Venatos Monastary
A monastery to one of the Saints of the Celestine religion located in the mountains of Hoss Province in Renvere. Venatos Monastery is a resting spot on the southern mountain pass into the Celestine Empire. It is named for Saint Venatos, a monk who single handedly stopped an army of demons during the War of Ash, and ensured that his scouts would be able to inform the Army of the Light of an imminent surprise attack. He lost his life in that battle, feeling the demon Fury alongside him, as they both met a cold death at the bottom of an icy lake. His tale is told in the collection of stories from the war, Wars and Rumor of Wars.
The monastery itself is sprawled out along the mountainside. It contains a small garrison of soldiers, under the command of a single Templar. The location of the monastery is incredibly defensible, and could serve as a holdfast in times of conflict. The natural defenses mean that the mountain gates at the entrance of the valley can hold an entire army with only a handful of skilled men. In the valley is a small village, Solis, of farmers and shepherds living in the various mesas and meadows the monastery is situated in, who provide food for the settlement. There are several large installments here by the church. The abbey is where those seeking to train to become nuns will find themselves. It is almost exclusively women who live and train in the abbey. There are five temples spread out around the valley. The Temple of Knowledge is where many of the senior monks and priests reside and is a place for theological research and philosophy. The Temple of Visions, is the smallest of the temples and also highest to reach. It is high up in the mountains that surround the valley and is not normally staffed. It is primarily used by prophets or philosophers to mediate, as it is said to be one of the most serene places on the Mortal Realm. The Temple of Might is more of a training ground than a temple. Those monks who succeed in their studies but still wish to train their body find themselves here where spiritual divinity is mixed with physical divinity. There is also the Temple of Souls, also a dual purpose temple which also serves as a mausoleum for the monks and nuns who pass on. There is no talking allowed at the Temple of Souls, however weeping is allowed. It is supposed to represent the peace and finality that death holds for what we leave behind on the Mortal Realm, which can only be achieved once grieving is complete. Finally there is the Temple of the Novice, where all those who come to the monastery to become monks, priests, inquisitors or the like learn and study. It is staffed by the monks of the Temple of Knowledge and is a massive structure, as large as any castle, although not nearly as defensible as one.
There is quite a bit of unused space in the valley and it is said that a thousand streams trickle down to the Green River. The valley also has as many caves and caverns as it does streams. The higher pastures are ideal for raising sheep, and many shepherds do there, although they must keep a careful eye on their flock, lest they wander off into one of the caves and be lost forever. Getting to the monastery is not easy either. First one must trek up into the southern Stonehorns. The forested hills leading there are fairly wild, although well traveled by the many pilgrims making the journey there. The mountain gate the guards the valley is rarely closed, as there has been no conflict at the monastery since the days of Venatos.
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