The Divine Hand (Monks of Diana) [Refurbished Draft]

[Serion D'Rinishad]

The Divine Hand (Monks of Diana)

Known for their piety and willingness to help their fellow man, monks of the divine hand follow a strict set of moral codes in the fulfillment of Diana's will. To those the Goddess deems worthy, however, the benefits are substantial. While traversing the lands, they preach forgiveness and mercy, believing that the greater good shall always prevail. At times, a monk may find himself aiding the general populace in righting wrongs, but they are forbidden to take a direct hand in punishing any criminals without direct intervention from Diana herself. It is the Divine Hand's purpose to forgive those who do wrongs and preach to them on how they may redeem themselves. It is because of this that the order as a whole does not have any qualms with most other religious orders, but dealings between opposing religious factions is always a bit tense.

Background and History
Sandival Siorie: Gypsy Monk of Diana

The Divine Hand is a fairly new order compared to most organizations of faith within Aelyria. Tracing their roots back many eras, the founding member of the Divine Hand was a gypsy male by the name of Sandival Siorie, a half elven man of middle years. Like most gypsies, Sandival had learned the form of Ataa, a sacred fighting style to them as it had been gifted to them by Diana many eras past. He incorporated it's movements in almost everything he did, it's training something that was accomplishable in everyday activities within the gypsy community. While he was not initially a very religious person, his respect for the Mother and her gift to them was immense. During a pilgramage to the City of Diana, Sandival had led a small group of his gypsy brethren to pay homage to the Great Mother at a temple within the city walls. The remainding community stayed at a distance from the walls, the gypsies not necessarilly accepted by most city dwellers, and the man returned after two days. It was not difficult to make his way back to the caravan, as there was a great plume of smoke guiding the way, and with hurried steps the small band of gypsies found the carnage that had been left where their families had once been. A couple of the members of Sandival's band ended up taking their own lives in mourning, but the male gypsy was more angry than anything else. Corpses of gypsies littered the remains, some in a seemingly after death struggle with the corpse of an assailant--orcs. The orcs had not entered the camp to kill, but to steal food, as their own people were starving having been cut off from their people after a carvan attack from some would be heroes. The gypsies caught them and fought back, causing the orcs to defend themselves, but Sandival would never know that truth. Wandering the wilderness in his lonliness, the gypsy found himself constantly calling out to Diana, asking why she had let this happen. For two eras he wandered, no sign of an answer. He was growing delirius, not entering cities, only eating and drinking when his body cried out for nourishment. It was in this state, that Diana's image came to him, regal and bright. "Sandival, you must find peace within yourself. Sometimes things happen that are beyond your control, but you must learn to forgive the transgressors, and help them find redemption. Do not let death lead to more death--suffering more suffering. I grant you my gifts, and request you return to the City of Diana. Spread the word of forgiveness and redemption, and perhaps I will share my gifts with those I deem worthy." Fading away, Sandival found himself left alone, but his thirst and hunger had vanished, along with the delirium that had begun to encrouch upon his mind. Diana had spoken to him?! Him?! Awed by this turn of events, Sandival managed to return to the city, becoming a priest of the Temple of Diana. In time, he had managed to gather a small following, and with his people he created a monastery of study, dubbing the group as the Divine Hand, in memory of Diana's touch upon the dying gypsy. As his word spread, his student increased in knowledge and faith, and soon the Monks of the Divine Hand had been born, the gypsy creating a structured way of aiding Diana's worshippers into becoming what he himself had become--a bastion of hope and forgiveness amongst the peoples of Aelyria and beyond. Sandival himself still heads the monastary within the City of Diana as an Ascended Monk, and from time to time speaks of his past, though no longer is their any hatred or malice in his eyes when the story tells of the death of his people. He has forgiven the orcs for their attack long ago, and seeks only to bring everyone together in peace.

The Five Tiers
Like any structured organization, the Divine Hand seperates its members based on their skill and knowledge.

Monk Initiate (White Belt- Symbolizing a Blank Slate) The first tier in the monk chain, initiates are taught the basics of religion as well as some basic meditative practices. Incorporated into these lessons are the Zinn'ka form known as Ataa, which allows monks to both learn a form of protection, while giving them a focus to vent any problems they may have when transitioning into the monk society. All initiates are made to reside at whatever monastery they might be training at, and must wear only the white Initiate's Robe during this phase of training. *Basic Ataa *Basic Theology *Basic Meditation -Promoted Upon Completion-

Monk Apprentice (Green Belt- Symbolizing Youth and Energy) The second tier of the order is that of the Apprentices. Not much different than the Initiates, the apprentices are no longer made to wear their Initiate's Robes. Instead they may wear whatever clothing they deem suitable, as long as it is not overly flamboyant as The Divine Hand frowns upon needlessly outspoken apparel. They are still made to reside in the monastery however, and their studies are extensions of what they learned as initiates. *Intermediate Ataa *Intermediate Theology *Intermediate Meditation -Promoted Upon Completion

Journeyman Monk (Brown Belt- Symbolizes Earth and the Journey they must embark on) The next tier of the Divine Hand is one of the more difficult and largest tiers, as to progress beyond this level requires extensive training and a superb amount of faith. Journeymen are taught more advanced forms of their previous teachings, and upon completion are brought before an Ascended Monk to begin what they call Diana's Path*. This begins with an Awakening from the Master (Ascended Monk) and having the Journeyman sent out into the world to spread Diana's word and seek a communion with the Great Mother. *Advanced Ataa *Advanced Theology *Advanced Meditation *Diana's Path I Upon becoming a Journeyman Monk, the monk is taught intermediate levels in Ataa, Theology and Meditation. Once these are completed, the monk is brought before an Ascended Monk and Awakened. The Journeyman is then sent out into the world to carry out the mission of his order whilst delving into his own being and seeking a communion with the Great Mother, asking for her blessing in his pursuits. Should Diana grant his request, he will be gifted with an eternal aura that is visible in a state of Clara. The monk’s unbound mind is no longer the same after such a meeting, and he now finds himself able to draw forth energies from from within himself for use in the name of Diana, though he sacrifices the opportunity to ever become bound to any particular plane of arcana. At this point, the monk is unofficially a Hand Monk and bears the Aura of Diana (See Hand Monk) -Promoted Upon Completion-

Hand Monk (Yellow Belt- Symbolizes Light and Enlightenment) The fourth tier is one of great prestige amongst the Divine Hand. Having had a communion with Diana, these monks are allowed to continue their studies on their own, a few even agreeing to stay amongst the monasteries as teachers themselves. Monks of this level always have a serene, calming look about them that is easily noticed by others. *Aura of Diana ~Magic Aura (Gained Upon Completion of Diana’s Path I)- A glowing white aura visible to those that can detect magic, such as mages in Clara. ~Minor Regeneration (Gained Upon Completion of Diana’s Path I)- Minor wounds heal as though the monk had regeneration. ~Immunity to Disease/Poison (Gained Upon Completion of Diana’s Path I)- Immune to all diseases and natural poisons. *Expert Ataa and Expert Meditation -or- *Expert Meditation and Expert Theology *Hand Techniques ~Inner Healing (Learned at Hand Level)- Through meditation a monk is able to combine the healing properties of his Aura with his inner Vis to heal more extensive wounds and purge his bodies of poisons and ill magics. Longer meditation required to heal magics and more deadly wounds. ~Healing Hands (Learned at Hand Level)- A monk can extend his Inner Healing to a single person via physical contact. The healing effects are less powerful than the Inner Healing but can be intensified when combined with other monks using this ability. ~Purge Evil (Learned at Hand Level)- Focus and Meditation have allowed the monk to make himself immune to necromantic essences. This power is similar to Divine Protection but affects only necromantic powers no matter what the level of caster. With practice (after Ascension) purge evil can dispel necromantic summons with physical contact. *Diana's Path II An expert monk that completes his self-studies in Expert Meditation and either Ataa or Theology is now able to seek a second communion with Diana. This meeting however is one in which the monk requests a way to show his piety, and upon completion is granted further blessing from the Great Mother and allowed to be called an Ascended Monk of the Divine Hand. -Promoted Upon Completion-

Ascended Monk (Blue Belt- Symbolizes Ascension) The highest tier of the order, Ascended Monks are the mortal link to Diana's will. To reach this tier, the monk must have mastered all his teachings at Hand Level, and seek a communion with Diana once again. Such a communion is usually much simpler to achieve than the first, but normally is followed by a great quest assigned by Diana herself. Completion proves the piety of the monk and shows Diana that he is now ready for a larger part of her attention. At this level, the Ascended Monk is encouraged to go out and create his own monastery, increasing the area that the Divine Hand is able to spread the teachings of Diana. *Aura of Diana ~Longevity (Constant Upon Completion of Diana’s Path II)- Ascended Monks are so few and far between that Diana strengthens their aura to stave off death by natural causes. *Ascension Techniques ~Awakening (Learned after Ascension)- Just like the Unbind technique used for Arcana, Ascended Monks are able to unbind those they deem ready for Diana's Path. ~Diana's Grace (Learned after Ascension)- Offering up a prayer to Diana, the most Pious of monks can request Diana's Grace upon a person having died no longer than an candle mark prior. This act, however, leaves a monk without his aura, and all related powers for a period of one brightening whether Diana accepts the request or not.

All powers gained from having the Aura of Diana are lost should a monk go against the will of Diana. Any monk that disgraces the order with such an act shall be banished from entry into the Monasteries of Diana until he repents and gains Diana's Blessing once again. This of course means, for all intents and purposes he is a Journeyman Monk once again, and has to go through all the trials previously completed before he can regain his status and the forgiveness of his order.

[Serion D'Rinishad]

Just looking at dusting off this old writeup of mine. I edited it to fit it with the 'new' rules concerning skill levels, but might have missed some things. Input is appreciated

[Chargul]

Does the unbinding/awakening also permit them to learn arcane abilities, if they so wished? Would this limit the monks to those capable of being unbound in an arcane sense?

At what speed does the minor wound regeneration work?

I am slightly confused by the Aura of Diana: What is Diana's path I, Diana's path II and learned at hand level? Specifically, what is the difference between Diana's path II and learned at hand level?

earns one get out of Serion killing you and uses it on the coliseum fight he already had

[Serion D'Rinishad]

I'm at work, but I'll pop some quick answers down. Feel free to critique my answers, as this still needs some work

The general idea was that the awakening was replacing arcana.

The speed of the regeneration hasnt been determined yet, but it's far from superspeed (no instantaneous healings in battle) and it's constant--not requiring concentration.

The Aura is broken down into 4 parts:

Diana's Path I
Hand Level
Diana's Path II
Ascension Level


Diana's Path I and II are gained automatically after completing the Path Quests
Hand Level is Learned once the Aura is gained as a Hand Monk.
Ascension Level is Learned once the monk becomes Ascended.

[Marwin Luminarias]

I like it You should poke Thoth to come in here, though, if they are going to be based in Diana / CoF. Otherwise, great job!

[Serion D'Rinishad]

After answering Chargul's question, I think I'm going to reorganize this a bit, to make things easier to follow.

And yes, I need to poke Thoth towards this

[Serion D'Rinishad]

Updated the writeup

[Dimnersti]

it seems good, but I would like to see a lil more general info added. some stuff about the organization, its relationship with other entities, that sort of thing.

specificly their relations with carmelyan organizations.

[Serion D'Rinishad]

Updated the main description of the order.

I am by far not a religion guru, but I find the Divine Hand to be a bit different than most Dianites that would be out there. As such, I think that they woudl have no problems dealing with other religious factions to some extent.

The evil factions may not get anything from dealing with the Divine Hand, but they would get an earful of how they should change their ways and redeem themselves for their more dubious actions, etc. An offensive Jorelite may find himself detained by the Order until a sign from Diana indicated the monks should perform punishment, or a law enforcement agent of some sort visits to apprehend the criminal.

Carmelya is obviously a rival to Diana, however the Order believes that it is Diana's place alone to quarral with the Goddess of Nature. The Divine Hand would have no issues with Carmelyan's for the most part.

[Mimesis]

I really like it... good to see this kind of effort put into Aelyrian religion, it really needs it.

Had a few comments -

I would like to see some more background info on the organization of the community and on how they started up.

I found the levels being refered to as "belts" a bit iffy - do they actually have to wear belts of this color?

Also, could you.. please chance the color? that yellow is painful (at least to my eyes), if you could tone it down that would be awesome.

[Serion D'Rinishad]

Hehe, the belts are simply awarded as an accomplishment, not necessarily required to wear (Except for Initiate Monks, who are required to wear the white robe and belt).

I think I could attempt a "Background" section of the writeup. As I said I'm not a Religion Guru, so I may get a few pimp slaps from more knowledgeable (but apparently less motivated to comment) players

And I thought the yellow on black was pretty :P Maybe I can make it a more pale yellow for you Mimsy.

[Serion D'Rinishad]

Some background added (a bit cheesy )

Yellow changed to a pale yellow (lemme know if it's still bad on the eyes Mimsy)

[Fenrisulfr Gil'dae]

Oh, cool, another writeup related to Diana! I should totally add this as part of the Diana writeup .

Yeah, same as Mim. Reading the first few paragraphs was okay, but the yellow gave me a headache as I continued down the page.

All powers gained from having the Aura of Diana are lost should a monk go against the will of Diana. Any monk that disgraces the order with such an act shall be banished from entry into the Monasteries of Diana until he repents and gains Diana's Blessing once again. This of course means, for all intents and purposes he is a Journeyman Monk once again, and has to go through all the trials previously completed before he can regain his status and the forgiveness of his order.

I would like some clarification on that. Does that only apply to the monks above the level of Journeyman? Is the group more lenient on mistakes made by novices and apprentices, seeing as how they are still beginners?

Also, for Diana's Path, is there a time limit? If the apprentice monk does not make it, does that mean that they spend their whole life wandering? Harsh, but I think that sounds reasonable.

Also, does the founder, Sandival continue to affect the monks of the Divine Hand? For the Templum Dextri Manus, the current leader is named Brother Dexter, who was the original founder of it.

Other than that, I really liked the requirements that a monk needs to ascend to the next level. It's exactly basic for novice, intermediate for apprentices, and so on. Makes it less confusing . The symbolism about the belts are a nice touch as well. Any history on how it came about? Or was it just assumed?

So...I get a get out of being killed card from a PC I never met? Cool I'll make sure to remember you if our PCs every meet!