Changramai

The Changramai were a mystical order of warrior monks with a quasi-religious devotion to Cay (Kai) in the Shadow World history. They were founded in northern Emer in 2500 Second Era as a disenchanted offshoot of the Xiosian warrior priests who served the Titans, a group of demi-gods who chose to reside on the planet rather than Orhan (Liabo) and ruled over the continent for a few thousand years. In practice their order is less of a monastery and more of a training school, with no organized religion within the compound of the citadel. It is the source of the paradox that they are famous principally for being mercenaries.

While some were purely martial in their techniques, others were trained to be superb mentalists. The Changramai were masters of unarmed combat who would, despite their ascetic lifestyle, hire themselves out as bodyguards and security specialists. These were never roles of being a soldier proper, as it would be far too expensive. It was the mark of very wealthy individuals and major institutions to have Changramai as staff.

Background

Origin

The Changramai Citadel was founded in the Choak mountains of Tai-Emer, their school named for a legendary master named Changrama. While this was the mythical inventor of their mind/body fusion techniques, it was actually founded by the Loari Loremaster Tanris Dekdarion. His grandson is the famous Loremaster and Changramai Master T'vaar Dekdarion, the Master of Defenses for the College of Karilon. It is the only school known to exist and its location is remote, near what would become the Pochantos empire and the Forest of Ash. Devout youths would travel there to learn the arts of mind and body control.

The Changramai are famous for running up walls and performing seemingly impossible acrobatics while engaging in unarmed combat. In manner they are stoic and only socialize with each other, not even with other workers wherever they have been hired long-term. Those who reside at the Library of Nomikos (Biblia), their largest customer, never leave the library complex to visit the port below.

Training

The Changramai are willing to allow entry to essentially anyone, regardless of gender, except that they will only accept an elite minority who can pass their rigorous testing. It is uncommon for anyone older than a young adolescent to be admitted as an initiate. While the monastery takes in orphans, they may only train if they show sufficient aptitude. Initiates are tested for aptitudes and preferences for five years. They begin as a "First Veil" monk in a progression that ends with the tenth veil, each of which is designated by its own color. These are earned with a physical and spiritual trial judged by a tribunal of masters, which means it is not a purely objective matter of ranking.

There is a second form of designation related to their two basic schools of martial arts. The "Talshya method" is focused on striking attacks, whereas the "Renshya method" focuses on unbalancing and throwing. These each possess four ranks, which are earned independently of each other. There is more curriculum if the monk wishes to become proficient in mental magic. The veils would correspond roughly to ten level increments for our world.

Appearance

The Changramai wear simple white robes that will not hinder their motion. However, they can be identified by subtle distinguishing markers, such as a colored collar band corresponding to their veil. Their rank in striking methods is represented by triangular pips on the left side of their collar, and throwing or unbalancing maneuvers by pips on the right side. When they pass their first veil they are given an intricate, enchanted small red triangular tattoo on the back of their left hand. Some will optionally choose to have a second such triangle pointing down tattooed under their left eye. They use a unique three-bladed throwing knife called a Jata. It is a circular weapon that slashes as a broadsword but is thrown as a spear.

With the exception of the visible tattoo, however, the monks will never wear their rank or veil insignia while working. It would only serve to reveal to others any potential weaknesses in the bodyguards protecting their clients. They will only hire out monks who have passed the third veil with at least four ranks in martial arts (at a minimum of 10 gold per day), with much higher fees depending on the level of expertise and experience. The monks must pay a 50/50 split with the monastery.

Recent History

In the I.C.E. Age GemStone III was set in roughly 6050 Third Era, the "present" according to the Shadow World timeline. In 6039 Third Era the Lankan Empire (Kannalan Empire) of high men, the theocracy of Klysus (Luukos) in northeast Emer, conquered the Pochantos. The borders of the theocracy were such that the outlying provinces were now next to the doorstep of the Changramai monastery. It is most likely the case that the Order of Vult had acquired its martial arts training from the Changramai, and that the original backstory of the order was intended to be related to the recent expansion of the theocracy. The guardian of the gate in Wehnimer's Landing may actually be Changramai.

The story the monks tell of their founding is impossible for multiple reasons in its original context. Lord Fasthr K'Tafali (Iruaric: Lord of the Half-Heads) would have been a blood relative of Akalatan (Amasalen), or else himself a military conqueror of the theocracy to be a manor lord of an outlying province. It is utterly implausible that they could have run such a monastery within the theocracy of Klysus for thousands of years. The Lankan Empire did not exist in the year these events supposedly happened, and the Lords of Orhan (Liabo) were entirely absent from the world in that period. It was a very blatant lie by the monks, but its purpose was apparently never developed.

Behind The Scenes

The concept of an elite order of martial warriors who hire themselves out as expensive bodyguards was reintroduced to GemStone IV with the Palestra. It is unclear whether the guard at the Voln monastery in Wehnimer's Landing was intended to be Changramai, as there are white robed monks tending the field while others wear black or blue robes. Their "Voln fu" nominally came from the favor of their gods, but their backstory is dishonest in its original context. There may have been a political agenda or something otherwise unexpected, revealed later in the Path to Enlightenment. Such a storyline would have been made obsolete by the end of the I.C.E. Age several months after the society was introduced.