The Joybringers act as the official Marcandrian clergy for Callera. She is a goddess of artistry, dance, passion and revelry, with the message that one should seek a fulfilling life, and to find a joyous life through passions and artistry. The Joybringers seek to spread and nurture the worship of Callera and her values.
The Joybringers are a loose organization, one in which each temple act independently, keeping only the minimum organizational hierarchy necessary to function. The Joybringers tend to be heavily involved in Marcandrian festivities and revelry, and are often the ones who both plan, organize, and run public events in Marcandria; be that on their own accord or on behalf of either nobles or other influential entities. The Joynringers are passionate and free spirited individuals, all deeply engulfed in artistry, who seek to both teach and show the people how to achieve a fulfilling life, will with ones joys and passions. While the Meranzeum aids people's financial wellbeing, and the Greenwardens see to their physical health, the Joybringers seek to heal people's souls and to elevate what it should mean and feel to be Marcandrian.
The Joybringers are most present in the larger population centers in Marcandria, tending to stay in areas with a lot of culture and opportunities to engage with the people. Their massive temples often stand among the most exquisite and luxurious buildings in the city they're in. The Joybringers do have some presence in the more rural regions of Marcandria as well, though tend to only consist of one or a few individuals whose decided to put the inhabitants there “under their wings”.
The Joybringers tend to avoid bickering or politics between nobles or other factions. So long as neither side seeks to hamper the Joybringers endeavors, they see little reason to get involved. Rather, they see staying out of such conflict as a way to avoid alienating either side, and as a way to potentially act as a bridge for each side to. They tend to have little they can offer by themselves if drawn into conflict. However, due to their charismatic nature and deep involvement in both the populace and leadership, they can have a lot of influence when it comes to swaying public opinion.
Faction symbol/insignia: Callera's visage with her fiery hair, often worn as a pendant.
The Joybringers tend to be very eccentric and outgoing people, who not only live by Lady Firehair's teachings, but who has an irresistible urge to exude and share it with all others. Its members tend to come from the middle-to-upper classes within Marcandria. Lower class citizens are not turned away, though because the Joybringers tend situate their temples in the finer areas of settlements, most who are in close vicinity to them tend to be from the middle or upper classes. Those of lower class thus tend to have less opportunity to involve themselves with them. Lower class citizens also tend to have fewer possibilities when it comes to pursuing and developing their artistic skills, which means there's a gap in the reality of them and the Joybringers who tend to be engulfed in it.
The Joybringers are all artists, be that as musicians, painters, singers, sculptures, stylists, poets, dancers, theatre performers, or otherwise. They act as organizers, mentors, and guides in all things artistry and revelry. They are often employed by nobles to teach their children etiquette, artistic literature, and to help them develop their artistic skills. Many burdened by guilt or tragedy also seek out the Joybringers in hopes of regaining their joy of life, with it not being too uncommon for those who have been helped through such hardships ending up as Joybringers themselves.
Some, though not all, Joybringers have divine powers gifted upon them by Lady Firehair. Those who lead temples often tend to have such gifts, though it is by means mandatory. The Joybringers tend to place much more emphasis on the strength of one's character than the power one has been given. Though, Lady Firehair's favor nonetheless tends to be strongly correlated with the strength of one's character, meaning the two are often one and the same within the Joybringers.
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“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. It is the journey of a free soul. Use it to find meaning in your life. use it to help move past the hardship. Let it heal you. Let it show you the greatness and wonders that is life.”
The Joybringers are devoted worshippers of Lady Firehair, and as such, hold a firm belief in her tenants. They are very outspoken in their belief that the lives of all should be filled with beauty, love, and passion; and that life should be experienced full off happiness and joy.
Art, Beauty, Love, Joy, Passion, and Revelry
Joy/Revelry: "Exult in life and dance in its joyous wonders. Find joy in all things, and let your laughter ring like silver bells on a summer breeze. Spread love, joy, and happiness, my darlings, like fireflies on a moonlit night. Dance with the wind, skip with the stars, and twirl in the moon's tender embrace. Embrace each of life's moments with an open heart, and let every surprise become a sparkling gem in your treasure trove of memories. Fill your lives with boundless revelry and celebration, for my magic is found in every joyous pirouette. Let the carnival of life sweep you away in a whirlwind of laughter and merriment!"
Love: "Follow your heart, for it knows your true destination. Seek out love's enchanted pathways, guided by the stars. Love none more than you do yourself, except for me, Lady Firehair, and lose yourself in the love of me. Love is the greatest pleasure, the most euphoric of experiences—a waltz that sets your soul ablaze. Awaken love in all, so they too may revel in its euphoria."
Passion: "Let your passions be the wings that free your heart. Chase your dreams, desires, and passions like fireflies in the night, lighting up your path with dreams fulfilled. Shine your true self without fear of judgment, and let the world delight in the breathtaking sight of your authentic soul. Share your passions with the world, for a heart that overflows with dreams is a heart forever young. Pursue your desires tirelessly, for happiness is achieved through passion."
Beauty: "In beauty, there is happiness. Fill your life with beauty and wonder, as my laughter dances upon the breeze of every soul. Seek beauty in the simplest of joys and embrace the enchantment of every moment. Treat your body as a temple of artistry. Relish and worship it, making it as beautiful and attractive as it deserves, for within every curve lies a mesmerizing tale. Share your beauty with others, moving them with love and desire. Encourage beauty in all things, and scatter the seeds of wonder wherever you go."
Art: "Art is the journey of a free soul; it enables us to find and lose ourselves at the same time. It manifests our deepest emotions. Use it to find purpose, love, joy, and to heal past hardships. Art spreads beauty and passion. Collect, share, and protect these treasures. Let art inspire and reveal the greatness and wonders of life to you and to all. Relish in song, dance, art, and plays. Celebrate the masterpiece of creativity, and let it dance upon the tapestry of existence."
Find peace and fulfillment in your passion. Let it heal old wounds, and allow you to move on from whatever past hardship still haunts you. Find yourself in its art. Find your joy in art.
When life has hit you hard, others can reach out a hand to help you, but it is always up to you to grab on to the help they offer. When times gets tough, pursue your passion, so that it may alleviate the pain and bring joy to your life, so that you can move forward.
Want everyone to live a good life, one that they find fulfilling and that they enjoy living.
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. It is the journey of a free soul. Use it to find meaning in your life, to move past the hardships of your past. Let it heal you. Let it show you the greatness and wonders that is life.”
"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." - Thomas Merton
"Art is the journey of a free soul." - Alev Oguz
"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." - Edgar Degas
The Meranzeum are followers of the goddess Meranzi, and as such are followers of her dogma. They believe trade and commerce provides the best road to both personal and societal enrichment, and that both the sharing of wealth and investment in others will seed future success both for themselves and for society as a whole. Investing in a better educated populace is in their view one of the best way of investing in the future of Marcandrian society. The Meranzeum are firm believers in fair trade and fair exchanges, and will return any favor they receive with something they consider of equal worth. They are ardently against illicit deals and people who outright cheat others, viewing it as harmful for long-term business. However, a little underhandedness is acceptable, as this is in their view just part the maneuvering that takes place when doing business. It is important though to not upset people one want as future business partners.
The Meranzeum hold a very deep meritocratic view. They view those who are successful — especially those who create their own success — favorably. On the flip side, they view those who fall down the social rankings as incompetent and weak-willed. Those who inherit wealth or status, including nobility, are only viewed favorably by the Meranzeum once they've proven that they are deserving of the position they've inherited. Those who are truly driven, and truly competent are viewed most favorably and are of extreme interest, with the Meranzeum actively seeking out such individuals to nurture and partner up with them.
The Meranzeum hold a primarily neutral stance when it comes to the bickering between other people and factions, believing those who ultimately come out on top to be those who ultimately deserved to come out on top. The Meranzeum only breaks their neutrality when one party clearly goes against the interest of the Meranzeum or the interest of their goddess Meranzi.
The Meranzeum also have a special belief related to the golden colored irises that some people receive. These bright gold colored eyes holds a special place in the Meranzeum's beliefs, as this is considered to be a sign that the individual has received Meranzi's personal favor. All high-ranking members of the Meranzeum, as well as some lower-ranking ones, have these bright gold colored eyes. Most members who have this gift received it at some point in their lives, with it being extremely rare for an individual to be born with this gift. The Meranzeum takes in and nurtures any children they discover with Meranzi's Gift, believing Meranzi to have a grand purpose for them.
These golden eyes are often referred to as Meranzi's Gift, and is believed to be a sign of them having gained Meranzi's favor. Those that have these eyes are commonly referred to as Goldeneyes. Having this gift is a requirement for holding one of the higher positions within the Meranzeum.
Spread and nurture the worship of Callera.
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Keyowrds: jovial, whimsical
a rather loose and informal organization where temples operate mostly independently from one another.
Members: Clerics, bards, artists, musicians, performers (dance, theatre, etc), entertainers, festival/party planners, “beauty salon thingy”.