Eclipse Monastery

The Eclipse Monastery is a complex located in the northwest reaches of Tollor. It is run by a sect of the Ellurian Religion that teaches a different interpretation of scripture than the main branch.

Philosophy

The Eclipse Monastery emphasizes the teachings of Gitaro and Nyl, the respective sun and moon gods, above the other gods but interprets them in a way that mainline followers of Ellurian religion find extreme. The monks of the Eclipse teach a form of asceticism that involves fasting, rigorous physical training, strict and disciplined self-control, and most controversial of all, cleansing of the soul through pain (self-flagellation). The monks also believe strongly in the virtue of martial skill, and while they appear to be simple monks, each of them is supposedly a master of arms.

Reputation

The Eclipse Monastery and its monks have a reputation for being dour, humorless, and stoic. However, their extreme training regimen is attractive to lords who wish to hone their more promising retainers and soldiers into disciplined and skilled warriors. Those who have trained at the monastery turn out to be peerless warriors and strategists, but the harrowing training changes them, and they come out just as dour as the monks themselves.

History

The Eclipse Monastery has existed for at least five centuries, passing down their teachings and techniques in solitude. None are sure when exactly the monastery was built or when the schism first formed and they split off from main branch Ellurian religion, and the monks are reluctant to speak of the monastery's origins. They have remained neutral during conflicts and are seldom targeted during war, likely due to their fearsome reputation, but also because the monastery is not built in a strategically important area.

Secrets

The monks of the monastery have supposedly tapped into some sort of esoteric art that combines manipulation of magic and life force. This art can apparently be used to imbue a weapon with a dark power or create waves of a strange dark energy that corrodes metal, rots wood, withers flesh, opens up old wounds, and saps strength. Those who know about this dark art say that it was taught to the monks by a demon, and hardline followers of Ellurian religion consider it proof of the monastery's heresy.