The Hexact Orders

The Hexact Orders are institutions which make up four of the six “pillars of the state” in nations using the Hexact philosophy of government. The Hexact Doctrine does not specify the nature or structure of the four institutions, only their goals and the services they provide. In Anrel, the four institutions are:

• The Senasi - health care
• The Rinesti - justice and legal services
• The Cloádi - general education
• The Minasili - officers of religion and pastoral care

Though their functions are not exclusively provided by the respective institution, the institutions are the only ones who have a separate voice in government. The orders also act as regulators and educational institutions for the services they provide.

The organised philosophy of Anrelplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigAnrel Isles

Anrel [ANN-rel], or the Anrel Isles, is the most northerly island group in the Natorn Archipelago. It consists of three major islands and numerous smaller ones. The largest, colloquially if infrequently called Mainland, is divided between the kingdoms of Trésard and Narette. The island must be distinguished from its various religions. Anrel has an array of gods, who are worshipped usually for particular purposes, and by members of different region and class. Anrel theology is a nebulous affair, but there is a sense that although each god is unique, and even jealous of its own worship, they form a whole in which every deity represents the spectrum of religious experience.

The Hexact Doctrine is an entirely secular philosophy, or rather, it assumes that religion is not, of itself, essential to the development of the State. However, religion in Anrel is the vital pillar for promotion of Virtue, of both a social and moral kind, which promotes lawfulness and civic duty. These moral principles of the doctrine are embodied in the three Secular Orders, not just in religion. All three orders have houses throughout the Natorn Isles, which are funded by donations and a proportion of Hexact taxation. Their members dedicate their lives to service of their Order, wear a common uniforms and tend to live in large enclosed communal houses in towns and rural areas. Most members dedicate their spiritual lives to the Order, although many have private religious beliefs that they are free to exercise in their own way, in the service of their Order.

The Senasi are healers and physicians, dedicated to tending to the sick and advocating for the health of the nation. They wear white, and their houses are found in all major towns and cities.

They are named after the First House of the Order, which was established in the city of Thenar in Northland. The order is an open one: both men and women may join, they travel freely, and there are no requirements of celibacy or worship. Marriage however is only permitted between order members, who dwell in an order-house. Those who marry outside the Order may continue as lay members, living outside but working in an order-house.

Senasi are hospitable to travellers, and offer simple lodgings to poor travellers in return for a few alms, or in exchange for menial duties. Senasi journeymen are expected to travel widely to distant towns and villages, tending to the sick in remote places. During this time they gather depth of knowledge, patience and experience, before choosing a particular House for the rest of their days, or for as long as they see fit.

These are the advocates, advisers, magistrates, the recorders and drafters of Hexact Law. They wear red, and because of their important position in the administration of Justice, they have particularly strict codes of conduct depending on their profession and rank within the Order.

The Rinesti are a closed order, in that entrants must fulfil certain requirements, passing tests of intellectual ability, legal knowledge, as well as high standards of moral probity. The Order is extremely hierarchical, and those wishing to ascend to the highest ranks are expected to reside permanently in a Rinesti House, under the scrutiny of their superiors.

Because of its important position in the Hexact, the Order attracts the most able and ambitious members of society, as it plays a vital part in the administration of government in many nations. It also often acts as a source of moral and social guidance for the legislature, although this may be seen as stretching the bounds of their role within the Hexact. The Order is also extremely hierarchical, and marriage is seen as an impediment to advancement.

Rinesti commonly take a vow of celibacy, as only avowed and committed celibates are permitted to take the highest positions as advocates and judges, largely as a measure to prevent corruption and ensure a focus on their calling. Sexual abstinence is not essential, but committed members cannot marry and must conduct themselves with decorum, restraint and discretion. Rinesti are also not permitted to own property or possessions, as all their material needs are provided by their order-house. Those who are unable to commit to the high sacrifices of the order may become lay advocates, who work on the administrative affairs of the order, although many retire to become public notaries or State administrators.

They represent Learning and intellectual enlightenment. They are the archivists, historians, scholars and teachers. Their Houses are storehouses of knowledge and reasoning, and their order is dedicated to the quest for it. They send tutors to noble houses (for which the rich pay handsomely), staff schools for the merchant classes who pay for the service, using these funds to provide basic community schooling in reading and writing for the less well off.

The Cloádi are one of the least high profile of the Hexact Orders, but are awarded deep respect. Cloádi are devoted to the basic tenets of humility, serenity, generosity and enlightenment, and in their Wanderings often teach in towns and villages which they pass through, and to travellers they meet. This teaching often takes the form of discussion and debate, and revelation of historical truth or philosophical insight.

The order-houses tend to be simple and have a small number of members, but they are comfortable. The order is not highly structured, status tending to depend on knowledge, experience, and position.

The smallest order, the Minasili are almost exclusively women, and extremely reclusive. They are dedicated to the study of the arcane arts, of astromancy and divination, in exploration of the powers of the human Mind. They acknowledge elementals and god-elementals, and the higher ranks know of their true nature, using their power to extend their divinations. The Minasili are the ‘Theolates’ of the androgyne god Minasaia, managing the power of the deital and directing it. They are often regarded as ‘witches’, and feared to a certain extent, but they play little part in the sovereignty of the Hexact.