Mer'toth

The Mer'toth, also known as the Monks of Shared Suffering, are a Tothist monastic order from the Tiger Islands. They are dedicated to achieving divine purity by subjecting their bodies to various tortures, called ordeals. Though primarily consisting of tigryn members, the Mer'toth have accepted members of other races. 
==Traditions==
Mer'toth believe that in the world, there is a fixed amount of suffering at all times shared by all mortal souls. By inflicting an disproportionate amount of the suffering upon themselves, the Mer'toth believe that they can limit the suffering shared by the rest of the mortals of the world. To this end, the monks daily inflict pain and various tortures upon themselves. 
The ordeals vary in design, but some of the most famous include The Four Suns, wherein the monk sits for hours surrounded by four blazing bonfires, and the Ordeal of the Corpse, wherein a monk sits atop the temple roof and allows buzzards to peck at his flesh for hours. Most of the monks are in a state of fasting or sleep deprivation at any given time. 
According to their religious beliefs, the Mer'toth gain wisdom and divinity through the suffering of their ordeals. The devout monks do not fear death during these tortures: to die during an ordeal is the highest honor. However, the monastery does keep a staff of dedicated healers on hand. 
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