Scarlet Veil Compound
Map of the Scarlet Veil Compound [B/W
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In this article: Services and Duties
| Staff | The Compound
Index | Introduction | Fobin | Caer Fobin | Fobin Town | The Bath House | Navehian Temple | Scarlet Veil Compound | The Riverside Chapel | The Green Gate | Adventures | The Feast | The Legionnaires
This hierarchical Agrikan order of Oracles lays 1/2 hour north of Fobin. The trail that leads to the compound is a dirt road barely large enough for a wagon. The Order has its share of visitors, usually only those by written invitation. They hold services on their grounds and welcome all faithful as well as the curious. The compound is larger and more orderly than most expect for a 100 year old feminine order with only a dozen or so patrons over the century.
There are usually a few visitors, either Fobin locals or legionnaires come to worship, or people present to recieve private oracles. Still security is tightly kept by groups of seven knights and one priest working together to patrol the compound. Visitors are rarely left to travel in the compound without a guide. All intruders are roughly escorted to the gate. Repeated intrusions may cause the Order to call upon the legionnaires at Fobin to remove the bodies from their premises.
The Compound holds a hospital and an orphanage that cater to anyone who needs assistance. Orphans are brought from all over Tharda and even Rethem. The Order of the Scarlet Veil especially appreciates children born to legionnaires or soldiers and/or those born on the battlefield; but they do not discriminate.
Services and Duties
There are three forms of service performed by the Order of the Scarlet Veil.
Monthly Public Masses
Public masses are held once monthly for any who wish to attend. There are three parts to each grand mass called a Grand Combat. No one, regardless of faith or intention, may be banned from these Grand Combat.
A lay service begins with the Ritual of Blessing the Battlefield. This is followed by a blessing of the Warriors before the Ritual Battle begins.
Most of the peasantry and the merchant classes attend the Lay Masses openly. Several of the stronger members can be seen year round with a red streak painted from their hair line down to their groin. The paint, renewed almost monthly, never fully wears off. Depending on what they request from the priests, they may be told that they will have to fight to the death if the deed is too great.
Occasionally legionaries will attend the Lay Mass and fight for the right to perform the Ritual of Mating with a willing Warriors of the Bloody Mace, or priestess. If they win, they gain the right, and disappear into one of the buildings in the Compound. Few non-legionaries are willing to fight for this opportunity after seeing the "lucky" legionnaire come stumbling home a few days later sporting numerous bruises and bites, and broken limbs.
Weekly Services
Weekly lay services are performed inside the compound and usually consist of sacrifices of animals or the occasional Morgathian priest/worshiper. This communion with the Reasonless Reaper is open to any adherent who can enter the temple.
The service begins with the Blessing of the Warrior, and then the goods to be sacrificed are brought to the altar. A long slow session of butchery is then performed as the animal, or human, dies slowly. The first item removed is its tongue so it can make no sound.
During the butchery, prayers and chanting are offered up. At the end of the service all retire to the arena to watch battles to the first blood between the Warriors of the Bloody Maces, visiting legionaries (if any) and any willing adherents. Occasionally this includes criminals from Fobin.
Often nobles attend this weekly service and may even bring servants destined for punishment for the arena. Some merchants attend as well. This is the easiest time for anyone to request a private meeting with the Oracle, or to ask a favor.
Private Services
Daily services occur in the temple through prayers, and private battles between members. These battles are most often regarded as practice sessions and rarely are fought to the death. If there is a sudden plethora of criminals or servants to be punished, the daily service becomes similar to that of the weekly service.
This private service is longer than the weekly service and tends to be more graphic if there is indeed someone/thing to sacrifice.
Staff
There are 8 priests and some 23 knights in service at the temple. Another 6 priests and 12 knights are currently away questing for the Order of the Scarlet Veil. There are 12 locals who work here as servants and two bonded masters.
The Compound
The Compound is built on the spot that the Daughters of the Holy Fire led the faithful to hide and plot revenge against the Morgathian invaders. The compound is surrounded by a palisade of stout trunks (18-24" diam.) which range in height from 12 to 15ft.
The compound wall (surrounding areas 21-29) is roughly 3ft thick of local field and river stone and is about 7ft high. The wall facing the arena suffers from slippage, hence the buttresses.
- Gate House to the Compound
- Porter's Lodge
- Temple Store
- Oracle Chamber
- Temple of Agrik
- Tithe Barn
- Stables
- Guest Accommodations
- Orphanage
- Maternity Hospital
- Baths
- Main College building
- Cloister
- Hospital
- Villa
- Kitchen
- Great Hall
- The Arena
- Mortuary Platform
- Ash Ground
- Gate Houses to the Knights Compound
- Forge
- Armory
- Chapel of the Slain
- Stables
- Stables
- Weaponcrafter
- Ostler
- Keep
- Peonian Guest House
A wood two story construction, it houses two guards at any time. The gate is normally closed, except for the hour of sunrise and of sunset. The Gate is comprised of two thick wood doors with metal reinforcements. They are locked by a stout beam falling across a lock on the compound side. One guard remains at the upper level to watch the road.
The guardhouse has a small fireplace, and two beds in the upper level, a large table and six chairs in the lower level. It is a recent construction, built in 718TR, to replace the stout trunk-door that was destroyed by fire when a maddened priest forced his way through.
This small, single story dwelling is a small house designed and kept ready for messengers or guests servants. The home originally was built for the Lady Riacyn, when she came to the Order to look after the children in 651TR, just after her husband's death. Since her passing in 662TR it is kept in a perpetual state of readiness.
A half-frame construction it is used to store and protect winter cut fire wood for the Oracle chamber.
Stone building 44ft across flats (11x8/2ft) with a domed ceiling. It accommodates an audience of between 30 and 40.
A) Spire of perpetual flame. A octagonal spire, about 35ft high, consisting of a spiral stair round a central dumb waiter type of lift (for raising fire wood), which leads to the Chamber of the Flame. The Chamber of Flame is a perpetually burning flame, which uses very little fuel due to a long term invocation which is refreshed at sunrise by a special ritual.
A stone building, 88 x 44ft of the late thardic-jaraneese (roman-Celtic) pattern. The central first story roof is supported on columns. The central area under the roof is screened off from the rest of the temple and used for the main rituals. The remainder of the temple is divided into two, the end towards the main entrance is used by the laity to watch the rituals within through the screen. The further end of the temple is divided into chambers, some used for rituals, some for storage others offices.
Offices of Scribes of the Word - in this small room any who have received a prophecy meet with the Scribes to hear their private reading. Public readings are done in the in the temple beyond. This office also houses their supplies and the more recently made copies of their prophecies.
Offices of the Teachers of the Masses - this room houses the headmistress and her work.
Offices of the Punishers of Deed - at times the Punishers of Deed need a quiet place wherein they can discuss punishment and justice with their clients. This room has a stout iron-reinforced door and has only a long oak table in its center.
This barn is used for storage of the Fobin tithe as well as for the order's own feed, animals and agricultural tools.
These wood on stone plinth stables are used primarily for visitors mounts, or occasionally those of the Followers of the Daughters of the Holy Fire.
Originally, at the time of their construction, these buildings were the housing for the master craftsmen and their journeymen used to construct the compound. When the construction was completed the buildings were cleaned and redecorated to be home to up to six visitors each. Often used by knights of the Order who arrive for yearly festivals or events, they are sometimes offered to visiting dignitaries.
This wooden building houses the orphans, and their teachers and guardians. It is a two-story wood structure that has beds for 50 children and 10 teachers. The children sleep 10 to a room, and the teachers 2 to a separate room. The lower floor consists of a private kitchen, eating room and teaching room. Legend has it that eight Morgathian priests were buried alive below the structure. To keep the sacrifices below the earth, eight sword shaped stones surround the orphanage. As the stones become more red, it is believed that the sacrifices are turning towards Agrik. It is said that when all the stones turn fully red they can be removed and the order will have eight warriors of untold strength and power. The children are sternly cautioned about removing these swords.
This one story structure has 20 beds and is used either for the pregnant women of the order, or as guest accommodations, as the needs arise. Usually it is used to separate the pregnant women from the rest of the order to try and give them quiet and comfort in the final months of their term.
A stone building, it consists of two large rooms. The first is the vestry where clothing, armament and equipment are hung. The second is a room filled with 3 large wooden tubs, each sitting atop a grillwork over fire pits. The pits are tended by one elderly servant, and a fifth circle priest. Each tub can seat 10 people comfortably. Unless some special event is occurring, only two tubs are filled with water and warm at any one time. The first tub is for scrubbing, and the second tub is for soaking. The third tub is often used for soaking, or warmed up to replace on of the first two should the water get too dirty, or the tub itself damaged.
This building is used as a training center for novices as well as a school for the older orphans and Fobin's young scholars. Classes are held at different times of the day by the Teachers of the Masses on all manner of subjects.
A stone an area for study and contemplation. The building has a central square which is a herbarium, where local healing herbs as well as the hallucinogens are grown. This square is carefully guarded by a Punisher of the Deed whenever guests occupy the compound. In the center of the square is a large well. The main entrance faces towards the temple and the knights of the Order's compound. A half octagon portico supported by carved marble statues of the three heroes of the order. Each wall of the main cloister has 8 openings in to the central square. The portico is supported by 36 columns. The cloister can be entered directly from the Main college building (area 12) and the accommodation block (area 14).
A stone building that houses 25 beds. Two teachers of the Masses work here to bind and tend wounds as needed. Often apprentices and squires can be seen lugging water from the well (near area 16) to the hospital in the morning and evening.
A stone building of two stories - this villa is the home of the high-priestess, and her personal servants.
A stone building who's great hearth is the compound's main kitchen. Store rooms and cold rooms are attached, and just outside, (between area 16 and 17) is a medium sized well.
A dinning hall and general assembly area. This one-story half frame wooden structure contains one giant room. Its southern-most wall is made up almost entirely by the chimney for the large fireplace that is used both to warm food as well as the entire hall. A 2 foot raised stage allows nobles to sit above the rest of the diners. Food is brought from the kitchen (area 16) through the main doors of the Great Hall. This area is also used as a meeting place amongst members and non-members (like the legionnaires).
An earth bank construction with wooden seats, though there are plans to rebuild in buttressed stone. It has a central area of roughly 80 x 50ft, covered in gravel. It will seat approximately 350 people.
A. Knight's Gate
Knights, and other combatants, enter through the Knight's gate which leads directly into the arena.
B. Lay Gate
Spectators enter through the lay gate, and take seats on the stalls nearest the main avenue. When 'battle' is to commence the military and clerical orders would through their own gates and occupy the two remaining sets of seats.
C. Cleric's Gate
The Cleric's gate leads to a stage above the knight's gate. There is a set of retractable stairs that lead down from this stage into the arena. Traditionally the oracle presides from this stage.
D. Slain Gate
After combat, (sacrifice etc.,) the dead (or partially incinerated) bodies are moved to the mortuary chapel via the Slain gate.
Two sets of stone stairs lead up from the paved area to the platform. Between the stairs is an octagonal pyre and beyond is a mortuary chapel. All the Agrikian faithful dead are cremated here. Those expelled from the church are buried in unmarked graves beyond the compound.
The ashes of the normal Agrikian followers are scattered on these grounds. If the faithful died during the day, his ashes are scattered on the south most grounds. If the faithful died during the night, his ashes are scattered on the northernmost grounds. Ashes of the knights of the Order are stored in the Chapel of the Slain, where the founders of the knights are also buried. Clerics of the 4th circle and higher have their ashes interned in the crypt of the temple.
See Gate house (area 1).
A stone building of one story, this is the residence and workplace of a bonded armorer. His residence is behind the shop. While not married, he often sports the bruises of the Ritual of Mating, and since the spring of this year has been favoring a certain priestess. He is Seathor of Fobin, and has brothers and sisters both in the town of Fobin.
A two-story stone structure, this is the meeting hall and armory for the Knights of the Order.
Herein is housed the various war banners, and shields of the fallen members of the Knights of the Order. Each major battle the Order has been in has had its war banner retired here. The Maiden shields are decorated with silver around their edges and emblazoned with the names of the fallen. There is an alter to Agrik, and a sandstone statue of a pillar of flame at the far end of the building. Several stones on the floor are emblazoned with the names of the fallen, and below them are stored the canisters that hold their ashes.
Outside these stables is an octangle pillar on which are incised the rules of chivalry for the order.
Both these sets of stables are used to house the horses of the Knights of the Order.
Jarel of Geisteil is housed here. She is a master weaponcrafter who was once a Knight of the Order. While in battle with another knight, she broker her hip. The wound did not mend well, and although she did dispatch her opponent - it was obvious she could not fight again. Returning to her birth-name, she began repairing and making weapons for the order out of duty, and assisted Thomas of Fobin in Fobin proper. At his death some five years ago, the weaponcrafter's house was built in her honor and she now lives and works in the compound. While she no longer shaves her head, she still attends masses and combats as a spectator.
Remis of Saljon is a bonded Ostler living in the compound. He, like his friend, Sethor, is from Fobin originally - and is a devout Agrik. He moved in with the Order in 719TR when the Order purchased his last breeding mare. He also instructs the squires and apprentices in the care and treatment of their horses as well the basics of how to ride and fight on horseback. While not married, he is the father of three children currently in the orphanage, and his lady of choice is amongst the Punishers of Deed. Members of the Order respect his wishes, and rarely proposition him to perform the Ritual of Mating.
This two story stone structure is little more than an eight rooms used to house additional armaments, wealth and the children in times of trouble. Its basement is used as a storage place for surplus food supplies kept dry through prayers and careful planning. Its rooftop makes an excellent lookout and archer's stand. To date, the keep has only been used as a storehouse.
When a member of the order, a mother or a child is sick enough to warrant it, a Peonian is welcomed onto the grounds to tend the ill. The Peonian priest is expected to only visit the hospital and his own home while being a guest. Occasionally non-Agriks are housed here, should they visit but not be considered honored guests.
Map of the Scarlet Veil Compound [B/W
GIF 12KB]
In this article: Services and Duties |
Staff | The Compound
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June 8, 2002
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