Mangkon, The Scribe by the River

Mangkon the Imperial Thane

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The Manifold Reflection, The Librarian of Living Scrolls, The Scribe by the River
Worshipers: People of Hidden Shei, near the Gardens of Meynon
Domains: Community, Healing, Rune, Scalykind
Favored Energy: Positive
Favored Weapon: Tonfa
Favored Creature: Great Blue Heron

Legend
Mangkon is the son of the first rain on Porphyra, a spirit of rivers and streams, and the creator of all imperial dragons. It is said that he used the bristles of his mane as a brush and his own blood to paint the first imperial dragons into existence, on the canvas of the world. It was Mangkon who composed the draconic alphabet, and taught the Draconic language to the barely sentient ancestors of the dragon race, when barely more than self-aware beasts He is also credited as the inventor of the magic scroll, whereupon magic can be stored, perused, and used. Mangkon has never tasted the flesh of sentient beings, and because of this, many a person seeking wisdom have approached Mangkon with little to fear. It was Mankgon who taught the first peoples how to write and preserve their thoughts on parchment. Selecting the most brilliant of these mortal students as his followers, Mangkon founded the demi-realm of Hidden Shei, a scholarly paradise where knowledge is the richest form of currency. It is said that Mankon hoards no gold or art, only a vast library of scrolls and books containing the collected wisdom of the world.

Church
Mangkon’s thanedom is a refined civilization based on academic learning, where every child is a student, every adult serves as a teacher, and all elderly are honored as librarians. In Hidden Shei, all is school, and every person is expected to learn and/or teach something significant each day. Although isolated and remote, Hidden Shei boasts vast libraries containing collected lore and history of Porphyra. It is through constant learning, reflecting, and teaching that the people of Hidden Shei bond their collective spirit to The Scribe by the River. Occasionally an intrepid soul will venture into the outer world, to seek knowledge that has not been brought to the enclave, and to observe how a world uncontrolled by a benevolent teacher progresses. These seekers often multiclass with monk or bard, so better to find the hidden places and gather nuggets of knowledge to be returned to Hidden Shei. Finding Hidden Shei is a test of the seekers’ worth itself, though rigorous vetting is still required once one gets there. Mangkon bequeaths his followers’ souls to the Psychopomp Ushers for judgment, for he considers the true spirit of the person the words they have written down while they lived.

Spell Preparation Ritual
Spend one hour instructing a willing pupil in your area of expertise. If no pupils are to be found, spend the hour sharpening your own skill. No matter how accomplished you may be, there is always more to learn. Begin and end each session with the phrase “A river in constant motion cleanses all it encounters. Learn to swim, lest knowledge drown you”.


See Also

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a - All text is Open Game Content.