Proposal to enter Pra Yer Order into Christia Canon
I'll have to do this in three posts as I do not want to use a link to the revised version. I propose that this background of the Holy Order of Pra Yer Warriors be introduced as canon in the Christia section of CF RPG. The full description follows a short, introductory paragraph summarizing the Pra Yer.
Generally the Pra Yer are a highly regarded society of holy warriors who work to obtain and maintain close relationships with God, His Son and the Holy Spirit. They wield mighty powers gifted to them by God, among these being healing, woodland and combat abilities. Often, people do not know how to react to the Pra Yer, sometimes even those that know them personally. There is an air of mystery about them that most people will find odd or even intimidating. Indeed they are mysterious and powerful, but, above all the Pra Yer are benevolent.
Pra Yer Order (revised)
The Holy Order of the Pra Yer Warriors
The Pra Yer are based very closely on the Kai Lord class presented in the Lone Wolf books by Joe Dever. I have changed the name of the sect to the Pra Yer Warriors as I did not wish to have my character praying to or serving a false god.
General background:
Formed approximately 609 years ago by the royal house of Peria and the country’s most holy sects, the Holy Order of the Pra Yer Warriors, henceforth called merely the Pra Yer, were created to defend Peria against enemies both within and without.
To the world at large the Pra Yer are an extremely mysterious group, some believe them to be an odd cult wielding great power, while others view them as a benevolent society rather inappropriately close to nature. The truth is that the Pra Yer are wholeheartedly devoted to the one, true God and have learned to use their innate mana to serve Him. They hold their members to the highest standard of discipline, love, and honor. For this reason there are some who mistakenly believe them to be judgmental or self-righteous. Those who have had actual, long-term interaction with the Pra Yer, however, know them for who they are and who they strive to be.
The Pra Yer live to serve. They serve God above all else, but also serve Peria, her allies and each other. They hold no one to the standards they have set for themselves, for to do so would be unfairly demanding. By the same token, those who would avail themselves of the power that comes from learning their secrets must first commit to using those secrets in service to God and country. The Pra Yer’s main goal is to keep the burgeoning evil of Anserak enclosed behind the Anserak Mountain Range, also known as the Wall of Hope. For these last few centuries the Pra Yer have done well in keeping back the dastardly minions of Anserak, but losses are sustained in this pursuit and the Pra Yer’s forces must be replenished. Throughout the centuries the Pra Yer have sought out those with the talent to join their elite order, their close knit family. No one may merely walk up to the monastery and seek entrance into the Order, one must be invited. The Pra Yer send out masters from their Order to seek out children who appear to hold distinct levels of mana. Once a child is found he/she is invited to join the Order. The Pra Yer ask the permission of the family for this privilege due to the very profound nature of their invitation.
When a
child with a suitable amount of innate mana is found an invitation is given for that child to enter the Pra Yer monastery at age 6. The hopeful is not allowed to see anyone outside the Pra Yer Order for a period of two years. This seems harsh, especially for ones so young, but a strong bond must be created between the child and his/her new family. This new family of Pra Yer must be allowed to get to know one another without distraction. The child must learn much in these two years and must learn to trust his/her new family implicitly. (From now on I will simply use the pronoun him/his. This in no way conveys that women cannot be Pra Yer. In fact, the first Pra Yer in the Christian Forums was a woman.)
At the end of the two years the child’s family comes for a brief visit, usually a few days. However, this is not the end of the reunion. After the initial visit with their loved ones each child goes home for an extended visit, usually between two and four weeks. The children use this time to enjoy the company of all their friends and family, but in this time they are also making their final decision about whether or not they want to join the Pra Yer. It is this limited view of the Pra Yer lifestyle that may be the source of so much misinformation about the holy society. No one can say being a Pra Yer is easy, it is a hard life. The Pra Yer want each hopeful to know exactly what he is in for before officially entering the order. If the child, and his family agree that a life of holy service is what he truly wants, and what the family wants for him, then the child returns to the monastery for official induction into the Pra Yer Order.
From the date of their induction into the monastery children begin to work, study, pray and meditate to learn their first Pra Yer disciplines, the skills and abilities of their noble ancestors. (Nobility does not denote aristocratic birth in this instance, but rather a code of conduct not unlike the Chivalric Code followed by Paladins and other knights.) Much work is done within the walls of the monastery, and in the surrounding area, before the Pra Yer is sent on a mission.
Pra Yer must learn five disciplines before being considered ready to head out on solo quests. The Pra Yer’s earliest years with the order are spent in study, prayer, meditation and training. There is also much work to be done, as the Pra Yer monastery is a self-sustaining society. There are fields and orchards to tend, livestock and horses to care for as well as weapons and armor to make and maintain. In addition the monastery complex itself must be cleaned and maintained as well as the clothing and bedding for each member. Each Pra Yer must eat so there are cooking and clean up duties in the kitchen as well.
There is never a lack of work to be done and some of it is far more pleasant than other chores. The wise Elders see to it that Pra Yer hopefuls who comport themselves appropriately are assigned to the chores they enjoy, such as hunting and assisting in the smithy. Young Pra Yer who do not do as they should are assigned less desirable tasks, such as gathering wood and kitchen clean up. As they progress hopefuls graduate from such work as plowing the fields to patrolling the nearby hills. All Pra Yer study history and other subjects while at the same time learning and practicing what will become strong powers. It is extremely rare for an adult to enter the monastery as a novice, but those that do can never reach the pinnacle of ability that life-long Pra Yer attain.
The training is fierce and each Pra Yer novice faces many hardships. Still the children love and respect their instructors despite the many sacrifices they must make to become Pra Yer
and the Elders see to it that the instructors are strict, but fair. The hard work is necessary to bring up a new generation of Pra Yer as able as the one before. From days of old the Pra Yer have defended Peria, and her allies, from evil in all its forms and this tradition continues from generation to generation. Consequently, Pra Yer can be found all over Christia performing their sacred duty to God and to Peria.
Religion:
Although not specifically stated as existing in Christia the religion most closely appropriate to describe the beliefs of the Pra Yer would be Christianity. They believe in God, His Son and His Holy Spirit. They follow the commands of God as laid forth in His Word. It is easiest to say that they love the Lord their God with all their hearts, all their souls, all their strength and all their minds. Also, they love their neighbors as themselves. As the Lord said, all the law and the prophets fall on these two precepts and the Pra Yer are famous for their devout following of them.
The Pra Yer have worked long and hard to become close to their Lord Almighty and due to their diligent seeking of Him and His way of doing things they have been rewarded with many specific gifts. These gifts are powered by the mana imbued in each Pra Yer by their Creator and they are all taught how to use their mana, focusing it through the various skills and talents for which the Pra Yer have become known.
Mission/Purpose:
As stated above the main mission and purpose of the Pra Yer is to protect Peria and her allies. There are several ways in which they accomplish this, which is discussed further in the Operation section of this missive. The Pra Yer serve God, serve Peria and serve each other. Protection of their country and its people is their utmost purpose.