Voices of Life

From NsdWiki
Revision as of 20:23, 3 June 2017 by Doublecompile (talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search
The Voices of Life
Type: Monastic order
Alignment: Religion 5, Altruism 4, Charity 5
Headquarters: Mt. Kayviar
Leader: High Priestess Selasa Yumiel
Membership: 30 songstresses
Motto: "Song is the speech of the heart"

The Voices of Life is an order of priestesses devoted to serving the world on behalf of Alnarya. They operate out of the Holy Court of Alnarya seated at the summit of Mount Kayviar.

The order is in fact a sisterhood — it can be only comprised of women since females are the only ones capable of casting healing magic.

They sisters aren't combat trained, at least, not officially. A few of them enjoy a more proactive strategy when fighting the supernatural and learn to handle themselves in battle. When the Voices must travel to dangerous locales, agents of the church escort them, and when warranted, one or more of the Exalted Shepherds have been known to provide an escort.

The songstresses of the Voices of Life are widely renown as gentle, caring, passionate servants of goodness with singing voices that can move one to tears.

History

The Voices have existed in one form or another for thousands of years. After the Great War of Immortals, Alnarya taught some vidari women healing and they became the first healing songstresses.

When the Holy Court of Alnarya was built in CY 1, the Voices of Life was founded the same year. It is told that Alnarya herself materialized and charged 5 vidari maidens and 5 human maidens with the mission. In the nearly 1500 years since, the membership hasn't risen above 40 nor dropped below 10.

New Applicants

Songstresses are called, they do not apply, into the order. Most of the Voices experience a vision and make a pilgrimage to the mountain. Some existing Voices dream of future initiates and later meet them. In any case, new members feel called to share the love of Alnarya with the people world.

Initiates undergo forty days of fasting, prayer, and meditation. Afterwards, a dedication ceremony is held wherein the new members are gifted their stoles and robes.

Income

The Voices are a monastic order, and so have sworn off unnecessary worldly wealth. Operating costs are drawn from church offerings, but tend to be used (like the rest of the offerings) to further aide efforts. The Holy Court farms its own food and tends its own livestock.

Rules

There aren't any documented rules of the order. Members of the Voices try to lead their lives to be an example for others.

In the history of the order, however, it has happened more than once that a songstress was tempted by darkness and fell. There was no expulsion per se, as the songstresses in question typically disappeared or went into hiding.