Order of the White Tree

Ora

Ora is the goddess of Her people, the goddess the Order of the White Tree worships. Ora guides Her people, which is all who choose to accept Her. Ora is a goddess that embodies peace, brotherhood, justice, and honor and wishes Her followers to do the same. To guide Her people, She not only has given the sacred symbol of the White Tree, but also communicates with the people through visions, priests, and more.

Ora's people

Ora's people are all who choose to accept Her. Although the majority of the faith resides in Nivemus, it is open to all. Ora's people seek brotherhood, so no person shall be turned away because of their realm association alone. Ora's people are also called to embody peace, justice, and honor, just as their goddess Ora does. Through this, the world can be made a better place, perhaps even a utopia if Ora's name is spread to all corners of the world.

Ora and Her people

Ora and Her people have a long history. Before anyone can remember, small groups of the tribes of the North believed in a goddess and grew White Tree's in the few places they would on the plains. Trees were a rarity on the Northern plains and badlands, which made the White Tree just that much more special. Ora saw the corrupted Church of Rancagua, and sprung into action, guiding Her people against them. These people were nobles of Old Rancagua, and they believed in Her, and became Her people. Her people extended Ora's word from the Omsk Peninsula, to Ashforth,from Oroya, to Csopa, and all lands in between.

Eventually, Old Rancagua became lax in their praise of her and became corrupt. Ora grew angry at this, and then let Old Rancagua's enemies destroy them and sent them into exile in Sirion. From there, the corrupted leaders of the Order of the White Tree continued in the Northern regions of Sirion. They continued to hold power over the Order until Judge Erik Eyolf saw Ora in a vision, calling him to banish the corrupted elders of the Order. He did, and after that, the old Order fell.

Out of the ashes, former High Priest Tavius ut Daris, former Baron of Csopa and current High Priest Obito Uzamaki, former noble of Sirion, recreated the Order. The Order preached some in the Northern lands of Sirion, but also began to return Ora's name to the lands of Old Rancagua. When the Sultanate was defeated and Nivemus created, the Order took up residence in Nivemus, which is, for the most part, where they reside today.

The White Tree

The White Tree is the sigil of the Order of the White Tree, Ora's symbol of enduring brotherhood that unites Her people, and the unique, extremely rare tree that is found in the temples of the Order. The 'parent' tree once existed in the holy city Oroya, but as the last city of Ora's people was being razed to the ground, the huge white tree was burned by the armies of the Sultanate. The priests of the Order escaped with a few seeds given from the tree, and planted them in the existing temples.

These sacred tree's remind us that the Order of the White Tree is a brotherhood which we should never forsake and always protect. Although open to interpretation, Sir Obito Uzamaki, High Priest of the Order of the White Tree, describes the symbolism like this:

Roots: The representation of the roots of the tree is Ora and Her guidance. In Her guidance, the rest of the tree lives and prospers, and without Her guidance, the brotherhood will die.

Trunk: The representation of the trunk of the tree are the High Priest and Elder members of the Order. Through them, the branches live and grow.

Branches: The representation of the branches of the tree are the Nobles of the Order. The many branches protect the tree from harm through storms of trial.

Leaves: The representation of the leaves of the tree are the peasants who believe in Ora's name. They grow and prosper from the branches of the tree and serve the tree itself.

Sermons

Call To Return Ora's Name to Her Lands

Current Priests

High Priest Obito Uzamaki, Baron of Pedrera

Priest Leifof Imminent, Noble of Nivemus

Ora's lands

Oroya(medium temple)

Ashforth(small temple)

Parm(small temple)

Oberndorf(small temple)

Salta(small temple)

Pucallpa(primitive temple)

Dale(small shack)

Csopa(small shack)

Caqueta

Juazeiro

Obando

Pedrera

The Book of Kristina

In the times of strife, worship and devotion languished for the Goddess, even the crowned head of Nivemus rejected her counsel and so the lands bled and buckled under the pressure as the roots of the tree struggled in discomfort to find purchase. In the mind of a girl in Sirion the Goddess called, with nightmares and visions she motivated her and so the pilgrimage of the prophetess began:

Night Terrors

She had done as the dreams and nightmares had bade her, stumbling along the roads like some peasant woman she had left her men in their homeland, it was not fair that she should pull them so far from their families.

She was ill-prepared for life alone, hunger pangs made her feel light headed , her shoes chaffed at her feet. She could scarce braid her own hair. But the nightmares had been vivid. A golden haired woman with silver skin, besieged and beleaguered by lascivious dark skinned men. The woman was crying out as they hacked at her body, but no sound was emergent.

Then there was the dream of the tree, aflame with blood red glow, and always her sisters voice calling her. If she did not respond she knew Catherine was to die a meaningless death. It was this that had called her first, but now the nightmares of the ravaged woman, this was something else. Her father had always despaired at the passions of his youngest daughter. The family had thought her flighty and prone to the fanciful. She had left on a gilded litter almost entirely to prove them wrong. Now as she stumbled into the shack and was greeted by the woman in her dreams, she knew she had left for a very different reason.

The woman looked at her, a playful expression in her eyes, not even as tall as Kristina she stood before her completely naked and unashamed. Far from being abashed when the woman opened her arms, Kristina fell into them, fell into an embrace that was almost overwhelming in its intensity. The woman kissed her forehead and whispered into her ear:

"You are mine."

The mother of Dale

An elderly maunt was cradling her head and stroking her hair as she awoke, the morning sunrise was hazy but even this made the silver white bark of the tree glow in an almost iridescent hue. There was no sign of the woman from her dreams anymore. The maunt seemed to sense her awakening and looked down at her with milky blind eyes. She smiled:

"It has been a while child, but I knew I'd find you here, she called me to watch over you in the night."

Ironic that a blind woman should watch over anyone. Kristina pushed herself up onto her elbows:

"You have been here all night?" she touched the older womans face, "why?"

The woman chuckled, a warm sound that somehow reminded Kristina of her mother. "Had I not your flower would have been plucked." Kristina's blood ran cold as she noted the 3 large figures slumped at the far side of the shack, their throats cut. Startled she lurched from the woman, noting for the first time the bloodied blade at her side. With an iron grip the maunt seized her arm as if she could see her: "This was her first gift to you child, use it wisely."

The strength in the womans hands belied her apparent frailty. She continued: "And these are my gifts to you," the maunt placed a hooded cloak on her shoulders, and offered a pair of sandals that would lace up her legs. As Kristina put them on, her mind raced, she couldn't bring herself to look again at the three men, worse still she noted with a sinking sensation, the bloodied blade was her own. She gingerly wiped i on the dew soaked grass at the base of the tree and re-sheathed it in her belt.

"How can I repay you, mother?" she asked.

The woman smiled, the benign smile of a grandmother to her grand children. "You cannot," she said wistfully, "Not yet at least." Her blind eyes swept the room and she cocked her head as if listening to some unheard voice. The maunt stood and handed Kristina a small package of food. " It is time for you to travel on, dear heart. I would come with you, but I have three sons to bury."

Bewildered Kristina backed out of the shack. Shocked and silent tears poured freely as she ran stumblingly on the road to Obando.