Priory of the Orange Tree

The **Priory of the Orange Tree** is a religious institution located in the Lasian Basin, founded BCE 2 by Cleolind Onjenyu, with the purpouse of protecting the world from wyrms as well as guarding the Orange tree. Cleolind is worshipped as *the Mother* and is the highest divinity, although she isn't the only one as the sisters of the Priory also worship other divinities, such as the Lasian *Orchard of Divinities*. The Priory's leader is the Prioress, and her heir presumptive is called the *munguna*. Notable warriors of the Priory are called Red Damsels. Ichneumons are valued partners in the war against the wyrms and has joined the Priory.

## Ranks and titles

#### Prioress

The leader of the priory. Wears a red cloak.

#### Munguna

Heir presumptive to the role of prioress. The *munguna* title refers to a woman who is younger than the prioress and is learning from her. A prioress chooses her own *munguna* and in most cases the *munguna* will later be elected as prioress, though a few exceptions has occured, including a woman who neglected her ichneumon and one who was nominated by her birthmother.

#### Tomb keeper

The guardian of the remains of Cleolind Onjenyu. Holder of three keys. One that unlocks a chest holding relics, such as the deep fig purple mantle worn by Cleolind herself, and her death mantle, stained red and stiffened by wyrm blood. One that unlocks the burial chamber and one which only the prioress knows the purpose of. It is later revealed to open the vault which holds one of the twin stones, the Celestial Jewels, that fettered the Nameless One for a thousand years. The tomb keeper is responsible for conducting all funerary rites, as well as part of the ritual of annointing a new prioress. The daily tasks include lighting 120 candles with ones own flame, one for each Yikalese person whose life was ended by the Nameless One, and a lamp hold by Wasthu, the Ersyri divinity of fire, observing a silence for the dead, reciting their names and singing prayers in Selenyi. The tomb keeper also prays and lights the candles in the morning.

#### Red damsel

A third rank introduced by prioress Esbar uq-Nāra in CE 511. Any initiate who slays a wyrm earns the right to stain her white cloak red, like Cleolind herself, and the title of Red Damsel. The title is supposed to spite Galian Berethnet, as he came to Lasia for two reasons: To found a priory for his new religion and find a bride, a *damsel.* Cleolind founded a differrent kind of priory, The Priory of the Orange Tree, and Esbar wanted to create a different kind of damsel, in her own words "damsels who would make him tremble. Damsels soaked in blood." The duties of a Red Damsel, and the qualifications for becoming one, may have changed over time.

#### Initiate

Also called kindled initiates. Women who have been deemed worthy to eat of the orange tree by the prioress. During the kindling, the ritual when a postulant becomes an initiate, she eats of the orange given by the tree in front of everyone in the priory. She then obtains siden, the ability to wield fire and heightened senses. Wears white cloaks.

#### Postulant

When one gets moved from where the infants and the young children sleep, usually around age ten, one becomes a postulant. A postulant learns about the ways of the priory, how to fight and how to care for her ichneumon, among other things, until she is of age and deemed worthy of the flame. Postulants may wear green robes.

## Prioresses

* Cleolind Onjenyu (Founder and First Prioress)
* Siyāti uq-Nāra (Second Prioress)
* Saghul Yedanya (CE 472 - 511)
* Esbar uq-Nāra (CE 511 - Unknown)
* Prioress (Unknown - CE 1005)
* Mita Yedanya (CE 1005-)

## Trivia

* The word *munguna* comes from the Proto-Bantu word *mununguna,* which refers to a younger sibling of the same sex.

## References

1. ↑ https://sshannonauthor.tumblr.com/post/692307035235155968/munguna-what-does-that-word-mean-as-in-where
2. ↑ A day of Fallen night by Samantha Shannon, pages 69-71
3. ↑ A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon, pages 358-359.
4. ↑ A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon, page 89.
5. ↑ A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon, page 44.