The Order of the Whispering Wind

Overview

The Order of the Whispering Wind, is also known as the Sonoros Order of the Singing Staff, and is the founding Rule of the Order of the South-Eastern Wind. It outlines the rules by which the order is controlled and lists the powers and ranking system of the Sonoros Order - the Lawful Neutral Order of Sound. It, like all the Orders, is based on the Regula Magistri of the Boreans, which was the first Order established.


Phoenicians (φοινικίας) is the wind of all sounds - his objective, is to gather all sounds to himself in some way. This gives his monks a key role in seeking out knowledge - all forms of knowledge that is not recorded in sound, is particularly annoying to the Monks - who seek to memorise and recite any written knowledge so that the Wind-Lord has some conduit to the unspoken word. It is a Wind that will listen and repeat the sounds of those it encounters.


The Monks of this order seek to enable this Wind-Lord to achieve his task, and have committed huge amounts of knowledge to their memories - giving them near Bard-like abilities in terms of lore and singing or story telling. They have the objective - to bring all knowledge to the ear of their wind-lord in some way.

As such the Order often seeks to adventure and bring 'to the ear' any written or pictorial forms that would escape their wind-lord's notice.



The Order requires that all monks have at least a 16 in INT due to the heavy memory requirements.

Bonus Skills

As a result of this obsession with knowledge gain, the Monks gain the following abilities


They love languages and can learn two languages for every proficiency point spent on languages.


They also gain the Bard ability to Discern the Lore of items found as a Bard but at a reduced chance of success (see below) starting at level 2.

These Monks can gain the proficiencies of a Priest, Bard, or Rogue.

These Monks gain any three of the following skills (no cost) at 1st level.

Singing 1 Charisma 0 Player's Handbook (pg. 63) PHB 63


Musical Instrument (Flute) 1 Dexterity -1 Player's Handbook (pg. 61) PHB 61

Oratory (Noble) 1 Charisma 0 The Complete Book of Paladins (pg. 74) CPal 74

Legend Lore PHBR7 The Complete Book of Bards (Pg 17) at a rate of 3% per level from level 2. (NOTE: Object Reading in combination with this ability Doubles the percentage chance of knowing something about the item that would normally be gained by this skill).

At level 4 the Monk must have made a singing staff or singing spear - this is a spear or a staff with a headpiece that fits over the staff head (or the butt end of the spear) and which includes a flute element to it. The holes can be covered with a metal slide that prevents it making a sound if the monk so desires. Every monk has a unique note that they prefer, and will uncover certain parts of the flute to make that sound as a signal to others in the area when needed. The staff can also have coin shaped large weights on it that can be variously silenced through placing a padded leather pouch (with cotton inside) over the top, OR can be allowed to ring-free.

Other memberships and associations

The Order is a Member Order of the Enfurnaced League - and as such can seek hospitality at any other member monastery.

Type

Religious, Monastic Order