<Transcript of a Letter delivered to guides of the Khaldean, Eastener, and Thulean Cantons>

Peace unto you,

My name is Guru Harsha and I will be guiding the Asylum people on the mesa.  My chief aid for this settlement will be Asensei Enajien.

I am an old military leader that has been retired for many a year. You will find my ties to the government of Asylum old and outdated at best.  However I do know my way around a battle field and can wield a sword if need be.  If you have any questions please address them to me and I would be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.

Asensei Enajien is both a wise monk and a student of the winds; he wields great power both with both his body and mind.  Be careful when dealing with him for while he is a quiet and calm person, he is more traditional and less forgiving then I am.

I am writing this to help smooth the meeting of our people with yours. I am going to lay out general customs and information about my people so that at first meeting we are not at odds.  I look forward to hearing from each of you about your people so that I may educate my people with any needed information.

Asylum is almost broken into two ways of life because of our weather.

Near the coast our people live in confluence.  Villages, towns, and cities exist up and down the coast.  We survive off the ocean and the small amount of land we can use for cultivating.  We have vast cave structures enforced to withstand the monsoon seasons and high winds of our lands.  The people here tend to be civilized and well off.

As you go farther away from the ocean our land turns more desolate and bare.  Most of our land is a wasteland of sand and wind.  Nothing will grow, the winds blast at all times and people must seek shelter from the frequent wind storms.  Even the sturdiest of structures won't remain here for long.  Away from the coast, people tend to be less civilized, poor, and move from place to place fighting for survival. There are many valuable resources to be had in this part of our land however, and the people who live there provide them to those near and far.

People of both regions will be coming with me to the mesa.

You will see my people with the typical weapons of the lands.  However they can also use their hands, feet, and bodies for combat. You may find our casters distinctive as, unlike other lands, we use only our minds and bodies in the employment of magic.

When meeting for the first time a handshake or a slight bow is the most common greeting. A handshake is more appropriate for a commoner or soldier, but it can be a different experience in Asylum. First of all, it may be held for a longer time than most are used to, and second, it may be performed with very light pressure.  When someone carries themselves as a Monk or Student of the Winds, bowing is more appropriate, however a bow or a handshake is consider polite for anyone.

The idea of saving face (both one's own and that of others) is strong in Asylum society. Frankness or abruptness, especially in offering criticism of any kind, is to be carefully avoided. People are generally reserved, quiet, refined, gentle and friendly. We respect a person who is friendly and who carefully avoids hurting the feelings of others. Loud, untactful or boisterous behavior is in very poor taste.

As a people we enjoy meditation, calm, furthering our own knowledge and the knowledge of those around us.  Vying to be the biggest and strongest is not a driving force for our people.  We are more interested in learning more so that we may teach others, furthering not only ourselves, but everyone around us.  This is reflected in all our activities, like games, combat, and school of any type.

When it comes to settling the mesa and driving off any harmful creatures there, we prefer to act wisely and conservatively.  While we could kick in a door and defeat what needs to be defeated, it is wise to first figure out what is behind the door and any weaknesses it might have.  It is also wise to remove the civilians and people who cannot defend themselves from the area near the door, in case something may happen.  I am sure you will find far more things of such nature that we commonly do before and during combat, where these are just a few examples.

Finally, my people tend to dress in loose clothing that covers all their exposed skin, except their hands and or feet depending on the situation.  It is common to find our people with wraps around their neck, head and face.  This is something we have to wear when outside pretty much anywhere in our home land.  Because of this we always have such clothing on us and will often have it up and around our face.  Do not assume someone from Asylum has anything to hide or means you any harm if they have a covered face, even if one of their brothers next to them doesn't have a covered face.

Peace unto you and safe travels to the mesa.

Guru Harsha

The Heroes of Blessed Asylum

Monk

"Question: To what purpose does a Monk live?

Answer: Living things are wonders in that they exist in a state of both infinite Perfection and infinite Variety of form. Chaos for its part outlines the unfailing Order of all living things in creation. In his disciplined study of the Living Self the monk seeks to move within the Chaos of the physical world and demonstrate moments of Order. His brief flashes of success are only glimpses of this infinite Perfection."

        -The Clay Catechism

Life is acknowledged as a fleeting thing in the Lands of Blessed Asylum. It can be cut short suddenly and without warning. No place in the lands is truly immune to the touch of natural disasters, the tsunami, the sandstorm, the earthquake. The monastic traditions of Asylum center on the study of life energy and its part in the universe, which defies the emphasis of the lifetime.

The monks of Asylum do not follow a single rigid tradition but vary considerably across the breadth of the lands. They do however follow several common precepts. One is separation, which is the meaning of the name of their calling. Some part of their life, whether certain days of the week, seasons of the year, or for several years of their life they separate themselves from others to focus intensely upon the study of Living things. Those who benefit from this study attain a deeper understanding of Life, of the energy within living things and how it moves, Monks are able to perform amazing feats which approach the magical.

In living as a monk there are many schools of thought. Some teachings stress the method of constant rigorous physical training in order to develop the body as a tool. Others reject this and approach mastery of principles through intense meditation and self control. Clearly the Art is obliges many methods as accomplished students exist in many diverse forms.  

In times of conflict the monk may take advantage of years of studying the human form in both conservative and dynamic movement. This training allows monks to defend themselves and others.

Student of the Four Winds 

Far from being any profession or trade, the Student of the Four Winds is a magician of sorts from the lands of Blessed Asylum. Their Art is learned in their personal travels and meditation, and within the teachings of ancient scholars they may come across. Being a Student is a life's aim rather than a title as such.

A Student's life is simple and successful pursuit of wisdom depends upon the ability to separate oneself from the concerns that living in community bring. Focus is achieved in solitude or in sanctums formed by scholars living together under one roof. Many Students are poor and may adopt a craft to provide the mundane essentials of life. Stronger involvements with business or vocation hamper the pursuit of their meditation.

Although there are many similarities between the life of a Student and a Monk, and these paths cross one another from time to time, where a Monk seeks to weave himself into the workings of Order, the Student seeks to perceive it in a greater, more wide-reaching sense. In a simplified sense, the Monk wishes to seamlessly fit into the tapestry whereas the Student of the Four Winds wishes to rise above the surface of the tapestry to perceive it in its entirety. An experienced Student of the Four Winds has insight into great mysteries and can wield awesome forces with his mind, spirit, and will.

Dragonfly

"Agents of the Harmonious Circle of Counsel are discharged from honorable service upon fulfillment of an oath. Others are loosed upon pledging an oath..."

Due to the enormous size of the Land of Blessed Asylum there is much that occurs beyond the sight or hearing of those who keep history and wield authority. For that reason the counsel employs the Dragonfly, both eye and ear, and if necessary hand of the Council. Dragonflies travel everywhere, alert for dangers beyond the reach of local authorities. They are reluctant to be identified as men and women of law except in matters specifically related to their orders. Mainly they see that the decisions of the counsel are supported throughout the land; food travels safely to where it is needed, civic law protected, bandits reported, organized crime curbed.

A Dragonfly is an agent of their Nation, and as such may not settle on the mesa. Former Dragonflies evade this distinction, and are likely to be chosen for the settlement due to their great experience and proven loyalty.

The original Dragonflies arose in a time of great strife and were taught the arts of war to a fine degree. Their fighting style at the time was likened to the precise and graceful movements of the Dragonfly, hence their poetic name. It was a fighting style emphasizing speed, versatility, and fluid movement.

 Dragonflies blend in anywhere, appear comfortable in all social settings, and if necessary pick up any weapon to defend themselves. Anyone, anywhere could be such an agent. Of course being exposed as an agent of the counsel could provoke unexpected reactions from admirers and enemies alike.