The Lunar Order.
The largest religious sect in the continent of Chaand and the known world, it was headquartered in the Lunar Isles as a protectorate of the kingdom of Luna.
The bulk of the membership of the Lunar Order was female, of necessity, but that isn't to say that men were altogether excluded. The constructing and maintenance of buildings and structures; production and transportation of items, materials, and personnel; logistical and security support: there were always uses for a strong pair of shoulders and feet on the ground.
There was even talk of an actual clandestine priesthood supposedly devoted to the sun; but given the fact that the sun didn't need anything from the people, it was unclear what exactly this group might be expected to actually do.
Of course, there was some uncertainty exactly how large the Lunar Order really was, the reason being that they claimed de facto authority over every local temple, shrine, or tide pool that any woman used to conduct her business with the moon throughout the known world, without regard for whether or not they acknowledged the Order or had even heard of it.
Of all the temples the Order claimed throughout the world, only two eclipsed the Lesser Lunar Temple in Luna City in terms of size and grandiosity.
The Chaand Empire, of course, could not allow any of its shows of wealth to be outdone. No expense had been spared on the edifice that was the Serene Temple of the Lunar Order in the capital city of Caldra. The result was an architectural marvel that was reportedly as beautiful as it was empty.
The Lunar Temple in Bulan, the capital of the Lunar Protectorate that was the political body of the Lunar Order, might have been second to the Serene Temple in opulence, but outweighed it in size. It was here that the Order was administered, knowledge was collected, and important rites were performed.
And then there was the Lesser Lunar Temple, rising up in the heart of Luna City. It might not have been the grandest temple; it might not have been the largest. But it certainly was the busiest of the three.
The early morning sun reflected off its shining ivory walls that rose up above the petitioners already awaiting entrance as Selena walked toward it.
Some petitioners were familiar to her; she greeted a few that she knew well, even healed a few with minor maladies on the spot, to save them the trouble of waiting in line. Most of the people were strangers to her, but still she greeted them with a friendly smile.
Courtesy cost nothing, but it went a long way.
It wasn't long before Selena arrived at the side door for temple staff and entered.
The inside of the temple might not have been as busy as the outside just yet, but it was hardly empty. Figures robed in white, many with colored hoods to show their elemental proficiency, bustled through the hallways pursuing the completion of the myriad tasks that contributed to the functioning of one of the busiest buildings in the world.
Selena took her place amidst the throng of priestesses, acolytes, and servants, and made her way toward Priestess Tulsi's main office. Tulsi may not have been first in the temple hierarchy, but as the priestess in charge of the Luna Castle temple, she was Selena's immediate superior, and so it was to her she would report.
Someone was just entering Tulsi's office when it came into view; but according to protocol, she knocked on the door at arrival and took up station beside it.
It was only a few seconds before Priestess Agata poked her head out of the door and beckoned Selena inside. "Right again," she told Priestess Tulsi, rising from behind her desk, as Selena entered.
"Curse the darkness and it manifests," Tulsi quipped. "You're just in time, Acolyte."
Selena's eyes danced quickly back and forth between the two priestesses. "You have need of me, Priestess?" She wasn't quite sure herself which one she was addressing.
It was Tulsi that replied. "Chief Priestess Semetta has requested your presence."
Selena was taken aback. "Me? What does the Chief Priestess want to see me for?"
"I am curious about that myself," Tulsi replied. "I will be joining you, if she permits."
Selena nodded and followed the pair of priestesses out.
The Chief Priestess' office wasn't difficult to find: up a semi-public stairwell to the top floor, follow the slightly less modest furnishings to the antechamber staffed by the Chief Priestess' second, Priestess Lea, who bade them wait.
"You were coming to see me?" Tulsi asked Selena while they waited.
"I was," Selena replied. Suddenly she felt embarrassed by the sparseness of the reason for her visit. "I'm sure the temple is already aware, but the palace has received a couple reports of insufficient tidewater to some district temples. At least one incident of potential uncharacteristic aggressiveness has been tentatively associated with an attendee at a site that was not prepared with backup rites.
"I'm sure the recommendation that all officiants be prepared with backup rites by the next full moon is already being considered, but I have also been instructed to extend the offer of any funding or personnel that might be needed to resolve whatever the problem might turn out to be."
"And what are your thoughts on the matter, my child?"
The question came not from Tulsi, but from the doorway to the Chief Priestess' office, whose owner had appeared therein.
Selena hurriedly stood and sketched out a flustered curtsy. "I'm sorry, Your Grace, I didn't see you enter."
"It would have made it difficult to spy on you if you had," Chief Priestess Semetta replied. "Oh, do straighten up, girl. Our stations aren't that far removed."
"Were I only a princess," Selena replied, straightening, "you might be correct. But as I am also an acolyte of the temple, I do owe you deference."
"Oh? Would you then correct your Chief Priestess on etiquette here in her own office then?" Selena felt her face growing warm as the Chief Priestess went on. "Tell me, in which of your capacities are you speaking with me right now?"
Selena hesitated. Besides the matter of whether she had any right to correct the Chief Priestess, there was a certain amount of ambiguity in her capacity at the moment.
She had just finished delivering a message to the temple in her role as a princess, so she might rightly claim to be speaking as a representative of the kingdom. But her opinion had just been asked in a matter that she would have better insight into as an acolyte of the Order.
There was also the matter of her summons, but even then–
"My apologies, Your Grace," she said, training allowing her to speak smoothly when her gut would have had her act otherwise. "I acted impetuously, and hurried to respond to your summons without first hearing it, to discern in which capacity you had need of me."
"Well then," Semetta asked, "in which capacity would you answer the question I put to you?"
"It is to my regret," Selena replied, "that I could not rightly answer the question in the same capacity as it was put to me.
"Were I speaking as the representative of the monarchy who brought this concern to you, I would needs speak in terms of failing infrastructure, maintenance, and finances.
"But as an acolyte of the temple, I would be privy to recent discussions regarding the waning strength of the tides, and know that, unless the proposal is to chase the tides underground, there would be no amount of money that could be thrown at the problem that might be expected to fix it."
Semetta smiled. "It seems you are able to think on your feet," she said. "Then answer me this.
"Suppose a scenario in which your presence had been requested at the capital of our Order, with the manner of your address being 'the princess who is an acolyte of the Order.' In which capacity would you then respond to this summons?"
Luna's mouth was suddenly dry, and she hoped that nobody sensed the trickle of magic she used to stimulate her mouth to water. Was this truly a hypothetical question, or was she actually being asked to travel out into the world?
"I think," she rasped, "that any response to such a summons would not only necessitate packing both vestments and dresses, but would in fact trigger such measures as are involved in visits of state. For I may be able to compartmentalize my speech according to my separate roles; but alas, I have not yet learned the trick to do so with my physical form."
Semetta nodded. "I wish I could learn that trick myself. Tell me, Acolyte, how was your experience under the moon last night?"
Selena looked at her quizzically. "The water level was low," she said, "but still sufficient. It seems the Palace temple was not affected by the low tides to the extent that other temples were."
"So the tide was able to draw out your essence?"
Selena's face fell as she realized what the priestess was asking. "I'm sorry, Your Grace, I thought you knew. Neither I nor any of my sisters have reached our first tribute."
"So there has been no change then," the priestess said gently. "Then I advise you to begin the process of preparing for a visit of state. Word of your condition has reached Bulan, and the High Priestess has requested your presence to begin an inquest into the reasons for your affliction."