Monk

Due to the nature of monks, most people don’t even know they have encountered one unless they are informed or witness them in battle. Monks in Emicara are typically associated with one of three monastic orders: The Cult of the Damned, the Fellowship of the Palm, and the Monastic Brotherhood. The Cult of the Damned are a group using subterfuge and other underhanded methods to undermine and defeat tyrants. The Fellowship of the Palms are known to be the enforcers of the Church of the One Sun, striking quickly against those who would seek to undermine the Church’s expansion. The Monastic on the other hand are known as professional relic hunters, storing forbidden devices, magic, and books in their citadel in the Kingdom of Columba. Monks of the Fellowship of the Palm and the Monastic Brotherhood are exclusively human, but monks of the Cult of the Damned can be of nearly any race.
Way of the Open Hand is the path usually followed by monks of the Fellowship of the Palms. The use of unarmed combat is important, as the members of the Fellowship rarely carry weapons in order to blend into the common folk and infiltrate places with higher security. The lack of weapons is part of their creed, warning against reliance upon steel or magic to carry out their tasks and concentration.
Way of the Shadow is the path endorsed mostly by the Cult of the Damned. With the Cult only allowed to openly practice their beliefs and methods in the Shin Empire, they are used to remaining in the shadows and avoiding identification. Their efforts are mostly focused upon avoiding the limelight and dealing with enemies in a quiet, typically nonlethal, manner. When the time does come to draw blood, however, most of the time the targets of the Cult appear to have died naturally, with few, if any, signs of combat.
The Way of the Four Elements is a method practiced more by the Cult of the Damned, but the Brotherhood has seen the utility in the methods. The Fellowship of the Palms has forbidden this practice, claiming that the efforts are too close to heretical faiths, such as Naturalism. This doctrinal debate has furthered the split between the Fellowship and the Brotherhood in recent years.
The Way of the Drunken Master is considered by all three organizations to be the ideal technique for infiltrators and long term spies. Among these orders, it is considered that the drunken master is the best at blending into other environments, especially in urban areas. These individuals typically take either consumer or worker roles in taverns and bars, and typically use the appearance of alcoholism to avoid suspicion from authorities.
Way of the Kensei monks are elite warriors of these orders. The Cult of the Damned has the fewest of these soldiers for their cause, while the Monastic Brotherhood has the most. Training their whole lives to become specialists in their weaponry, they are typically guards and bodyguards to help protect essential members of their orders or buildings of importance.
Way of the Sun Soul monks are the standard practitioners of the Monastic Brotherhood. They are the ones who have most embraced the teachings of the Church of the One Sun into their body and abilities. They are the most common of the Brotherhood's members and warriors, protecting the relics that they have stored in their cathedral.
The Way of the Long Death is forbidden among the three main monastic orders of Emicara. A handful of independent groups over the centuries have kept the practice alive, but they are frequently hunted and eliminated by agents of the three primary monk organizations. The manipulation of death and extension of life is viewed as unnatural by the leadership of all of the orders, and draining of life from another is severely frowned upon. 
The Way of Mercy is primarily practiced by the Cult of the Damned. The healing offered by this way gives agents of the Cult the ability to build new friends and allies among the lower classes of the nations of Emicara. Curing diseases and breaking epidemics are seen as the greatest goals of the organization, and most of these monks find their way out to the frontiers of civilized society to aid those who most need extra healing and support. 
Way of the Astral Self monks are typically self taught rather than emerging from any of the three main organizations. They are more internally focused, and while the methods taught by this way are not forbidden, they are often seen by other monks as rather self-centered. Although their martial methods are useful, most Astral Self monks seem to be primarily focused upon achieving inner peace rather than helping the world around them.

Type

Religious