Mothers of the Ardent Dawn
To the Temple of Sacred Light
The fertile valleys give way to fens and rolling hills crowned with emerald groves and verdant vineyards. Early morning mist shrouds the feet of the mountains, yet the unmistakable glint of gilded bronze glimmers in the pale dawn light. Granite cliffs soar to the lightening sky, but more imposing is the temple emerging from them. Towers of shimmering white marble stand framed by enormous flying buttresses. Great domes, capped with gleaming bronze reflect the rising sun. Stained glass windows of pink, gold, and white rays of light glitter and shift as the light grows ever brighter.Within the Temple
In the first great chamber is Eanna's reflection, a reflecting pool of silvery water which is always full but never filled. The waters are warm to the touch and cool upon the lips, and they shine with near blinding light from the god's eye at the top of the dome above. The innermost chamber is filled with hundreds of candles, their smoke filling the air with the scents of clove and rosemary. The dominant feature is the large statue of the goddess herself. She is depicted here, not with her sword raised in fury as she often is, but as a mother. Kazan and Finumeyn stand at either side of her as children clutching her plain skirts, and held in one arm beside her exposed breast is a wild-haired Tarsaralei. Eanna's left hand is raised over her shoulder, clasping the fingers of the broad-shouldered figure behind her, though his features are shrouded in shadow.Structure
The Mothers are led by a hierarchy of Priestesses, Clerics, and High Mothers, who all answer to the Divine Mother. Initiates are called Sisters, generally, and the occasional male member are referred to as Brothers.
Divine Mother Meredith
Divine Mother Meredith - A rather stoic and severe-looking woman, her white hair is tied back in a slick, tight braid. Though she gives off an air of an older woman, her bronze skin is mostly smooth and her grey eyes are sharp and stern.History
The Mother's of the Sacred light is one of the oldest known orders in Balonnor. It was founded during the Fall, in a time when orphans were common, villages would go silent, and death was an ever present threat. The truth of the founding Mother is lost to myth and legend. Some say she was a chosen cleric of Eanna, while others insist she was just a common woman. In any case, she called to her the many grieving mothers and forsaken women of that troubled time, escorting people to safety along the Gold Road, establishing temples and sanctuaries, and protecting the downtrodden.
Over time, the Mothers of the Sacred Light drew more and more people to their ranks. They grew into an order that influenced all of Balonnor and beyond. Women who join the order are taught in the ways of combat, defense, and magic. Members are also well versed in herbal healing, diplomacy, and tactics. They are such capable midwives that some believe that is why they are called "mothers" and even in the most remote areas of Balonnor when a woman is in need of a midwife, a Mother comes as if sent by Eanna herself.
It is widely believed that only women are accepted, though this is not entirely true. Men have their place in the order, primarily in temples where they help maintain the order and its records. Children also make up a fair number of the order, as orphans brought in under the wing of a Mother, or the actual children of Mothers who have grown up within the order.
Most members of the order follow Eanna, and many people believe that they are all chosen clerics of the goddess. This is not quite true, however. Most members follow the teachings of Eanna, accepting her gift of magic to the mortal races, but only two members are known to be true clerics; the Matron and a young sister who recently joined.
Founding Date
Circa 10 After Fall
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Alternative Names
The Mothers of Sacred Light, or simply The Mothers
I love the way you described the landscape! Thank you for sharing your interesting ideas :)
Thank you so much! ^_^