Eastern Monk

[Mayoi]

I've been wanting to get into RP for quite a while now, and now that Balmung is unlocked - unless I've missed something - I think it's about time I think about some possible character concepts. I have an idea that could reconcile my interest in exploring the eastern cultures of Hydaelyn, and Monk lore, but I wanted to ask if it would be doable and if it could be interesting. Sorry if my exposition isn't that great, but it's pretty late here and I'm trying to get this out before I go to sleep.

 

Everything would start around the time of the Autumn War; tthe order has already evolved into a military force and became part of Ala Mhigo's army. During the war a few Monks come to despise how they have become closer to soldiers than monks in the traditional sense. Although they still covet power and undergo harsh training to temper both body and spirit, they do so merely out of devotion and are actually otherwise peaceful, refusing to use their power to go to war. They are of course a minority among Monks, and are quickly branded as heretics of sort, and driven out of Gyr Abania.

Due to the war with Gridania, they have no choice but to travel east: even if the Garlean Empire has yet to be established, the journey is a long, deadly one. Most of these outcast Monks die while traveling, and only a few survive long enough to reach the lands of Othard; the survivors would have met their end as well if it wasn't for the hospitality of the inhabitants of a village hidden among Doma's mountains. In exchange for shelter and food, the Monks offer to use their powers to serve and protect them.

The years pass by, the Monks' and the natives' cultures mix with each other, the Domans learning about chakra, ritual fighting and the like, whereas the Monks learn about the kami, bushido, and eastern culture. As the new generations of this village, born from the union of the Monks and the Domans, are born, they are taught both their land's traditions and the Monks' ways, creating an entirely new form of monkhood, that despises war and values training and fighting purely as a way to temper one's spirit rather than using their strength to wage war.

Edited February 28, 2018 by Mayoi

[Valence]

It is unclear to me what kind of power the Fists of Rhalgr held during the Autumn War. They weren't yet de facto the State Religion that king Manfred (the invader in the Autumn War) embraced after said war. I think you're evolving into a grey area, but it doesn't seem too hard to me to imagine that some monks joined the ala mighan army indeed!

 

The problem to my eyes is that you would brand them heretics for not following the army, and in the context of the Autumn War, it seems a bit... premature. They weren't even recognized yet as official state religion after all. But maybe there was a huge conscription in place, who knows?

 

There is also the Theodoric alternative, on which we have a lot of info since it happens a bit later and is covered extensively in the lorebook, the monk quests and stormblood. As you're probably familiar with, Theodoric purged all the Order (the Light sect) when they protested for the loss of their religion (Rhalgr) as the official religion in favor of Nymeia. This seems to be a perfect opportunity to your story.

 

Or, you can also use the Shadow Sect, that fought with the Light to death (and lost) when both opposed on the decision to serve ala mighan royalty.

 

 

Either way, those are 3 solutions to my eyes yes. Yours, the first, seems fine, as long as you keep its flaws and the historical context in mind.

Edited March 1, 2018 by Valence

[Mayoi]

I had initially thought about the schism happening during Theodoric’s reign, but I thought it would be far too recent to allow for a generation of Doman-born Monks to exist, and traveling to Doma would probably be almost impossible due to the Garlean Empire. Maybe these Monks could have fled from Gyr Abania after the end of the Autumn War and the establishment of the Fist of Rhalgr as state religion and part of the army? I’m not too familiar with the Shadow Sect as I’m working my way through the 50-60 quests, so I’m not sure if they would overlap or not.

[Aedan Marceaux]

I may be wrong, but it almost sounds as though we have a all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares situation here.

 

Just because a person wields a sword in this world doesn't make them a gladiator or paladin, an axe doesn't make them a marauder or warrior, a gun doesn't make them a machinist, etc.

 

Just because a person fights with their hands and feet and "knows kung fu" doesn't make them a pugilist (in terms of the Ul'dahn guild) or a monk (in terms of the Fist of Rhalgr people).

 

If you're dead set on wanting a "sect" of kung fu fighters from the east... go on with your bad self. To my knowledge, there isn't anything in lore saying such a group exists, but there also isn't anything saying they don't exist.

 

If you're dead set on wanting to bring the religion of the Fists of Rhalgr to the east... that's a bit trickier, but I suppose you've already been given several options by Valence above. As before, nothing in lore says it exists, but nothing says it doesn't exist either.

 

No matter what you do with this particular idea, you're delving into grey area material (some would argue the very existence of our characters is grey area material as there's nothing in the lore that states a C'vahn Tia, for instance, ever existed... so yeah...).

 

In my opinion, it'd be a lot easier to drop the whole Ala Mhigan monk bit and just go ahead and come up with some sort of eastern kung fu master school or something. There isn't any reason to keep them as Ala Mhigan monks, unless you're also wanting to bring over the particular move set and chakras in particular. If not, your kung fu masters can just use chi or whatever and have very similar attacks. Beyond that, having a sect of Ala Mhigan monks suddenly turn peaceful, to me, seems completely counter to who Rhalgr (the Destroyer) would be.

 

But, as always, no one is the boss of you and no matter what option you choose I'm sure you'll find others that would enjoy tagging along with your story. So, best of luck.

 

 

Edited March 1, 2018 by Saravahn