Church of Ilmater RP

[Ashenie]

Not long after a curious explosion of energies to the north, an odd group consisting of a nobleman, an arcanist, a burglar and a colorful songstress carried an unconscious blond man into the temple infirmary. A trail of blood marked their passage from his mangled and mostly missing hand.

In the Shrine of the Suffering, healing and care have been provided to the wounded. The odd group, it is said, has been graced, and thanked for their help and their brave endeavor. The Guardian, Nathan Goldenmane, has been carefully cared for by the Sisters and the Revered Mother. It is said he was never left alone and that many prayers were spoken for him, for the wounded, for the victims of the curious explosion.

The blood trail has been washed, and the wounds healed, almost as if the strain of suffering was wiped away in Mercy's Care. Nothing but memories and healed wounds are left from the dramatic encounters. It is said that sometimes, the Ilmatari recite these words once spoken to Saint Merielle Silene : "What is done can be undone".

While the suffering seemed dire, the rumor said that the Sisters in the Shrine did not seem alarmed, and cared to tend to each wound with a quiet and reverent dedication, for in the arms of the Broken God, all suffering is meant to fade.

[Ashenie]

In the quiet of the evening, as the moon rose high above the night sky, an unconscious paladin in full armor was brought to the Shrine of the Suffering. The Guardian Nathan Goldenmane, Xandra, and a hooded elf from Doron Amar carry the old man, Ser Althalous Fenwick, in the infirmary, preceded by Sister Ashenie. The rumor says that his flesh and armor had been fused together in a strange form of abomination.

Together with the Revered Mother Juna, Sister Ashenie conducted a long and arudous surgery. The rumor says the man was barely alive, and unrecognizable. Each wound was bathed with care, and each part of armor removed from the flesh. As the day began to light the small infirmary, after a whole night of healing, the Revered Mother and the Sister joined hands in chanted prayers and blessings. The soft chime of a prayer wheel filled the infirmary for a time, the elder voice of the Revered Mother entwined with the young lullaby of the Revered Sister. The man is said to be alive, his immense suffering alleviated in the embrace of the Broken God.

It is said that the man was able to speak with those present, and that he is alive, conscious and out of danger.

Quietly, the Sisters continue to tend to his recovery. As he drifted to sleep, Sister Ashenie was seen in the Chapel, with the Revered Mother Juna, supporting the elder woman after a long night of ordeal, as a daughter supports her own mother.

[Ashenie]

"I will not let any harm come to the soul"

Ilmater, as told in Murder Rended... Mercy Mended... , Saint Merielle Silene, The Living Saint

In the Shrine of the Suffering, quiet endeavors soothe suffering into Mercy. A Suffering has been undertaken, the rumor says, to help souls in danger. While the details are not disclosed, the Revered Sister Ashenie is seen spending time in reclusive prayers, whispering a litany of names, and cherishing hope. With the help of the Soldiers of the Flaming Fist, the remains of former undead have been consecrated. The endeavor to cherish their memory and cleanse their suffering does not end with death, it is said.

Sister Ashenie is seen spending time embroidering prayer ribbons with names, symbols, and dates, wrapped around the dead remains. Her endeavors lead her in the sewers, where homeless have chosen to find shelter. As if she was trying to weave a tapestry of care, each thread seems carefully approached, entwined with each other until the pattern of suffering can be cleansed.

The Suffering is said to be undertaken in honor of those who cannot themselves, after an immense injustice struck them, against everything that decency and dignity uphold.

"Broken God, may they find solace in the hope of Life, and be brought back where they rightfully belong."

[zavox]

Nightal 3. 1361

The large half-blood Thok had been seen working, helping out in and around the shrine of suffering, Sorting foodcrates under Sister Karin's supervision. Helping Ashenie out with the laundry, sweeping the floors.

Keeping his hands busy in order to let his mind rest.

[Ashenie]

" We had become a family. People brought donations of food, clothing, toys, healing supplies. Love and loyalty, so perfectly exemplified in the friends that surrounded me."

Saint Merielle, as told in Murder Rended... Mercy Mended... , Saint Merielle Silene, The Living Saint

In the Shrine of the Suffering, the Ilmatari prepare quietly for Winter. Many donations of herbs have covered to the need, sustaining the humble infirmary against the cold, and the illness to come. Over the past tendays, many adventurers have come to donate gold, herbs, food, or even toys and dolls for the children. The warmth of these donations is answered with more endeavors. The help of volunteers, in the Shrine, has also helped free hands to heal and help more people. Several volunteers in the infirmary come from time to time to offer blessings, and healings. Others take up mundane tasks, to allow the Ilmatari to be more present to those who hurt. And more offer help in the Kitchen, volunteering to distribute the food they helped to cook, or donate large crates of food and fish. Even among the poorest, and eldest fishermen, some donated a bit of their supplies.

The Church of the Red Fellowship is said to have donated a very large amount of gold to help the refugees of Ulgoth's Beard, and hopefully the reconstruction of the village after a long year of abyssal torment. The rumor says that the Ilmatari are unwilling to let these people suffer, and will continue to provide assistance and care, to mirror the generosity of these donors. As the cold begins to cover the land with its white cloak, the help in favor of the homeless, the hungry, the lost, and the refugees will likely grow more intense. The kindness of the paladins of the Red Fellowship has been praised.

Among the Ilmatari sayings, some remember a cold winter, a few years ago, where inflation grew because of a degradation of the market. The memory of burrying people dead in the cold is still vivid, and the Ilmatari are said to be unwilling to let it happen again.

In the Ossuary, Ilmatari, Kelemvorites, and even volunteers helped to treat the bodies and remains with dignity and care. Rites of rememberance seem to have been often hosted, even for the homeless and the outcast.

With the recent help of a half-orc in the Shrine, it seems that a few Ilmatari have decided to meet those who are left in the cold, bringing food and medicine to those who cannot reach the Shrine of the Suffering. Prenatal care and specific attention to children are offered to any who would accept by Sister Ashenie, with donations of small dolls stuffed with lavender. Some say it is a gift from the Eldathyns.

Even in the sewers, where a few outcasts have found shelter, or in prison, where some of the criminals are in need of healing and redemption, or in the Outer City, where many among the poorest are gathered, the Ilmatari are said to continue to try to visit, to help, so none in Baldur's Gate is left behind. With the immensity of the task, it is said that they try to endeavor as much as they are allowed, from the safety of the Shrine, to the darkest alleys of the city's bowels.

"Help for all who come. Follow the lantern, and find with the light a warm meal and a shelter from the cold."

[This rumor is meant to reflect actions and intentions over the last months, and honor some of the players' actions in relation to the Shrine of the Suffering]