The Order of the Guided Hand
The Scholars of Mahotara
In the year 3500 of the Divine Age a small group of Scholars came together and began to debate amongst themselves about the nature of the world. They realized that for as much as people claimed to know about the world they actually had little proof. Most of this knowledge was passed down by the clergy. Histories of deeds and events had been written, but little was determined about the nature of the world itself. There was also one question that plagued all of the founders: "Who, or what, created the Divines?" Simply asking this question was considered by many to be close to heresy. These scholars decided to pool their funds together so they could leave the distractions of civilization to focus solely on the pursuit of knowledge. After much searching they came to the small rocky island of Mahotara off the coast of Niras. They spent the next ten years building a monastery to fit their needs. Construction was completed in the year 3515 D.A. with a dedication ceremony being incorporated into the Suncrest Festival.
At first this collection of scholars had no official name, simply referring to themselves as scholars of Mahotara. They occasionally would travel the archipelago to dig up mysteries and consult historians, scholars, or mages. Over the years, knowledge of the monastery began to spread and the number of scholars slowly grew. There have never been more than fifty scholars living in the monastery at a time. The scholars made use of their knowledge of the world to survive on the island. They created greenhouses, bred livestock, kept bees and other pursuits. Several took to fishing as part recreation and part food gathering. They would also trade with the local villages for whatever supplies they could not gather for themselves. The locals viewed the scholars as oddities, but useful ones at least.
It wasn't until five years after The Fall when Scholar Filroth brought forth his theory of All That Is and All That Could Be. This theory gave the scholars the groundwork for their belief that there was indeed a Guiding Hand in the creation of the universe and the Divines. They rededicated themselves to the pursuit of knowledge, seeking to understand the implications of Rembris and Lyen's roles in the creation of the universe. Since this time they formally began calling themselves The Order of the Guided Hand.
Structure
By nature, the scholars of the Guided Hand are an independent lot. They keep no official ranks or titles, though several jobs have been created through sheer need. These jobs are assigned by ability and expertise, with one often falling into the job without much notice. More times than not the positions are viewed more as an inconvenience than something of merit. If certain duties are not being performed then the issue is brought before The Great Debate, a monthly gathering of all scholars currently in residence, where either someone volunteers or is appointed to the duty.
Current Positions
- Exchequer - In charge of Monastery Funds. They pay out stipends, make investments, make sure debts are paid, and other accounting matters.
- Chatelain - In charge of household chores. One usually doesn't volunteer for this position but simply acquire it by their nature of directing others to do various chores around the monastery and simply inherit the title.
- Provisioner - In charge of purchasing scholarly supplies. This includes raw materials, laboratory equipment, writing materials, and things of that sort.
- Cellarer - In charge of food stores. Monitors current supplies, greenhouse produce, livestock produce, fishing, and other food production methods they engage in. They also charged with purchasing any further supplies from the mainland.
- Chamberlain - In charge of clothing and other textiles. They keep a steady supply of textiles on hand by either ordering from the mainland or working with any tailors in residence.
- Steward - Person in charge of Animal Husbandry studies. Maintain livestock and work with Cellarer and Chamberlin for providing food and textile materials.
- Librarian - Position first acquired by simply being the scholar who spent the most time in the Library. They are in charge of keeping track of where all books, scrolls and manuscripts are and acquiring new ones to add to the monastery library.
- Gardener - First established by the scholar who built the Greenhouse and was focusing their studies on plants and agriculture. They work closely with the Cellarer and Steward.
The Great Debate
The closest thing that the scholars have to a ruling body. Once a month all scholars in residence gather in the auditorium to present their current findings, update on their experiments, make announcements, sort out disagreements, not to mention debate new ideas and theories. Sometimes these debates are short, lasting barely an hour. Other times they can go on all day, pausing only to adjourn for food before returning to the auditorium. The longest Great Debate on record is the one in 5 A.S. when Scholar Filorth proposed his Theory of All That Is and All That Will Be which reportedly lasted a week.
When any disagreements or issues occur it is expected to be handled between those involved. If it starts to become out of hand the problem is brought before The Great Debate where all members attempt to mediate to find a resolution.
Cosmological Views
Tenets of Faith
- Question everything. Only through knowledge can one begin to understand the nature of the divine and truly appreciate it.
- All questions are worth answering. Through the smallest questions we have discovered the largest truths.
- Take nothing for granted. It is though the efforts of those who came before that we are able to be here today.
Founding Date
3515 D.A.
Type
Religious, Sect
Alternative Names
Scholars of Mahotara
Demonym
Scholar
Location
Related Myths
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