Let’s learn all about the organization known as the Order of the Eyes in DireLands. Join Adam as he explores his DireLands fantasy campaign setting. You can learn more about DireLands here: https://reverendcampbell.com/direlands/
Transcript
Cold Open
This is a holdover from the men from the west’s ancient history, where they practiced devotion to the gods through training their mind and body.
Intro
Welcome to this continuation of my DireLands system agnostic, dark fantasy campaign setting! My name is Adam and in this episode I will be discussing the organization known as the Order of the Eyes in DireLands. If you appreciate the development of this campaign setting, or the features of other games on this channel, I would like to invite you to consider becoming a patron on Patreon. You can even purchase tabletop roleplaying games or get $10 by signing up to StartPlaying.Games using my affiliate links in the description below.
Details
Joh-eon Xixen is believed to be the founder of the Order of the Eyes, hundreds of years before the men from the west ever stepped foot on the continent of Faulest (faw-lest). The practices this order of monks immersed themselves in demanded total immersion and focus. They still practice to this day, though they have withdrawn from most of the nation of Bressus (bress-sus). They dwell in their terraced gardens high in the Ruike Mountain Range. It is believed that they are perched miles above the Dheraris Lake, overlooking the ruins located there.
The Order of the Eyes derived its name from the practice of harnessing the power of their minds, and filtering it through their third eye, believed to be located in the center of their forehead. This order does not bother themselves with the state of the world around them, and they hold no allegiance to any nation, though they do consider themselves part of the nation of Bressus. This is an all-male order who, after the rise of the Witch-Queen, were hunted down. The order was forced into hiding until her fall. While the Order itself is one of physical and spiritual development, they take a naturalistic approach to their training, which has resulted in many first-nation peoples joining their order. They are clearly different in their approach to life than their brothers and sisters who formed the nation.
The practice of harnessing the power of the mind is exemplified in their rigorous training which consists of prolonged exposure to environmental extremes, physical pain, and psychic development. While it is not common knowledge, the Order of the Eyes believes they are able to open the third eye of their adherents through this system of training which will not only make them able to communicate with each other silently, but even read the surface thoughts of those around them, and manipulate the world around them on a molecular level. The psionic practice takes a lifetime of devotion, which is why you never see a member of the Order of the Eyes in youth or mid-life years practicing these techniques. Though it is possible, however uncommon, for the elderly members of the Order to exhibit these traits, as when they have mastered the techniques, they are sent into the world.
This sojourn into the world may take the remainder of the adherents years of life, as they are meant to fundamentally improve the lives of those oppressed, and those who have fallen into imbalance with the harmony of the natural world around them. This manifests in the meddling of affairs of others, which most do not take kindly to, and at times, ends in imprisonment or the death of the adherent. They will resist if possible, naturally, but their goals are restoring balance and harmony, in a world which is fundamentally out of balance. This places them in a state of natural opposition to most of the world.
While the powers manifested by the Order of the Eyes seem to be magical in nature from the outside, it is actually an inner power that all mortals possess, though few ever have the self discipline to realize. Hence the lifetime of training required. Their monastery is in harmony with the natural world and thus either resides within the Wildlands, or even opens a gateway to the Wildlands. It is believed there is only one place of worship, however another is rumored to have been built in the southern, Weh-to-hiuh desert peninsula of Caelia (kay-lee-uh). Here the desert heat has refined their practice from tending their terraced gardens to building vast caverns under the desert sands which filter the sunlight into underground gardens, leveraging the natural aquifers for their life sustaining water.
Not all organizations in DireLands are those of cosmic, divine, or national consequence, and many of the peoples of Faulest live their entire lives without care or concern for the wider conflicts that grip the attention of the world. While it stands in stark contrast to many other secret or public organizations, the Order of the Eyes genuinely practices selfless devotion to harmony and nature, leveraging the awareness of the gifts the gods granted mortals with the greater world around them in a non-religious or oppressive way. Yes, it can be seen as intrusive, but they have also helped countless communities and individuals find a semblance of peace and balance in a world torn asunder by natural disaster, cosmic conflicts, and the machinations of others. Sometimes it’s nice to do good, for the sake of goodness.
Will the Order of the Eyes be able to remain independent in the world after the fall of the Witch-Queen and the rise of the corrupt nation of Bressus? Will they be corrupted themselves by the other organizations and machinations of the denizens of Faulest? And can there be selflessness in a mortal world driven by desire and corruption? Only your home campaign can answer these questions, as the future of these DireLands are in your hands.
Outro
Thank you for watching today’s DireLands Fantasy Campaign Setting episode. Please consider subscribing to this YouTube channel, liking and commenting on this video. And if you enjoyed this episode, consider becoming a patron on Patreon.
Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patrons Chris Androu & Sam Ruiz!
Always remember that evil spelled backwards is live, so get out there and be evil!