Abbey to Whiro

Armored knights vanquishing foes with their sparkling swords; priests calling down the fury of the gods to banish the profane. Sure, the Abbey had those. But wars with the profane aren’t always fought on a traditional battlefield.

Pedrig looked down at his four charges. They’d spent the morning scaling the steep crag on the east side of the islet. Now they were working on moving quietly: a row of boards in the training room perched on central pivots, with bells hanging at each end. One wrong or heavy step and the bell would ring. Little Quinna had already made it halfway across, almost skipping from one board to the next.

Pedrig grinned to himself. If the time came for a silent infiltration like the one at Typor Citadel, his group would be ready.

He turned to look across the courtyard. The sun glinted off the armor of one of Janicka’s knights as he corrected a trainee’s stance. Beyond them the soft chanting of prayer floated from the Abbey.

If silent infiltration didn’t work, there were always more direct options.

A long causeway north of the Moon Dome runs from the shore of Kilpo Bay to a rocky crag in the middle of the bay. Atop this crag sits a citadel-like structure, the Abbey of Whiro. 

Guarded by the Union of Whiro, the abbey’s sepulcher holds the remains of Whiro: Moru Kel’s most revered hero. It also contains a blood-red candle whose flame never dies, believed to be one of the candles from the Irix Candelabrum used to banish the Profane and seal them from the material world.

The abbey was built to commemorate Whiro and protect his remains until his prophesied return. With walls atop the crag, the narrow causeway is the only ground approach to the abbey, making it nearly impregnable against most attacks.

If you’re able to secure a tour from one of the members, the view of the Kernu Apsu from the top of the Abbey is breathtaking.

Union of Whiro

The Union are the group dedicated to defend the abbey and Whiro’s ideals. Their credo has 3 parts:

• Reject the Profane. Demons and Devils are a unique threat to the people of the world, and must be dealt with swiftly and harshly.
• Protect the Humble. Civilization must continue in spite of greater threats, and those who can fight outside dangers are honor-bound to protect those who cannot to the fullest extent possible.
• Honor the Memory. Follow Whiro’s example, not only in rejecting the profane and protecting the humble. Whiro chose this city to make his final defense, so consider it special. Whiro gave up everything, even his afterlife, to defend his cause. Do not balk at lesser sacrifices.

While always hewing to those goals, adherents come in various kinds. Warriors of all stripes, monks, wizards, and clergymen are all among the order’s members, following a diverse array of gods and paths. Their devotion to Whiro’s cause is what unifies them.

The Union is led by a Union-Protector. Nominally elected each year for a one-year term, it is rare for a Union-Protector to be replaced against their will once they’ve begun to serve. The prior Union-Protector, Lord Marris the Serene, believed strongly in a policy of isolation: absent threats to the city from the outside, the best policy for the Union was to spend time in the Abbey training and reading the words of Whiro. Lord Marris stepped down after a 43-year run as head of the Union.

The current Union-Protector, Lady Dailyn, appears to be taking the Union in a more proactive direction. Adherents claim that she is training some to go out into the world to search for profane and mundane threats to the city, and others to go among the people of the city doing good works. Her appointment is divisive, and seems to have more support among the younger generation of Unioners than among the older.