Monks of Ambarhín

The **Monks of Ambarhín** were a group of highly trained monks that specialised in channeling the Four Elements using spiritual energies, which they called Ki.

It is believed that they were founded in order to help keep the balance of nature and to assist Terazi the Goddess of the Nature in forging a beautiful and peaceful world. This calling can extended from something as peaceful as gardening and meditation to defending the world from those who would seek to undo it through the use of martial arts.

## History

Around the year 100FD it is said that a wise man known only as Master Oon was devestated by the destruction of nature being caused by the fiends of the West, but did not wish to kill them with weaponry. These beasts were, aferall, part of Terazi's creations as much as he and deserved to live whatever sour and dark life they had been born in to.

In order to protect the sanctity of the land, Oon wished to learn how to help grow the world and undo damage caused by the actions of men and demons alike. It is said that he sat upon the first standing stones of the world with is eyes closed for one hundred years contemplating his destiny, and listening to the world around him. He sat so still and so long that nature itself began to grow over him, covering him head to toe in moss, flowers, and other wildlife.

On the hundreth day of the hundreth year Oon opened his eyes, and as he did he saw a different world - both physically and spiritually. The old world that he had known had become apart of him, and the new world had come to grow atop the dead. The nature growing on him sank in to his very spirit, connecting him to Terazi herself, and it is believed that this was the very first manifestation of Ki - a gift from Terazi for his patience.

For the last century of his life, Oon trained others to sit and feel the world - instructing them on how to channel their Ki and heal the world as he had. The four schools were built after the four elements of nature, with each school teaching monks how to call their respective elements.

Mastering all four schools was seemingly no easy task, reached by only a handful of people in their lifetime. Those who could only channel one element were known as "Benders", and those who had learned to bend all four elements were known as "Masters". Master Oon was one of these rare few.

His body was buried underneath the tree in the centre of the monastery, which was built around the standing stones he sat upon within the foresty hills of Azdaran.

## Culture

### **Ambarhín Peak**

Ambarhín Peak is the name of the monastery where the monks study the four elements. It features four spires, one for each of the elements, and a central garden and meditation/practice ground around an Amhín Tree. This tree is believed to have been the pillar that Master Oon once sat upon, which he later turned in to a pure undying sign of nature and peace.

It is rare for monks to leave this monastery for long periods of time, only venturing out to perform chores and assist with local affairs to the nearby village of **Arismound**.

### **Way of the Four**

The Way of the Four was a scripture written by Oon and the first Masters that details the morals and rules that the monks should live by. It is as follows:

* I commit to finding moments to listen to the world, for the world's voice too needs to be heard over the screaming of men, and I will listen to it.
* I commit to helping the children of Terazan and assisting them find their peace. I make space inside my heart for the parts of myself I have yet to find.
* I commit to forming peace and harmonising with other children of the Gods, and keep their spirits as pure as my own.
* I commit to bringing my whole to everything I attend, just as Terazi has with the creation of us all.
* I commit to resisting the unnatural evils of the world, be they man or object.
* I commit to a lifetime of conversing with the world, healing the wounds, and journeying with the spirits to learn all I can about their nature.

It is believed that these tenets are the recipe for a long and fulfilling life, and it is imperative that these teneds are upheld by the Monks of Ambarhín.