Order of the Red Angel
 | |
|---|---|
| Deity | Misha, Angel of Healing |
| Domains | Fire, Glory, Good, Healing, Protection |
| Races | Any (Humans) |
| Classes | Any (Clerics) |
| Alignments | Neutral Good |
| Holy Days | Traditional |
| Place of Worship | Sickbed |
| Holy Symbol | Leechwort |
| Sister Superior | Layla the Red |
| Major Temple | Healer's Hall (Teufeldorf) |
The Order of the Red Angel has existed since the middle of the First Age, making it one of the oldest organized religions in the Realm. It's founding is based on the legend of Misha - a young shepherd girl that was imbued with magical healing properties during an accident in the high meadows of the Frostbrand Mountains. The Order provides healing services to all - regardless of race, class or alignment. Simple ceremonies cure wounds and provide redemption for past misdeeds. The brothers and sisters of the Order are trusted for their honesty and discrimination.
Some members of the Order of the Red Angel can be found in the armies of the Realm - providing their services on a large scale. Others work as adventurers, providing healing support to smaller expeditions and fellowships. The Order accepts any member who can pass their initiation rites. Clerics interested in joining the Order of the Red Angel can do so at any Healer's Hall - the largest of which in the Reaches is run by Layla the Red in Teufeldorf.
The Legend of Misha
As legend holds in the Old Kingdom of Rembia at the turn of the 10th century FA, a young shepherd girl named Misha lived in a high valley of the Frostbrand Mountains. Her village was remote - the last stop on a merchant's trail - known for raising sheep and highland cows which were driven down the trail to the larger lowland villages and markets of the kingdom. It is told by the village elders that Misha suffered a terrible accident - being bumped into a deep water well by a sheep while tending her flock in a meadow filled with the grey-barked leechwort shrub. For ten days, Misha treaded water in the well before being rescued by her brother - a ranger dispatched from the village to find the missing girl. Her voice lost, presumably from screaming for help, Misha mutely recounted the ordeal to her brother. In addition to her weakened condition, Misha's skin had taken on a red hue - perhaps from the red leechwort berries that were common in the meadow.
When the villagers heard of her miraculous recovery, they grew suspicious. Ten days without food and sleep - impossible. Red skin - very unusual. Some dismissed Misha as a liar. Others believed she had been possessed by a red-skinned demon - who could not speak without giving itself away. In the dark of the night, Misha's brother again rescued her - this time from peasant superstition and fear - and took her down the valley looking for a convent or religious order that would adopt her. A small order of sisters who cared for lepers exiled from the Old Kingdom gladly welcomed a new recruit. However, what happened next was unexpected. As Misha walked through the leper wards, the patients experienced miraculous recoveries. Some were cured completely, others given relief from pain, disfigurements began to straighten and heal.
Misha found peace and contentment behind the high cloistered walls of the convent. Still physically weak, unable to speak, she could work her healing magic in quiet solitude. Word of her healing powers spread quickly, however. Long lines of sick and disabled snaked outside the gates of the convent.
In order to provide healing while also protecting her fragile charge, the Sister Superior transformed one of the old leper wards into a confessional where Misha could sit behind a wooden screen while the sick were brought into the room. Her magic filled the room, creating a healing sanctuary. Misha, however, was hidden - her red skin and mute voice unseen and unheard. Some patients tell of seeing a red angel behind the wooden screen.
Several years later, Misha learned of the death of her ranger brother - a tragic event which brought great sadness to an otherwise idyllic life. By accident, it was discovered that a single tear from Misha's eyes could be used to create a hundred potions that would heal the sick. With this discovery, the Order of the Red Angel was created - brothers and sisters were trained and sent out into the Old Kingdom with the single mission to cure the sick and diseased.
Legend holds that Misha still lives behind the cloistered walls of the convent. Certainly, the ancient room with the wooden screen is still there - as travelers today tell stories of glimpsing the Red Angel in the old leper's ward. The Order of the Red Angel is the largest organization of healers in the Realm, and Misha's work is still done by them today.