The secrets of ki and their connected martial arts remain mysteries in the lands of Narenfel. Monasteries are
exclusively populated by Ya’avin, and are found throughout Narenfel in remote or seclude locations, often in the mountains or in the blasted stretches of land from the Mage Wars in which magic no longer functions.
Within, monks split their time among learning languages to aid in translation and preservation of recovered scrolls, artisty of illuminations and scribing of these scrolls, and the perfection of their body/spirit through the mastery of shey’gun’te, an intricate, complex form of martial arts.
Despite the fact that Ya’avin monks are highly literate and accomplished linguists, secrets of their way of life, shey’gun’te and the meanings associated with their Khomantu tattoos and other markings are never written down, but are instead verbally passed down from master to pupil, lending an air of mystery and enigma to all of the monastic orders.
Shey’gun’te
The ways of shey’gun’te (or the Way of Heaven’s Fist) is a complex form of combat art originally developed during the Ya’drazzin Kingdom in the century before the rise of the Orh-Kish Empire. Ya’avin consider it to be part of their national heritage and their birthright, and as such all Ya’avin are trained in from the time they can walk unaided. In the monasteries and monastic orders, masters build upon that form of shey’gun’te with additional ritualistic katas and the study of ki, allowing monks to achieve incredible feats of prowess and enlightenment. These secrets are jealously gaurded by Ya’avin master, and are forbidden to be discussed with or passed down to non-Ya’avin disciples.
Ya’avin Monastic Orders
There are several monastic orders across the land for Ya’avin monks who practice shey’gun’te.
The al’Draazin
The oldest and most politically influential of the Ya’avin monastic orders, the al’Draazin attracts both male and female monks. The al’Draazin claims to be the last official connection to the short lived Ya’drazzin Kingdom, a small kingdom that brought power and influence to the Ya’avin in the days before the rise of Mistmight and the Orh-Kish Empire. It was from this short, but robust period of time that the first form of shey’gun’te was created, as well as many of the illumination and khomantu inking techniques. In contrast to much of the rest of modern Ya’avin culture, the al’Drazzin are brazen, open, even nationalistic in their beliefs that a Ya’azin nation should rise once more. Al’Drazzin monasteries are beautiful, elaborate stone structures, universally decorated with hundreds of stone carvings of past Ya’avin heroes and legends. Monks of al’Draazin are known for their poise and perfection, as well as for a cultivated bravado and a predilection to seek out danger.
Shey’gun’te style (monastic tradition): Way of the Open Fist or the Way of the Sun Soul
The Endless Tempest
The spires and sweeping platforms of the Endless Tempest monastery are built atop the basaltic core from a massive, long-eroded volcano believed to have been active before the Turning. From its towering perch, the adherents of the Endless Tempest train daily, focusing on their strict mental and physical regimens as they look out over the endless clouds which shroud the mountain valley below. Unlike other Ya’avin Orders that divide focus between knowledge, art and body, monks of the Endless Tempest are driven by the understanding and perfection of their personal ki, allowing them to tap into the elemental nature of the world around as part of their form of shey’gun’te. The monastery itself is difficult to reach, though it has a reputation as a node of healing power for those who find a way up the spiraling steps carved into the basalt walls of the core.
Shey’gun’te style (monastic tradition): Way of the Four Elements, Way of the Kensai
The Haru’te
This order claims to have knowledge or connection with an artifact of some power that hails from the time of the Ennu Empire, which reveals hidden knowledge to its members. (The specifics of how and to whom these pieces of knowledge are delivered is kept deliberately secret). Haru’te monks claim to use the information they are given to prepare almanacs for local farmers, deliver horoscopes and other divinations for local villagers, and occasional prophecies which are made public when received. Because of their prophetic insights, Haru’te monks are sometimes sought out by Omenari, particularly those who are affiliated with the Runecult.
Shey’gun’te style (monastic tradition): Way of the Open Fist, Way of the Four Elements
The Sabelites
The Sabelites are sentinel scholars, whose members search for ancient books, translate them and keep them in their sanctuaries, which are usually near rivers or surrounded by moats, serving as strongly fortified libraries. Sabelites are known as keepers of secrets and hard to obtain information, and their monasteries house impressive collections of codices and scrolls, histories and spells, many of which stretch back to the Magocracy Period or the Orh-Kish Empire. Sabelite monasteries include schools that teach languages and calligraphy, and many accept non-Ya’avin — of particular note to bards and Maugtheni.
Legend holds that the Sabelite Order was founded based on the vision of Sa’abelathi, a Ya’avin scribe who had been attacked and left for dead near the banks of a river. As he lay bleeding, he had a vision of a black stone blocking a small cave filled with light. When he awoke, forgetting the vision and fearing additional attacks, he constructed a makeshift raft, and floated down the current of the river, until he changed upon rocky outcrop poking up among the currents on which he took refuge. Hidden within the crevices, almost too small to enter, was a tiny cave entrance covered by a smoothly carved black stone. He removed the stone — which had been set with an ancient warding spell — and crawled into the cave, only to find a repository of ancient tomes and scrolls from a century before.
Shey’gun’te style (monastic tradition): Way of the Open Fist
Serpent Eyes
A reclusive all-male order, with monasteries in the most remote of locations, usually sheltered within secluded and difficult mountain passes and valleys, or built along the walls of ravines. Even among the generally reclusive Yaavin community, they have a reputation for being the most guarded and least interactive. The name is a reference to the Agegorger, a mythical two-headed serpent that devours both past and future, leading to an apocalyptic singularity in time, the end of all things. Because the Serpent Eyes are male only and so remote, they take in orphans and young boys from destitute or struggling families. While all Serpent Eyes are trained in shey’gun’te, most of the order dedicates its time to art and transcription. Serpent Eyes are known for their amazing calligraphy, illuminations, scrollwork and carvings.
Shey’gun’te style (monastic tradition): Way of the Open Fist
The Shifting Stones
The small communes of the Shifting Stones are found in and around the areas of terrain altered by the magics of the Mage War and other aftershadow events. Adherents seek document and understand the changed nature of the world around them, which they tend to view as a living metaphor for their own personal path to enlightenment. Shifting
Stones monks tend to be ascetic and reclusive, with most communes made up of less than five adherents. Shifting Stones monks believe that these altered places are the best physical places to become more attuned to enlightenment and to hear the whisperings of the Powers and Dominions. Most have a strong focus on fasting and meditation, but
also study, observe and track the nature of the magic around them. Such lengthy studies of magic gone wrong are rare in the world, so Shifting Stones monks are often sought out by Academy wizards or Maugtheni Cahedrists.
Shey’gun’te style (monastic tradition): Way of the Four Elements
Tiger Eyes
Feared both within and without the Ya’avin community, Tiger Eyes work overtly and covertly to do the bidding of the Church of Asheblack, and by extension, of Asheblack himself (who is generally depicted in art as an obese vampire with tiger eyes). Monasteries of the order (technically referred to as The Order of the Endfeast by Church officials) are dark, foreboding structures, and tend to be built in deeply shrouded gorges or mountain passes where shadows hang long through most of the day. Few visitors willingly seek these places out, or do business with the monks inside, for fear that they will be recruited to the ranks of undead servants and feastwraiths that are reported to co-exist within their dark walls. Tiger Eyes monks use a dark form of shey’gun’te called te’tu’lesh — “the way of flesh’s
pain”. (Some say the undead within their walls are also trained in this corrupted form).
Shey’gun’te style (monastic tradition): Way of the Shadow, Way of the Long Death
Thorneaters
Thorneaters are an eclectic order with no central organization save for their underlying philosophy that pain is the only true path to enlightenment. This pain is doled out liberally, both to themselves (as a matter of betterment) and to those around them (motivations less clear). As practiced masters of their philosophy, Thorneaters excel at finding ways to inject pain into virtually every aspect of their day. As a result, most carry a copious collection of scars and whelps, a lifetime of lessons to teach humility and growth. (It is said that many Thorneaters keep track of the passing of days and months by opening and reopening an organized system of scabs scrawled across their bodies.) Thorneaters are equally likely to follow any of the monastic traditions; and their method of learning that monastic
tradition is as individualistic as their adherents. Thorneaters often find that being part of an adventuring party provides great opportunities for growth, particularly as part of more rough and tumble groups, so long as the members of that group are accepting of their pain-based lifestyle.
Shey’gun’te style (monastic tradition): Any