Atlas Elyden #44 - Gnothi Monasteries

I've been looking forward to making and sharing this map for a while - it details some lore that is important to the region of Gnoth, which has a lot of links with mysticism, alchemy and philosophy, the three of which are largely indistinguishable there.



For more on the region of Gnoth you can check out this Fact Sheet and some flash fiction.

You can find an updated key to the map here.

This is the low-res version available to everyone.  Become a Patron at the Acolyte tier for access to my back catalogue of High-res, PSD and textless maps.

This is available to use as per the CC licence on the image itself

You'll note that there is no PDF for Encyclopaedia entries as the Encyclopaedia Elyden is now available to all patrons to view - the post is stickied on my Patreon, and patrons at any tier (even as little as $1 month) have access to it. The PDF is a living document and will be updated monthly as I add content to it. You can find it here.

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Gnothi Mysticism

Gnoth is unique amongst the Elyden’s realms. It is the only nation in the near hemisphere that is not populated by humans. It is one of few areas that has not been irrevocably damaged by the over-exploitation of its resources, and where few areas of Atramental or Firmamental corruption are present. It is also a rare example of a place where a Demiurge slumbers within easy sight of mortals. 
   Perhaps the most culturally significant of the qualities of Gnoth is the nation-wide practice of gnosticism, which can be most-crudely be explained as a search for truth or knowledge which, is ultimately intended to lead to spiritual enlightenment: a practice said to have only been fully perfected once before by the Demiurge Urakabarameel, whose body is uncorrupted by time or his own dreams and is visible to any Gnothi who undertakes a pilgrimage to see him. To the Gnothi people this practice is known as The Way. To outsiders it has been labelled as Gnothi Mysticism.
   Gnothi Mysticism has much in common with classical alchemy, which began as the search for material wealth and, as mortals learnt about the non-material plane, evolved into a search for spiritual wealth. It is thought that some aspects of Gnothi Mysticism date back to discoveries of the earliest alchemical traditions in Llachatul and northern Sammaea, and evolved from there, in tandem with other traditions elsewhere in Elyden.
   Where most other cultures built upon alchemical discoveries to describe physics, chemistry and biology, the giganri of Gnoth instead saw the worth of its spiritual discoveries (not that they ignored the material aspect, as they became very competent metallurgists in their own right). However, the giganri have a far deeper and older spiritual tradition dating back to the earliest days of mortal life, when the Demiurges were still gods incarnate, shaping Elyden as only the Mythologia Elyden(1) can now relate. 
The story of the Demiurges is told elsewhere, though suffice it to say that they were once gods, tasked with shaping the Materia Omna(2) into the world of Elyden, its moons and other planets, and the mountains, oceans, forests and creatures that dwell upon its surface. They dreamed all of this into existence, creating a prefect realm into which the Two-and-Twenty mortal races were later born - each of which was entrusted to a Demiurge to nurture, lead and protect. Duruthilhotep was father to the giganri.
The Demiurges were not prepared for the role of leader. Their sole purpose had been to create and shape the matter of creation, and that was what they continued doing, ruining the perfection they had created before the birth of the mortal races. They were blind to the destruction they were causing and continued shaping, creating chaos in place of order.
They were punished by their creator(3) for their hubris and stripped of their world-shaping powers. Some could not understand why they had been punished. Others grew bitter and abandoned their children. And there were those who tried to understand their sins and tried to atone in whatever means they thought best.
   Urakabarameel turned to introspection, realising that only by understanding himself could be accept his fate. It is said that he found true gnosis by eschewing his sense of self, becoming hollow and without emotion. This is a trait that the giganri have inherited over the millennia, and not just through their own search for gnosis, and they are seen by other races as aloof and solemn.
Gnothi Mysticism centers around the so-called Four Journeys - a symbolic journey that gnostics monks take during the pursuit of their art, leading them from the four material elements, known as emotions: air, earth, water and alkahest; to the fifth, otherwise unknown element, the Blood of Vala; and finally, the Dragon: True Enlightenment. 
   This journey can take decades and it is accepted for a monk to not reach true enlightenment in his lifetime, as some would argue that it is the journey itself that is important rather than the destination. The path is dangerous and individuals can lose themselves in their search for the truth, forgetting who they are.
The Monasteries of Thought
The Monasteries of Thought are one of many niches within Gnothi Mysticism, and focus on more esoteric forms of gnosticism. Each monastery devotes itself to the study of a specific aspect of gnosticism, which it believes is the key to attaining true knowledge.
   These monasteries are scattered across Gnoth, largely in the north of the nation, away from the largest settled areas, and closer to areas of natural beauty and tranquility, which are seen as an aid to meditation and  reflection. The monasteries are:
Adjura: located in the far north of Gnoth, within the polar circle, the monks of Abjura are experts at communing with spirits in the otherworld, and they are accomplished exorcists. The monastery is located over a strong Firmamental leyline where the Arcane Tempers favour it over the Atramenta, making shaping of their chosen spheres easier that it otherwise should be given the monastery’s location in relation to the Nullambit. 
Audian:  the Audian monastery is in the north west of Gnoth, south of the westernmost-reaches of the Vagnostan mountains and takes the form of a marble-walled fortress with wide round towers and shallow copper roofs. Inside, monks study the philosophies of Esheiha, the First and Last Word, as a way of accepting that the search for knowledge is ultimately futile, and that true enlightenment can only be achieved when one realises that knowledge and gnosis are different things.
   Emanas: the easternmost monastery, found on a solitary hilltop south of the Narahasaphael mountains, Emanas is located within a region of Firmamental influence known as Agastia. Its monks study astral projection and psychic emanations and are accomplished shapers. They believe that time is a construct of the material realm and that knowledge of the past, present, and the future exist simultaneously in the otherworld, and they communicate with spirits, trying to unravel their cryptic words. 
   Itephuat: found in the southern foothills of the Solun Highlands, along the Itephuat rigde, the monks of Itephuat study the works of the Demiurges, more specifically their works of shaping and oneiromachy. To them the Demiurges were closest to finding true gnosis, but disgraced themselves before they attained it. By studying their works and legacy, the Itephuati monks hope to learn how to manipulate the material world in the hopes of attaining gnosis.  
   Sabian: located in an isolated peak of the southernmost reaches of the Solun Highlands, this monastery can only be reached by treacherous rope-bridges and steep hewn stone steps. Its monks believe that true gnosis can only be attained but understanding the self, ignoring external stimuli. As a result most live solitary in silence as they study and meditate. This is a form of solipsism and it is not uncommon for individuals to die of self-mummification, lying undiscovered for years. 
   Sethia: found in the central-west of Gnoth, along the southern-tip of the Logon mountain, the Sethian monastery takes the form of a wide tiered tower with large terracotta eaves. Sethians believe that gnosis can only be achieved through experience and sensation, and its monks are neophiliacs who seek out new experiences of all forms. As a result of their travels, its monks have compiled what are considered to be the most complete maps in Elyden. 
   Zurvan: the largest of the Monasteries of Thought, this complex occupies an island in the eponymous lake in the north of Gnoth. Its monks believe that gnosis can be attained through the pursuit of material knowledge and they are brilliant scholars. Their monastery is famed for is exhaustive underground library, where ancient tomes are kept in perfect atmospheric conditions. As part of their training some Zurvani monks leave Gnoth and travel across Llachatul to search for new knowledge.  
1. an ancient mythological treatise dating back to the earliest ages of mortal life, describing the struggles of the Demiurges and early mortals.
2. the font from which all else is created. All that exists owes its origin, no matter how distant, to the Materia Omna. Shapers use its dichotomous facets - the Firmament and the Atramenta - to fuel their supranatural powers.
3. unreferenced outside of the Mythologia Elyden.