Author Topic: Monastic Orders in the Core  (Read 18693 times)

-Rotten Fish-

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Monastic Orders in the Core
« on: April 11, 2010, 12:53:53 PM »
Title Says it all. :)

I used to play a monk of Ilmater who i really enjoyed. but i prefer to play characters from the ravenloft setting.

So are there any monk orders from the ravenloft setting? or any dieties that could fit a humble healer type character with a quarterstaff and kickboxing fighting style.

the hand to hand combat needn't be kung fu or anything, as europe has produced a number of its own martial arts such as Savate (french Kickboxing) which is how i would intend to roleplay it. a kickboxing style such as Savate or San Da.

thanks guys :)   

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EO

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2010, 01:10:05 PM »
Quote
A monk turns her eyes inward, seeking to use strict discipline, intense meditation, and focusing exercises to perfectly purify her spirit (or ki) and, through it, her flesh. Monasteries dedicated to this pursuit are nestled in the exotic realms of Rokushima Taiyoo and Sri Raji. In the latter domain, the monks (called fakirs in the Rajian tongue) test their inner strength by inflicting sometimes-grotesque physical punishments on themselves, such as piercing their flesh with iron skewers and hooks. The monk tradition also exists in the lonesome city of Paridon, where the local adherents have melded it with occult lodge traditions to create the "theological philosophy" they call the Divinity of Mankind.

Additionally, there are monastic orders of the Lawgiver:

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Monks are slightly more common in Hazlan than in the rest of the Core domains, but still quite rare; Hazlani monks subscribe to an odd mix of Lawgiver theology and arcane mysticism.

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The monastic Kunduktřrs (“Guardians”) have the holy duty of watching over the deceased faithful, acting as caretakers of the fanes’ tombs and graveyards. Kunduktřrs take vows of silence so as not to disturb their charges. When not directly watching over the dead, they study the nature of death itself, seeking to understand the hidden truths of this most final judgment and universal law. Hazlani Kunduktřrs originated the heresy that the Lawgiver died in the Great Upheaval, leaving nothing but an empty shell of dictates and titles.

herkles

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2010, 01:11:57 PM »
I am curious, monastic orders as in the western type that was seen durring the middle ages. Would any of them exist? Perhaps in the Church of Ezra.


EO

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2010, 01:22:02 PM »
I am curious, monastic orders as in the western type that was seen durring the middle ages. Would any of them exist? Perhaps in the Church of Ezra.

The Order of Guardians (not related to Ezra) is similar to western-style monastic orders, but they are not DND monks. DND monks are based on oriental monks. They are pretty much unheard of or very rare in the Core (only the Lawgiver seems to have monastic orders).

-Rotten Fish-

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2010, 03:40:11 PM »


I  like the idea of the Konductors - but the vow of silence.. that could greatly reduce the amount of role play. would this vow be lifted once the monk has been taken by the mists do you think?

ive been doing a bit of research into paridon too and the divinity of mankind. i get the setting. gritty dark victorian white chapel england. where jews and irish imigrants live in tight crampt unsanitary streets, fearing the vicious gangs and thugs. bbut where does a monastic order fit into this? i cant imagine what they would look or act like. could the divinity of mankind be paralled with the Free Masons?  a private club of well to do gentlemen?

I am a bit sick of the steriotypical way that monks on this server are portrayed, or to the other end of the spectrum, not played at all!  this is largely to blame on the hong kong kung fu movie based representation in the D&D books however.
as some of you who know me well know, i am a fighter by profession, who has trained all over the world, and have met these monks that are at the base of the dnd representation and i think its time i have ago at playing one on here.
but i want to add a sense of realisim to it. ki for example.. theres nothing magical about it... its just what we would call 'getting in the zone'. being mentaly and physicaly in the right state to fight. 

to do this, i may need to be flexible of the concept, the have been monastic orders created to follow the teachings of one particular person or spiritual or cultural leader. is there any figures that would have been important enough to have warrented a small sect of folllowers who may have disagreed with the main faith on a small key issues, enough to warrent their own sects etc?

or perhaps who dedicate themselves entirely to fulfilling one specific teaching?

 
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herkles

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2010, 03:46:42 PM »
The Lawgiver is a native of Ravenloft Relgion, so they would still be bound by it. heh.

Anyways, thanks for the info EO. I am curious if there is any more information on western style monks in Ravenloft. Could a western style monk exist in say the church of Ezra?


-Rotten Fish-

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2010, 04:21:52 PM »
think i could get away with a humble pilgrim? travels the roads with his trusty staff and book, in his monks habit, offering help those less fortunate. perhaps he has taken a vow to never hold a weapon, or don armour, choosing to place his safety in his faith perhaps he just cant afford it, but needs to protect himself from bandits and muggers ...with a bit of practice any one can box, or maybe he has a good knowledge of anatomy and the body, helping the injured to set bones and treat wounds, this would offer him the fighters knowledge of joint manipulation, and pressure points = jiu jitsu or hapkido?


thats certainly the road im going down.   
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EO

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2010, 06:03:32 PM »
The Lawgiver is a native of Ravenloft Relgion, so they would still be bound by it. heh.

Anyways, thanks for the info EO. I am curious if there is any more information on western style monks in Ravenloft. Could a western style monk exist in say the church of Ezra?

The western monk is closer to a cleric than a DnD monk that knows karate and all. That's why there are no monastic orders of Ezra, it doesn't lend itself well to the whole "guard with a shield and sword" style of Ezra.

DM Macabre

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2010, 08:35:49 PM »
In Barovia there is as well the Order of the Contemplative Power. They guard the knowledge of Psi.

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2010, 09:04:28 PM »
In Barovia there is as well the Order of the Contemplative Power. They guard the knowledge of Psi.

They are not monks though, they are psions and are based around Immol.

bloodandsoil

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2010, 09:30:56 PM »
There is a huge monastery up the mountain.  Sun Soul as I recall.  Empty apparently of any beings.  No NPC characters...

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Emomina

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2010, 10:01:57 PM »
the Monastery of the Silver Threads you mean?
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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #12 on: April 11, 2010, 11:15:50 PM »
There is a huge monastery up the mountain.  Sun Soul as I recall.  Empty apparently of any beings.  No NPC characters...
Its not empty just looks that way.

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #13 on: April 12, 2010, 06:10:18 AM »
That was a monastary to Andral wasnt it? who is said to have dissapeered. but.. we know hes still around really!
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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #14 on: April 14, 2010, 03:45:45 PM »
Yes, the Monastery of the Silver Threads was a western style monastery dedicated to Andral

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #15 on: July 29, 2010, 03:52:29 AM »
Yes, the Monastery of the Silver Threads was a western style monastery dedicated to Andral

Almost no one though of course knows that nowadays ICly. So don't expect your character to hold such a knowledge. That is stuff that no character can start with.

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #16 on: July 29, 2010, 05:09:09 AM »
Chang loved that place, reminded him of home. Wish we could have something simular for that with monks that come thru the mist. Be a cool monestary and additoin to the server i think, Just My opinion.


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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #17 on: July 29, 2010, 05:39:28 AM »
it just requires a Player too start gathering monks as students. Ray did once, someone else could do it now

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #18 on: July 29, 2010, 06:18:21 AM »
That would be so cool to have a running Monastery with monks there :) My Wuxia type fighter would really love spending time there and study together with monks.
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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #19 on: July 29, 2010, 11:36:43 AM »
That would be so cool to have a running Monastery with monks there :) My Wuxia type fighter would really love spending time there and study together with monks.

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #20 on: July 29, 2010, 12:31:44 PM »
Yeah i know :) Well i dont know ic or ooc about that place, but there was a discussion some year ago about using that place too but was made clear that its empty for a reason.
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Truth_USMC

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #21 on: November 28, 2015, 03:26:47 PM »
I'd like to revive this interesting topic.  Starting with the question....even if there are no canon orders devoted to a particular ravenloft native deity (ML Ezra etc etc.) If a monk role fit the cause, can it still be applicable to make a PC? I'd like to think it does, if you follow the practices of the Divinity of Mankind (meditation contemplation exercise and so on) But just put that devotion in another religions name, wouldnt you get similar results?
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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #22 on: November 28, 2015, 04:00:56 PM »
I'd like to revive this interesting topic.  Starting with the question....even if there are no canon orders devoted to a particular ravenloft native deity (ML Ezra etc etc.) If a monk role fit the cause, can it still be applicable to make a PC? I'd like to think it does, if you follow the practices of the Divinity of Mankind (meditation contemplation exercise and so on) But just put that devotion in another religions name, wouldnt you get similar results?

Generally the monk class is limited geographically. Not all Monastic Orders, even in other settings, are dedicated to a particular power, they just have a belief or system.

In Ravenloft, the "native" monks come from:

Paridon (Which you know of)
Hazlan - These guys are not any named order, but they dedicate themselves to mixtures of Lawgiver Theology (ie, they're probably not part of the Church itself) and arcane mysticism.

There is also a group, known as the 'Order of the Guardian' who I think may be completely secretive or quasi secretive, I need to check the lore, but they invite good aligned priests and have their own order of monks dedicated to getting evil artifacts out of the hands of evil folks and preventing evil power / magic from spreading across the realm.

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #23 on: November 28, 2015, 04:10:08 PM »
A monk turns her eyes inward, seeking to use strict discipline, intense meditation, and focusing exercises to perfectly purify her spirit (or ki) and, through it, her flesh. Monasteries dedicated to this pursuit are nestled in the exotic realms of Rokushima Taiyoo and Sri Raji. In the latter domain, the monks (called fakirs in the Rajian tongue) test their inner strength by inflicting sometimes-grotesque physical punishments on themselves, such as piercing their flesh with iron skewers and hooks.

Those are a couple more that might be useful to you!

Truth_USMC

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Re: Monastic Orders in the Core
« Reply #24 on: November 29, 2015, 02:02:51 AM »
Are players free to make someone from the order of the guardians?  And what would that RP even be like I wonder.  Also, I was trying to hint at that to take the actual monk class you don't need to be part of an actual order or monastery, more just adopt the practices, right?  I.e. a person who prays on Ezra's teaching, meditates on his role in them, and contemplates how to live their life out, then lets say exercises and workouts out to sort of dedicate a healthy body to said deity, is essentially a monk in terms of the class, although there's no canon Ezra monk order.  The RP makes sense and sort of opens up the limited prospect of playing the class, in my opinion at least
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