Cecily Demici
Princess of Naboo
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/nQWZK
"Jungle Palace" by Pablo Palomeque
"Jungle Palace" by Pablo Palomeque
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION:
INTENT:
To create a safe haven for my character and to further establish the Church of Light.
IMAGE CREDIT:
"Jungle Palace" by Pablo Palomeque
CANON:
No
LINKS:
The Cloister of St. Cecily of Naboo (Sister Cloister)
SETTING INFORMATION
NAME: The Cloister of St. Cecily of Onderon
CLASSIFICATION: Cloister, Holy Place
LOCATION:
The Cloister of St. Cecily of Onderon is located about 48 kilometers outside of the capital city of Iziz. The cloister itself is situated high above the forest on a plateau to protect the residents from the dangers of the Onderon jungle.
AFFILIATION:
The Cloister of St. Cecily of Onderon is occupied and managed by the Sisters of St. Cecily, a holy order loosely affiliated with the Church of the Force called the Church of Light (unaffiliated with the canon Church of Light).
Cecily and the Royal House of Demici of Onderon are the patrons of the cloister.
ACCESSIBILITY:
The location of the Cloister of St. Cecily of Onderon is widely known to the people of the planet, but it is only accessible by a narrow set of steps carved into the cliff face. While difficult to reach, the cloister is typically open to all who wish to visit.
SECURITY:
The Cloister of St. Cecily has very low security. The entire complex itself is surrounded by a deflector shield, a common installation on the dangerous jungle planet of Onderon. The shield functions mainly to defend against the various creatures of the forests, but also prevents aircraft from landing directly on the plateau. The sisters are trained in basic combat to protect them when the traverse between the Cloister and various Onderonian cities. They have basic competency in blaster use and staves, but prefer non-violence.
House Demici supplies the cloister with five Royal Militiamen who help manage the security of the cloister.
DESCRIPTION & POINTS OF INTEREST:
The Cloister is designed in the same architectural fashion as their sister cloister on Naboo. The complex is comprised of high domed towers of stone with emerald crowns.
THE PATH OF PENITENCE
From the bottom of the plateau, a narrow set of steps is carved into the cliff face. The path is infamously narrow and treacherous, barely wide enough for one person to traverse. It is designed this way so that those who climb it are forced to remain aware of their surroundings, just as one should always be aware of their actions in life. As the cloister itself is enclosed in a large deflector shield, these steps are the only way to reach the cloister. At the top of the steps is a narrow ledge and a gate which is manned by the sisters day and night.
THE GARDENS
On the ground level of the cloister are extensive fruit, vegetable, and flower gardens which are used to sustain the residents of the cloister. They also keep several livestock animals in paddocks. All around the edge of the plateau gardens and in its center are entrances to the various towers which are themselves connected by high bridges.
THE CHAPEL OF ST. CECILY, CENTRAL TOWER
The Chapel of St. Cecily is located in the central and largest tower of the cloister complex. A large, domed, building, the chapel is filled with light through the stained glass windows that line the walls of the tower. The central window of the tower is an intricate depiction of St. Cecily in flowing white garments. It is here that the sisters gather several times a day and meditate on the light side of the force. It is also where they sing, the high ceiling carrying their songs throughout the entire complex.
THE TOWERS
There are five main towers branching off from the central tower, each dedicated to a tenet of the light side of the force. There are also two minor towers that serve functional purposes for the cloister. In addition to each of the main towers serving a functional purpose for the cloister, they are also a part of the daily prayers of the sisters, walking through each tower as the chant daily. Each of the main towers contains an atrium level room dedicated to prayer and meditation while the upper and lower levels serve functional purposes. They are all connected to each other and the chapel by narrow stone bridges.
Major Towers
- The Tower of Peace: Located in the Northwest corner of the plateau is the Tower of Peace. As with all towers, the atrium is a smaller chapel dedicated to prayer. The upper levels, however, are reserved for the sleeping quarters and meditation areas.
- The Tower of Serenity: Located in the Northern most region of the plateau is the Tower of Serenity. The upper and lower levels of this tower are reserved for light recreation and crafting for the sisters.
- The Tower of Life: Located in the Eastern corner of the plateau is the Tower of the Life. This tower is the seat of balance, authority, and justice in the cloister, housing the Mother Superior on the upper levels and seldom used cells on the lower levels.
- The Tower of Knowledge: Located in the South Eastern corner of the plateau is the Tower of Knowledge. The many levels of this tower, aside from the chapel atrium, comprise the extensive library of the cloister with tomes old and new. It also contains various force artefacts procured by the sisters of donated by the Demici family.
- The Tower of Harmony: Located in the South Western corner of the plateau is the Tower of Harmony. With no upper levels, the lower levels are home to the dining room where sisters gather together for their meals and the kitchens.
- The Patronage: Located on the Eastern edge of the plateau and connected only to the main tower is a smaller tower which houses the patronage. It comprises several levels of living quarters reserved for the patrons of the cloister when they visit. Cecily is known to frequently visit both the Naboo and Onderon cloisters.
- The Guard Tower: Located on the North Eastern edge of the plateau, overlooking the front gate, is the guard tower. This tower houses the generators that keep the deflector shields running. It also houses a small barracks in the lower levels for the resident Militiamen.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION:
Much like their sister cloister on Naboo, the Cloister of St. Cecily of Onderon is dedicated to an ancient ancestor of the House Valeria of Naboo. Also named Cecily like her living descendant, she is credited with bringing the Church of Light to the planet Naboo and more specifically to the native gungan people of that planet. St. Cecily dedicated her entire life to Church of Light and to caring for the poor and sick through the founding of the order that would later bear her name. Unfortunately her charity on Naboo was perceived as an attempt at a class uprising by the other noble families of Naboo and during a goodwill mission to Theed, she was assassinated in the streets.
It is said that when she fell to the ground, a great disturbance could be felt in the Force, like all the light and happiness had left the world. Her followers took this as a sign and began to revere her as holy figure, adopting the name of the Order of St. Cecily and building a cloister on Naboo in her honor. For many centuries her descendants on Naboo, the noble House of Valeria, have supported the cloister and their efforts.
The Cloister of St. Cecily of Onderon is a very new addition, being constructed after Cecily's father Corialanus married her mother and converted to the Church of Light. The Count of Onderon financed the construction of the cloister and a contingent of sisters from Naboo took up residence there to maintain it. Since that time, the cloister membership has grown to include over 50 sisters of the Order and several lay brothers who serve them. They devote most of their time to tending to the poor and downtrodden of Onderon, particularly in Iziz, where they are held in high esteem.
Today, Cecily Demici, Head of both House Valeria and House Demici, continues to have close ties to both cloisters and intends to continue helping them expand by financing expeditions to other worlds.
