Monks
THE FAT MAN STRAIGHTENED HIS BLACK-AND-GOLD
vest, lowered his round head, and charged.
Danica waited until he was right in front of her, and to
the onlookers it appeared as if the woman would be buried
beneath mounds of flesh. At the last moment, she dipped
her head under the fat man's lunging arm, caught his hand,
and casual/y stepped behind him as he lumbered past. A
subtle twist of her wrist stopped him dead in his tracks, and
before he even realized what was happening, Danica kicked
the back of both his knees, dropping him to a kneel.- R.A. Salvatore, Canticle
Some of the earliest monastic orders in FaerO.n arose in
the southern lands of Arnn and Calimshan, their prac-
tices migrating north and east at the same time similar
practices filtered westward from distant Kara-Tur.
The oldest orders have branched or fractured into
smaller offshoots over time, such that there are now doz-
ens of them. Most are no more than a few dozen mem-
bers living in an isolated community in the wilderness.
Some monastic communities have members numbering
in the hundreds, with a presence closer to civilization,
and often with correspondingly greater influence, for
those orders concern themselves with worldly affairs.
As most monastic orders in FaerO.n arose from human
nations, the majority of monks in those communities
tend to be human. Monasteries have long been sanc-
tuaries for foundlings and outcasts of various sorts, so
nonhuman monks are not unheard of.Monastic Orders
The following orders can be found in various parts of
the Forgotten Realms.THE DARK MOON
A monastic order devoted to Shar, the Dark Moon works
openly in lands where her worship is accepted and in
secret wilderness and underground hideaways where
it isn't. Its followers seek "knowledge and conversation
with the shadow," believing true wisdom is found in
darkness and loss, both literally and spiritually. Its
adherents most often follow the Way of Shadow, as de-
scribed in the Monastic Tradition class feature in the
Player's Handbook.THE HIN FIST
A halfiing monastic order from Luiren, adherents of
the Hin Fist turn their people's natural confidence into
a spiritual path for mastering themselves and their
potential. A few Hin Fist masters have established mon-
asteries in lands outside Luiren, where the teachings
available only to halfiings have been opened to students
of other races who are willing to follow the path laid out
by Yondalla. Hin Fist monks generally follow the Way of
the Open Hand, as described in the Monastic Tradition
class feature in the Player's Handbook.ORDER OF THE YELLOW ROSE
Also known as the Disciples of Saint Sollars the
Twice-Martyred, the Order of the Yellow Rose is a soli-
tary monastery of Ilmater worshipers in the Earthspur
Mountains of Damara. It is known for loyalty to its al-
lies 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
of the Monastery of the Yellow Rose use the remorhaz
to test their disciples. Young monks must prove the
power of their mind to overcome fear and pain by riding
the beasts.
The faith of Ilmater fosters far more orders of monks
that other gods. Other llmatari monastic orders include
the Followers of the Unhindered Path, the Disciples of
St. Morgan the Taciturn, and the Sisters of St. Jasper of
the Rocks.CHAPTER 4 \ CLASSES