Forgotten Kingdoms Forums

I'm looking for any information about Ilmater's Monestary of the Yellow Rose. I know it is in Damara, in the Earthspur mountains. Other than that, I am at a loss. Can anyone point me to some resources? Thank you in advance!

The old FRS9 Bloodstone Lands sourcebook mentions the monastery I believe. Though I'm hazy on how much detail it has.

The monestary of the Yellow Rose sits overlooking the Glacier of the White Worm. It is primarily inhabited by monks of Ilmater. They make blueberry wine, keep archives of the Bloodstone Lands, and watch over the works of Ilmatari faithful in a museum of art and handiwork. They do also gather a lot of info on Damara and surrounding lands, and are known for their research in geneology. Hope that helps a little. In my table top game I am playing a monk from there, and I really couldnt find out much more.

Dargeth

My thanks for the information. If I am not mistaken, the monks of this monestary follow St. Sollars, the Twice Martyred?(Or belong to his order, rather) Any idea where I might find information about him...? I want to buy that Bloodstone Lands sourcebook, but funds are low because I am a poor college student.

A PDF version of the supplement is available as a $4.95 download thru rpgnow.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=841&

I came upon this whilst researching something the other day, it was hidden inside http://www.candlekeep.com 's 'Travellers Notes' section. It looks like something a DM has written for his own tabletop game, but the background information is drawn from FR sources and should be accurate.

I hope it proves useful and (most importantly) saves you time and money
Apologies in advance, this is quite a long posting, but I was so entertained reading it that I posted the whole thing rather than just the link

Monastery of the Yellow Rose:
“To be suffering with another is to be the other; losing oneself, and the distinction that any suffering is not our own, is our truth.”
–Etched on wall next to the gates to the monastery.

The Monks of the Yellow Rose, also known as the Disciples of Saint Sollars dwell in their solitary monastery high atop the Earthspur Mountains. They are known for their loyalty to their allies and destruction to its enemies. Greatly respected on matters of truth and diplomacy, the monks’ work hard to survive in their remote sanctuary.
The monks often travel with Ilmataran paladins, particularly from the Order of the Golden Cup. It is considered a high honor to be chosen to join the ranks of the Yellow Rose. Kane, its leader, personally chooses each disciple within its walls.

Location:
The monastery is on the southeastern edge of the Glacier of the White Worm, high in the peaks of the Earthspur Mountains. Few visit this place casually, for the trails are not easily found or followed. The last half-mile of the trail is paved in worked stones, each bearing the name of a monk of the Yellow Rose that has passed on.

Architecture:
Built on the stony side of a jagged mountain peak, the enormous fortress monastery overlooks the Glacier of the White Worm and houses as many as 750 monks. Each generation of monks add new structures and digs out deeper chambers. About half of the rooms look out into daylight, the
other half are underground chambers dug right into the mountain. The interior is a spectacular museum, with every room exhibiting artwork and architecture reflecting the supreme discipline of the order. It is a monument to the ages, an ever-growing tribute to the painstaking stubbornness that has allowed mankind to rise to dominance in Faerun.

Extensive catacombs twist through the mountain under the monastery, threefold in purpose. Some sections serve as burial vaults for deceased monks. In another wing, a vast cellar holds vats of wine that the monks make from blueberries they collect. Finally the catacombs house the most
complete archives of the Bloodstone lands found anywhere.

cont...

History:
Nearly 600 years ago, Saint Dionysus was given a vision by Ilmater, he told his followers a monastery should be built in the Bloodstone lands and be dedicated to Saint Sollars. The monastery should be a place of learning, politically isolated, that would keep the true histories of men's lives uncorrupted by outside influences. Now also known as the Citadel of the White Worm, the Monastery of the Yellow Rose was founded in the Year of the Yellow Rose (1236 DR) by followers of Dionysus.

Hierarchy:
Abbot: Kane, Revered Father of the House of Saint Sollars. This enigmatic hero of the Bloodstone Wars runs the monastery with a quiet dignity and grace that inspires all that know him.

Prior/Prioress: Revered Sister Amela. This ancient woman is filled with cheer and a burning inner strength that never seems to run out. She travels on important diplomatic missions for the abbot and runs the monastery in the absence of the Revered Father.

Cellerar: Revered Brother Velos is in charge of food, storage, and preparation in the monastery.

The other members of the monastery are divided into three different circles:
Circle of the Ascetics: This group devotes themselves to spiritual hardship and aggressively seeking those in need to help them with no regards to themselves. Of all the circles, this group has the most casters, though it does have a fair number of restrictions on itsmembers. This circle is led by Revered Brother Sanno.
Circle of the Chronicle: These are the scholars, historians and genealogist of the monastery. This circle has the least restrictions on its members in order to allow them to conduct their studies completely. This circle is led by Revered Brother Uther.
Circle of the Vow: These are the holy warriors of Ilmater, fiercely defending the suffering. This circle tends to have the most restrictions and hardships on its members. Revered Brother Yung Wei Tsola, whom traveled many years ago from Kara-Tur to join the order, leads this circle.

Membership:
Membership to the Monastery of the Yellow Rose is by invitation only. The monastery may only have 761 living members at any one time, one for each of the Demalous Martyrs. If a monk of the Yellow Rose has passed on, a slot becomes available in the monastery for a new initiate.

Training:
When an initiate is accepted to the monastery, he is stripped of all worldly possessions and given nothing but a loincloth. He is then interviewed rigorously, given no food, drink or a place to sleep. The Initiate Courtyard will have to suffice for resting. In the morning, the student is visited
by the Abbot, who shares a few words of wisdom, drink and a bit of food. The student is then directed to his first teacher inside the Gate of Charity, also known as the First Gate.
Within the Gate of Charity the initiate still has to sleep in the open, though the courtyard has a brackish well at its center and stale bread is left in the morning for the student. The next five through fifteen days are spent in meditation and prayer studies with the Master of the Charity, or in various cleaning duties. The First Gate is based around the discipline of the spirit and at the end of this training the student is given a bowl. This unique bowl, as with all items given during training, belonged to the deceased monk that the initiate is replacing. The student may then pass to the Gate of Humility.
Once within the Second Gate, the initiate is assigned an empty stone cell for rest, prayer and meditation. He is given no food or water, these must be begged for from the Master of Humility or anyone in the courtyard. The next ten through twenty days are spent in intensive study of morality and ethics. The Gate of Humility is based around the core principals of helping and defending any who are hurt, perseverance in taking on the suffering of others, challenging injustice, and allowing the spirit to overcome the body, knowing that Ilmater will guide you through all your trials. At the end of this training the student is given a drab gray robe. The initiate may then pass to the Gate of Piety.
At the Third Gate the initiate is given a new stone cell and must now diligently work for his sustenance. The next fifteen through thirty days are spent in intense study of politics, geography, history, genealogy, calligraphy, poetry, literature, and art taught by the Master of Piety. When not in study the initiate must spend his time assisting librarians, scribing, and other tedious duties.
The goal of the Gate of Piety is to teach that being true to the integrity of an academic subject is necessary to be able to benefit themselves and society intelligently. When the initiate’s tenure in the Third Gate is over, he is given a small blank book with worn wooden covers. This is to be the
initiate’s prayer book, which he has only one day to copy from the master prayer book. Once that is complete the student may pass to the Gate of Suffering.
At the Fourth Gate the student is assigned to tiny stone cell facing the courtyard where he’ll spend a torturous twenty through forty days. The Master of Suffering only rarely gives food and water to the pleading initiate who must begin his training with a series of punishing tests. These
are conducted to show that the spirit is able to overcome the flesh. Once the initiate has begun shedding the limitations of his corporeal body he is taught how to use it as a weapon to fiercely champion those that cannot defend themselves and to right injustice wherever it is found. This
arduous training will extend to all matters martial. The core principal of the Gate of Suffering is that the depth of darkness to which you can descend and still live is an exact measure of the height to which you can aspire to reach. Life begins on the other side of despair; personality is
born of it. It is the fire hidden within the flint. When the initiate has completed training at the Gate of Suffering his hands are bound with red cords behind his back and he is brought through the Gate of Compassion.

Still bound, the initiate enters the Fifth Gate where he is cleansed, fed, sheltered, and his wounds tended to by the Master of Compassion. Five through ten days are spent still bound in the red cords, but in quiet contemplation as the Master of Compassion teaches Ilmatari religious rites and how to use the newfound disciplines of the mind and spirit. The Gate of Compassion’s primary purpose is to forge the spirit of the initiate anew and demonstrate how compassion can change the very soul of our world. Compassion is the truest essence of good, an all-giving essence that brings hope and love. At the end of this training the initiate is released from his bonds and must make the Vow of the Passing. This is a vow that the Passing ritual will be performed upon his death.
This ritual is celebrated at the first dusk after the death of a devout Ilmatari follower. It is a solemn chanting service that commends the passage of the departed soul to Ilmater’s embrace. No Ilmatari cleric who receives this rite can be brought back to life on Faerun, unless Ilmater himself sends him back. If the vow is made the initiate is given a silk veil, usually white. This veil is used upon the death of the monk, placed over his face.
Once the Vow of the Passing is taken, the Masters gather and perform the Ritual of Renewal, where they charge the initiate with:
“Persevere in the face of pain. Heal the sick, the wounded, and the diseased. Comfort the dying, the grief stricken, and the heartsick. Take on the burdens and the pain of others.
Champion the causes of the oppressed and the unjustly treated, and give shelter and kind counsel to the lonely, the lost, and the ruined. Pursue the service of Ilmater, and he will provide… leave gross riches and the acquisition of all but medicines to others. Take up the task no others dare.”
With that, the initiate is given the rank of Adorned Brother and may begin his duties and continued training in the monastery. As the Adorned rises in ranking there will come a time when he’ll have to endure one of the toughest tests of skill and courage in Faerun, riding the remorhaz.
Yet no monk at the monastery who had earned enough experience has ever refused to attempt the challenge. Most monks will try their skills at least once, even if they are much less experienced.
Many younger masters ride the remorhaz on a regular basis, sometimes as often as once a week! For the monks, this is more then a test. To them, the white worm symbolizes the courage and determination that marks their order. Conquering the beast, riding inches away from death or
serious injury, is a statement of their devotion to Saint Sollars the Twice Martyred.

cont...


Relics of Ilmater:
There are a number of religious relics housed within the monastery; among them is the Chapbook of Saint Dionysus. This relic is a small prayer book that has become more powerful over the centuries since Saint Dionysus found it. The chapbook originally was a poorly hand-written
account of an unknown Painbearer. Saint Dionysus imbued it with many protective magics, and his faith turned it into an item of some power. It is immune to fire, water damage, and insects that eat paper. It radiates good, healing, and abjuration magic. It allows its possessor, if good aligned, to cast all healing magics at maximum efficacy. Evil clerics cannot benefit from this item. It can also be used to cast Bless, Endure Elements*, Aid or Sanctuary up to three times/day at 12th level. Any attempt to destroy this item immediately summons a celestial to take it.

Relationship to the Church of Ilmater:
This is the only order of monks that exists in the Bloodstone lands. The monks have a close bond with the Order of the Golden Cup, which is dedicated to healing and protecting the sick, innocent, and weak, rather than seeking out evil to destroy.
Within the church as a whole the Monks of the Yellow Rose, along with most Illmatari in the Bloodstone lands are Traditionalists. Although they acknowledge the importance of saints, they tend to focus their worship on Ilmater with only a nod to his saints. They believe that one should
strive to live as those that have been beatified, but not be worshipped instead of Ilmater. The only saints' days they worship are All Saints, Saint Sollars, and Saint Dionysus. This rule is not hard and fast because they believe that rules should guide, not bind. They are annoyed by the attempts of the Orthodox Ilmatari, but harbor no lasting resentment (which infuriates the Orthodox even more). To the Traditionalist, this is another thing to persevere over to attain communion with Ilmater.

Visiting Pilgrims:
A source of revenue for the monastery during the summer is pilgrims. Those that arrive at the monastery may buy the insignia of Saint Sollars, lodging, and other commodities. If the pilgrim is in need he will always be taken in and cared for without cost.

Neighbors:
Generally, the monks of the Yellow Rose do not try to force their beliefs on anyone and receive the greatest respect wherever they travel, even among the Nars in Narfell.

More info can be found on the Monestary of the Yellow Rose, in "The Rite" book two of the Year of Rogue Dragons series. (Book 1 is The Rage, in case you're curious)

Quite a bit of the story is based there.