Zamkan Commune

Searing heat and roaming raiders have given the sunward side of Verces a dangerous reputation, yet the stark desolation of Fullbright’s hemisphere-spanning desert also provides a place for those seeking self-reflective solitude. The monks known as the Hivekin of Zamkan chose this bleak landscape as a backdrop for their introspective community, which is located just a few dozen miles outside the Shirren colony of Sisk. Carved into the eastern side of a cliff at the end of the Sunteeth, the famed Zamkan Commune resides in perpetual shade. The broad windows, meandering balconies, and cloistered walks honeycombing the sheer rock face take full advantage of cool western breezes. Hewn grottoes and tunnels lit by distant skylights provide cozy nooks for meditative loungers. Above the cliff, a modern defensive tower overlooks all approaches to the commune in constant vigilance against raiders seeking an easy target.
Residing in this tower is the Windswept Guard, the successor to a mercenary group that has defended the commune since its founding. Plis Neblit (NG male Ysoki soldier), the guard’s affable but diligent leader, is as likely to invite visiting warriors to his personal quarters to share a drink and a tale as he is to contract them to handle security threats beyond the capabilities of his small contingent.
Members of the Hivekin of Zamkan are predominately shirrens, though members of other species—especially Human, Kasatha, and Verthani—have joined their ranks over the centuries. The commune has a dual reputation for enforcing extreme abstemious practices and also hosting a prestigious intellectual competition famous throughout the Pact Worlds, but neither of these fully represent the reality of daily life for members of the order. The commune’s fabled asceticism is neither a goal nor a lifelong mandate, but instead a method by which the monks achieve a deeper appreciation for life’s richness. Modeling their beliefs on the life of the saint-like figure Zamkan, whom they maintain was among the first shirrens to achieve independence from the Swarm’s hivemind, the monks champion free will as a sentient creature’s primary purpose of existence. They entreat all beings to elevate the decision-making process to a holy ritual.
To teach responsible self-determination, the commune offers a therapy program headed by Hivekin Vreeki (LG host shirren mystic), a world-wise monk of unshakable tranquility. Patients who enroll in this program follow routines that dictate every aspect of their lives, from meals and chores to their clothing and sleep schedules. Vreeki encourages each patient to identify the values and traits that compose their personality and consider how their choices can more meaningfully reflect their character. After this period of abstinence, Vreeki and their assistants gradually reintroduce decisions into the patient’s routine. Once patients have learned to fully consider the ramifications of minor choices, Vreeki presents each patient with a series of intensely personal inquiries about past failings and future hopes. The process emphasizes how patients might change their actions if they could. Vreeki assesses the rationales and emotions that motivate these answers, and decides if they are consistent with a patient’s goals, desires, and sense of self. If so, Vreeki releases them to continue their lives with greater mindfulness. Otherwise, the process continues. This program benefits any person trying to break a physiological addiction, especially “option junkie” shirrens whose physiology allows them to bliss out on endless sequences of trivial decisions. However, it can help anyone break bad habits and wisely assess challenging options.
All commune members complete this austerity program at least once. Many submit themselves to Vreeki’s dictates on a regular basis to remind themselves of the joys and responsibilities of freedom. The elation these monks take in self-determination is best exemplified in a ritualized conversational game known as predilection. In this exchange, one participant poses a question of preference between two balanced options, while the other attempts to rationalize their preferred answer. Predilections can last for hours as the two play devil’s advocate, undermining each other’s arguments to forestall a final conclusion. The most skillfully constructed predilections leave room for varied standpoints, embrace delicious ironies, and elicit revelations about each participant’s personality. Commune members publish their finest predilections in limited-edition sets, which sell for considerable sums to collectors. These aficionados relish the complexities of each quandary much as connoisseurs of food savor an exceptional meal, making the commune a popular off-the-beaten-path stop for intellectuals.
Once every 3 years, the Zamkan Commune plays host to the acclaimed Predilection Games, attracting intelligentsia from The Pact Worlds and beyond to test their riddling skills. Opponents face off in round after round of debates, a panel of judges rating their responses. Winners rise through the ranks until one is crowned Master Predilector. The grand prize changes each competition, but it is always a priceless object of academic, cultural, or artistic value donated by a wealthy sponsor. The months leading up to the Predilection Games see intense jockeying among the galaxy’s elite to present the most tasteful and unique items, ranging from pre-Gap artifacts to one-of-a-kind technological marvels, all to catch the eye of the event’s organizer, Hivekin Theztix (LG female shirren envoy). A former Master Predilector herself, Theztix is known for her good nature, but rumors of bribery among this year’s panel of judges have recently spoiled her mood. She has put out a call for impartial investigators to assess these claims before scandal mars the game’s spotless reputation.

Type

Monastery

Parent Location

Verces