Orong Monastery

Oron Monastery

Overview

Oron Monastery is a monastery that was built on an island on lake Lusiij known primarily for being the premier holy site of the Tsundhenn religion.

Name

Orong Monastery likely comes from a native Tarai word of unknown origin, but the rendition Oron is likely from Ori (outside) and Ion (Yong) (bastion).

History

The island of Oron has been seen as a holy grove for many centuries, due to the fact that many willow trees dot the isle's east side going up to the lake. Shamans visited the island for rituals, with an occasional wiseman living there until in the second century there was a great revelation by a traveling monk named Oraara. Oron Monastery was founded sometime between the year 700 and 800 around a previously established and destroyed temple that was built in the 400s. The modern monastery survived the shattering, being a site where the monks were able to ward off spirits through their faith.

Legacy

The temple is one of the most renowned places in the entirety of Nirann, due to the fact that it is quiet and beautiful as it is located high in the mountains on an isolated island. The place is so quiet, that the only festivals they practice are typically those in which the monks light lanterns or make paper kites to flow. This view of the monastery has led it to fall under the ire of the Kirrentai, which seeks to gain the monastery for the clout it would bring, although with little success. This view of the monastery leads it to be considered almost otherworldly, a place too good to be on the mortal world and so it remains isolated. It has been featured in many different poems and writings.