The Scriptoriums of Tinel

The scriptoriums where Tinelites worship stand in most major population centers, and few shrines to Tinel haunt roadsides or the wilderness. There are a few scriptoriums in hidden towers, like the isolated mages’ towers of legend, but in general, one must go to a city or town to find one. Scriptoriums vary in size. Many are just small libraries with facilities for scribes. The largest are multi-story buildings with thousands of books, or sometimes complexes of buildings. They are mostly funded by people who pay for access to the faith’s books or hire its scribes to copy texts. Money gathered from these fees funds the schooling scriptoriums host. Teachers come to Tinelite centers of worship from miles around, where they may teach fundamental academics, or philosophical and esoteric matters, to reputable students—even each other. Beyond a base stipend provided by the faith, it is customary for those attending lectures to pay the lecturer a fee equal to the to what the listeners estimate the lecture was worth to them. The scriptoriums do not benefit from these transactions and see them as part of their works in the name of Tinel. For many years, the scriptoriums have been subject to the deep, ugly rift afflicting the faith. The Heavenly Archmage scriptoriums are open to the world, whereas the scriptoriums that believe in an Aloof Tinel hoard their knowledge jealously, and do not follow the tradition of educating outsiders. When Tinel pays attention to mortal affairs, he offers guidance through signs and portents to his faithful. However, the worldview of his church means he can appear distant, as the faithful are looking to learn through discovery, not to be ordered about. This suits Tinel; he views his followers as clever, wise, and worthy of his affections if they seek knowledge out of personal desire, not because he pushes them. It is almost unheard of for Tinel to appear or speak directly to one of his followers. When a favored Tinelite is in terrible trouble, though, Tinel is not above lending a hand if a sign or small bit of guidance might snatch victory from defeat. He speaks to his followers in whispers of the wind, strange faces seen in clouds, creaking trees, and in other signs and noises, embedded in the world. Tinel ignores the schism between his followers. They are both right, and both wrong, and he is content to let them battle out their differences. After all, it is through struggle that mortals learn best. Yet he keeps an eye on the more aloof faction, which sometimes comes perilously close in its “knowledge is all” philosophy to the hubris of the Fourteen Wizards.

Tenets of Faith

“When I walk down the road that I know I must walk, and I come to the path I know I must take, I hope to find myself opposed. For if there is a rock in my path, I will not say ‘I must move this rock,’ as might the practical man. I will not say, ‘I will turn around,’ as might the impatient man. I ask, ‘Why has this rock been placed here before me?” Obstacles lie across our many paths in life to teach us the meaning of our journeys. There is nothing that happens to us without the knowledge of the Lord of Secrets. All that we experience in our lifetime is meant to edify. May we have the wisdom to learn.”
—the Journals of Madrigan Yewstaff

There are many aspects of the scriptoriums of Tinel, and even a violent division between his faithful, but two beliefs are universal among all Tinelites. First, there is Truth. There are incontestable facts about the universe, and it is the duty and purpose of the faithful to find and examine the Truth using their senses and empirical evidence. Second, mortal life is a test. All beings are being watched and judged as they travel through life. The final reckoning takes place before Maal, and mortals do well in that final reckoning if they solve the personal riddle of our existence. How these beliefs are interpreted varies based on which faction one belongs to.

The Faction of Tinel, the Heavenly Archmage

The dominant faction of the scriptoriums believes Tinel wants everyone to be happy. However, mortals have free will, and cannot be made happy with the wave of the god’s mighty hand. Mortals must find happiness themselves, by exploring the meaning of their own existence. Every person encounters a great riddle they are meant to unravel over the course of their lives. Almost no one does, and therefore mortals are reborn, sent by Maal to try again. Solving the riddle is only possible if one seeks out the Truth, which is sometimes hard and terrible, and that is only possible if one shares knowledge with others who also seek the Truth. The followers of Tinel have an advantage over others in the quest to solve the riddle of their lives, for they know how to seek signs of the Truth. Tinel wants mortals to be happy, and makes signs and portents available to all people throughout the world. The most important of these is the Vision of the Opening Eye. When a Tinelite is young (or young in faith, for a late-in-life convert), they learn a series of meditations to open the closed “eye of the mind.” After some time, usually a few months, the Tinelite is visited in sleep by an incredibly vivid dream. The dream is often filled with strange symbols. One Tinelite might wander a barren field and plant bloody seeds, as eight blue hawks fly overhead. This vision should be the Tinelite’s passion for many years to come, as they seek to unravel its meaning. Many never find the meaning of their visions. Those who truly understand them (and have an epiphany, instead of just pretending to know) take new surnames based on their understanding of the vision. Comprehending the vision is only the first step, likened to finding one of the keys to Heaven. Tinelites spend the rest of their lives seeking out how the vision unlocks the riddle of their beings, searching for the lock to fit that key. The Tinelites explain each vision contains a great lesson they are expected to understand completely, before death. The true riddle is the process of uncovering and comprehending that lesson. Few manage it in their lifetimes. Those who do are among the most serene mortals one could hope to meet. Sadly, because their riddles are so personal, they cannot pass along answers future generations can fully comprehend, much less apply to their own mysteries, though they might help a seeker in some small ways. This vision serves not only as a central pursuit for the members of the chaotic good faction, but also as an explanation of their view of Tinel. The god provides mortals with clues out of love, so they can find their way. Mortals must preserve and share knowledge to help one another on their journey to find answers. There should be debate, rancor, argument and struggle. The world is not pretty, and mortals must look at every aspect of it in their quests. Therefore, societies should be free, and lawful outlooks run counter to what is best for people. Highly lawful societies only work when there are questions people are not allowed to ask, and places they aren’t allowed to go. Groupthink is the enemy; the greatest good is found in many free individuals, not in united slaves. However, simply looking at all aspects does not mean partaking in them all; these Tinelites are not evil, and do not give in to depravity. The quest seeks the knowledge to live a good life. They regard the neutral faction as heretics who teach lies about Tinel.

The Faction of Aloof Tinel

This faction agrees that one must seek Truth. Life is a great test; upon this, they agree as well. Both factions use the Vision of the Opening Eye, and therefore both seek to comprehend their visions. But the followers of Aloof Tinel believe a person must collect knowledge and secrets to break the riddle of one’s life for its own sake, not to help others. Secrets should remain within oneself. The vision is a map to the Truth that one must follow to serve Tinel. Once one discovers the secrets of the path, they should keep them hidden. Knowledge belongs to worthy Tinelites and their well-guarded scriptoriums. To the Aloof faction, the mortal world is an illusion without consequence, created by the gods to separate the worthy from the worthless. When mortals die, those who have accumulated the most knowledge—the only thing that is real in this fleeting, illusory existence—are sent by Maal to stand before Tinel. Those who show they have unraveled the secrets of life are enlisted to aid Tinel in his studies to preserve the universe from the End Times. Nothing matters but the acquisition of the Truth, to prepare for this final test before the Lord of Secrets. Therefore, this faction encourages the hoarding of learning. They believe it is wrong to give knowledge to those who are not be worthy and will waste Tinel’s time. Adherents believe Tinel no longer cares about the Material Plane, that he places no signs in the world, and no longer offers his guiding hand to anyone. Tinel provides a vision not a loving embrace but as a way of seeing the pure and beautiful Truth one must seek forevermore. When the vision is comprehended, the Tinelite is well on the way to learning as much of the Truth as they need to pass the test and and serve Tinel. They regard the other faction of the faith as deluded idiots, chasing phantoms. Tinel is too busy studying his secrets to pay attention to the inconsequential mortal races, when they must prove themselves worthy of him.

The Schism

Much blood has been spilled in the past over the division between the factions, but since the faction of Aloof Tinel doesn’t care about much beyond the accumulation of knowledge, it could not maintain the struggle against the dominant faction. For this reason, members of the Heavenly Mage faction dominate the scriptoriums. Scriptoriums rarely mix factions, so it is not easy to find a Aloof scriptorium. How long this will continue is unclear, but one thing is certain: The schism has not lost much of its rancor over the years, and members of these two factions still see each other as fools and heretics.

Worship

The Tinelites believe the mind, when open, can perceive many things the naked eye cannot, including visions, portents, and symbols in the landscape. The opening of the mind’s eye is a lengthy process, and involves the chanting of a daily meditative prayer. The following is one of many variations, as Tinelites tailor the words to their personal outlook:

“I walk the road of light and shadow, I see the blossom grow and die, I hear the wind and feel the stillness. I feel joyous and desolate, I know everything and nothing, I am open to all things. My eye is open to all things.”

Priesthood

Inceptors of Tinel

The inceptors preserve both mystical and mundane lore. To be an “inceptor” means to be just beginning, to be taking everything in. While some inceptors possess vast knowledge, and have already taken in a great deal, the title still pertains to them. No matter how venerable, inceptors always eagerly learn more. An ancient order, the inceptors trace the names of their elders across many generations. They keep scriptorium records, meticulously noting of details great and small. They do not have the minds or demeanors of accountants and lawyers, though, for they focus their minds on exploration, discovery, and questioning. They question what they record. They doubt the facts, and test them constantly for veracity. The Bard Imarillus once observed: “Morwyn’s matriarchs say, ‘How may I help you?’ The soldiers of Terak ask, ‘How may I defend you?’ The Zhenkefan apostles wonder, ‘What will inspire you?’ But an inceptor of Tinel asks only ‘Why?’ and ‘Why?’ again, until a man wants nothing more than the company of the unholy and unclean.” The inceptors wonder at everything, picking apart the details, and finding questions no one else would think to ask. Their inquisitiveness stems from their lifelong mission to understand the world, and help others to understand it. There are two distinct phases in the career of an inceptor, whatever his faction. Younger inceptors wander and hunt lore, while the more powerful inceptors remain in the scriptoriums where they work. Exceptions exist, and history is filled with heroic inceptors who never had time to go back to their home scriptoriums to teach others all they learned. These adventuring inceptors are sometimes the source of legends and great tales, and nearly always spend their final days recording the exploits of their lives. Most inceptors are part of the dominant faction of the scriptoriums. They believe there is no holier act one can perform than to broaden the awareness of another. Their worship of Tinel is individualistic and revolves around small groups, and one-on-one interactions. These folk live as itinerate teachers and students, both to better themselves and others. They believe good results come from education, and offer people the knowledge they need in life. To them, the journey is the key. Exploration of knowledge, of the mind, yields the unexpected, and the worthiest answers are the ones one did not seek in the first place. In cities and nations where they have real influence, the Tinelites involve themselves with governments to educate people on a mass scale. These inceptors are happy to use any kind and decent method available to expand the minds of those they encounter, and lack the suspicion of law and government that their chaotic good brethren espouse.
The inceptors of the Aloof faction, on the other hand, care only about uncovering knowledge. They do not aid others in their learning. Instead, they join a cabal of the “worthy” and work together to solve the mysteries of the universe not for each other, but because cooperation brings better results they may apply to their own interests. Their missions nearly always pursue a specific piece of learning, and bring it back to allied inceptors for study. To them, nothing done in this world matters, save what one does in preparation for serving Tinel in the next life. These Tinelites avoid secular concerns as much as possible, and are happiest when they are left alone with their books and studies.

Neophyte

All new members of the order are called neophytes, the title by which they are addressed and introduced, and remain so for many years—in some cases, for the rest of their lives—as they work to study the universe and its secrets. Neophytes travel widely, read constantly, debate contentiously, and, most importantly, learn.

Teacher

Neophytes might become teachers. A council of inceptors made up of local teachers and armarii grill prospective teachers over a period of three days, asking in-depth questions on topics the neophytes have spent their careers studying. At the end of this time and if the neophytes prove knowledgeable enough, they are elevated to teachers. It falls to them to spread learning, through his scriptorium or by traveling from town to town, educating people. Among the neutral faction of the faith, teachers oversee large projects within their scriptoriums, assembling great reserves of learning on a single topic. Whatever the faction, teachers work to unravel the mystery of their visions. They are addressed as “master” or “mistress,” and introduced by full title.

Armarius

At some point after becoming teachers, devotees might advance to the title of armarius. An armarius must have unraveled the mystery of his vision. Only a teacher who has come to understand his vision can attain this title. The teacher must deliver a lecture to a scriptorium explaining his vision and its interpretation, and at the end of this, he takes on a new surname pertaining to the vision. Because the Tinelites document matters so thoroughly, it is possible to go back through generations, and read the notes from very old armarii lectures about their visions. An armarius is addressed as “revered master,” or “revered mistress,” and introduced by full title. The armarii oversee the scriptoriums and are their supreme authorities, issuing commands to all the other orders except the hierophants. If a scriptorium has several armarii, they make decisions for the scriptorium as a council where a simple majority rules. Once he becomes an armarius, it is the inceptor’s goal to aid others, but also to comprehend the riddle of his life through his interpretation of his vision. Even among these, the most knowledgeable of the Tinelites, it is rare to succeed completely.

Joining the Inceptors

Prospective members of the inceptors come to the scriptorium seeking training and are made neophytes once they experience the Vision of the Opening Eye. One cannot become an inceptor without being on a lifelong quest to solve the riddle of one’s existence. A person who has already had the vision is immediately inducted into the order. Neophytes are predominately Cloistered Clerics. Most neophytes carry daggers, for Tinel is traditionally shown blasting the servants of Kador with five great knives of magic.

Sects

Mage Guard of Tinel

The mage guard serves two purposes: to protect and recover knowledge, and to oppose anyone who seeks out forbidden knowledge, particularly malicious mages. The mage guard are experts at fighting arcane spell users. While friendly with, and fond of, good-aligned spell casters, their order was founded after a dread cult sought to use magic to reassemble the name of the Nameless One, and destroy all of creation. The elders of what would become the order determined that the world required a force that respected magic, but also knew how to oppose it. Too often, those who knew how to fight evil magic-users were superstitious and small-minded tyrants, who didn’t know the difference between a wizard and a warlock in the thrall of dark powers. If another evil body of wizards arose and threatened the world, no one of the Tinelite faith wanted to have to count on fools to stop them. Since the world does not always need a force to oppose reckless magic use, the mage guard also protects knowledge, the knowledgeable, and important secrets. The great libraries of the world attract mage guard members, and anyone with a vital secret in need of protection can plead with them to keep it safe. The mage guard protects the works of the past, and thus there are two edicts all the mage guard must follow. -Never allow the wicked to seize control of learning or secrets if by risking your life, you might prevent it. -Hold all secrets bestowed to you in sacred trust. Do not reveal them to any but those with whom you have been directed to share. In addition, the world has lost a great deal of knowledge over the years. Thus, the mage guard seeks out lost lore and secrets. This takes up most of its time, since members of the order rarely find themselves ordered to seek out and eliminate users of arcane magic. Many in the mage guard go their entire careers without a mission related to the purpose for which the order was founded, but some happen to find themselves fighting evil wizards while questing for lost knowledge. When the faith discovers it’s possible to recover ancient or lost knowledge, it charges the mage guard with the task. Their mission is embodied in the following precept:
If by the toil of your brow or the blood of your body, you find knowledge which is lost to the wise of the world, it is your sacred duty to recover it. You shall not sacrifice your life for it, if others might recover the knowledge on a separate quest. Rather, you are bound by oath to inform your brethren in Tinel of the lost learning at once, so they can recover it. If you are assigned this mission, you will pursue it using all your strength and skill.
The mage guard takes orders directly from the armarius, or a council of armarii at their home scriptorium. Only armarii can command the mage guard, for only one who has unlocked his vision bears the insight to direct this deeply holy order. In the field, when several of the mage guard work together, they obey the most experienced member of their own order. The mage guard travels with any who value knowledge and individual purpose. They’re irked by anyone whose outlook runs counter to the general Tinelite views, such as most Teraketh, but in general, anyone who is good, or even neutral, can make excellent companions for one of the mage guard. They never travel with evil magic-users, and actively work against them.

Defenders of the Word

All new members of the mage guard are addressed as “defender,” but in introductions this is extended to the full title, such as: “Defender of the Word Morik, a Mage Guard of the scriptoriums of Tinel.” They go to scriptoriums, where they serve an armarius. There, they might receive orders to go forth and find lost knowledge, or stay at the scriptorium to protect its archives. Some mage guards work with others of their order, forming a “cadre,” and work together on whatever mission their armarius gives them.

Keeper of Secrets

The most experienced defenders of the word become keepers of secrets. To become a keeper, defenders must unravel their visions. Unlike inceptors, defenders tell none but their commanding armarius about the vision and its meaning, though they do take on new surnames. They keep their vision’s meaning secret from all but one person, and it is in the imparting of her most personal and carefully kept secret to another that she becomes a keeper of secrets. Keepers of Secrets are addressed as “Keeper” and introduced in the same fashion as defenders. The mage guard keeps many secrets: tales about the name of the Nameless One only they know, for instance. They hold them closely. Not even the armarii know these tales. Upon being inducted into the order, each keeper is given a book of secrets. This must be kept on their person, as a private chronicle, for the rest of their lives. These books pass down from keeper to keeper. When one dies, the book is kept in trust by an armarius, until another keeper is elevated and the book can be passed on. Only one living keeper may know the contents of the book at a time. As they travel, keepers add new secrets to the book. When the last page is reached, they hide it away, in a secret place. Many would love to find one of these hiding places. Keepers of secrets do not share what they learn in confidence. Some political leaders, even those as important as queens and emperors, ask for their aid, knowing they can be trusted to pass on messages and lore they will never share with anyone who is not authorized to know them. Keepers never violate the oath of secrecy, on pain of expulsion, and perhaps punishments from Tinel or his servants.

Joining the Mage Guard

There is no explanation for why people are called to join the mage guard—they simply feel a pull, a need to take up the sword and fight for Tinel. Most initiates spend at least six years learning all the skills necessary to be a mage guard, though fewer are required for trained fighters. Candidates must also have had the Vision of the Opening Eye, and must not share it with anyone. Upon completing their training, they become defenders of the word. All the mage guard are fighters with a spellcasting archetype.

Hierophants

“The artist does not use every color; the poet does not include every word. Magic is just as surely a divine art, so why do some believe they should use every spell they might command? It makes only for ugliness and noise, like a song with every note.” So say the hierophants, a powerful order of faithful mages as old as the scriptoriums themselves—perhaps older. The hierophants form a great council of powerful arcane magicians who agree on reasonable laws and limitations for the use of arcane magic, such as bans on demonology and diabolism. The council is only open to those who are already strong in the magical arts, but most Tinelite mages, even apprentices, willingly adhere to the laws they set out. It is the council’s job to determine the will of Tinel as it pertains to the use of arcane magic—an awesome responsibility. The hierophants are almost entirely separate from the church structure and its members can only rarely, if ever, be found in scriptoriums. Certainly, any inceptor can point an interested party in the direction of the nearest hierophant, but the order maintains only cursory contact with most of Tinel’s clergy. The chief inceptors at each scriptorium keep in contact with the order, staying abreast of its beliefs and policies, so they might guide arcane spellcasters who come to a scriptorium to worship. The order was founded to ensure the Lord of Secrets never again strips the mortal races of magic. Thus, the hierophants interpret Tinel’s will as it pertains to the use of magic. All members are powerful practitioners of arcane magic, but even apprentices outside the faith know the order’s laws. Only the most powerful arcane magicians join the hierophants, to help define those laws. Depending on the strength of local Tinelites, and the specific offense, violating the laws might lead to nothing, expose the offender to public censure, or even bring the mage guard down upon him. It’s a gamble evil spellcasters are willing to take, but for those not steeped in wickedness, the hierophants draw a useful line between good and evil magic.

The Five

Five of the order’s most powerful members lead the hierophants. When one of the Five dies or passes out of ordinary existence by whatever mysterious means, the remaining Council of the Five convenes immediately, and elects a new member. The choice is usually obvious, but sometimes the election becomes rancorous. The remaining four of the Five do not have veto power, and ties are usually broken by contacting the deceased (or otherwise transfigured) predecessor, using the appropriate arcane rites. The Five are addressed as “your eminence” and introduced using this format: “Her Eminence, the Hierophant Amraila, Member of the Council of Five of the Scriptoriums of Tinel.” The Five oversee lesser hierophants’ councils, and determine when and how to enforce the laws set by their meetings, but the order rarely concerns itself with lesser mages who use evil magic. figuring such fools will meet their end eventually. The hierophants exist more to set and interpret laws than enforce them. They are only aroused when someone profoundly powerful and evil arises.

Joining the Hierophants

The rule of order demands that a region’s hierophants meet in council at least once every three years to discuss matters of magical law, and induct new members. The order recruits strong arcane spellcasters (including wizards, sorcerers, and magus', summoners, and witches) who worship Tinel and are known for their virtuous conduct. An invitation comes with the meeting’s location, and enough information to allow a potential candidate to scry upon the site, and teleport there. A candidate who can’t use this information to arrive when summoned is usually not considered worthy to join. Upon meeting the council, candidates must explain if and why they desire to join. After the candidate has spoken, council members can ask questions before a vote is taken. This usually results in the candidate’s induction, since she is typically deeply studied through magical and mundane means before being invited at all. But even if a majority on a regional council votes for the candidate, any of the Five can veto an induction for any reason. Addressed as “great lord” or “great lady” a hierophant is introduced by his or her full title. The benefits of membership include respect from the faithful and even arcane spell users from other traditions, and influence over the body of law that (at least according to Tinelites) governs magic. The most powerful members learn great magical secrets, beyond those known to most mages. Upon entering the order, a hierophant gains the Eye of the Arclords feat. Hierophants raised to the Five gain the Unified Theory feat.

Minor Orders

Two minor orders also exist in the scriptoriums, and are usually made up of devout Tinelites unable to join one of the other three holy orders. These orders have no disposition toward the schism, and their members are just as likely to serve in either one. Most members are acolytes or sages.

Scribes

The holy order of scribes, each addressed and introduced by their order title, are charged with copying manuscripts new and old. They have no central authority figure, a scriptorium with any significant number of scribes will also have a master scribe. The master scribe reports directly to the armarius, or armarii council.

Librarians

The librarians catalogue the Tinelites’ accumulated works. In larger facilities, they are of vital importance to a well-functioning scriptorium. It is not easy to keep track of thousands of books, so in scriptoriums with significant numbers of books, there are several librarians and at least one chief librarian who, like the master scribe, reports directly to the armarii.