Steward of Emberhold
"Remember that none of us can truly claim to have created something wholly new, and that much of what was made during our 'golden age' was built on deception and dark magics. What we hold, we hold in trust for the future. What we preserve, we preserve for those whose names we will never know and who shall have forgotten ours."
~ Shalim the Prophet
Of the many dire pronouncements attributed to the Prophet Shalim, perhaps the most start was the confident assertion that none of us would live to see the Dawn. Some of the faithful assumed this could not include Shalim herself, that somehow the Light would bless her and preserve her just as she sought to preserve it. But Shalim insisted it was not so. To make it clear, she left clear instructions to her followers regarding succession.
"I was not the creator of these truths, nor am I their owner. They have been revealed to us all in flame and ash," she said. "So it is wrong that you ask me to name the one who should guide you after I am gone. I cannot know what you will face, nor what you will need. When I am gone, choose one among yourselves. Let all who gather in this place choose someone whose wisdom you trust, and follow them faithfully."
While Shalim very quickly acquired the honorific "Prophet," the faithful did not bestow this upon her successors. They became known as Stewards, keeping alive such embers of civilization as could be preserved for the use of future generations.
~ Shalim the Prophet
Of the many dire pronouncements attributed to the Prophet Shalim, perhaps the most start was the confident assertion that none of us would live to see the Dawn. Some of the faithful assumed this could not include Shalim herself, that somehow the Light would bless her and preserve her just as she sought to preserve it. But Shalim insisted it was not so. To make it clear, she left clear instructions to her followers regarding succession.
"I was not the creator of these truths, nor am I their owner. They have been revealed to us all in flame and ash," she said. "So it is wrong that you ask me to name the one who should guide you after I am gone. I cannot know what you will face, nor what you will need. When I am gone, choose one among yourselves. Let all who gather in this place choose someone whose wisdom you trust, and follow them faithfully."
While Shalim very quickly acquired the honorific "Prophet," the faithful did not bestow this upon her successors. They became known as Stewards, keeping alive such embers of civilization as could be preserved for the use of future generations.
Appointment
In keeping with Shalim's democratizing tendencies, all the faithful of Emberhold elect a new Steward upon the death of the old one.
Duties
The Steward's first responsibility is to to carry on Shalim's mission, to preserve hope against the oncoming darkness, but in practice this task falls to the rank and file of the faith - Shepherds and Knights Mendicant. Outside of Emberhold the Steward's reach is limited, and the folk of most havens rarely know the identity of the current Steward. As such the daily life of the Steward revolves around maintenance of the Emberhold and it's archives, and the training of Shepherds to send out into the growing dark. The Shepherds go out with skills to offer training to the havens of civilization, and return with artifacts and knowledge that can be preserved. The Steward's most basic task is to oversee the selection and preservation of things brought back to Emberhold by the Shepherds and Knights.
Accoutrements & Equipment
While most faithful favor the token of the setting sun, the Steward wears an amulet showing the full risen sun, a symbol of hope for the day that is to come.
Comments