Monastery of Saint Benedict and the Discovery
| Monastery of Saint Benedict and the Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Name as inscribed on the ARCHO Heritage List | |
 Painting of the monastery | |
| Location | On the Fontus River, East Paradisa Province |
| Type | Cultural |
| ARCHO subregion | Hesperidesia |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2001 |
The Monastery of Saint Benedict and the Discovery is the oldest monastery in Hesperidesia, tracing its roots to the original settlers from the Roman Empire in 68AD. Since its inception, the monastery has played an important role in Hesperidesian religious life, and today more than two hundred Monks continue to call the Monastery grounds home.
Name
While it is named in honor of St. Benedict of the Discovery, the name of the monastery is Saint Benedict and the Discovery, recognizing the importance both of St. Benedict, as well as of the pilgrim discovery of Hesperidesia. The name is often confused with the name of its patron Saint, but it is distinct to commemorate both the person and the event of discovery itself.
History
The Founding - 68AD
In 66AD, two years after the Great Fire of Rome, some 4000 Roman Christians gathered in the Port of Ostia to flee the increasing anti-Christian attacks organized by the Emperor Nero. The expedition was organized under the guidance of a priest named Benedictus, who would become more commonly known as St. Benedict of the Discovery.
After setting course for beyond the Pillars of Hercules, the group voyaged across a vast distance, stopping in ports along the way to gather supplies. In each of these ports they lost more and more members, some finding their homes along the way.
After two years at sea, the fleet finally came upon the continent of Hesperidesia and decoded to disembark there. Once upon the shore of their final stop the crew of 1500 that remained encountered a beautiful jungle. It was here they chose to build their Empire. The settlers were divided, some chose to build their settlement near the modern-day Paradise City, where they became the founders of the Empire of Exponent, while others chose to follow St. Benedict further into the jungle.
During their journey the group was beginning to grow weak and tired, so they began to pray. They prayed for a place of peace where they could live and enjoy the beauty of God. It was soon after this that they discovered a valley within the jungle. St. Benedict gazed into the glittering blue waters of the Fontus River that flowed here and declared this valley to become the home of his Monastery. There it was built and to this day it still houses the Monks of St. Benedict.
The Crusades - 810-1382AD
The people of the Monastery lead a peaceful existence choosing to live as pacifists under God. They did not participate in the crusades though they did benefit from the resulting wealth. The crusades did not end until the entirety of Hesperidesia was united under the banner of the Exponential empire. This regional expansion led to the Golden Years of Exponent.
Golden Years of Exponent and the Unification of Hesperidesia - 1382AD - 16th Century
Life during the Golden Years of Exponent was peaceful for those living within the Monastery. The empire had great wealth from trade and colonial expansion and the emperor made sure the Monastery was well taken care of. With the wealth of the Empire to support them the Monastery grew.
The Plague - 16th - 18th Century
The plague tore through the Empire of Exponent and the Monastery despite being a place of god was not spared his plague. The close living quarters and Monastery lifestyle allowed the virus to spread rapidly throughout the population.
The only known treatment of this plague leads to further infection. They believed to cure the disease the boils that grew upon the flesh must be burst and rinsed. Without modern medicine the contamination of living space by the putrid pus leads to further infections. To make matters worse the open sores developed secondary infections. It was said that “his skin would burst and run black.” Then if the demon was released, he shall live, and his skin will heal. If the demon is not released by the bursting of the boil, then “the skin became dark like the night, and it was gone” it pulled taught against the healthy tissue beside the sore. This is the secondary infection from the opening of the wounds.
During the time of the plague many came to the monastery to seek wisdom from its inhabitants, only to find them suffering as well. “The smell of death met us as we approached the famed Monastery. My partner and I shared a concerned look as we approached. When we arrived, we found a weak group of monastery inhabitants administering last rites to at least a dozen caskets. It was a depressing sight” (Monastery Visitors 17th century Exponent).
The Blackhelm Confederacy - 1996 - The Present
Life at the Monastery has changed very little since its founding. It escaped most of the conflict that faced the rest of Hesperidesia because of the pacifist nature of the Monks. Today they are permitted to travel and trade once a week provided they are not new arrivals to the Monastery. The economy of the Monastery is based on this trade and religious donation; however, religious donations have been in decline during the past five years. The Monastery’s primary income comes from gathering Cocoa beans from the surrounding Jungle. Cocoa is an extremely valuable cash crop for the Confederacy, so they can afford all that they are unable to provide for themselves. The Monastery is primarily able to provide for its inhabitants without religious donation, but the donations are extremely valuable and provide the Monks with much needed support.
The Monastery welcomes new members, but few are allowed to travel through its halls without committing to the Monastery, this has created some mystery surrounding the practices of the Monks but little has been discovered that indicates any malice or ill intent. The Monks of the Monastery remain a local icon and will likely continue in the same way for many years to come.
Economy
Historically the Monastery subsided on trade with the Exponential Empire. A small selection of Monks was permitted to leave the Monastery once every seven days to trade fish for grains and other goods they could not get from the environment around the Monastery. What could not be acquired through direct trade was brought to the monks in the form of religious donation. Today the Monastery is primarily self-sufficient, relying on trade or donation from the citizens of Exponent and its leaders to provide agricultural goods only. The Monks of the Monastery primarily use Cocoa seeds to trade with the merchants of the Confederacy. In some cases, the citizens of the Confederacy may choose to donate an annual 3% tithe to the local church. Once a year the churches of the Confederacy donate a portion of the donations they receive directly to the Monastery.
The Environment and Architecture
Located in a valley through which the Fontus River flows the people of the Monastery wanted to preserve the natural beauty of the area. To do this they chose to build the Monastery directly into the rock of the mountainside. The monastery was built using Roman building techniques including the addition of Domes on each of the buildings. Built shortly after their landing in Hesperidesia in 68AD, the monastery continues to be the home of the Monks of St. Benedict. These monks continue to practice the religion of their ancestors, Roman Catholicism.