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Bonds of Brotherhood from DRAGON(R) issue #164
Give your monks a brotherhood--and a purpose in life
by Tom Griffith
(C)1990 by TSR, Inc.
With the publication of the AD&D(R) 1st Edition
[Oriental Adventures] book in 1985, the monk class was
finally placed in its proper environment. Still, big questions
remained: What purpose does this class serve, and what separates
this class from the other Oriental classes? Why are monks
"monastic aesthetics" (1st Edition [Players Handbook],
page 30)? Do all those monastic temples serve a purpose, or
are they just martial artists' hangouts?
Until I began playing the AD&D game, my only source of
information about monks was the television series, [Kung Fu].
Since [Oriental Adventures] came out, I've discovered
different examples of monkish organizations in modern fantasy
fiction. All of these examples have one thing in common: a
specific goal or mission, a reason for being.
The purpose of this article is to share some helpful ideas to
give purpose and reason to the workings of monkish brotherhoods.
DMs should create orders of monks for their campaigns, rather
than having monks merely quote poetry and wise sayings while they
kick the tails of those who exploit the weak.
<Examples from fiction>
One of the finest examples of historical fiction having a
monk as a central character is Robert Shea's Shike series,
consisting of the books [War of the Dragons] and [Last
of the Zinja]. The main character, Jebu, is a monk from an
ancient Japanese brotherhood known as the Zinja. The book reveals
the sect's secret mission: to direct the new class of elite
warrior, the samurai, into becoming a civilized soldier instead
of a bloodthirsty killer in the changing Japan of the early
1200s. To justify their day-to-day existence, the Zinja use the
excuse of being the finest bodyguards and mercenaries around.
An example more familiar to readers of fantasy fiction is
Stephen R. Donaldson's Bloodguard, from the Chronicles of Thomas
Covenant the Unbeliever. Originally, the Bloodguard was an army
of fierce mountain-dwelling tribesmen who came to the Land bent
on conquest. Once these warriors met the Lords, the gentle
guardians of the Land, and saw the many wonders of that magical
place, they swore the Vow to serve the Lords and the Land. Thus
the Bloodguard began their self-appointed task to serve in roles
that ranged from bodyguards to messengers.
Anyone familiar with the AD&D game's WORLD OF GREYHAWK(R)
setting knows of the Scarlet Brotherhood, a ring of assassins and
thieves ruled over by a powerful order of evil monks, whose goal
is the establishment of the Suel people as the master race of
Greyhawk. The recent module WG8 [Fate of Istus] dealt
extensively with this organization and its destiny.
A lesser-known example of this class comes from the book,
[Witchblood], by Will Shetterly. Although the setting is
more medieval European than Oriental, the main character, Rifkin,
can still be classified as a monk. His order, the White Mountain
School of the Warrior Saint, was formed when his world was ruled
by a cruel race of witches. Because the witches denied them
weapons, the followers of the warrior saint learned to make
anything into a weapon, even their hands and feet. Eventually
they overthrew their evil masters, but, because the followers
were tired of bloodshed, they let the witches live. A group of
men still follow the Warrior Saint, working to perfect The Art
and watching the witches should they again threaten humanity.
And don't forget the Shaolin of the [Kung Fu] TV
series, whose primary duties, in addition to perfecting
themselves physically and spiritually, seemed to be to teach and
aid the local populace.
<Orders to order>
From these examples, you can get some ideas on creating the
basics of a monastic society. Some guidelines on inventing
original monkish brotherhoods follow.
The first and most important item is to establish a reason
for the order's existence. What are these monks trying to
accomplish? In many cases, a simple one-line explanation will
suffice. Once the primary mission is established, often a
secondary purpose comes to mind, usually a means of accomplishing
the primary goal (e.g., working as bodyguards as a means of
defending the rightful rulers of a nation). Monks cultivate an
appreciation of art and beauty in their training, seeing their
mission as divine and proper and one that demands perfection from
those who must separate themselves from society to train for it
(hence "monastic aesthetics").
Directly tied to the sect's ambitions are the special skills
or equipment necessary to accomplish those goals. A Shaolin might
need healing or calligraphy skills, while a Bloodguard might need
running or survival skills.
Training styles of the order are closely related to its
special skills, but are separate enough to warrant special
consideration. The Shaolin of [Kung-Fu] delegated menial
tasks to its initiates to teach them humility, while the Scarlet
Brotherhood made its recruits vie for the superior training of
the monk. Bloodguard receive their martial-arts training in the
fierce tribal wars of their mountain homeland. Zinja are trained
from the beginning not to fear death from any source (the first
chapter of [War of the Dragons] gives a good example of
monkish training methods).
Once the monks' mission has been outlined and their skills
and training considered, the alignment of the monks in the order
should become obvious. This is usually easy to work out, as monks
can only be one of the three lawful alignments. One can assume
that the Shaolin are lawful good, and the Scarlet Brotherhood is
certainly lawful evil.
After this has been established, think about the specific
martial-arts style that is practiced and perfected by these monks
in order to achieve their sect's goals. Are they peaceful, gentle
protectors who prefer to subdue opponents, or are they vicious
warriors concerned only with putting foes down quickly and
permanently? {[See "Things Your Sensei Never Taught You," in
this issue, for details on creating martial-arts
styles.}]
Once the brotherhood has been created, give some thought to
its history. Who founded the order, and why? An order might come
into being because of the dream of one man. Or a group of men
might decide there is something vital that needs to be done, and
so selflessly devote their lives to the fulfillment of that goal.
(The Shaolin of [Kung-Fu] make it their mission to train
men to accomplish their own self-appointed tasks.) During its
history, has the order made allies of a particular sect or deadly
enemies of others? Is there a certain symbol or object associated
with the order? The branded forearms of the Shaolin priests and
the willow tree of the Zinja are examples of such symbols.
Finally, after everything else has been established, think
about why any of the monks would leave their temples to go out
into the world as adventurers. Kwi-Chang Caine runs from his
impulsive murder of a prince, the Zinja hire out as mercenaries
and bodyguards, and the members of the Scarlet Brotherhood are
spread out all over the lands of Greyhawk as information
gatherers and spies. Usually, with a little thought and
imagination, you can find several good reasons for any order to
send its brothers into the outside world.
The following three examples were created for my Dragonhead
campaign, using these guidelines. These illustrate how easy it is
to create interesting monastic societies.
<The Order of the Enlightened Seekers>
"You may go in now," announced the arrogant-looking
seneschal. Kwim-Lu stood up from the lotus position he had
assumed for the past hour's wait, straightened his short robe,
and accompanied the servant out of the small waiting room. As he
silently padded down the long, cold hallway to the meeting, he
mentally prepared himself to accomplish his mission or return in
shame. As he reached the door, the large, hairy warrior who was
guarding it ushered him inside without a word.
Kwim-Lu stepped into the smoky chamber and tried to ignore
the strong odor of ill-cooked meat, unwashed bodies, and strong
wine. The men here were all of a type--dirty, unkempt, blonde
giants, a direct contrast to the short, immaculate Yai-Kang
monk.
The figure on the large stone chair beckoned Kwim-Lu forward.
The monk stoically hid his distaste as the leader leaned forward
and addressed him. "Who are you, and why do you interrupt my
feasting?"
Kwim-Lu bowed deeply and responded. "My lord, I am Kwim-Lu, a
member of an order who was sent to deliver an offer to you for
our mutual benefit."
Lord Kirken belched and sat back as he considered the
black-haired easterner before him. "What kind of offer, little
man?"
"You are said to have acquired a book of ancient Aridia, a
tome of the history of bygone days. My masters wish to have this
information. We are prepared to pay you handsomely for this book,
in gold or whatever else you wish."
Dirken stared at the slight Yai-Kang in disbelief. "A book?
You risked your life on a long and dangerous journey for a book?
What kind of people rule this order of yours?"
The Order of Enlightened Seekers is an organization of
lawful-good monks founded in Yai-Kang following the first Darke
Invasion. Because of the terrible destruction of artworks and
written documents in this war, this order came into being to
prevent such a tragedy from happening again. These monks travel
the length and breadth of Dragonhead collecting histories,
artworks, music, cultural notes, and other literature. These are
then stored in a massive stronghold, the location of which is
known only to the Masters of the Order, where they will be safe
for future generations of artisans and historians to enjoy. As a
secondary duty, these gentle monks work as librarians in their
temples, which are known as centers for learning, reference, and
the arts. Anywhere the symbol of the shining dove is found, so
too shall knowledge and culture reside.
The training of these ascetics is long and involved. From an
early age they are given a general education in culture and the
arts. Whichever cultural aspect the student is most adept at and
interested in is the one in which he receives advanced training.
Selecting his field of mastery is the most important decision a
young Seeker must make, as knowledge is as important as physical
perfection to these benevolent monks. It is not surprising that
the style of self-defense used by this order is the "Fist Within
Glove" style of martial art (see "A Menagerie of Martial Arts,"
in DRAGON(R) issue #127), as this gentle style fits in well with
the Seekers' philosophy of nonviolence. Those initiates who show
shortcomings or flaws during their training are given
monastery-based positions, such as teachers, librarians, scribes,
or other scholarly jobs.
As a novice, a monk character from this order gains a minor
sage ability. The player selects one of the sage special
categories found on page 32 of the 1st Edition [Dungeon
Masters Guide], such as Humankind Art or Demi-Human Laws and
Customs. He is treated as a sage with a minor field of study in
that specific category only. Any special equipment necessary to
perform that function is presented to the 1st-level character by
his masters as he sets out.
The most obvious reason for a Seeker to leave his temple is
to become a collector. Assigned by his order to a particular
region or country, he could work for a ruler as an indentured
servant to pay for a needed article, explore dangerous ruins in
that area looking for ancient treasures, or be assigned to
observe a group of locals and record their customs and lifestyle.
Buying art objects from greedy owners is expensive, so many
Seekers are also needed to collect funds by seeking
contributions, tutoring, or adventuring.
<The Lawgivers>
Drahka-Khan and his riders sat immobile on their wiry desert
horses and watched the lone figure plod steadily through the
desert sands. Despite the greater numbers of the desert raiders,
the man headed straight toward them, unarmed and apparently
unafraid.
The Khan raised his hand and made a short, chopping gesture.
Three men to the leader's right raised their razor-sharp yari and
hurled them at the stranger. Although all of the deadly missiles
flew true, none hit their mark. With a series of darting
movements and flying hands, the man deflected the spears and
stood unscratched.
Drahka-Khan then issued a sharp, barking order. Five of the
raiders to his left dismounted and warily approached the warrior,
who now stood at ease with a slender baton held easily in each
hand. Once they reached him, one of the bandits darted forward
with his tau-kien flashing in the hot sun. With a move quick as
lightning, one of the stranger's sticks easily parried the blade
while the other rapped the man sharply on the head. As the raider
crumpled, the other four attacked.
It was all over in the space of a few seconds. Whirling, his
sticks flying with breathtaking precision, the lone warrior soon
had all five of the Temujin warriors stretched senseless in the
sands. Putting his sticks in his belt, the stranger walked over
to the Khan, bowed deeply, and said, "Greetings, Khan. I am
Jhengi, sent here to be your servant."
The Lawgivers were created when a small group of monks
survived the destruction of their temple by a tribe of forest
barbarians. These monks decided that the barbarians were not bad
or even evil--just undisciplined and uncivilized. These
surviving brothers made it their mission in life to convert all
barbarians in their homeland to a civilized, lawful lifestyle.
They planned to accomplish this through demonstrating the
advantages of civilization, through kindness, force,
intimidation, demonstrations of physical prowess, or whatever it
else it took.
The new order called itself the Lawgivers. Its members
adopted a symbol of two crossed sticks inside a circle of chain,
to represent law and discipline inside the neverending cycle of
life. Over the centuries, these monks have had limited success
with individual tribes, enough to keep the sect hopeful, but the
mission has been found to become more difficult as civilization
becomes more complex for the barbarians. The order has no
interest in whether the barbarians' outlook is good or evil; its
total interest lies in the savages' acceptance of order and law.
Naturally, this order's alignment is lawful neutral.
In order to survive and prosper while living under the harsh
lifestyle of the barbarians, members of this order are trained to
the peak of both physical and mental perfection (to demonstrate
that civilization can make tough warriors, too, and to inure the
monk to the confusion of a chaotic lifestyle). These monks are
taught to endure physical hardships and discomfort, and to use
independent decision-making during long periods of living with
certain barbarian tribes (under the tutelage of an older monk, of
course). The Lawgivers teach escrima (see "Marshalling the
Martial Arts," DRAGON issue #122, and "Kicks and Sticks," in
issue #124) as their style of martial art, and a Lawgiver is
never seen without his two escrima sticks (treat as jo
sticks).
A useful advantage of this training is that monks of this
order can select their nonweapon proficiency skills from the
barbarian table ([Oriental Adventures], page 53, table 59)
as well as the other tables. Often, after they retire from their
missions, monks of this brotherhood will serve the barbarians as
ambassadors, guides, and counselors.
Another facet of this fairly militant order is well known: It
is extremely vengeful toward anyone who has unjustifiably killed
or injured one of its members. An entire tribe of the Temujin
raiders was killed by the members of a vengeful Lawgiver temple
because the bandits defended the killer of a Lawgiver monk. This
trait is seen as necessary by the brotherhood to let the
barbarian leaders know that this monastic society is not to be
trifled with.
Several good reasons for this type of monk to seek adventure
as a PC can be found. For instance, the PC could be attached to a
barbarian PC as a bodyguard, teacher, or guide. Perhaps the chief
of the tribe to which the monk is appointed sends the monk on a
long and difficult mission as a test or service, or to simply get
rid of the monk without rousing the considerable ire of his
order. Or maybe the PC monk was sent out by his monastery to
track down and punish someone who has killed one of his
fellows.
<The Brotherhood of the Black Lotus>
Kasigi, Daimyo of Iraquis, stepped into his sunlit
balcony and into the full view of his people. Peasants crowded
together, respectfully distant from the daimyo's powerful samurai
warriors. After a moment of silence, Kasigi spoke.
"My people, I stand before you today to guide you on a holy
mission. On this very land, blessed of the gods themselves, is
being built a false temple by honorless dogs who call themselves
priests. Their sohei walk openly about this wicked monastery, as
if brazenly challenging my brave warriors.
"But no more. Their challenge will be met by the steel of my
samurai. Soon their evil forces will be destroyed, and their
house of corruption burned to the ground. Such a war will be
costly. You, my people, will be expected to aid this holy mission
in your own small way. All taxes will be raised to one full koku
of rice to fund this war, effective immediately."
He smiled a beatific smile. "May the gods of our ancestors
bless us with their glorious wisdom."
He returned to his chambers. The people, surprised at this
announcement from their normally peaceful and slothful leader,
wandered home, wondering how to pay this large increase of
taxes.
Kasigi, now sweating heavily, sat down wearily on his
sleeping mat and looked at the small figure seated opposite him.
"Did I do well?" the overlord asked anxiously.
"Very well indeed," purred the small man. "Now rest. Soon you
will need your strength as you become master of twice the land
you now hold."
Kasigi licked his lips as he smiled. "I hope things go as you
say they will. Now, perhaps you could aid me to see the lovely
visions of the place the gods have set aside for me should I
succeed?"
The small man smiled as he reached a surprisingly muscular
arm into the folds of his dark robe and pulled out a small black
flask. "Of course, sire. Merely a sip of this magical elixir, and
the dreams shall be yours."
As the daimyo greedily drank from the flask, Shosogi smiled.
Soon the soldiers of this weak puppet will destroy the rival
order's temple, breaking the order's only hold on this region.
Then Shosogi's own order could move in. Of course, the extra
taxes will be spent by Kasigi to obtain more of this lotus juice,
thus enriching Shosogi's brothers. Shosogi knew that his masters
would be pleased by his success, and his smile broadened.
The origins of the Brotherhood of the Black Lotus go back
only a few decades. Its founder, a poor and lonely florist, ached
for power and riches. Then, during one of his flower-gathering
trips, he discovered the rare and beautiful black lotus and
learned its deadly secret as a narcotic (see "The Deadliest
Perfume," in DRAGON issue #121). Always a religious man, he soon
made plans to found his own temple devoted solely to raising this
rare flower, and to these ends gathered a small group of devout
monks who shared his love of religion with a love of power and
beauty.
However, as the small monastery grew and prospered, there
also grew a number of brothers who desired political power more
than spiritual power. One night they disposed of the old founder
and instituted their own ruthless methods and goals. They kept
the symbol of the black lotus to represent the beauty, grace, and
deadliness the new order came to possess.
The primary goal of the Brotherhood became control of the
government through the use of drugs, bribes, and assassinations.
Its eventual goal was to become the sole source of religion in
its land by destroying or discrediting all other monastic
societies. This evil goal incorporates a harsh and severe
training style focusing on cruel, rigorous physical training and
ego building. An incredible arrogance and hatred of other orders
is ingrained into the young initiates; kindness and mercy are
causes for severe punishment, death, or dismissal from the order.
The style of martial art taught is the cobra style (see "A
Menagerie of Martial Arts," in DRAGON issue #127), as this hard,
ruthless style reflects well the Brotherhood's debased society.
The cruel members of this sect often select swords and other
deadly weapons for weapon proficiencies and have no qualms about
using them. As the final part of their training, all initiates
are automatically taught the herbalist skill, to properly handle
and process the deadly black lotus.
Two good reasons for members of this lawful-evil order to
adventure outside the monastery can easily be generated. An
organization that thrives on bribery and assassination needs
exorbitant amounts of money to finance such activities. Many of
the adepts go adventuring simply to collect treasures for the
order's masters. Other members of the Brotherhood of the Black
Lotus are assigned to influential or wealthy PCs or related NPCs
to control them or sway them into the dangerous embrace of the
black lotus. This order functions well as an NPC group against
which the PCs must fight--or else become its victims.
<Conclusion>
The ideas and examples set forth in this article show that
the monks of the Oriental world can fit into society as well as
any other classes. With a little planning, light reading, and
imagination, some wonderful monastic orders can be created for
use as PCs, interesting neighbors, or deadly foes who will enrich
any campaign.
<Bibliography>
Donaldson, Stephen R. [Lord Foul's Bane]. New York: Del
Rey Fantasy Books, 1977
Donaldson, Stephen R. [The Illearth War]. New York: Del
Ray Fantasy Books, 1977
Shea, Robert. [War of the Dragons]. New York: Jove Books,
1980.
Shea, Robert. [Last of the Zinja]. New York: Jove Books,
1981
Shetterly, Will. [Witch Blood]. New York: Ace Fantasy
Books, 1986
Ward, James M. [GREYHAWK(R) Adventures]. Lake Geneva,
Wis.: TSR, Inc., 1988
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