Monk Orders
The vast majority of Avlissian monks are members of some form of order. These orders teach various systems of beliefs and attitudes towards the world. Many different kinds of orders exist. Commonly, orders are attached to a deity, particularly the more lawful or neutral deities like Valok, O'Ma, and Toran will be likely to have orders with varying amounts of attachment to the official church of their patron god or goddess. However, some orders do not follow the teachings of any particular deity, but rather they attach themselves to an abstract philosophy that claims to transcend the need for deities and even the planes themselves. Two prime examples of this are the famous Order of The Will and the Order of The Way, who hold opposing ideas on life and existence. There is still a third different kind of monastic order. These orders affix themselves to either a sacred place renown for its natural beauty, like a mountain or a forest, or they recognize some powerful figure of nature or magic, like a dragon or a sphinx, to be their teacher.
What follows is a list of some monk orders and monasteries of Avlis, but is by no means comprehensive. It may be expanded to include any order that is not explicitly secret. Some of these orders may be mythic, or no longer exist.
- Cute Furry Animals Style Dojo
- Iron Fang
- Monks of the Trees
- Order of the Cup
- Order of the Dragon
- Order of the Empty Fist
- Order of the Hammerfist
- Order of the Serpent
- Order of the Shadow
- Order of the Tranquil Mind
- Order of the Way
- Order of The Will
- Right and Proper Society of the Iron Mantis
- Seraphim of The'ton