Darin Tesarath

The Darin Tesarath (translates roughly to "Sisters of the Mind" in Veyus, the Darin's secret tongue) was a secular organization made up entirely of women who had talents related at least partially to the ways of mental powers, thus including Astrologers and Mystics, as well as pure Mentalists, and all other users of mental magic. The Sisterhood was founded in T.A. 301 as an Order of Women to the spread of knowledge and professional advice through inner discipline. In these first years the Order consisted almost entirely of elven women though mannish women were accepted as well (Fëatur perceived their future value innately). It could be observed though that the higher ranks within the Order were clearly dominated by elves. These women soon won great respect for their wisdom and thoughtful advice. many great lords sought their counsel. After having gained trust and respect, Fëatur began to utilize the Order to manipulate the clients according to her own wishes. In this way she contributed to the corruption and eventual downfall of Geshaan. When the First Age drew to its close and Fëatur was forced to leave the Utter South after the failure of the Ritual, the Darin Tesarath survived though its prominence was diminished. The Second Age saw the slow spread of the Sisterhood in the Utter South, but when Fëatur returned from the East in the 13th century of the Second Age a great era of expansion began. Around S.A. 2000 the Sisterhood was firmly entrenched in the minds of the men from the Utter South as the most knowledgeable and competent source of advice. The Sisterhood even extended its reach northward and the 24th century of the Second Age saw their establishment in Sîrayn and Bozisha-Miraz. Even here they earned a reputation for neutral and competent counsel. This was even more astounding since in these realms the various religious factions held a near monopoly on such services (through "divine" channeling). The strictly secular outlook and principles attracted all people since it didn't give reason for religious jealousy.

The rest of the Second Age saw the Darin Tesarath in unbroken favor of her clients. Even the downfall of Númenor and the following catastrophes didn't diminish their influence, but it even grew due to their willingness to aid all who were in real trouble. The first millenium of the Third Age saw no dramatic occurences for the Sisterhood, but with the reappearance of Sauron and the Nazgûl it again became instrumental in the Court of Ardor's schemes. Many of Akhorahils servants employed the service of the Sisterhood and in this way many of his secrets became known to Fëatur. The death of its mistress in the wake of the failure of the second ritual deprived the Darin Tesarath of their mastermind and though this was not felt for many years (the other high-ranking Sisters were very capable in their own right) it began a slow decline in reputation and skill until the end of the Third Age when it was but a pale shadow of its former prominence. The Fourth Age saw a limited revival of the Sisterhood's traditions.

Organization
The Darin Tesarath University and focus of the organization was on the small island of Tharin, in the Koros Bay. It was there that the women were training in refining their skills, under the rigid codes of the "sisterhood". Initiates usually spent 3-5 years or more as a student, and either remained as an instructor or departed to seek their fortune - and fortune was the appropiate word, for Tesarath training was highly acclaimed, producing the most disciplined minds, and graduates could demand high fees for their services of information gathering and verification. One should keep in mind that their professional advice as 'living computers' was highly sought after and not cheap. Before giving any advice, those seeking advice were checked for their economical and political influence. If the prioress of a house deemed someone as influential s/he was closely observed and got regular and sound advice to keep him coming back. Poorer or less influential persons had to pay a reasonable rate and were generally urged to refrain from returning to the Sisterhood for some time. In this way they kept their reputation as distant and cool advisors but also show their care for all who come with urgent problems.

This was all fine, of course, but the true purpose of the Darin Tesarath was somewhat more insidious. It was a vast information network supplying intelligence from a range of sources to Fëatur; for, although sisters vowed never to reveal professional consultations to outsiders, they reported fully to their superior. Full time students, and graduates while acting in their professional capacity, wore voluminous black, hooded robes with long, wide sleeves. They were completely unadorned but conceal a variety of defenses, usually including a garrote and a stiletto, both of which most sisters were trained in. Many others were versed in the ways of Martial Arts and commanded a variety of lethal throwing arms or other small weaponry that might be concealed easily - they were hardly defenseless. The Darin Tesarath maintained an office in all of the major cities in the Utter South, in addition to the many sisters who had set up shop independently. To the general public, the reputation of the Sisterhood was impeccable and indeed the majority of them were honest and really tried to help the people seeking for advice. Only (the female) Fëatur and selected sisters of the "Inner Circle" (and of course the occasional 'special agent') of leading members knew of the Sisterhood's more insidious aims.

About T.A. 1640 they could be found in nearly all major settlements south of Umbar. The more outlying guild houses (such as in Bozisha-Dar or Bellakar) reported only once a year so while those near Tharin were checked more often.