At the core of the Immaculate Philosophy sit the five Immaculate Dragons. Although their names are used long and loud by monks and the Dragon-Blooded Host, most—even many among the Great Houses—do not understand the intricacies of Immaculate theology in relation to these five legends.
It is foremost imperative to understand the difference between the Elemental Dragons and the Immaculate Dragons.
According to Immaculate doctrine, the Elemental Dragons, are the sum Essential total of Creation’s primal make-up. Birthed by the Primordial Gaia, the five Elemental Dragons are the foundation of Creation in the same way the wheels of a wagon are its foundation. The wagon is not only built atop the wheels, but the very presence of the wheels makes the contraption a wagon. Without them, it may be many things, but it is not a wagon.
The Elemental Dragons are purest primal elemental otherness—their forms too pure to manifest in Creation. Yet, in Immaculate theology, the Elemental Dragons are not aloof or uncaring. They are simply distant, out of a desire to preserve the great Creation of their mother. Even from their distance, however, the Elemental Dragons could not miss the horror the Anathema wrought on their mother’s Creation, threatening to rend it asunder and disperse its totality into the chaos of the Wyld.
The Immaculate Order does not comment on the nature of the Elemental Dragons, believing them to be beings of utter transcendence. The Immaculate Texts teach that mortals can never wholly understand the Elemental Dragons, so it contains no commentary on these transcendent beings. What mortals and Exalted can understand of the Elemental Dragons is present in the Immaculate Dragons, so the Order has nothing to say on the matter of the Elemental Dragons.
The Immaculate Texts do not say whether the Immaculate Dragons were born with their power or merely Dragon-Blooded elevated to the Immaculate state. Indeed, it is considered a secular waste of time to contemplate the origins of the Immaculate Dragons. It is sufficient that, at the time of greatest need, the Elemental Dragons made themselves manifest in Creation as the Immaculate Dragons. What’s important are their teachings and the deeds they performed while thus manifest.
EMULATION VS. WORSHIP
It is inappropriate to render up worship to the Immaculate Dragons (to say nothing of the Elemental Dragons) as they are not part of the godly bureaucracies. Instead, the Elemental Dragons manifest in the Immaculate Dragons to show mortals the correct means of emulating the ineffable dynamic that the Dragons themselves embody.
The Immaculate Dragons are not gods to be worshipped, but rather the foremost inspirations for enlightened behavior. Through their example, mortals may understand proper action in accordance with the human experience in the cycle of rebirth. Therefore, to worship the Immaculate Dragons is to lose sight of the message that they taught: Through proper action in successive lifetimes, mortals may one day embody the very powers that the Immaculate Dragons did. To worship a thing that one should aspire to be is foolishness, shackling oneself to a base existence instead of striving for true spiritual ascendance.
THE IMMACULATE PHILOSOPHY
The Immaculate Order emphasizes several core concepts to those who would follow its teachings. Through Noble Insight and Diligent Practice, an adherent to the Immaculate Philosophy is ennobled and elevated closer to the perfection of the Immaculate Dragons.
THE DILIGENT PRACTICES
The Diligent Practices provide the framework for correct action in the Immaculate Philosophy. Simple belief is not enough—the faithful live their beliefs through correct action.
THE FIRST DILIGENT PRACTICE
Hear a recital of an Immaculate Text at least once a month, in the company of at least 17 other followers of the Philosophy.
In hearing the words of the Immaculate Dragons and those who were closest to them, the faithful discover words of wisdom when they need them. The sutras that make up the Immaculate Texts are not simply words of spirituality, they apply to all elements of the life of mortals. They act as a guide toward the Higher Road that leads to Exaltation.
The requirement that the Immaculate Text be heard in the company of others emphasizes that community and commonality are the foremost practices of the devoted. By working together to understand their purpose, mortals and Exalted alike grow to understand their respective places in Creation, which strengthens the ties of Creation itself.
THE SECOND DILIGENT PRACTICE
Respect and honor spirits only according to the calendar and in the specific rites set down by the Immaculate Order, giving each spirit its due only insofar as it serves the harmony of Creation. Worship no spirit, elemental, small god or Anathema at all.
As the ties that hold Creation together, it is the proper duty of mortals to contribute to the power of the Celestial and Terrestrial Bureaucracies. But the gods and spirits of the world do not have the right to rule the lives of mortals. Gods have their duties as surely as mortals and Exalts do, and to try to gather power over things that are not under their aegis is wrong and prideful. Therefore, the Immaculate Order is careful to shield mortals from the undue infl uence of godly beings.
The Immaculate Order teaches that the Dragon-Blooded are the only ones spiritually strong enough to deal with powerful gods and spirits without being corrupted by them. Therefore, it is forbidden for mortals to engage in actual worship of individual gods. Instead, mortals may participate in the rites that glorify the gods as a whole, while Dragon-Blooded monks tend to the individual rites of the Hundred Gods (the name for the multitude of divinities in Creation and Heaven).
For this reason, the Immaculate Order is aniconic. The mistrust of animal symbols dates back to the First Age, when many animals were associated with the cults of the Unconquered Sun or Luna, and it has evolved into a general cultural prohibition against the depiction of gods. Only in the temples of those gods may statuary or depictions be erected, and they may be shown only when a Dragon-Blooded monk is performing their rites. All other times, they are locked away and hidden from view.
It is also considered ill luck to depict the Immaculate Dragons, who are best represented with their simple mon symbols. There is no prohibition against depiction of the Elemental Dragons, however, for they are so transcendent that human worship is irrelevant.
THE THIRD DILIGENT PRACTICE
Imitate in word and deed the honorable behaviors of the five Immaculate Dragons, the mortal incarnations of the Dragons of the Elements. Emulate the thoughts appropriate to your incarnation as decreed by the Immaculate Dragons.
This is the core for all morality and ethical behavior to adherents of the Immaculate Philosophy. Mortals are expected to try to emulate all of the Immaculate Dragons, when and where they can. Self-reliance, adherence to tradition and restraint, compassion, the search for perfection, the holiness of hard work: These are the true virtues of the Immaculate adherent.
The Dragon-Blooded are assumed, by tradition, to emulate one Immaculate Dragon above others. Most of the time, this is the Dragon that corresponds to their aspect. A Fire Aspect manifests spiritual spontaneity and rebelliousness in his very anima, so the teachings of Hesiesh will likely benefit him the most. Sometimes, however, that is not the case. In some instances, a monk might suggest to a Dragon-Blood that she seek out the teachings of one of the other Immaculate Dragons.
THE FOURTH DILIGENT PRACTICE
Obey the Dragon-Blooded, the descendants and disciples of the Immaculate Dragons, who are so close to enlightenment that their commands cannot cause a soul to stray from the Road.
There are those among the Dragon-Blooded who claim that this Diligent Practice demonstrates the innate righteousness of the Dragon-Blooded. Certainly, that is what the Immaculate Order teaches the un-Exalted who follow its beliefs. In truth, though, those Dragon-Blooded who learn anything about the Immaculate Faith are taught that this Diligent Practice does not mean that all of the Terrestrial Exalted’s whims and commands are righteous. It simply means that while one of the Princes of the Earth may command a man to take unrighteous action, men will not be led astray by obeying that command. It is the proper place of mortals to obey the Exalted, and in the fulfi llment of that destiny, men draw closer to the Essence of the Dragons.
The Immaculate Order emphasizes to its Exalted adherents, however, that they are still responsible for making sure that their commands are righteous and proper, in keeping with the proper order of Creation. In short, while the commands that one of the Dragon-Blooded Host gives to a mortal cannot draw that mortal away from enlightenment, it can pull the Dragon-Blood further from it.
THE FIFTH DILIGENT PRACTICE
Resist the commands of the Anathema to the fullest degree of the abilities of your present incarnation, and do not fall into despair.
This Diligent Practice emphasizes two things: the understanding of the terrible sway of the Anathema, and the fact that mortals have only so much resistance to them. For this reason, the Immaculate Order considers those mortals who follow the Anathema to be as much victims as those the Anathema slay. In either case, what can mere mortals do to stymie the will of such demons?
Of course, by this token, those Dragon-Blooded who fall to the sway of the Anathema are responsible for their own weakness. They carry the Essence of the Dragons and are heirs to the blood of those who overthrew the Anathema once, at the height of their power. The Immaculate Order’s orthodoxy has no pity for those who fail to resist the demons, though those who have actually encountered the Anathema before are more likely to understand, given the power of the demons that possess them.
THE ORDER OF IMMACULATE DRAGONS
The faith of the Immaculate Dragons is administered by the Order of Immaculate Dragons, a religion with monastic and temple-based traditions, as well as ascetic and itinerant off-shoots. The acknowledged heads of the Order of Immaculate Dragons are the Dragon-Blooded, and this is accepted as right and proper. After all, those who will outlive mortals by entire generations should be in the position to apply the long wisdom they gain.
BECOMING AN IMMACULATE
The process of joining the Immaculate Order as one of its monks is long and arduous. A would-be monk must present himself to the monks of the subdued Procession of Gray, the small, unassuming monastery in the heart of the Temple District of the Imperial City. The Procession of Gray is a standard monastery, with one difference. At any given time, its courtyard may be packed with kneeling postulants, clad in the gray robes of their station. These postulants seek only to be noticed by the Paragon of Sextes Jylis from the window of his offi ce that overlooks the courtyard or on her way to the Scarlet Chapel in the Imperial Palace.
The Paragon of Sextes Jylis notices everything, it seems. Those who come to the Procession of Gray must not arrive with their heads already shaven. To do so is to suggest that one is already suited for the Order, and only the Paragon of Sextes Jylis may make that decision. Those who come from powerful families are likely to wait the longest, especially the Exalted, who are expected to exceed the mortals around them in their capacity to withstand the rigors of fasting, lack of sleep and constant kneeling on the cobblestones of the courtyard.
Occasionally, monks require that postulants aid them in some small task. Afterward, they are expected to return to their places. At night, all postulants are shown to a single dormitory overseen by a monk, there to sleep on bare wooden fl oors until just before dawn. When they are not sleeping or assisting monks, postulants are expected to remain kneeling in the courtyard. In the middle of the day, they are brought a single shallow bowl of rice to eat; water is brought to them four times a day. Most postulants continue this process for a few days, but it is not unheard of for it to go on for weeks for those the Paragon suspects may still be wrestling with pride, particularly Dragon-Blooded postulants.
All it takes is a nod from the Paragon as she passes on her way to tend to important business to make a postulant an acolyte. When this happens, the monks around the Paragon hurry to the side of the new acolyte, to take him into the inner adytum of the Procession of Gray, where he is given a meal of rice, chicken and fruit and a small cup of watered wine. After this meal, the head of a new acolyte is shaved completely. He is thereafter given a freezing cold ritual bath of cleansing and an acolyte’s robe. At this time, the monk attending him gives him a new name, and the new acolyte takes his oath of service.
THE PILGRIMAGE
New acolytes are given a week to recuperate from the ordeal of the postulant and to learn the basic sutras and martial-arts stances required of all novice monks. After this time, regardless of the season, a new monk is expected to undertake the pilgrimage by foot from the Imperial City down the Great Coast Road to the Palace Sublime, in Incas Prefecture. Acolytes are given only their robes, a walking staff and a begging bowl with which to beg for food or money to buy food along the way.
This is often a humbling experience for monks, especially for those who come from Dynastic or patrician families. These pilgrims are forbidden from using Essence or force to get their food, and they certainly may not break any laws. The communities between the Imperial City and the Palace Sublime are accustomed to these begging monks and are willing to give food to those who are suffi ciently humble. But a new monk, even one with Dragon-Blooded heritage, who approaches the task of begging with arrogance or expectation is in for a rude shock.
Finally, after weeks of travel by foot and by begging rides with those who have wagons, the new acolyte arrives at the Palace Sublime. He is taken in, fed, bathed and his head shaved again. He is given any medical attention that may be necessary from his long and arduous trip and given a place in the monks’ cells as a monk of the First Coil.
COILS OF THE IMMACULATE ORDER
The Immaculate Order teaches the Road of Enlightenment wraps around like the long, sinuous body of a dragon coiled around a great pillar. In the normal process of living, a being remains where he stands on this winding Road, moving perhaps a few steps up or down. Those who dedicate themselves to the Immaculate Dragons may advance greatly in their place.
Through diligent service and practice of the Immaculate Philosophy, they can move their spirits not simply one or two steps along the path, but up to the spiral of the road, or coil of the dragon, above where they now stand. The behaviors of the various Coils are required for several reasons. The first is to set the monks apart from the rest of society, constantly reminding them that they are held to a higher standard. Secondly, these voluntary limitations teach the monk discipline and allow him to focus his energy and attention on things of a spiritual, rather than secular, nature.
Many of the things that provoke lust, greed and envy are forbidden the Immaculate monk.
Immaculate monks speak of this symbolic structure as the Five Coils. They are not so prideful as to claim to have any control over where a monk’s soul actually stands—they simply find use in these five “levels” of devotion to the Immaculate Philosophy. A monk of higher Coils is expected to exemplify the ideas of the Order more than one of lower Coils, adhering to stricter requirements of behavior and service. The Five Coils were first described in The Gentle Rule, a text supposedly inspired by Daana’d that describes the proper running of monasteries, including the division of work, methods of dress and the like. All monks are expected to study The Gentle Rule.
FIRST COIL (BACKING [IMMACULATE ORDER •])
The majority of a monk’s strictures are established when he takes his vows as a monk of the First Coil. It should be noted that some of these strictures change as the monk increases in Coil, and to assume the strictures of a higher Coil is considered an act of vanity and presumption.
- Appearance: A monk is required to shave his head, and keep it shaven, though may wear facial hair. Jewelry and tattoos are forbidden.
- Celibacy: A monk must take a vow of celibacy, under the belief sex is too great of a distraction from spiritual endeavors. Masturbation is not forbidden, however.
- Diet: Eat no red meat and the consumption of intoxicants or narcotics.
- Name: At the end of her time as a postulant, a monk of the First Coil is given a new name, meant to divorce her from her old life and reflect something of her inner nature. It is usually a diminutive or even slightly embarrassing name, such as “Cricket” for the high-jumper or “Little Brook” for the monk who can’t quite still her tongue.
- Poverty: A monk must vow to own nothing. Even the clothing on his back belongs to the Order. Any money given to a monk of the Order, by tradition, has been given to the Order.
- Vestments: a simple hempen robe, belted with rope. The robe may be decorated with modest trim, which usually adheres to the traditions to which the monk belongs (monastic, temple or ascetic). The monk may also wear a broad-rimmed hat and sandals.
SECOND COIL (BACKING [IMMACULATE ORDER ••])
All of the strictures from the First Coil remain in effect, with the following exceptions:
- Diet: consume no fowl, in addition to the dietary strictures of the First Coil.
- Name: Upon being given the linen belt of the Second Coil, the monk may change his name. A monk may reclaim his birth or family name, though doing so is a sign that one’s family will still play a role in one’s life (though there is no stigma for doing so). Many monks ask a mentor or respected figure to name them. By tradition, this is a serious name, one that truly refl ects the holy fi gure the monk is becoming.
- Vestments: As First Coil, save that the hempen robe is cinched up with a linen belt. This belt is generally undyed, unless the monk is a devotee of one of the Immaculate Dragons, in which case it may be black (Daana’d), white (Pasiap), blue (Mela), red (Hesiesh) or green (Sextes Jylis).
THIRD COIL (BACKING [IMMACULATE ORDER •••])
All of the strictures from the Second Coil remain in effect, with the following exceptions:
- Diet: consume no sweets, sorbets or coarse grains in addition to the former restrictions.
- Status: The monk may hold the position of abbot, vartabed or sybil, depending on the need for someone to hold such a position and the tradition in which the monk works.
- Title: The monk is addressed by lessers as “Honored One” or “Reverend.” When their name is used, the prefix “Honored” is applied to it (“Honored Nine Rivers,” for instance). Only speakers within the Order need use these titles. Outsiders who wish to win favor might do so.
- Vestments: may wear a robe of soft linen, often left undyed, or dyed to reflect the monk’s devotion to a given Immaculate Dragon. He wears a belt of woven wool.
FOURTH COIL (BACKING [IMMACULATE ORDER ••••])
All of the strictures from the Third Coil remain in effect, with the following exceptions: Diet: A monk of the Fourth Coil is expected to consume no meat whatsoever and to drink nothing but tea and water, while continuing the strictures from the First through Third Coils.
- Exaltation: Only the Dragon-Blooded hold ranking of the Fourth Coil.
- Status: Should the need present itself, the monk may hold the position of lama. They are almost guaranteed to hold the position of abbot, vartabed or sybil.
- Title: The monk is addressed by lessers as “Most Enlightened Master,” and when his name is used, the prefix “Master” is applied to it.
- Vestments: As Third Coil, but the belt is made of silk.
FIFTH COIL (BACKING [IMMACULATE ORDER •••••])
All the strictures from the Fourth Coil remain in effect, with the following exceptions:
- Diet: A monk of the Fifth Coil consumes only rice, bread, vegetables, tea and water.
- Status: Most who hold the Fifth Coil are elder lamas. The Mouth of Peace and the Immaculate Paragons are all chosen from those who stand on the Fifth Coil.
- Vestments: The monk of the Fifth Coil wears a robe and belt of silk.
THE MOUTH OF PEACE
One of the most powerful people in the Realm, the Mouth of Peace acts as the conscience of the Scarlet Empress, counseling peaceful resolutions and the secularized search for enlightenment in all things. The position is named for the office’s traditional role in counseling the Dynasty against warfare. Because she sits so closely to the Empress, the Mouth of Peace also acts as the secular-dealing head of the Immaculate Order. She takes on such things as the disbursement of imperial funds to the Immaculate Order, situations where the Immaculate Order and imperial government or Great Houses clash and a variety of other circumstances.
It is the intent of the Immaculate Order that the spiritual leadership of the Order, the fi ve Immaculate Paragons, be disturbed with secular, mundane matters as little as possible. As a result, though, the Mouth of Peace wields quite a bit of power, for she is generally the primary contact and point of authority between the Immaculate Order and the secular world. In fact, those outside the Order generally assume that the Mouth of Peace is the leadership for this massive faith (which is mostly true).
The Mouth of Peace is considered a sacrificial figure, a being of great enlightenment and spiritual power who makes the sacrifice of sullying herself with the necessity of involvement in politics, secularism and mundane tasks. It is understood that she does these things so that others—particularly the Immaculate Paragons—do not have to. Nonetheless, few are those who are granted permission to see her in her Contemplative Chamber atop one of the towers of the Palace Sublime. Only high-ranking members of the Dynasty, the elders of House Iselsi (who have taken up sanctuary in the Palace Sublime), the Sidereals and highly placed members of the Immaculate Order are permitted audiences.
The Mouth of Peace is expected to give up everything when she assumes the role: all political connections, family ties, friendships. The one who is made the Mouth of Peace even surrenders her name, for the Immaculate Order teaches that the Mouth of Peace should be a single entity, throughout the history of the Immaculate Order. The Mouth of Peace does not speak out against the actions of previous Mouths of Peace, but is expected to act in accordance with them.
The current Mouth of Peace is an Earth Aspect formerly of House Mnemon. Of course, this family tie does Mnemon herself very little good. In fact, it is a source of aggravation that this granddaughter of hers will not accede to her ambitions and aid her. The Mouth of Peace has also refused Mnemon’s attempts to have the heart of the Immaculate Order moved to within the walls of the Imperial City. Her predecessor was a scion of House Iselsi who never truly abandoned her House affiliation (resulting in, among other things, her murder at the hands of unknown forces when the House was finally officially dismantled in RY 570). The current Mouth of Peace, however, has created a definitive separation between her origins and her role, so she will not move the entire Order for political reasons. She has also begun some traditions that are likely to continue with successive Mouths of Peace, including the tendency to leave the Contemplative Chamber in disguise once every few years or so and travel the Realm incognito to ascertain the spiritual state of her people.
THE IMMACULATE PARAGONS
In terms of hierarchy, the five Immaculate Paragons are beneath the Mouth of Peace, but this is for a simple reason: The top of a hierarchical structure is, of necessity, a political one, and the true spiritual leaders of the Immaculate Order should be distanced from such things. The Immaculate Paragons are considered living saints and bodhisattvas, men and women of Exaltation so potent it marks everything they do.
Invariably, these are some of the few Dragon-Blooded whose Essence transcends the normal heights of the Dragon-Blooded, so that they literally wear the element of their Exaltation on their bodies. Such souls are taught to be close to unity with the Dragons once more. The Immaculate Paragons are acknowledged as greatly compassionate souls who have delayed this unity in order to help elevate the rest of mankind.
When an Immaculate monk is recognized as one of the Immaculate Paragons, he abandons all old ties of tradition and House, should he retain any. Unlike the Mouth of Peace, however, each Paragon should be remembered by the Order, so they take names reflective of the lessons they see themselves as having to teach Creation and the faithful.
That way, simply by speaking their names, their message and teachings are remembered.
The Paragons are always Dragon-Blooded, with an aspect appropriate to the Dragon that they serve. They are all masters of at least one of the elemental styles (again, of the aspect appropriate to the Dragon they emulate), and most of them are masters of multiple ones.
LAMAS
Beneath the Mouth of Peace and the Paragons are the lamas of the Immaculate Order, wise monks with years of experience and leadership to their credit. All lamas in the Immaculate Order are Dragon-Blooded, as befitting men and women in a position such as they are in.
Difficult is the road a lama walks, for he must learn to balance the demands of the political Mouth of Peace with those of the enlightened Paragons—a task that often resembles a juggling act. Outsiders point out the difficulty in which lamas find themselves and wonder why it isn’t made simpler—why is there no definitive chain of command? The wise know the answer to this, however. A lama’s fi rst master should be his own wisdom, balancing the needs of the secular world with the demands of enlightenment.
Lamas oversee geographical locations, acting as administrators for the abbots, vartabeds and sybils of each of those locations. In this role, they are expected to know what is going on in their territories, that they may counsel the Mouth of Peace and the Paragons properly. In theory, there must be at least one lama for each geographical region and satrapy, but this isn’t always the case (particularly away from the Blessed Isle). A lama is supposed to spend half of every year in the geographical region he oversees and the other half at the Palace Sublime.
THE CLOISTER TRADITION
The cloister tradition is a strong one in the Immaculate Order, with nearly half of all monks following it. Rather than acting as intercessors for the people, the cloister tradition teaches Immaculates to sequester themselves from the bustle of daily life in remote monasteries. In these places of serenity, the cloistered monk may focus on his Essence and its development, seeking to emulate the Immaculate Dragons—who moved through life remaining apart from the banality of the mundane world—as close as anyone can.
In the Immaculate Order, the cloistered monks serve a valuable purpose. It is from cloistered monasteries that most copies of the sutras come, as one of the spiritual tasks undertaken by these men and women is the hand-copying of the Immaculate Texts. Additionally, cloistered monks study the martial arts significantly more often than those of the other traditions, and when trouble with a god or other spirit is reported to the Immaculate Order, it is usually to a cloistered monastery that the request for aid is sent.
The men and women of the cloisters have established something of a frightening reputation to the common folk, for they rarely see the monks of the cloisters until the need for Immaculate martial arts comes about. Then, they are grim warriors who come with sutras on their lips and terrible elemental Essence about their fists.
Cloistered monks wear only the basic vestments of monks of the Immaculate Order. A given cloister might have a unified pattern of trim at the edges, though, such as the wave motif of the Heavenly Cloister of Sapphire, in the western part of the Blessed Isle, or the Unyielding Perseverance Keep’s pattern of diamonds with a single dot in the middle of each.
THE ABBOT
The head of a cloistered monastery is an abbot or abbess, a wise elder monk who has served in the Immaculate Order for many years. These men and women understand their duties quite well. They are there to oversee the monks within their monastery and very little else. They drive their subordinates toward martial and spiritual excellence relentlessly, seeking to push them until their common weaknesses hinder them, and then to push them some more, allowing them to overcome those weaknesses. A cloistered abbot may be a grim, insulting master of the martial arts or a kindly old man given to meditation and philosophical talks over tea, but he is always one thing—driven. Most of the Paragons are chosen from lamas who once served as abbots.
THE TEMPLE TRADITION
The tradition best known by the common folk of the Blessed Isle, the temple tradition is the part of the Order that sees to the adherence to the Immaculate Calendar and the performance of the rites to the Celestial and Terrestrial Bureaucracies. Temple monks are the Immaculates who deal most often with the common folk, and their penchant for wisdom and strict watchfulness against heresy is legendary.
Ultimately, the temple tradition exists for two reasons: to see that the appropriate rites are performed for the gods of the Celestial and Terrestrial Bureaucracies and to see that people understand the Immaculate Philosophy.
Where cloistered monks live the Philosophy, teaching by example and answering the questions of the curious, temple monks seek to make those around them understand through the use of parables, prayers and readings. Although they practice the martial arts as well, temple monks spend more of their days overseeing the various rites of propitiation, teaching the common folk and performing rites of passage for them.
Temple monks often wear prayer shawls, each marked with the symbol of the temple to which the monk belongs. They also often wear pectorals or belts hung with the symbolic representations of the gods to whom they are performing rites. Such decorations change daily.
THE VARTABED
What the abbot is to a cloistered monastery, the vartabed is to a temple. An elder monk known for his wisdom and understanding of the Immaculate rites, the vartabed is responsible for training the monks under him in the maintenance of the Immaculate Calendar and the education of the populace. Where abbots have a reputation as being distant and unsociable, vartabeds are usually assumed to be quite socially engaging. A vartabed understands that the Immaculate Order wields no small power, as entrenched as it is in society. It is his responsibility to make sure that this power—like all that in the Immaculate Order—is wielded in accordance to the tenets of the Immaculate Philosophy.
Every one of the Mouths of Peace has been chosen from among the ranks of lamas who were once vartabeds.
THE ASCETIC TRADITION
There is a third tradition of monastic practice in the Immaculate Order. Although it is not an officially recognized or organized one, the ascetic tradition is quite strong. At any given time, perhaps one in 10 monks in Creation is pursuing an ascetic path, and many Immaculate monks, whether temple or cloister trained, undertake asceticism in order to deepen their understanding at some point in their lives.
Simply put, the ascetic tradition seeks to escape all of civilization. Unlike cloistered monks, ascetics don’t sequester themselves behind high monastery walls; unlike temple monks, they don’t seek immersion in the daily life of the Realm. Instead, the ascetic monk flees cities and goes into the wilderness, in order to simply dwell there for a time.
Most ascetic monks put themselves through a very difficult existence, eating only insects and roots, drinking only cool river water and living either exposed to the elements or within naturally occurring shelter. All ascetic monks believe that the denial of the body’s needs is the method by which the soul is purified and enlightened. Therefore, most ascetic monks remain on the edge of sleep deprivation, starvation and exposure, mortifying their bodies in order to elevate their souls. These monks often acquire a supernatural reputation among the common folk, who attribute to them amazing abilities for their sacrifice and dedication.
Ascetic monks are invariably dressed in tattered vestments, or are nearly naked, clothed only in what they can make by hand, or what superstitious peasants leave out for them at the mouths of their caves.
THE SYBIL
Ascetics have no leaders, in the fashion of cloistered and temple monks. It is, after all, not necessary. Most ascetic monks remain ascetic for just a few years at a time, returning to their home monasteries nearly dead of exhaustion, when they have gained whatever insights they sought or when their responsibilities pull them home once more. A rare few ascetic monks, however, do not pursue this life. These men and women undertake the ascetic tradition permanently, believing that, as the Immaculate Dragons wandered Creation in order to understand their Essence, so too must they. When such a monk achieves the kind of renown in the Immaculate Order that would elevate other monks to the position of vartabed or abbot, the lamas simply begin referring to him or her as a sybil.
Sybils are often sought out by other monks seeking wisdom.
Many teachers instruct the monks beneath them that, in order to truly undertake the ascetic tradition for a time, they must seek out a sybil in order for her to impart some wisdom to them. Sybils invariably dwell in remote regions, the proverbial old man on the mountain or seer hidden away in a cavern. Additionally, many of them do discover refinements of their Essence that are unique to the insights that come from prolonged ascetic practice. Most stories that discuss strange ascetic monks who are capable of working miracles refer to sybils.
OTHER TRADITIONS
Though the three foregoing traditions are the most common within the Immaculate Order, there are a few other ways of following the Immaculate Philosophy.
ITINERANT MONKS
An itinerant monk is, in many ways, a monk who adheres to all three of the major Immaculate traditions. Such monks travel from place to place, seeking wisdom in the wilderness
THE CELESTIALLY GUIDED ITINERANTS
Occasionally, a monk’s skill, piety and devotion to the Immaculate Philosophy is noticed by the Mouth of Peace. Such figures may be chosen to join the Celestially Guided Itinerants, an order of wandering agents of the Mouth of Peace. What the magistrates are to the Thousand Scales, the Celestially Guided Itinerants are to the Immaculate Order—bringers of scrutiny and justice, in adherence with the laws of the Order and the will of the Mouth of Peace.
The Celestially Guided Itinerants are tremendously skilled investigators, and are all Dragon-Blooded. They answer only to the Mouth of Peace and are notorious for their ability to stumble into false tithing scams, corruption in monasteries and other symptoms of the fact that, for all their preaching of perfection, the Immaculate Order is still manned by fallible mortals.
through starvation and deprivation in the fashion of an ascetic. Yet, they also seek out communities that do not have an Immaculate presence nearby, performing the rites of passage and propitiating the local small gods properly, in the fashion of a temple monk. Itinerant monks are often quite skilled in the martial arts, as well, for they seek out masters of the martial arts to train them in their journeys. They are the monks most likely to be called upon to use them, in order to deal with the dangers of the road and wilderness.
At some point in their lives, most monks are instructed to undertake an itinerant existence. Sometimes, this is just after their training at the Palace Sublime is over, before they report to their new monasteries. Other times, this is after a period of years, or just before a monk takes over a monastery as vartabed or abbot. Many monks see a period of itinerancy as a rite of passage, used to mark dramatic changes in the monk’s existence.
Most itinerant monks adhere to a strictly scheduled route of travel, allowing them to come to know the people along that route. When such a monk shows up, many marriages that have been put off are held and celebrated, babies that have been born since he was last through there are named and blessed, and any problems with local spirits are reported to him to deal with. As a result, it sometimes seems that where an itinerant monk goes, celebration follows.
SOCIAL DUTIES
Regardless of their tradition and style of service, all Immaculate monks are expected to fulfi ll a variety of obligations.
Some traditions focus on certain of these duties more than others, but all understand that these duties are all absolutely important and seek to fulfill those they are capable of to the best of their ability.
SEARCH FOR RELICS
In hearing the words and understanding the message of the Immaculate Dragons, mortals and Exalted are brought closer to enlightenment. The more an individual hears and understands, the closer he might come. Therefore, it is considered an important duty of every Immaculate monk to search for relics of the First Age, especially writings that contain the words of the Immaculate Dragons. Such findings form the basis for the Immaculate Texts. Even those that are not the words of the Immaculate Dragons or their apostles are still considered important, allowing Immaculate scholars to better understand the context in which some sutras were spoken.
CULTIVATION OF ESSENCE
Every monk is responsible for aiding others in the cultivation of their Essence. First and foremost, of course, an Immaculate monk must not neglect her own development, but she must also aid others where she can. In some cases, this aid involves training young Dragon-Blooded (particularly outcastes) how to use their Essence, but this duty is not limited to the Princes of the Earth. A mortal who learns to find resolve, acceptance and self-reliance in his life’s duties is said to be cultivating his Essence, as is one who learns the sutras. Many monks strive to teach all who wish to learn the techniques of meditation and the basics of the martial arts.
Exalted monks are also taught that they should assist their mortal brethren in learning the techniques of awakening their Essence, where such is possible.
EDUCATION
Immaculate monks are also beholden to teach those around them. This teaching focuses primarily on the Immaculate Texts and the Immaculate Philosophy, though it is understood that mortals are enlightened through education of any kind. As such, all monasteries are required to take in children from the age of fi ve to nine and educate them, usually using the holy sutras as the basis for learning to read.
RITES OF PASSAGE
The passage through a single life, while just a blink in a soul’s walk along the Road of Enlightenment, is still noteworthy. Rites of passage serve to bind a community together, thus building civilization. The Immaculate monks perform all weddings, binding in union new couples. Monks also perform the naming ceremonies of new children, who are simply called “boy” or “girl” until such a ceremony has taken place. Rites of adulthood, funerals and many other such ceremonies are usually performed under the watchfulness of the Immaculate monks as well.
DIVINE INTERCESSION
Dragon-Blooded monks are expected to act as intermediaries between men and gods. It is a tenet of the Immaculate Philosophy that the Princes of the Earth are the only ones with the moral and spiritual fortitude to withstand the influence of the gods without losing their will. As such, the Immaculate Order not only oversees all the rites of all the gods (theoretically, at least) in Creation, in accordance to the Immaculate Calendar, but its monks also go to small gods to represent mortal populations. Such occurrences are usually sufficient to cow most small gods, who fear the supernatural martial prowess of the Immaculate monks.
MISSIONARY WORK
The Immaculate Order maintains that, through the spread of understanding of one’s place under Heaven, Creation is strengthened. Therefore, one of the Immaculate Order’s foremost efforts is in missionary work. The missionary efforts of the Immaculate Order are not limited to teaching mortals the truths of the Immaculate Philosophy, however—they also extend to local gods. Normally, when the Immaculate Order achieves sufficient influence in an area, it builds a monastery and populates it.
Then, as the mortal monks go forth and teach the sutras and Philosophy to the common men of the area, the Dragon-Blooded monks seek out the local gods, calling on them to bow before the righteousness of the Immaculate Way. Those who defy the monks are fought with supernatural martial arts. Then, once gods and commoners have been swayed to the Immaculate Philosophy, most abbots invite the local leaders of an area to the monastery, believing that once the commoners and the gods of the area adhere to the Immaculate Philosophy, the leadership can do nothing but accede as well.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
The monks of the Immaculate Order—particularly those monks who hold the ideals of Daana’d close—teach that each being is a potential bodhisattva and so should be treated accordingly. Everyone in Creation has a place, and to fi ght against that place is wrong, but that does not give one the right to abuse those below one. Immaculate monks are notorious for protesting the tyrannies of rulers in front of their palaces, refusing to be moved and indeed, willing to sacrifice themselves in some instances (if only to prove how strongly the Order opposes such a situation). They will even go so far as to lead uprisings, and the Paragons of the Immaculate Dragons have spoken out against the excesses of even the Great Houses in the past.
THE IMMACULATE CALENDAR
The Immaculate Order maintains the Immaculate Calendar, a massive archive of gods both large and small in Creation and in Heaven. This calendar records not only the identity of a god, but the proper ritual used to propitiate it. Gods are given direct worship only by the Immaculate monks, who understand that it is the proper place of those in Creation to render up worship to those in Heaven. They do not believe, however, that every individual god has the right to coerce more worship than it is due from vulnerable mortals.
As such, the more powerful the god is, the more frequently it is given worship. The Celestines are worshiped on a daily basis by all the temple monasteries. Heavenly gods are likewise rendered worship at the Palace Sublime and other major temple monasteries, with more important gods being worshiped more frequently.
When a local god agrees to adhere to the Immaculate Philosophy, its rites and days of worship are entered in the local copy of the Immaculate Calendar, and the monks of that temple perform the rites when its proper ritual days come around. Most local gods do not receive more than a few days of worship a year.
The Immaculate Philosophy’s rituals incorporate worship of the Celestial Bureaucracy in a general way. Temple monks lead the faithful in sutras and rituals that glorify the gods in general, rendering up the proper obeisance of mortals without favoring any one god over others. The Immaculate Order teaches that the gods are properly worshiped in this fashion.
Although the monks know what gods are being revered on a given day, the ritual that is performed by the laity is the same every day, with the monks symbolically gathering that worship and apportioning it to the appropriate gods.
For this reason, the Immaculate Order is careful to search out heresy. It isn’t as though gods are not worshiped, all gods are worshiped in accordance with their duties under Heaven.
Therefore, by the teachings of the Order, additional and direct worship not only exposes mortals to the potentially corrupting influence of divine majesty, which may cause them to veer away from their search for enlightenment, but it gives the god more worship than it is due. It is, in effect, either bribery or blackmail, depending on the nature of the god in question.
Heresy is answered with direct, swift action. The Immaculate monks call out the heretic gods to combat, preferably in the presence of their erstwhile cult. Once the god has been beaten either into submission or dispersal, the mortals are reminded of their duties to seek personal enlightenment, not to provide power to a greedy little god. The difficulties they are praying to be alleviated are part of their natural existence and meant to challenge them. By meeting those challenges, they take steps on the Road of Enlightenment; by running to a spirit to do it for them, they lose their footing.
As a result of these painful demonstrations, many gods on the Blessed Isle are quite terrifi ed of being accused of heresy. At the fi rst sign of any direct worship potentially developing around them, it isn’t uncommon for a god who has experienced Immaculate retribution to not only refuse to allow people to worship him, but to be the one to report the would-be cult at the nearest Immaculate temple!
THE WYLD HUNT
The Wyld Hunt is not technically part of the Immaculate Order proper. It is a special organization, partly religious and partly secular, overseen by both. In actuality, the Wyld Hunt receives most of its support from the Immaculate Order. Even if this wasn’t always the case, with the disappearance of the Scarlet Empress, the Imperial Bureaucracy has many more issues on its hands.
MEMBERSHIP
There are two kinds of Wyld Huntsmen, who are usually referred to as harriers, or shikari. The most common is the errant shikari, a hunter who maintains a life outside of the Wyld Hunt. Errant shikari are not supported by the Wyld Hunt and usually have duties outside the Hunt chapter house, be they to the Immaculate Order, the All-Seeing Eye, the Imperial Army, their House or other masters. Less common, but highly praised, are hosted shikari, harriers who have dedicated their lives to the aims of the Wyld Hunt. These are men and women who have usually given all their personal wealth to the Wyld Hunt as a whole and are supported by it. Hosted shikari own nothing, but they are also the first ones to be given the resources of the Wyld Hunt in the field. The numbers of hosted shikari have swelled somewhat in recent years, as more than a few scions of House Tepet have signed up, wanting to fight the threat of the Anathema in these days after the slaughter of the Tepet Legions.
RANKS
The Wyld Hunt answers to two forces: the Mouth of Peace and the Committee on Matters of Venery, a bureau of the All-Seeing Eye that oversees the secular matters of the Wyld Hunt, keeping track of supplies and payroll, transfers of soldiers and resources and the like. It also acts as the channel by which information from the All-Seeing Eye reaches the Wyld Hunt.
The Mouth of Peace is advised by the correctors, a council traditionally made up of monks who have served with the Wyld Hunt and monks that have not, in equal numbers. The correctors monitor the workings of the Wyld Hunt, order reports on campaigns and perform audits. The correctors and the Committee on Matters of Venery often work to perform the same deeds, each reporting to their differing superiors.
They maintain a fairly strong rivalry, and more than one canny exarch has used this rivalry to his chapter house’s advantage, playing each side off one another.
Exarch (Backing [Wyld Hunt] •••••)
Individual chapter houses are run by exarchs (Immaculate-trained hosted shikari who act as the heads of chapter houses and oversee the administration and training of its resources). Exarchs almost never go into the field, though more than one has strapped on his old armor after a particularly devastating loss of a cadre.
Ostiaries (Backing [Wyld Hunt] ••••)
Below the exarchs are the Ostiaries, who act as the generals for the chapter houses, overseeing the operation of the cadres, including organizing them. The ostiary acts as the right-hand man for the exarch in a chapter house.
Venerers (Backing [Wyld Hunt] •••)
Each chapter house has between 2-4 Venerers each. When a cadre is formed, a venerer acts as the head of that cadre. Veh them. The venerers of a chapter house form a council that advises the ostiary and the exarch.
Shikari/ Amercers (Backing [Wyld Hunt] •/••)
Finally, within a given cadre, there are simple shikari and those harriers who are more experienced and have survived campaigns against at least four Anathema. Such heroes are referred to as Amercers.
CHAPTER HOUSES
Once, there were 11 chapter houses spread across the Blessed Isle and the Threshold. Now, with the sudden drop in imperial funding and the Great Houses working to consolidate their own power, only six remain, only one of which is in the Threshold (specifi cally, in the North, near Cherak). Chapter houses are always manses under the leadership of an exarch and ostiary.
CADRES
Any chapter house has a large number of amercers and shikari, with a handful of venerers to act as cadre leadership. A chapter house always maintains approximately half of its membership as established cadres, teams who work and train together routinely, getting to know one another’s weaknesses and strengths, drawing on the nature of the Dragon-Blooded Exaltation to improve one another. Many established cadres are sworn brotherhoods.
The others form the basis of adhoc cadres, cadres put together as a team under a given venerer on a case-by-case basis. This arrangement sacrifices some of the benefits of established cadres in exchange for supreme flexibility and the ability to tailor the team’s membership to the needs of the mission.
Originally Wyld Hunt cadres consisted of 2-five Dragon-Blooded, a host of soldiers and an assortment of aides and support for the cadre. The Immaculate Order and the All-Seeing Eye originally tried to make sure that they had at least one of their own in each cadre.
With the changes that have shaken Creation, however, the cadres have grown. Now, a cadre generally consists of five to 10 Dragon-Blooded with a proportional swelling in support. The Immaculate Order and the All-Seeing Eye has tried to make certain cadre has at least two monks.
TEMPLES & MONASTERIES
The buildings and manses of the Immaculate Order are generally put to a variety of uses. Like most of the Dragon-Blooded Host, the Exalted monks of the Immaculate Order prefer to use a manse for their purposes, but they will work with whatever is available.
THE PALACE SUBLIME
The largest temple of the Immaculate Order, the Palace Sublime seems quite indefensible, made up as it is of a pair of immensely tall towers and a squat, square keep. Nonetheless, it is home to no less than the Mouth of Peace and four of the five Immaculate Paragons. It is the heart of the Immaculate Order, and none has ever dared attack it.
At the top of one of the towers is the Contemplative Chamber of the Mouth of Peace, and the next few floors beneath that are appointed for her staff. Above the Contemplative Chamber is a small, modest office wherein Chejop Kejak, head of the Sidereal Bronze Faction, resides, watching out over Creation from one of the tallest towers anywhere.
The Palace Sublime is a confusing maze of temple spaces, monastic training grounds, offices, council chambers, meditation quarters and vaults of riches and artifacts. The monks who dwell here are one of two kinds: the very young, undergoing their first training after their pilgrimage, before being sent on to another monastery somewhere, or the very experienced, lamas, Celestially Guided Itinerants and a variety of others. Among these scuttle the bureaucrats, under-secretaries and minor functionaries who keeps the monolithic Immaculate Order running.
The Bronze Faction considers this the closest thing it has to a headquarters in Creation, and many nights see three or four of the most unlikely secretaries, monks and others gathered atop the roof, watching the stars in the sky closely.
MONASTERIES
The Immaculate Order is perhaps best known for its monasteries, fine walled enclosures decorated with draconic iconography, dedicated to either all fi ve of the Immaculate Dragons or one of them in particular.
CLOISTERS
Cloistered monasteries are meant for no one save the Immaculate Order. Consisting entirely of bare living spaces, ample training courtyards, martial-arts dojos and meditation rooms, cloisters do not have servants to tend to the inhabitants’ needs, for the monks themselves perform these duties.
Most cloisters are quite defensible, with tall walls and the means of fi ghting off a prolonged siege. They also tend to boast impressive armories of weapons, and some cloisters might even have armed and armored monastery guardians at the gates and patrolling the walls.
TEMPLES
Temple monasteries, on the other hand, tend to be lavish, with beautiful craftsmanship. There are usually public worship areas (normally in a chapel dedicated to the fi ve Immaculate Dragons), as well as a few other areas for the celebration of rites of passage. Simple, small chambers can usually be found scattered about, meant for one supplicant to confer with a monk on issues of a private nature.
Behind these public areas are not just the living areas for monks, but also the individual temples or shrines for the local gods or for greater gods that the monastery is responsible for helping to directly worship. Such areas are strictly off-limits to non-monks, and even then, it is only the Exalted monks who carry keys to these chambers.
SHRINES
There are usually two kinds of shrines to be found: those to the Immaculate Dragons and those to local small gods in an area where there are no temple monasteries. The first shrines are usually set aside for itinerant and ascetic monks who find the necessity of a temple space (usually for performing rites of passage and the like for those who haven’t seen a monk in a while). Such shrines are built simply, often out of local materials, featuring a large stone or wooden statue of a dragon, with a simple bed of sand in front of it for joss sticks.
The second type of shrine is a little rarer, as Immaculate monks don’t like the possibility of cults springing up around the shrines of little gods. In some cases, however, it is necessary to perform the rites of a small god in a space dedicated to it. Such shrines are found only in areas where an ascetic monk or cloistered monastery provides the only Immaculate attention, and such shrines are always sealed behind heavily locked doors, the key of which remains in the possession of the Immaculate.
SCHOOLS
The Immaculate Order takes responsibility for teaching the children of non-patrician families that cannot afford tutors of their own. From the ages of fi ve to nine, children from all over report to monasteries to learn the basics of reading, writing and mathematics, as well as a heavy dose of the Immaculate Philosophy. At the age of 10, however, children leave, continuing on to primary schools if their parents can afford it or to begin working toward the craft they will pursue as adults otherwise.
The Immaculate Order maintains a couple of primary schools, though, like other primary schools, they are for those who can afford to enroll their children there. Only one, the Academy of Those Who Tread in Sextes Jylis’ Footsteps, is free. Children who reach the appropriate age and demonstrate admirable piety with a natural intelligence may be sponsored by the Immaculate Order to attend this primary school. Such students often end up as part of the Order itself, and the best among them can even find themselves with a sponsorship to the Cloister of Wisdom.