Mind's Respite

Sanctuary for the Psionic

Of all of the gods throughout Nora, Camille has one of the smallest number of followers who openly worship her as their favored god. Despite their small number, however, they are among the most fervent of worshippers, rivaling the love that the Dahlen and Dwehrlen hold for their respective creators. These individuals tend to lead private lives and enhance their psionic gifts in an attempt to grow closer to Camille. The epitome of this practice is to live a life dedicated to worship and training in the harshest environments available. To this end, a sect of her worshippers met to establish the sanctuary of Mind's Respite.
Mind's Respite is a secretive settlement hidden deep in the heart of a forest in the western half of The Frozen Wastes. It was built largely for a dual purpose, the worship of Camille and the practice of psionic powers, and is set up accordingly. In the center of town lies a large temple with an open design. There are few walls and shelters inside offering little respite from the freezing winds that make their way through the treeline. Only one altar lies in the center of the temple and it is dedicated to Camille. The worship of Orloch and Seigna, Camille's parents, are not discouraged but at the same time are not openly acknowledged either. Meditation areas are abundant and decorated with rugs and incense burners, and the mantras of their users can regularly be heard throughout the village.
Both of the elongated sides of the temple are flanked with practicing areas. Psionic might is commonly separated into two categories which are reflected in the separate areas; psychokinesis, the physical responses to psionics, and telepathy, the mental or emotional responses. The psychokinesis practice area includes a staging arena for sparring and displaying feats as well as an open gymnasium set up, especially for psionic training, with different weights of rocks, targets, and stress tests such as nail mats and balancing beams. The telepathy area includes several seated areas separated by walls to divide mental practitioners and stress tests such as ice plunges and coal walks.
The rest of town town is simple in its housing and design. Most of the townsfolk live in a series of yurts spreading out in a circular pattern from the central temple. These yurts are sometimes decorated with furs and horns from local beasts but are often undecorated and unfurnished aside from mats for sleeping. The environment of the Frozen Wastes is anathema to the vast majority of plant life which makes traditional crop farming impossible and has saved room in the town limits but forced a foraging lifestyle on the inhabitants. Aside from the one successful farm of mammoth goats to the south of the village, the vast majority of meat is sourced by hunting and fishing.
Although there is no real leader of the settlement in terms of making rules and regulations, a grandmaster of the village is chosen once every generation or whenever one is believed to surpass the current resident in skill or faith. This grandmaster is always assumed to be the most proficient in the psionic arts and the most fervent in their worship of Camille. This individual is chosen to lead the settlement in faith and practice alone, offering their wisdom and skills to all those within the village who seek it. This can detract from their personal training but it is considered an honor to train others as well as one of the best ways to earn Camille's favor.
Those who become residents of Mind's Respite are welcome to come and go as they please. There are many who live their entire lives here, establishing generations of followers of the monk-like lifestyle. At the same time, there are others who stay for short periods, ranging from a month to a few years, leaving either when they are satisfied with their progress or find the life here to be adverse to the one they wish to live. The grandmaster of the village is responsible for monitoring the comings and goings of all who wish to live in the settlement but offers no judgment on their reasonings unless asked for.

A Perilous Journey

Being hidden amongst the forest in the west of one of the most naturally dangerous continents throughout all of Nora, Mind's Respite is far from easy to reach. Few boatsmen possess vehicles able to cross the frozen seas to make it to the southern continent, let alone be willing to make the journey.
Setting foot on the Frozen Wastes is still far from being away from the danger. Most boats will only land south of Winter's Heart which still leaves several days of travel across the hellish landscape.
Beyond the frozen land, severe blizzards, and lack of plantlife for sustenance, there are a variety of deadly magickal beasts that call the Frozen Wastes home. Skate Drakes, Jotun, and Frost Wurms are each capable of wiping a party of travelers on their own.
Journeying through all of the danger and hardships is part of the process. Accomplishing the feats of surviving the wilds of the Frozen Wastes and discovering the path to Mind's Respite earns one a spot in the settlement, and access to the treasure trove of knowledge within.
The secret of the existence and location of Mind's Respite is shared only by followers of Camille who bear prior knowledge to fellow psionics that they determine to be trustworthy. This is meant to be a mark of absolute trust, and violation of this trust is seen as a cardinal sin amongst the psionics who protect the settlement.
If the location is shared with non-psionics or those not personally invited to the settlement, the revealer will be hunted with extreme prejudice.