Archon-Blade
2006-08-15, 04:21 PM
The River Runners
“All life flows onwards.”
The Summer Springs are a group of Druids and other nature-oriented, good aligned people who believe that life’s foundation lies in the flowing ebbing streams of fresh water and vow to protect and spread their cooling, cleaning flow throughout the world.They are a small yet powerful group dispatching agents to do anything from ensuring irrigation systems and preventing droughts, to redirecting floods. Each member of the order is a master of some aspect of water in their own right, but together they have been known to create unbelievable affects.
==Organization==
Though to outsiders the organization seems to be a egalitarian brotherhood, there is a hierarchy of experience within the runners, and a name given to each member according to their rank and accomplishments. The oldest and wisest 12 members of the organization make up the core council that hears and discusses the current problem and issues. These 12 council members are given the title of Spring Spirits, with the eldest, wisest member being given the special title of Soul-Source. The other ranks in descending order are as follows: Summer Sentinel, River Runner, Stream Seeker, Brook-keeper, and at the lowest rank, Creek Child. Members of the top four ranks take their rank as part of their name (For example, Aterik Grevan, Summer Sentinel.), while lower members are only announced by their rank when addressing more senior members.
==Joining==
Joining members can be of any race, religion or class, though all must have a good alignment and must complete a trial and test of strength and conviction known as the rite of spring. The first, and perhaps hardest aspect of the trial is finding the testing ground. Each would be applicant who has shown an interest in the group is given a one full lunar cycle before the spring equinox simple poem:
“Follow the real source
To the caps of water’s bone
Till earth’s blood runs clear.”
A Summer Sentinel of the organization awaits all comers at the spring and mountain source of every major river in the region.
After arriving at the testing site, applicants, led by their sentinel are guided through a meditative journey on the nature of life and their place in it. Each of the groups make their way to a section of dry desert. They meet up with all the other groups of applicants there in the desert. There they first hand the suffering that heat and a drought creates. After 3 days of intense heat and no water, those few who remain are brought together and there they witness the greatest power of the Runners, the incantation spell Oasis. All the sentinels present join in the incantation and teach it to each of the new members. After the casting, and ritual each member is inducted as a member of the Runners and is given the title “Creek-Child.”
“All life flows onwards.”
The Summer Springs are a group of Druids and other nature-oriented, good aligned people who believe that life’s foundation lies in the flowing ebbing streams of fresh water and vow to protect and spread their cooling, cleaning flow throughout the world.They are a small yet powerful group dispatching agents to do anything from ensuring irrigation systems and preventing droughts, to redirecting floods. Each member of the order is a master of some aspect of water in their own right, but together they have been known to create unbelievable affects.
==Organization==
Though to outsiders the organization seems to be a egalitarian brotherhood, there is a hierarchy of experience within the runners, and a name given to each member according to their rank and accomplishments. The oldest and wisest 12 members of the organization make up the core council that hears and discusses the current problem and issues. These 12 council members are given the title of Spring Spirits, with the eldest, wisest member being given the special title of Soul-Source. The other ranks in descending order are as follows: Summer Sentinel, River Runner, Stream Seeker, Brook-keeper, and at the lowest rank, Creek Child. Members of the top four ranks take their rank as part of their name (For example, Aterik Grevan, Summer Sentinel.), while lower members are only announced by their rank when addressing more senior members.
==Joining==
Joining members can be of any race, religion or class, though all must have a good alignment and must complete a trial and test of strength and conviction known as the rite of spring. The first, and perhaps hardest aspect of the trial is finding the testing ground. Each would be applicant who has shown an interest in the group is given a one full lunar cycle before the spring equinox simple poem:
“Follow the real source
To the caps of water’s bone
Till earth’s blood runs clear.”
A Summer Sentinel of the organization awaits all comers at the spring and mountain source of every major river in the region.
After arriving at the testing site, applicants, led by their sentinel are guided through a meditative journey on the nature of life and their place in it. Each of the groups make their way to a section of dry desert. They meet up with all the other groups of applicants there in the desert. There they first hand the suffering that heat and a drought creates. After 3 days of intense heat and no water, those few who remain are brought together and there they witness the greatest power of the Runners, the incantation spell Oasis. All the sentinels present join in the incantation and teach it to each of the new members. After the casting, and ritual each member is inducted as a member of the Runners and is given the title “Creek-Child.”