Holy Orders of Rontra

The Rontran foundations have no centralized hierarchy.

Each is independently managed by its senior member, though some foundations in one kingdom or geographic area might form a council. Even without a central authority, each member knows where they stand in the religion. There are three holy orders within the Rontran church: the sowers (clergy), sentinels (holy warriors), and gleaners.
Sowers have three levels of status: prelates, grand prelates, and elders of the faith. Sentinels and gleaners do not have such formal ranks. Sowers run the foundations, and are considered the authorities in any matter concerning the Rontran faith.

A typical foundation hosts at least five prelates and one grand prelate. In fact, a foundation cannot be established without a grand prelate. Larger foundations have three or four sentinels in residence. Gleaners are almost never found in foundations, and are instead inhabit shrines found in the remote wilderness.

The Foundations of Rontra

The foundations of Rontra, where the Rontrans worship, can be found throughout most lands, for her followers are quite numerous. In rural areas, where farming and living off the land are a necessity, there is almost always a Rontran foundation present. Farmers offer prayers there daily, so Rontra might bless their crops.
In cities, the foundations of Rontra are far less common. When found, they are most likely concerned with her fertility aspect. Women of all social classes pay homage to the Wellspring of Life, hoping they will be able to “bear fruit,” as the tree of Eliwyn did through Rontra’s grace. Quite often, the churches of Rontra and Morwyn are linked, as they are considered the grandmother and mother of the people, respectively. In The Great Church cathedrals, their altars are always found together.
The main goal of Rontra’s church is to sustain life and the earth that supports it. Those who kill and maim for no reason, or pillage the earth without cause, are enemies of the Rontran faith. Priests of Rontra view themselves as counselors more than leaders of the people. They provide guidance to the faithful and maintain the health of their flock through wisdom and advice. They lay down their lives if necessary to defend the land and the living things that derive sustenance from it, but they rarely tell people what they should or must do.
Most Rontrans take pleasure in the treasures of the earth, such as gems and precious metals. They often make these into beautiful works to honor their goddess. There are many within the Rontran faith who are expert at such matters, and in mining societies the worship of Rontra is closely tied with worship of Korak, the artisan, who taught mortals to craft such wonders.
The foundations of Rontra are always constructed from stone or brick, derived from the strength of the earth. The Rontrans never raise their buildings more than one story above the ground, and often construct many subterranean levels and chambers. The floor of Rontran foundations is always bare earth. Those entering the temple must remove their footwear out of respect and walk barefoot. Thus, they are always in contact with the Earth Mother. Many faithful Rontrans avoid wearing shoes for this reason.
Rontra has never believed in actively influencing events or telling mortals what to do, even in the time of the div, but since the Compact, she has become even less involved in the daily lives of mortals. Though she is as bound to the sphere as the land itself, she observes mortals from afar.

She is pleased with most aspects of what her church has become, although she thinks that more focus should be put on the overall welfare of people throughout the world. She believes her faith has become too focused on farmers and those that work the land. While she appreciates the reluctance of her faithful to instruct others and lead them toward the right path—they are taking a page from her book, after all—she does pressure the most powerful of her followers to assume a more active role promoting peace among all people. When she can, she sends servants such as the Shepherdess or the Miner into the mortal sphere to right a grievous wrong, stop the wanton destruction of the earth, or (most commonly) subtly influence mortals to do it for themselves.

Tenets of Faith

Peace through Acceptance

“We cannot mourn that we die, for all things die. It would serve us just as well to mourn birth. The fields are planted and grow full, and then they are harvested and made bare. They are planted once more, and again harvested. Do not mourn the cycles of life; do not resist their wonder. When we are at peace with life, then we will be at peace with each other. This is what our Grandmother wants for us.” – Great Elder Grombir Ironbrand’s “I Have Seen the Glory”

Rontran teachings are not universal; each foundation focuses on the aspect of the faith its sowers consider most important.
For example, inside a dwarf hold there might be a foundation that dwells on the beauty of the earth’s treasures, and ministers mostly to miners. In this foundation, there would be no mention of planting crops at all. Conversely, a foundation in the middle of a farming community spends most of its time focusing on the health of the crops, not on the precious metals and stones hidden beneath the earth. As mentioned earlier, foundations in cities usually dwell on fertility. But the treasures of the earth, farming, and fertility are all merely aspects of Rontra’s love for those creatures living on and in the earth. On this, all sowers agree.
From this understanding, a core philosophy of the Rontran faith has emerged and can best be understood as “peace through acceptance, sharing, and love.” Rontran teaching focuses on the ramifications of wanting more than is rightfully yours—as with Durgas in the myth, it invariably results in downfall and sorrow. Rontrans believe we each have our place in the world and we must learn to accept it. Death is inevitable, and the greed and pride that moves some to seek to extend their lives is wrong, and ends badly. We all meet with tragedy in our lives, perhaps the death of a loved one or the theft of something we prize. To rage against these tragedies and try to achieve vengeance against the person responsible, or worse, against the world that makes such tragedies possible, always results in even greater tragedy. Only when all people accept their place and learn to share, to love their neighbors and to be kind and gentle with one another, will we have peace. And peace is what Rontra desires for all.
The Rontran philosophy is a gentle one, accepted by many people for its simplicity and comfort. It is easy for those who live small lives without pretension to riches or glory to see themselves, through this teaching, as fulfilling their place in a very holy order.
Beyond these teachings, the Rontrans have some basic commandments that all devotees must follow. To disobey these teachings is a grave sin, and one must seek out a religious leader of the foundations to seek atonement if one does so.

• Do not consort with devils, demons, or other evil creatures that are not of this earth.
• Do not create the undead, or consort with those that do.
• Do not join in physical union with any race not born of the tree of life.
• Do not eat the flesh of any creature not born of the earth; only natural beasts and fowl are appropriate meat for a Rontran.
• Do not sow the land with salt or any other substance that will ruin it for planting.
• Do not waste seed for planting or the seed of your own flesh.
• On the first day of each week, in remembrance that the beasts of the earth came from the same fruits that gave life to the mortal races, eat no meat whatsoever.
• If you have food that you can spare and others are hungry, share.
• If you grow food from the earth, one-tenth of all you grow must be given to those needier than you, unless none are needier.
• If you pull treasures from the earth, two-tenths of all wealth you take from the Earth Mother’s treasures must be given to the needy, unless none are needier than you.

Worship

Rontran Prayers

There are many common prayers used by sowers and worshipers of Rontra, and part of a sower’s training is learning the hundreds, if not thousands, of traditional invocations that have been written over the years. One of the first they learn is the prayer of sowing. This is invoked by farmers during planting seasons to help ensure the strength and fertility of the soil.

The Sowing Prayer

This last stanza of the Sowing Prayer is commonly used by farmers to ask for Rontra’s blessings in their endeavors. Many say it almost absent-mindedly, as a common invocation.

“Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer.
With these humble hands I till the soil,
Prepare the earth for the seeds of life.
“Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer.
I place each seed within your embrace
And ask that you welcome each into your arms.
“Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer.
As Eliwyn grew within your life-giving bosom,
So, too, I pray that my seeds will grow.
“Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer.
As I water the earth in due time
And tend the crops with loving care,
May your blessings be upon the land.”

Priesthood

Saints

The Rontran Church has one famous saint, Marlessa, who established the foundations and has the ear of Rontra, but generally there are no universal rules for naming saints.
After popular acclaim, a well-liked deceased person might be named a saint by the unanimous judgment of a body of prelates. They are normally known only to the local area foundations where they lived and worked. In most cases, saints were sowers or sentinels who served the community and Rontra in some extraordinary way. On occasion, a member of the congregation who has made an incredible sacrifice for the church can also be so honored. The title of such a saint is normally her name followed by the phrase “Defender of the Earth” or “Protector of the Land,” based on the deed that resulted in beatification.

Type

Religious, Holy Order

Demonym

Rontran

Subsidiary Organizations

• Gleaners of Rontra
• Sentinels of Rontra
• Sowers of Rontra

Deities

• Rontra

Divines

• Rontra

Related Myths

• The Fate of Durgas the Unmerciful