On the northern fringes of the town of Elmwood, just north of the Lemish Forest lays the Order of Majere Monastery. The monastery housed the monastic followers of the god Majere, who have sworn an oath never to raise edged weapons against any living creature. This rule was enforced to the point that no one entering the monastery was allowed to bring any weapon other than a staff into the grounds. The monks of this monastery are masters of meditation and undergo training regimes that ensure they maintain peak physical condition and have well developed defensive skills.
The current monastery was built over the ruins of the original monastery in 386 AC, and was designed with the same structure and design of its predecessor. A low wall surrounded the entire monastery, and a small building near the main gate into the structure was used to store weapons of those visiting the grounds. Beautiful gardens lay at the rear of the monastery, which are tended and maintained, and are the primary food source for the monks within.
Beyond the main gate, two front doors lead into a large foyer, which in turn led to an elaborate inner sanctum that housed the altar of Majere against it's rear wall. Three rows of windows on both walls allow for natural light to stream into the sanctum, whilst a set of stairs leading to the upper story of the monastery lies on both the left and right of the altar. An open walkway circles the sanctum and leads back to the foyer, as well as to the spartan cells of the monks, and guestrooms for visitors to the monastery. Just left of the ground floor foyer is the dining room, whilst on the right of the foyer is the scriptorium and chapter house for the monks.
History of the Monastery[]
The original monastery for the Order of Majere was constructed just on the northern edge of Lemish Forest in 35 PC, during the height of the religious fervor of the holy city of Istar. Whilst Istar's dominance of religion meant the decline most faiths other than that of Paladine, the monks of Majere banded together to found their own monastery as a quiet place to worship the passive god of meditation. The monastery was not damaged during the Cataclysm, and with many other faithful followers of the gods, many of the oldest monks vanished with their deities. Only the youngest monks remained in the monastery, and outside it's walls the town of Elmwood was constructed, from which many pilgrims came to seek answers about the loss of the gods.
The monastery operated peacefully until 351 AC, at which time the Dragonarmies advanced forth across Ansalon. A priest of Majere brought an artifact known as the Sign of Majere to the monastery to keep it safe, but by doing so inadvertently brought the wrath of the dark armies down upon their heads. The Dragonarmies attacked the monastery to recover the artifact, killing many of the monks and burning the structure to the ground. Whilst the Dragonarmies did not regain the Sign of Majere, they did destroy the monastery.
Surviving monks continued to aid the folk of Elmwood, and spread news of the return of the gods. Monks of Majere were also instrumental in helping refugees flee from Lemish to Solamnia and continued their work in peace for the next few decades.
Age of Mortals[]
With the close of the Chaos War and the loss of the gods, many faiths were left in ruins, however the Order of Majere was prepared for the loss, given their previous history. In 386 AC, they built a new monastery over the foundations of the original building, and monks returned in droves to prepare for the eventual return of Majere.
References[]
- Legends of the Lance, Issue 6