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The Monastery
Outside
In the middle of a large, severe desert, an old monastery stands against the coarse winds. Its architecture is strange; it has many spires of varying colours and materials, grays and blues are visible over the high stone wall. Massive wooden gates guard the only entrance, watched by two lookout towers. From the outside it seems no more than an abandoned outpost of some secretive religion, save for the lack of structural damage from the sandstorms.
Inside
Once those gates open with a loud creak of tired wood, a hidden paradise is revealed. The ground is paved white stone, and shines a little in the light. In front of you, a large peaceful garden, home to four blossoming cherry trees that mark out a loose square of bare earth. Behind the garden are a small family of buildings with many windows, flat roofs and plain off-white stucco. There are also some sizeable halls with open doors, of differing styles. To your right stands the grandest of them all, topped by a tall turret of faintly greenish marble.
History
Haven was founded around 350 years ago by two old adventurers who had grown weary of constant questing and battling; they were named Morid and Cassandela. Intending to create a testament to struggles in the face of all hardship, the couple planned to build a great temple to house would-be fighters. With her powerful magic, Cassendela summoned great blocks of stone from unused quarries, while Morid used his unrivalled strength to shape them into blocks and lay the foundations of the monastery. Tired by her work, Cassandela elected to stay behind and rest, while Morid went back out into the rest of the world to recruit followers. Very few people learnt of Haven before he died of old age. The widow did her best to instruct the students in both magical and martial arts, while teaching the value of cooperation, experimentation and research. Knowing her time was near, she sealed her own essence into the stonework of the monastery and now acts as its protector. Since then, there has always been one master, adding to the architecture with their own style; embodying the very tenets of Haven culture. When one dies, they are ritually buried in the garden and a tree is planted in their place.
Present Day
Iago is now the 5th master to watch over the monastery. Haven has undergone a complete overhaul in its ranks as of late; unhappy with his decisions, almost all of the existing members have left for greener pastures, while Rellis' expeditions have brought in many new recruits. The goal of the monastery remains the same, however: to provide a collective learning environment for people of all talents.
Inhabitants