## 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.")

The Greenwardens are the official Marcandrian clergy dedicated to Fiori, also known by titles such as The Great Mother, The Lady of Hope, or the Heartmender. This down-to-earth and empathetic clergy venerates the goddess of agriculture, empathy, perseverance, growth, healing, hope, and life, striving to embody her tenets and spread them throughout their communities.

Greenwarden temples can be found throughout Marcandria, with it not being uncommon for larger settlements to house several temples. Greenwarden temples are modest compared to other clergies, often identifiable by their extensive and beautifully maintained gardens. These gardens serve both practical and spiritual purposes, supplying the raw materials for their medicinal remedies and offering serene spaces for worship and reflection.

Greenwardens commune with the Heartmender through prayer and meditation, believing that Fiori communicates through the flourishing and withering of plants. They interpret these natural signs to guide their actions and decisions.

Typically, Greenwardens are contemplative individuals with a friendly demeanor and strong listening skills. They are known for their supportive and nurturing nature, often acting as counselors and mediators within their communities. Their appearance is characterized by earth-colored attire adorned with floral and herbal embroidery, symbolizing their close connection to nature. They often appear healthy and robust, reflecting their active lifestyle and focus on well-being.

As healers and alchemists, Greenwardens create medicinal and non-essential remedies from materials grown in their temple gardens and purchased items. They provide essential medicines free of charge, funding their operations through the sale of non-essential remedies. This balancing act between creating essential and non-essential compounds is a constant challenge for them.

The Greenwardens are generally well-liked by the lower and middle classes, who benefit most from their services and counsel. Their interactions with the higher classes and nobility are less frequent, often strained when environmental and ethical concerns arise. Despite their limited political influence, their deep connections within their communities enable them to represent and advocate for the needs of the lower caste citizens effectively.

Faction symbol/insignia: Blooming rose over grain

## Members

### Members List

The Greenwardens are typically contemplative people who think before they act, with a friendly demeanor and are seen as good listeners. This thoughtful nature can sometimes make them seem slow to act, especially to someone panicking over an ailment they are assisting with. Greenwardens are otherwise seen as supportive people with a counseling and nurturing nature, who often seek to dispel conflicts diplomatically.

Members of the Greenwardens usually come from the lower or middle classes of Marcandrian society, though occasionally, upper-class citizens or even nobles seeking a simpler lifestyle away from the politics of the elite may join. Some are drawn to the simple life of service, while others may be former patients inspired to pursue the selfless life of a Greenwarden.

All Greenwardens are healers and alchemists, creating remedies and ointments from a combination of materials they purchase and those they grow in their temple gardens. They function as physicians in Marcandrian culture, tending to the health and well-being of the citizenry. Only a subset of Greenwardens have divine gifts. While such gifts are seen as signs of closeness and favor with the Heartmender and are often associated with the most accomplished and able healers, these gifts do not directly grant the Greenwarden any added authority among their peers.

Membership in the Greenwardens is a vague term due to their fractured nature. Should a Greenwarden decide to step down at some point, most of their peers would be none the wiser. However, the life of a Greenwarden is such a contrast to regular life in Marcandria that most Greenwardens who stay the course for at least a few years tend to remain Greenwardens for life. They tend to have strong and healthy bodies, easily able to tend their gardens and develop their remedies even in their twilight years. The Greenwardens themselves believe this vitality is a blessing from the Heartmender, both as a reward for their service and as support for them to continue their service.

### Visual Identifiers

Greenwardens tend to wear earth-colored versions of Marcandrian attire, typically featuring flowers and herbs in the embroidery, especially the Heartmender's rose symbol. Due to their fractured nature, they have no official designs for their attire, whether for daily use or ceremonies. However, the Heartmender's symbol of a blooming rose over grain is typically incorporated prominently on any attire used for ceremonial events. Most Greenwardens also wear the Heartmender's symbol in the form of a pendant or similar accessory.

Greenwardens tend to appear healthy and strong, with bodies akin to those of farmers. Their focus on health and knowledge of remedies also results in high hygiene standards and unblemished appearances, making it rare for them to have defects caused by bad habits.

### 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 in common pots. 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 central governing authority. However, when multiple Greenwardens share a temple or are located in temples close to each other, they often establish agreements regarding collaboration and responsibilities. In these cases, Greenwardens who cohabitate within the same temple typically maintain private sections for their personal endeavors, both in the temple and the gardens, while also cooperating in communal areas. They commonly delineate responsibilities and select specific remedies and ointments to specialize in, ensuring they do not compete with one another. They provide counsel to each other, leveraging diverse expertise to enhance the quality and efficacy of their services. Greenwardens tend to cooperate in the making of high-demand services and essential medicines—especially those provided free of charge as part of their commitment to the Heartmender’s teachings.

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. The process of becoming an apprentice is straightforward and begins when a Greenwarden recognizes potential in an individual and extends an invitation to them. If accepted, the individual becomes an apprentice, learning under the guidance of the Greenwarden. The transition from apprentice to a recognized Greenwarden occurs when the individual leaves their mentor’s tutelage and establishes their own practice. This transition is based on community recognition of the apprentice’s skills and capabilities, affirming their readiness to operate independently. The traditions and practices of the Greenwardens are as such 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 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 ample 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.

Ranks:

1. Greenwarden – The primary and only formal rank within the Greenwardens. The authority and influence a Greenwarden holds among peers or third parties depend entirely on their reputation and individual achievements.
2. Apprentice – An individual under the mentorship of a Greenwarden, learning the practices and principles of the order until they are ready to operate independently.

## Operations and Endeavors

The most notable and impactful role of the Greenwardens within Marcandrian society is their function as healers and doctors. Those endowed with divine gifts use their abilities to heal and cure, though even these gifted individuals rely heavily on medicinal ointments and remedies prepared from plants cultivated in their temple gardens. These gardens are expansive, hosting a myriad of plant species used in the various alchemical processes needed to develop these medicinal compounds. Greenwarden principles dictate that essential medicines be provided free of charge to anyone in need. A Greenwarden who refuses treatment over payment issues faces ostracism from both their peers and Marcandrian society at large. Producing these medicines requires careful balancing, as resources are finite and the complexity of remedies varies. Thus, not all requests for treatment can be fulfilled, especially for labor-intensive compounds. A Greenwarden may end up in a position where they have to deny supplying a resource-intensive medicine due to having to prioritize simpler-to-make medicines that more people will be in need of.

In addition to essential medicines, Greenwardens cultivate plants for non-essential remedies such as skin treatments, vitality tonics, sleep aids, and pain relievers. The sale of these products helps fund their operations and cover costs for necessary materials like beeswax, animal fats, alcohol, salts, and clay, as well as basic necessities like food and clothing. The production of these non-essential remedies often competes with the creation of medicinal ones, creating a challenging balance as Greenwardens strive to fulfill their healing mission without succumbing to the temptation of unnecessary luxuries.

Greenwardens also dedicate themselves to continuous research in herbalism and medicine, seeking to discover new or improve existing remedies through study, mentorship, and experimentation. They utilize texts from the Meranzeum’s archives, collaborate with peers, and experiment with new plant combinations and alchemical techniques.

Actively involved in agriculture and nature conservation, Greenwardens are invaluable to Marcandrian farmers facing crop or livestock issues. They offer guidance on crop rotations, companion planting with natural pest repellents like garlic or marigolds, and other sustainable farming practices. Their expertise comes from a mix of teachings and experience, together with the guidance they discern from the Heartmender in the crops and animals. Greenwardens will pray and perform rituals in the fields shortly after sowing, beseeching the Heartmender for healthy growth and a bountiful harvest. Greenwardens also serve as counselors, offering advice and wisdom to small communities, particularly those less fortunate.

Moreover, Greenwardens serve as environmental stewards. They often task themselves with cleaning up waterways, planting saplings, and restoring natural habitats in the region they operate, while opposing practices that harm or exploit the land. They actively lobby against destructive activities like excessive logging without replanting, often becoming a thorn in the side of those who engage in such practices. However, attempts at forceful intervention are rare and reserved for extreme cases of environmental exploitation.

Greenwardens also perform ritual services, including weddings and funeral ceremonies, often in collaboration with Marcandria’s other major clergies or independently for those who cannot afford the more lavish ceremonies that comes with involving the Joybringers and the Meranzeum. Their services are particularly valued by the lower classes, who appreciate the modest yet meaningful ceremonies the Greenwardens can provide. A tradition for weddings involving the Greenwardens is for the newly wedded couple to spend their first night together in either a crop field or flower field, a tradition which is more commonly followed by lower class newlyweds than upper class ones. It is believed that the Heartmender will bless the newlyweds with a fertile union as they spend the first night in the field. Greenwardens typically participate in funeral services, as the Heartmender is seen as the one who'll come at the end of your life's cycle to guide you to the afterlife.

Greenwardens spend considerable time in prayer and meditation within fields or lush gardens, seeking deeper connections with the Heartmender and looking for signs in the responses of plants. Greenwardens believe the Heartmender communes through crops and flowers, discernible from which plants bloom or wilt during their prayers and meditation. How close a bond a Greenwarden has with the Heartmender is often equated to how well versed they are at deciphering these puzzles

The Greenwardens also conduct rituals of prayer involving planting a number of different seeds in the same pot, often together with someone whose come to them seeking the Heartemender's guidance. The person will pray for guidance as they plant the seeds, with the Grenwarden tending to the seeds while until they sprout. The patterns in which these seeds germinate and grow are interpreted as messages from the Heartmender, offering slow but profound insights while believed to encourage patience and contemplation among her followers.

Greenwardens often identify potential apprentices through their interactions, inviting those who show promise to learn their ways. The Greenwarden will teach the apprentice about the Heartmender, the different rituals and ceremonies the Greenwardens conduct, how to look for and discern Her guidance in the plants around one, how to cultivate different medicinal plants, and the processes they go through to turn raw materials into medicinal compounds. An apprentice will often remain with their mentor for a time even after they've been taught everything there is to know, assisting their mentor's endeavors. After an apprenticeship, when an individual is ready to operate independently, they leave to establish their own practice, often seeking small rural communities that lack a Greenwarden's presence.

## Locations

Greenwarden temples tend to be modest, at least in comparison to those of the Joybringers and the Meranzeum, and are typically similar in size to the surrounding buildings in the settlement. Their extensive gardens are a clear giveaway for identifying a Greenwarden temple, though they can also be identified through embellishments carved or painted on their exterior walls. These embellishments often depict plant and crop symbols that are quite unique among Marcandrian facades. Rose espaliers are also a common feature of Greenwarden temples.

The temple interiors are designed for practicality, featuring areas for storing raw, intermediate, and finished compounds, as well as spaces for performing the various alchemical processes necessary to develop these compounds. There are always areas for treating those who come for healing, typically including spaces where patients can rest and the Greenwardens can monitor their condition. Temples also have private quarters for the Greenwardens and their apprentices. Some temples may include rooms and halls for religious rituals and ceremonies, though it is more common to have areas in their gardens designed for such events. The interiors are beautifully embellished and decorated, featuring plants heavily in their décor, aiming to create a peaceful and ethereal impression on visitors.

The temple gardens are extensive, with sections dedicated to cultivating each of the different plants necessary for making their compounds. These gardens are well-tended and, aside from their function of growing materials, are also meant to be beautiful, giving a feeling of closeness to The Heartmender. The gardens include shaded walkways, sitting areas, arbors, and gazebos, featuring both spaces for private prayer and areas for larger communal ceremonies. These gardens are intended to look and feel like a small paradise where one can feel truly close to the Heartmender.

Greenwarden temples can be found all over Marcandria, from the busiest coastal cities to the quaintest rural hamlets. A Greenwarden temple can be placed anywhere within a settlement, as long as there is room for their garden. Larger settlements may have multiple Greenwarden temples, which may share one large garden. It is also not uncommon for the nobility of larger and more affluent settlements to build more extensive temples for the Greenwardens, with large gardens. These grander temples become significant landmarks in the cityscape, comparable to the temples of the other Marcandrian clergies, and are meant to house a large number of Greenwardens. From the nobility's point of view, these larger temples serve as status symbols for the settlement and the ruling family, with the beautiful gardens and increased availability of medicinal services helping to keep their subjects happy. Even settlements with these larger temples may feature additional smaller ones built without noble involvement.

In smaller settlements, especially poorer rural ones, a Greenwarden temple can be just about anything. The temple might have been provided by the nobility or citizens, or it could be an old abandoned mill restored and repurposed as a temple. A Greenwarden seeking to settle there will typically come to an agreement with the inhabitants on what they may use as their temple and where they can cultivate their garden. Communities are generally happy for a Greenwarden to settle there, often providing help in setting up their temple and garden area.

## Relations with other Factions

The Greenwardens generally have very good relations with the common people of Marcandria, particularly those who live outside the major settlements. They often struggle to earn respect from the upper classes, who tend to have less interaction with them. While most other factions aligned with the Marcandrian state respect the Greenwardens, they often note that the Greenwarden lifestyle is "not for them." Relations between Greenwardens and merchants or nobles can be strained, especially if the merchants or nobles are involved in industries that harm nature or endanger people, such as deforestation, dangerous mining operations, or over-hunting.

The Greenwardens are too fractured to exert strong influence in Marcandrian society as a whole. Their influence is usually more individual and localized, based on personal connections within their communities. Specific Greenwardens may be highly respected and well-liked, particularly among farmers, lower-caste individuals, and those who have benefited from their aid. However, each Greenwarden operates independently, wielding authority only through their personal relationships and the support of those who agree with their stance. As a result, few Greenwardens have the power to impact significant decisions on their own.

Despite this, Greenwardens often serve as unofficial representatives of the lower-caste citizenry in their communities, voicing concerns and advocating on their behalf. By rallying support within their community, a Greenwarden can sometimes exert influence indirectly, acting as a spokesperson for those who share their views.

Multiple Greenwardens may collaborate to increase their influence on matters of shared importance, but they have never unified on a national scale to effect significant change. If they were ever to band together and speak with one voice, their influence would be substantial, given the large number of peasant and rural inhabitants who support them.

## Stance of Succession Conflict

The Greenwardens, due to their fractured nature, have no official stance on the succession crisis that followed the royal family's assassination in the winter of 1349. This disunity also means that those vying for the Marcandrian throne largely ignore them, preferring to seek support from more unified factions with greater influence on the succession conflict.