Mantis Clan and Monk Order info needed

[dorkling]

I need any info anyone has on the Mantis Clan or the order of Sun Soul because I have to almost completly redo my RP for my character because of OOC certain reasons which is ironic if you ask me.

I need to know how a character from where ever the Mantis Clan is from ( I have always RP that I was from Kara-tur and that my first stop in these strange lands was Waterdeep dont think kara-tur was on the land list back in the day ) would now be a member of the Mantis Clan but have to follow Lathander and be in the Soul Sun Order.

Any info on Lathander would be great too, the stuff I saw on Wiki made it seem like pretty damn lame.


Here is the background RP i have been using forever....

Born to an eastern ( Kara-tar ) family cursed by a jealous and angry lord. The Curse is every family member on their 18th birthday has their face suddenly age to appear as if the person was elderly. (hence the old man face in my model ).

After generations of the curse my father tried to beat the curse by having a child with an Elf. And that is how Shi Tso Chan was born. ( hence being Half-elf )

Growing up my father had a rule for my elven mother whom he only married to try to break the curse" My son will never speak your native tongue" So my mother taught me to understand and read it but not to speak it.( Hence why I can understand it but not speak it, also due to the fact my character is so old you used to only get language gizmo's from DMs and I never did )

Born with magical talent ( hence the Sorc level ) the family sends him to a far away land to study under the Mantis Clan ( hence the Monk levels )


Now somehow I have to fit being converted to Lathander even though there is no IN GAME mention of him or his order anywhere in Mantis Clan compound. I have yet to find in game mention of any monk orders.

I pretty much built Shi Tso Chan Around in game stuff since I dont play DnD or read the forums much. And now I have to adapt to lots of OOC stuff or I'm sure I will face the wrath of someone.

I look in the forums (lore of the land) for monk order info and to be honest there isnt enough info there to RP my way out of wet toilet paper.

Please someone tell me what god the mantis clan worships?

So if anyone has any info or suggestions to help me, let me know.

[ShadowCatJen]

Unfortunately the regions in Kara-Tur don't follow any gods. In Kara-Tur they venerate certain spirits, but they have no gods, per say.

There is no stipulation that says that a member of the Mantis Clan can't also be a member of the Soul Sun Order. Nor does it say that a Mantis clan member can't end up worshiping a god. The other members may look oddly at your character, but long as their tenants don't clash then it should be fine.

What may fit better for your character, though, is to make him a member of the Old Order. The Old Order doesn't worship any particular Deity and their ways are probably the closest to a Kara-Turan mentality as you can get. Also, Monks of the Old Order can multiclass freely as sorcerers.

Does that help?

[EliahPhos]

Heya, what exactly do you need to know? I can give a little history and breakdown of the Mantis clan and related subjects.

It comes from Oriental Adventures - general D&D 3.0 material, so Kara-tur applies unless I'm mistaken.

However, it is a -Clan-, NOT a Monk Order. That might be the confusion.

---
Pg. 230 of Oriental Adventures summary for Mantis Clan:
During the Clan Wars, the Mantis, Centipede, Wasp, Fox, Tortoise, and Sparrow gained power under the Mantis Family leader Yoritomo(now dead). These are Minor Clans. After the Clan Wars, the Mantis, Wasp, and Centipede Families became one, known as the Mantis Clan.

---

Faerun Guide, pg 24, MONK:

Monastic orders usually originate in civilized human lands. Among humans, the earliest monastic orders native to Faerun seem to have arisen in Amn and Calimshan simultaneously with some orders immigrating from other worlds and the eastern land of Kara-Tur. Unlike clerics and druids, monks do not necessarily have to choose a patron deity (although most do), nor do monks have to associate themselves with one of the schools listen in the Monastic Orders sidebar(Shown below).

Monks in Forgotten Realms have the following Monk Orders, per Pg 25's Sidebar, Monastic Orders...

Broken Ones(Good) Of all the popular deities of Faerun, Ilmater is the deity most associated with an order of monks who act purely in his name. *snip*

Dark Moon(Evil) Shar is worshiped by a powerful sect of monks who maintain open temples in lands ruled by evil overlords or hide among hills, back alleys, or the Underdark. *snip*

Hin Fist(Neutral or Good) Halfings

Long Death(Evil) The Long Death order worships the principle of death without caring much which deity currently owns the portfolio. They are more than willing to share death and its antecedent, pain, with others. Clerics of the previous god of death, Myrkul, chose to view them as part of their god's long-range plans. Kelemvor views them as enemies, but is at least pleased that they do not actively promote undeath. Velsharoon wants to woo them, but has not figured out how. This order is quite strong in Thay, though not with the sanction or cooperation of the Red Wizards.

Old Order(Neutral, Sometimes Good, Rarely Evil) Monks of the Old Order do not worship any deity, but are devoted to the philosophy espoused by a deity who is either now dead or has never existed on the Material Plane of Toril. The monks contradict themselves on this point, but the deity's identity isn't important to them, it's the message they care about. The Old Order never has huge monasteries, but has spread widely throughout Faerun.

Shining Hand(Neutral) The Shining Hand is one of the oldest monk orders of Amn, mixing faith in Azuth and the practice of wizardry with monastic devotions. Amn's crackdown on the practice of wizardry has sent some Shining Hand groups underground and sent others out into the wider world.

Sun Soul(Good or Neutral) The allegiance of this widespread but disorganized sect varies between groups, some following Lathander, others Selune, and a few devoted to Sune. The Sun Soul order, along with the Old Order, is the most likely to have monasteries hidden in far flung wilderness areas.

Yellow Rose(Good or Neutral) Also known as Disciples of Saint Sollars, this solitary monastery of Ilmater worshipers in the Earthspur Mountains of Damara is known for loyalty to its allies and destruction to its enemies. Greatly respected on matters of truth and diplomacy, the monks work hard to survive in their harsh remote sanctuary. The monks often travel with Ilmataran paladins, particularly from the Order of the Golden Cup.

[dorkling]

shadowcatjen said:

Unfortunately the regions in Kara-Tur don't follow any gods. In Kara-Tur they venerate certain spirits, but they have no gods, per say.

There is no stipulation that says that a member of the Mantis Clan can't also be a member of the Soul Sun Order. Nor does it say that a Mantis clan member can't end up worshiping a god. The other members may look oddly at your character, but long as their tenants don't clash then it should be fine.

What may fit better for your character, though, is to make him a member of the Old Order. The Old Order doesn't worship any particular Deity and their ways are probably the closest to a Kara-Turan mentality as you can get. Also, Monks of the Old Order can multiclass freely as sorcerers.

Does that help?

Yeah helps alot...dont feel like I have to make Shi fall and get amnesia and worship some a god that didnt really fit.

[Munroe]

This issue mainly arrises because of our monk multi-classing rule.

Monks must belong to a valid Monastic Order as detailed in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (FRCS) - this information is also found on our forums. Monks are then restricted to multi-classing as per the order they have chosen.

--Monks of the Old Order can multi-class freely as rogues, sorcerors and shadowdancers but must maintain more monk levels than their combined levels of other classes.

--Monks of the Sun Soul can can gain levels in one other class and still progress as a monk as long as their monk level is their highest class level.

I would definitely say if you don't want to play a devout monk (Sun Soul worship Lathander, Selune, or Sune, depending on which sect) and your desire is to multi-class as sorceror, the Old Order is your best bet. There's also Dark Moon that can have sorceror levels but they're strictly Sharran.

[dorkling]

eliahphos said:

However, it is a -Clan-, NOT a Monk Order. That might be the confusion.

that did cause the confusion because the main part of the Mantis Clan is the monastery. So assumed there was monks and made one back in the day.

[dorkling]

wolfmunroe said:

This issue mainly arrises because of our monk multi-classing rule.

Monks must belong to a valid Monastic Order as detailed in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (FRCS) - this information is also found on our forums. Monks are then restricted to multi-classing as per the order they have chosen.

--Monks of the Old Order can multi-class freely as rogues, sorcerors and shadowdancers but must maintain more monk levels than their combined levels of other classes.

--Monks of the Sun Soul can can gain levels in one other class and still progress as a monk as long as their monk level is their highest class level.

I would definitely say if you don't want to play a devout monk (Sun Soul worship Lathander, Selune, or Sune, depending on which sect) and your desire is to multi-class as sorceror, the Old Order is your best bet. There's also Dark Moon that can have sorceror levels but they're strictly Sharran.

Not also that no additional shadowdancers are currently permitted on FRC so the mention of Old Order being allowed shadowdancer multi-classing isn't particularly applicable.

Going Old order since it seems legal and I dont have to read a boxset to be in character when it comes to religion.

Thanks for the help everyone! But feel free to keep posting stuff..it will only make me better.