The Motherhouse (Lore)

Atop a hillside called Thyrrfjell by the locals, meaning "spirit mountain", this secluded spiritual sanctuary is often shrouded in mist. Travelers, warriors, pilgrims, and refugees are bid welcome where shelter, food, blessings, various ceremonial rites, and healing are offered. Pay tribute at the various Shrines dedicated to the Nord totemic pantheon as you wander about the tranquil grounds. The Barrow Home encircles a sacred pool which is believed to aid in magical healing. The temple proper is an open space usable for ritual, meetings and classes.

The temple is set as a learning center for clergy, shamans, healers, physicians, herbalist and practitioners of the clever craft and other related magical practices.

The temple is in fact the landholder for the town of Hofborg which is under the management of the Hofborg Thane and the crew of the Saebjorn. The temple compound includes the temple itself, the Spirit Woods, and the Clever Cave.

Initiatives

The town as the following initiatives either active, in progress or historically. Funds and other resources are only dedicated to those initiatives with active participation.

Barrow Home

The converted barrow of the Motherhouse serves as a place of healing for the town of Hofborg. The Barrow's speciality is magical healing due to the sacred waters in the Barrow's center. The waters are said to run deep from under the Spirit Woods and bring rapid healing for many ailments. In addition to magical healing, the Barrow has herbalists, medics, and even doctors on staff.

Clever Collage

The Clever Collage is barely a collage and represents more then just clever-magic, yet a past high priest with an unnatural love of alliteration coined the term and it stuck. However, this temple initiative has been an active part of the temple's structure from the beginning a source for the study and discussion of various hedge magics known in the region. Occasionally, visiting and local practitioners teach classes. Recruiting hedge-magic practitioners and educators.

Antiquarian Circle

As plans for the town and temple grow the desire to open a chapter of the Antiquarian Circle in Hofborg under the careful guidence of temple scholors is a goal of the temple elders. Such a chapter would bring visitors to the temple as well as to the town, always a profitable endevour, as is the not insignificant tax break for being a recognized chapter of the Circle. Story-arcs are underway for such a possibility.

Shield Maidens of Mara

“In the snowy lands of Skyrim there’s a band of warrior women known as Mara’s Shield-Maidens. They vow to take no lovers but Shor himself, for Mara is said to be his concubine and no one would dare to usurp Kyne’s place as his rightful wife. Clad in wolf pelts, they go to battle with reckless passion, determined to earn their place in Sovngarde by deeds of valor.”

Temple archives indicate that a small group of Mara's Shield Maidens called the temple home, or at least their home base. Occasionally one who claims to bear such a devotion will show up at the Motherhouse asking for a room to rest and a place to heal and meditate. This is a plausible back story for a character.

Riddari

Riddari as a term seems to be common only to the Hofborg region yet it was at one time an active practice that has since fallen out of favor. Temple archives suggest that at one point in their early history each priest/ess of the Temple was paired with a Riddari, a Nord knight sworn to the service of the temple. Riddari are rumored to be excellent riders and their bond with their horse as complete as their devotion to their priest/ess. Read More ..

Rank

Various Ranks within the Motherhouse: Current Player Leadership

Position	Rank	Area of Expertise
First	High Priest/ess	Highest Rank in the temple, the High Priest/ess is responsible not only for the temple but the property taxes of the temple and the town of Hofborg.
Second	Skógr-Vard	Second in command to the high priest/ess the Skógr-Vard is the spirit grove guardian and typically a clever practitioner or shaman. They bear the name Mothir or Fathir as an honorific.
Third	Head Doctor Head Scholar Law Keeper	Any of the individual heads of the various temple initiative are considered members of the temple council.
Fourth	Priests/esses Healer Riddari Sheild-Maiden	Represents the bulk of the temple membership.
Fifth	Acolytes	An introductory position for those who are in training.
Sixth	Keepers Guardians	A mix of PC and NPC's who work at the temple as grounds keepers, temple staff, and retired guards.

OOC

The Motherhouse functions primarily as a back story for town characters, as most of our role-play is centered on the town or the crew. This may change as we grow but for now the temple will host only a few events a month, such as; Ritual Events, Hedge-magic classes, Antiquarian Circle Events and Healers as needed for role-play.