This monastery is in the hills of Karameikos, north of Luln, not far from the Achelos River. It is extremely well fortified, divided between two great pillars of rock. In a way it is two monasteries close to each other. The Reclusium is where lawful clerics can get away from the clamours of city life and the dangers and hardships of adventuring, and just find peace and quiet.
A number of clerics here have retired and are no longer involved in the active running of the church of Law or its various missions. Others have been permanently damaged in some way (energy drained, cursed or the like) and had their careers cut short. The northern Reclusium is inhabited by females and is run by Mother Superior Berriana (C9, human female, lawful), while the southern Reclusium is run by Father Superior Dominicus (C9, human male, lawful). During the daytime they mix freely but at night they are separated by gender.
Every year the Reclusium takes in a batch of teenagers who want to join the church and for the following 2 years they are taught and trained in all sorts of aspects of being a cleric (sacred texts, prayer and meditation, combat fitness, blunt weapons training). At the end of their stay, those who have stayed the course are now 1st level clerics, known in the Church of Law as Acolytes, and are then sent on their ways, often directed towards churches and temples of Law within towns and cities (Luln, Specularum, Threshold etc). Other newly ordained acolytes try their luck with the adventuring life, with varied results.
Access to the two halves of the Reclusium is via a pair of helical paths that wind their way up the sides of the buttes. There is no natural water source at the top, so the clerics either magically create water or send their acolytes in training down to the nearby river to gather water and bring it back. They grow grow vegetables in the gardens on top and also have herds of sheep and goats they take down to the pastures every day, then shepherd them back up the narrow paths to safety every evening. There are also merchants and traders who visit, bringing other supplies from further afield.
Relationships with adventurers are mixed, and new adventurers are viewed with caution, The clerics in general are no-nonsense and don't put up with any violent, abusive or criminal behaviour. However, well-behaved adventurers can expect a certain amount of hospitality and help, including healing spells. The southern half has an inn for non-clerical travelers with reasonable prices. Female visitors are encouraged to stay in the northern half with the female clerics. The Reclusium is one of the few civilized places close to the mysterious Quasqueton, stronghold of the secretive adventurers Rogahn and Zelligar, and as such adventurers will sometimes use this as a jumping off point, though it is still about 20 miles away from the dungeon, so not suitable for a daily commute.
The northern half has an extensive library, mostly theology and philosophy but also books on folklore, history, ancient languages, the planes of existence and, guarded under lock and key, a restricted section detailing the foul machinations of the forces of Chaos, including both monstrous and human servants. Some of the clerics who work in the library are capable of acting as sages, especially with regards to religion and the history of the Church of Law. Senior Sister Desmendia (C6, human female, lawful) the librarian is always looking out for new, rare books of suitable subject matter, and has some authority to offer either money or clerical services in kind if a book is deemed worth acquiring.
In terms of defence, the location of the two halves of the reclusium on top of two pillars of rock is sufficient to deter most would-be raiders. Although the youths training to be acolytes are still treated as Normal Men, some of the clerics are still capable of wielding their warhammers, and can still cast clerical spells. The clerics are lucky enough to have 2 pairs of guardian hounds (1 pair in each half). There are also some unusual allies they can call on in times of need, including a friendly gold dragon who lives in the nearby hills and occasionally visits in the guise of a golden-bearded dwarf, and some actual dwarves who have established a mining settlement (Grulven's Prospect) a few miles away on top of a large copper ore deposit.
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