Monastery of Bishops:
(mobile Planet Mensla in the Outer Rim)

- Abbot Bÿsmann (M - Drakhsmyrr)

Bishops:

- Äsha Yan’sande (F - Galran)

- Kømm Daw’llier (M - Galvesh)

- Mårbåne (M - Drakhsmyrr)

- Mauld (M - hybrid Mischur/Galvesh)

- Wrøw (M - Galran)   

- Marduke (M - Galran)

- Saelareth (F - Galvesh)

- Artassas (M - Galvesh) 

- Enterich (F - Human)
 

Details:

Bÿsmann – the eldest of the order and the founder. (See history at the very end. Race now extinct, but known to live for long years. Possesses no particular power other than the ability to learn and retain knowledge. This enables him to aid Empaths and Psions, by being drawn into their mind by their will and "repairing" the damage. They look human and have blue eyes and black hair, usually kept long and single-braided to their waist).

Kømm – the senior trainer of the Bishops and claimed to be the deadliest and most dangerous. He was one of the first strays to be brought into the Monastery after its founding. (Galvesh)

Äsha – Lover to Kømm and Mauld’s "sister". (Galran)

Mårbåne – Bÿsmann’s son (of the same race)

Wrøw – the first ‘stray’ to be brought into the Monastery. Possess a peculiar speech pattern resembling archaic English. (Galvesh)

(All characters (except for Mauld) are NPCs and of no consequence besides being fillers)

Credo:

Fate controls their existence and they lead their lives according to the script presented them. They cannot change what has been "predetermined" but they can fight to survive whatever obstacle is put on their path.

They believe that to be a Bishop is to give up much of the philanthropy all are born with. They can kill anyone/thing without a thought and in any situation. They need only to be ordered by the Abbot. During the test to gain the Gloves (the Bishop’s weapon of trade), they forsake their soul to the Maker (their God) and believe that the shell that still breathes has been saved by their God and life and death becomes one. Thus: "Dare you dance with the dead?" is the call they will always make before challenging and/or accepting a duel. They are unafraid to die, and generally rue, deeply, the loss of life. They believe in balance in all that exists and are passionate, dedicated and loyal to those they love.

Weapons:

Although trained in all martial and ranged weapons, they generally choose one to become most proficient with. However, all are trained for the ultimate weapon which is the Gloves. The Gloves contain four Claws each hidden in sheathes over the ulna. A sensitive mechanism resides by the wrist, allowing quick release, which has been estimate in .09 seconds. The length of Claw cannot be controlled; either they are released or drawn. (Exception: Mauld, who Psionically grafted the Claws to his arms. He is able to will the Claws to extend to any measure; however, he is unable to remove the Gloves, unless he peels them like a layer of skin. The mechanism fell off the Glove when the grafting occurred.)

 History:

           Bÿsmann and Mårbåne are the only two, as far as they had been able to fathom, survivors of the cataclysmic destruction of their home planet centuries past. They belong to a race that though seemed to hold human attributes – fair skin, black hair and cobalt blue eyes – lived for scores of centuries longer. This factor had been one of the catalysts to make their credo to harvest information and become sages.

            When the death of their world became eminent, Bÿsmann chose to remain on the motherland and be interred with her. Bÿsmann had been tricked in the final hours by his mate who after having drugged him with a sleeping dreg, placed him and their infant babe on a ship with no set destination. He had woken up nearly a day later and discovered himself lost and alone; save for his child.

            Anger had been the first feeling he had felt and a deep despise against what Providence had chosen to serve him. Homeless and without a cause, he wondered the cosmos until his small ship ran out of fuel and he was forced to drift for days at the mercy of the Fates…

          After being stranded in space with no means to pilot the ship with its exhausted tanks, they met with fortune. Fate once again took them in Her arms. A ship by the name of Player rescued them and they were taken to planet Veseri, a small orb in space where monastic people lived known then as the Order of the Kleriks. They knew who Bÿsmann was, or at least his origin, and they regarded him with much respect since he carried much knowledge with him. They took him into their flanks and exchanged traditions. After all, they sought intelligence and they could teach him how to be a warrior.

          Their pedagogies and doctrines were not too different. Even their theology was not too varied. They lived in harmonious peace with themselves and those without the planet. Years passed and finally Bÿsmann found a weapon which complemented his fighting ability and technique. It was a borrowed artefact from one of the Ladies and an item that seemed to have become a very part of his being after he donned it. The Claws that Bÿsmann still wear are ancient. They have survived the ages of all beings that inhabit the limited universe we know and perhaps far more than that.

          The Claws would eventually become a symbol to the Monastery of Bishops.

          After witnessing Bÿsmann’s unparalleled performance with them, the Lady saw fit to gift him with them. He was graciously thankful, for he had never expected to be made such a present, particularly considering how simple the people of Veseri were. A weapon such as the Claws would have an unaccountable value for them… not monetary but symbolic.

          It is not known if this was the catalyst for the events which unfolded next. The Kleriks were not the same after that. That is to say, their ideals were never in concordance since the beginning, but the willingness was gone and their scholars seemed less patient and unwilling to spend time in his company. At first Bÿsmann believed this to be just our opposite doctrines, since in Drakhsmoore they were always taught that Fate controls our lives and the Kleriks believed in the exact opposite. Still, there was much parallelism between them.

          There was also the matter of humans. Even then they were among these xenokinds. At the time Bÿsmann did not understand their existence. He could not fathom why such intelligent, beautiful beings were born only to die so soon. He had lost much already and he did not wish to be among those who would quit his company so soon. He shunned the humans away whereas the Kleriks believed that all life could be constructive regardless of how fleeting their lifespan was.

          Eventually Bÿsmann decided to leave their planet. Gathering his few possessions and Mårbåne, who had had been fully trained by them and his father, they returned to their space wanderings…. It is believed that is when the Kleriks also broke up their own order between the Obsidian Blade the Order of the Silver Star. Their credos conflicted and were dealt forthwith in a matter that complemented all those who were part of the womb. Those orders would eventually also collapse. Some believe that the human influence was to the catalyst since that being shorter lived and more susceptible to requiring changes, nothing lasts long with them.

          It is not known why all three factions became assassins. Perhaps because trained as they were and able to take a life so easily granted them a strength never known before. Also, as weak in numbers as they were, it was an optimal self-defence.

          Wrøw was found them … a child lost in space after his ship had been attacked by pirates.

          Mårbåne and Wrøw were both less than two scores of years; young, very young for their races. They reached a lovely asteroid which they now reside on.

          The piece, the very rock they so adore and love, is all that remains of Drakhsmoore. No one understands the phenomena that led the fragment from its original orbit, nor how Bÿsmann’s house withstood the astro winds, however, all was there nearly intact and seemed to have waited patiently for his return.

The building:

Plain stone walls ... the whole building is 'rough', the interior is unfinished stone with gravel for the floor. The furniture is rough unfinished wood. The building is surrounded by breath-taking gardens, boasting manicured lawns, flowers and other assorted types of flora.

The Monastery is located at the top of a mountain. Mensla, being a piece of a planet (an asteroid) is composed solely of mountains, forests and lakes (the latter perched on the mountains). It has no flatlands at all. Only a small-class jet or shuttle with VTOL capabilities can land on the planet.