Description

 

Holy symbol of Fiori, in the form of a pendant. (Generated by Dall-E. Prompt: "Cinematic oil painting of a bronze pendant. The pendant depicts a single rose above two wheat stalks. The background is a soft, dark velvet.")

Faction symbol/insignia: Blooming rose over grain

 

Members

Tend to be of humble origin, or are people from the mid to high echelons whose felt the need to step back.

Visual Identifiers

 

Members List

Beliefs

The Greenwardens revere The Heartmender, cherishing her teachings on agriculture, empathy, perseverance, growth, healing, hope, and life. Known throughout Marcandria as wise healers and counselors, they are committed to lives of simplicity and service, finding profound fulfillment in aiding others.

Believing that fulfillment comes from the act of giving, the Greenwardens hold that assistance should be offered freely, without expectation of reward. This ethos is evident in their commitment to providing medical aid and healing at no charge, especially to those unable to afford care. Withholding aid when capable of helping is anathema to them, reflecting a profound disdain for selfishness. By extending their support universally, they strive to embody Fiori's nurturing spirit, ensuring no one is deprived of care due to lack of wealth or status.

The Greenwardens advocate for relentless personal growth, viewing stagnation as contrary to The Heartmender's cycle of renewal and growth. They encourage everyone to strive toward self-betterment, not just for personal gain but as a moral duty to enhance the collective well-being. However, this pursuit often leads to an overly critical view of those who seem content with their current circumstances or those who prioritize stability, labeling them as lacking ambition or spiritual depth.

Living under the pressure to embody Fiori’s virtues perfectly, Greenwardens often feel compelled to present themselves as paragons of growth and resilience. While they aim to serve as beacons of hope, many internally struggle with doubt and personal setbacks. Admitting these difficulties is taboo, risking their spiritual authority and the hope they inspire. With The Heartmender's signs often subtle and open to interpretation, some Greenwardens use public perception of their deeds as a proxy for divine favor, equating their popularity with spiritual approval. Despite their firm belief in persevering through challenges for long-term benefits, they too face moments of seeming impossibility, just like everyone else.

The Greenwardens revere the Great Mother as a maternal figure who blesses the land with fertility and guides her followers with patience and wisdom. At life's end, they believe The Heartmender guides the soul to the afterlife, underscoring her role throughout life’s cycle.

The Greenwardens believe The Heartmender communicates through nature, particularly during rituals involving the planting of various seeds. They interpret Fiori’s will based on which seeds germinate and how they grow, reinforcing values of patience and contemplation. Beyond these rituals, they discern Fiori’s guidance through natural responses—observing which plants bloom or wilt during prayer to gage divine insights. This deep connection with nature serves as their primary medium for divine communication.

While prioritizing essential healing services, the Greenwardens also cultivate and sell quality-of-life remedies like skincare and vitality treatments to fund their operations. This practice, though profitable, sometimes diverts resources from basic care, posing a challenge in balancing lucrative endeavors with their mission of healing and nurturing. Struggles not to become addicted to the comforts and luxuries that can be afforded by the revenue from non-essential remedies are common among them.

 

Fiori's Tenants:

  1. (Growth, Agriculture) Always seek growth, and your future will reap its abundant rewards. Strive to cultivate your mind and body, for in perfecting yourself, you echo The Great Mother's decree. Become fertile ground for the blossoming of new ideas and endeavors, contributing to the world’s bounty. Nurture growth in the fields, within yourself, and in others. Scatter seeds wherever you tread, for life's true purpose lies in continuous cultivation. Embrace the cycle of sowing and reaping, reflecting the endless journey of growth and renewal vital to all existence.
  2. (Perseverance, Hope) Never give up on hope, for those who persevere through adversity sow seeds for future success. Through challenges, we plant the seeds of future triumphs. Each obstacle, faced with courage, paves the way for a flourishing and prosperous future, enriching both your life and those around you. Let your actions nurture the world, spreading prosperity and hope among all. Be the bountiful harvest, where your efforts bring fulfillment not only to yourself but also to the lives you touch.
  3. (Healing, Empathy) Those who nurture others find fulfillment within themselves. Let the spirit of nurture guide every action. Tend to the world The Great Mother has gifted, spreading prosperity and hope to all. In acts of healing and kindness, discover the fulfillment that nourishes both the giver and the receiver. Plant seeds of hope and foster the growth of others, for the beauty of life lies in helping one another flourish. Through kindness and communal service, find fulfillment and purpose, healing both your wounds and those of others. Seek to rebuild and mend, for true growth comes from nurturing and renewal. Empathy heals a broken heart, both yours and those you bring aid. Find solace in the knowledge that you're never on your own, for the Heartmender tends to us all.
  4. (Life) Embrace life's eternal cycle, and revere the wonders of all that lives. Embrace the eternal cycle of sowing and reaping, for within it lies the very essence of existence as ordained by She Who Shapes All. Seek fulfillment in life’s ever-turning wheel and honor the transition at life's end as another phase of growth under Her watchful guidance. Protect and nurture life in all its forms, and cherish the lands She has gifted. Be fertile and plentiful, allowing all to be enveloped in the wondrous bounties Her land has given.

Goals

The Greenwardens are dedicated to fostering the health and well-being of Marcandrians, with the aspiration that every member of their community may thrive. Through their efforts, they not only seek to enhance the lives of others but also to find fulfillment in their own lives. As devotees of the Heartmender, their mission extends to expanding her worship and influence, and safeguarding the values She cherishes.

All endeavors of the Greenwardens aim to nurture and protect that which is dear to the Heartmender. Given that the Heartmender often receives less attention from the upper echelons of Marcandrian society—except by those who have directly benefited from the Greenwardens' healing and medical services—the Greenwardens are also committed to raising her profile and importance within these circles.

Organization

Each Greenwarden operates independently, without a governing body overseeing their actions, either individually or within a temple. When multiple Greenwardens share a temple, they typically reach a communal agreement on the management of the temple and its gardens. In such arrangements, each Greenwarden usually maintains private sections in both the temple and gardens for their personal endeavors, while also collaborating on communal areas. Harvests from these communal areas are divided based on the needs of the Greenwardens and their visitors.

As each Greenwarden is considered a sovereign entity, there are no hierarchical ranks beyond the title of Greenwarden. Greenwardens may mentor one or more apprentices, who retain the title of apprentice as long as they remain under tutelage. Once an apprentice sets up independently, they are recognized as a full Greenwarden. The traditions and practices of the Greenwardens are passed down from mentor to student, resulting in a diverse range of priorities and methods among them.

Greenwarden temples are typically more modest than those of the Joybringers or the Meranzeum, yet they feature extensive gardens. It is common for several temples to exist within a single settlement, sometimes even sharing a large, communal garden. Temples are often established by noble families to attract Greenwardens, thereby enhancing the services available in their domain. Alternatively, Greenwardens might repurpose abandoned buildings, particularly those with sufficient space to cultivate their expansive gardens.

Financially, each Greenwarden is responsible for their own affairs, although those sharing a temple may arrange to manage finances collectively. Nobles and occasionally the Meranzeum provide funding for specific services, such as during health crises, recognizing the essential services Greenwardens provide to the community.

 

 

Each Greenwarden acts independently, with no governing body either as a whole, or for a temple. While multiple Greenwardens may share the same temple, they'll in this case come to some communal agreement on how they'll operate the temple and its garden. Each Greenwarden in such a temple will typically have some private areas in both the temple and gardens, where they'll conduct their own endeavors, while working together on communal areas from which they'll all divvy up the harvests depending on the needs of them and their visitors.

As each Greenwarden is their own entity, and as such, there are no further rank beyond being a Greenwarden. Each Greenwarden may take on one or more Apprentices, who'll keep the title of apprentice for as long as they remain under said Greenwarden's tutorage. Should they leave their master and establish themselves on their own, then they've become a Greenwarden. The traditions and beliefs of the Greenwardens are thus based on what's been taught mentor-to-student  through generations, which has resulted in there being quite a few differences in priorities amongst Greenwardens.

Greenwarden temples tend to be more humble than the Joybringer and Meranzeum counterparts, though with extensive gardens. It is not uncommon for several temples to exist in a settlement, at times even neighboring each other, and sharing the same huge garden. Temples are often commissioned by the noble family who rules the settlement, with the intention of attracting Greenwardens to conduct their services in their lands. Other times, the Greenwardens take over abandoned buildings in areas where they can build their huge gardens. Each Greenwarden typically takes care of their own finances, though Greenwardens who cohabitate in the same temple may have made some arrangements with one another. Nobles, and on occasion the Meranzeum, will sometimes provide funding to a Greenwarden if one of their services is especially needed, such as if the settlement is struck with sickness.

 

The Greenwardens have little in regards to structure. Each Greenwarden acts independently on their own accord. They may share a temple with others, and may tend to the same garden, in which case they'll have made some arrangements for how to work with one another. The setup at each temple with multiple Greenwardens is thus unique, with them having come to an agreement 

No organization? Basically just communal cooperation, with each member basically operating independently, taking on their own apprentices, and then those who congregate at the same temples basically just cooperating while doing their own thing. Their temples are mostly gifted to them by nobility to have them there to provide their services. They tend to barter and sell goods they grow to get the things they do not make themselves. Goods include herbal remedies etc (both against sickness, other conditions, but also those aimed just at improving their health in some aspect – be it stamina, sex life, etc.)

 

Such a structure would also mean there's quite the variance in what each temple prioritizes, often based on which Greenwarden acted as their mentor.

Would mean ranks are just Greenwarden, and their Apprentices.

 

Ranks:

  1. Greenwarden
  2. Apprentice – someone who's still working under the guidance of another Greenwarden.

 

Operations and Endeavors

Locations

Relations with other Factions

Greenwardens too fractured to have any real influence. Connection people have with the Greenwardens tend to be more on an individual level. Specific Greenwardens may be very well liked in a community, mostly with farmers, lower cast people, and those who have needed their aid. However, since each Greenwarden basically only has the authority of themselves, plus whoever likes them enough to support their stance, they tend to have very little impact on Marcandrian politics etc. The very nature of how the Greenwardens operate is counterproductive to gaining influence in society.

Stance of Succession Conflict