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.
@@ -63,15 +62,12 @@ dateCreated: 2023-01-06T16:54:32.966ZGreenwardens 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.
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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.
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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.