It is a religious order that employs monks, all male, in various ranks and rôles.
The order's official name has been translated by Weft as "Expressions of Warm Mercies". The literal translation into English is probably better given as "Expressors of Agápē[*] with Compassion" - definitely not Compassionate Expressors of Agápē. In the Offwhite City they are known simply as "the monks" or by a range of euphemisms. The organisation's name is variously translated in alien languages, simply because they pay attention to nuance of language. On Shade they are formally known as [...a name Mutt will decide later] and informally as "the Mercies".
In Wessian language (Helmine's native language, spoken by Nico and a variant known to Sebastian and Weft), the name of the order is probably given as something with the connotations "Makers of tough decisions with compassion". This might literally be given as something like "wearers of steel-plated silk", as a culturally specific comparison to Wies's own clergy (the so-called 'wearers of gold-plated silk'). Mutt isn't sure the connotations are quite right.
The monks have religious duties, including prayer, and they are rumoured to use their various agents to exert pressure in various ways - always for the good of the state, of course. They do not have any official political power and do not receive financial support from the government. A large part of their work is charitable in nature and it's common knowledge that they donate any profit they have left over after covering operational costs.
They say they follow the one true Divine (which is not quite a god). They can and do discuss their religion and a monk will willingly get into a philosophical conversation if someone seems interested. Just don't expect to make any headway in convincing him he's wrong.
The order has extremely good knowledge-gathering methods, and a way to share information with their agents, wherever they may be.
Halfway up the Offwhite City's slope, in a recreational (park) district. The monastery itself is three buildings in an outer wall, with a courtyard in the middle. The courtyard contains small trees and a pair of decorative fishponds with benches around them. [3] [4] [5]
A post from Roofrats gives [the general range of public opinion]. It seems street children aren't afraid of them. [6]
Profusionites have encountered monks of two ranks, an assassin-cum-spy (example: Weft, Triviality) and diplomats (example: Tortile).
Monks, when cloistered or stationed at home base, follow a strict routine with devotions at standard times and daily training depending on their rôle.
Their food is plain ("nutritious and hypoallergenic and famously discouraged at least four deadly sins"). Field agents and other monks with duties away from a monastery can eat manabars: white, chewy, largely tasteless pressed food with many of the properties of order food. It has been hinted that these taste worse for a monk with a guilty conscience, though further details about this property are unknown.
Monks do not eat or drink anything intoxicating or narcotic. The only approved drinks seen so far include a clear "water with stuff bubbled through it", drunk cold, and a translucent liquid with a green tint, served hot. Both smell unappetising to humanlike senses.
They have purity rules and consider certain things, including some specific substances, species and behaviours, to be damaging to purity.
Weft has written a description of a [typical solo purification ritual].
Note that aliens are not yet listed here. The list will need to be reworked to take them into account.
| niceness | Best thing imaginable | Worst thing imaginable | ||||||||
| classification | Celestial | Person | Animal | Diabolic | ||||||
| subclass. | Cleanest | Edible | OK | Dirty | Dirtiest | |||||
| theological name | Deities | Angels | Persons | Flying thing Swimming thing | Running (2) thing | Running (4) thing | Swarming thing | Crawling thing | Chasing thing | Demons |
| consists of | anything classified as such | Instar kind ONLY | Instarrians ONLY | birds bats fish snakes frogs | ostriches | herbivores | insects | rats lizards long-bodied eg ferret | predators eg chulcs | anything classified as such |
| monastic attitude | honoured appropriately | honoured, avoided | have souls and feelings, is sin to murder them | used, killed, eaten etc, have no souls or feelings | killed on sight | |||||
The order does not accept children older than what on Earth would be considered pre-school age. There is no exception for promising Callow Youths.
Knowledge web ('godbond'):
Social:
Magic:
Cultures: Each initiate studies a few different Instar religions/creeds/belief systems (there being far too many of these in the world for anyone to understand them all in detail). For any creed they may need to deal with, there will be an array of monks with knowledge of it. Of course monks could acquire the relevant knowledge as and when occasion demanded through the godbond, and do so if necessary, but it has traditionally been useful to have a deeper understanding of another religion's mindset than a simple accumulation of facts would provide. Note also that monks have often dealt with, and even been hired by, other religions and gods.
See Weft's pantheon.
Armed:
All order-standard weapons are unornamented and non-sentient (heavens forbid!).
Unarmed:
Lesser-known skills of a field agent:
Sprinting vs endurance note: slashers are built for bursts of speed and activity, not endurance. They use stealth and surprise and if a target is not killed or disabled in a single hit, it is possible the mission will be failed - they do not do well in a fair, prolonged fight. Similarly, escapes usually rely on a sprint for cover or a lightning-fast climb to higher ground.
Knowledge web notes:
Combat:
Social:
*Cultural rituals typically include some very... stimulating... hot tealike drinks.
Combat:
Whetcloths mentioned in one or two places ([7] and?) are what they sound like - they obviously won't work out big dinks, but are at least as effective as wire wool and more portable than a whetstone.
Upon completing their training, monks have the opportunity to leave the order [8]. If they choose not to, at this point they take formal, lifelong vows.
For combat-trained monks, their vows include killing demons, including vampires, on sight.
Weft on how to recognise an Offwhite order monk:
This is not quite like your average oppressive religious order or cult, as this quotation from Kit-Fox may illustrate.
Indeed, the monks consistently stress that they are made aware of the nature and purpose of their training and current tasks, except where this would be counter-productive to a mission.
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