for the enjoyment of the church staff by having to take off their head coverings and forced to press their heads into a wall so the thorns can sink deep into their skin. Deaths under Mother Candela's care were far too common, whether from poor conditions or through the afflicted taking their own lives. They were buried in unmarked graves and forgotten about, so long as some were available so the nuns could parade them around, they couldn't care less. While it took some time for Sisters of the Santa Espina's teachings to take hold in San Cardel, public opinion would turn in their favor. Parents gave their children to the nuns without question, some believing that they would receive care and maybe even a cure for their condition, while others just wished to abandon their unwanted child. Most of these parents would never see their children again, as the horrid conditions these girls would be living under were tightly kept secret. Women who choose to live with the Thorned Braids were forced to join this organization, for their only other options would've been death or further ostracization. By 1052 1E, the Sisters of the Sacred Thorn were a widespread and flourishing organization, transforming the Throned Braids' perception from one of hatred and fear to one of sympathy. The arrival of the nuns was heralded by holy ceremonies and parades, as the afflicted women and children were put on display for the masses to watch the suffering their sins have wrought upon these girls. The Sisters of the Sacred Thorn would continue to grow, never truly changing their ways until centuries later in 1297 1E. Sister Lydia had joined the nunnery in hoping to care for those afflicted by the Thorned Braids but was horrified to discover the misery they lived under. As a young nun, Lydia tried to help the afflicted as much as possible, sneaking them extra food and foregoing cruel and unnecessary punishments. In due time she would gain the title of Mother Lydia and made changes for the betterment of those under their care. Living conditions were improved greatly, and all physical punishments were forbidden under her leadership. Mother Lydia removed particularly cruel nuns were removed from the monastery. Lydia stressed the importance of helping the afflicted under their care, for their lives were already filled with suffering. Children were no longer allowed to be brought out in public unless they asked to come with them. The nun's message to the public remained the same as before, with even more calls for sympathy and atonement from the masses. The Sisters of the Sacred Thorn are still active today, reminding San Cardel of their sins and care for those afflicted with Thorned Braids. Mother Candela was given the title of Saint by the Decentur Church, though her abuse of the afflicted was ignored. Mother Candela is respected for founding the convent for the nuns, but Mother Lydia is seen as the greater individual. A small town known as Laguna was built near the monastery for families who still wished to see their children. The monastery also allowed children to keep in contact with their families and allow controlled visits for children whose families couldn't move to Laguna. The Sisters are perhaps one of the most respected organization under the Decentur Church, often heralded as the greatest example of the good the followers of the High Will can accomplish.
Type
Genetic
Cycle
Chronic, Congenital
Rarity
Rare
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