Status: Recommended.
The church of Nesirie can be found anywhere land meets sea. Aerenwe, Ilien, and Mieres are fertile places for the worship of the goddess of the sea. Like other Nesirean temples, the Eastern Temple of Nesirie is a place to pray for calm waters and full sails, to make offerings for protection from hazards of the deep, sea monsters, and to intercede with her son, Cuiraécen, the Stormlord. However the rise of the Eastern Temple of Nesirie as a leading temple is a result of the doctrine of self-reliance that was an early part of the temple's history. It has not only influenced the character of Aerenwe, but of that realm's political development as well.

Followers of Nesirie believe the sea to be the lifeblood of the earth, and see in the ebb and flow of the tides a pulse of life itself. For in addition to a goddess of the sea, Nesirie is a mother goddess with a strong connection to the cycle of life. Birth, childhood, adulthood, dotage, and death all come and go like the tide. When death comes, all souls are voyagers, making the journey to its final rest, where it is reborn.
Within this great cycle are lesser cycles, such as the turning of night and day, work and rest, sorrow and joy. The followers of Nesirie understand this cyclical aspect and they assist others in accepting it as well.

The Eastern Temple was part of the Imperial Temple until its disintegration in the 4th century MR. The South Coast remained loyal to the orthodox position of Aerele for some time until the Orthodox Imperial Temple and the Impregnable Heart of Haelyn split over tactics and began to represent two rival orthodox positions. The Orthodox Imperial Temple advocated the totality of Haelyn's creed, while the Impregnable Heart sought an emphasis to focus on to make Haelyn's creed clear and understandable.
The priests and priestesses of Aerenwe supported the Orthodox Temple and opposed the Impregnable Heart. Once Ruornil?s Celestial Spell asserted itself in Medoere, the distance between Aerenwe and Diemed seemed great enough that and eastern orthodox temple seemed more prudent. A synod was called in Calrie and it became apparent that the priests of Nesirie had much greater influence than those of Haelyn, and the Eastern Temple of Nesirie was the result.
The Eastern Temple has a long, unbroken institutional history within first the Imperial Temple, then the Orthodox Imperial Temple and so does not regard itself as a new temple. It had operational autonomy for quite some time. Even now, both temples tend to share both an ideological outlook as well as a political alignment. Few observers would be surprised to see another daughter of the Diem family follow Ursula Diem into the Veiled Sisters rather than finding a place in the Orthodox Imperial Temple.

The Eastern Temple of Nesirie is closely allied to the Orthodox Imperial Temple.

The Impregnable Heart of Haelyn and Ruornil?s Celestial Spell are considered rivals.

Though they hail from distant quarters, the Northern Imperial Temple and the Western Imperial Temple are disliked for their break with orthodoxy and their invention of heretical doctrines.

The Church of Storm's Height is not opposed politically, but its aggressive dogma is directly opposed by the peaceful negotiators of the Eastern Temple.

The One True Church of Vosgaard is considered a hostile faith because of the mayhem it seeks to bring to the region.

Most other temples would be regarded with indifference.

The High Priestess, Maire Cwllmie has held the Sacred Chalice of the Sea for several years, since the passing of Ursula Diem. She was the Devout Mother of Speakers in Aerenwe, leader of that order in the Eastern Marches before assuming the Sacred Chalice.

The Eastern Temple of Nesirie boasts three important centers of teaching and wisdom all of which play a vital role in the realm of Aerenwe.

Despite its location away from the sea, the Ursuline Chapel near the city of Calrie is perhaps the most important center for Nesiriean worship in Anuire. The queen, Liliene Swordwraith is a great patron of the chapel and a supporter of Nesirie's temples generally. The chapel is the site of worship for many in Aerenwe on holy days. Pilgrims from Anuire and farther can be seen in veneration at nearly any time at the chapel.
The Ursuline Chapel is a beautiful church constructed of white marble imported from Khinasi. Relief sculptures of prominent priests and priestesses and scenes promoting self-reliance cover the temple. The enormous Hall of A Thousand Candles in the center of the temple is large enough to hold hundreds of worshipers at once.
The emphasis at the Ursuline Chapel is Nesirie's teachings on self-reliance. In contrast to the teachings of Haelyn, which emphasize community unity, mutual obligations, and service, Nesirie has a body of teachings on autonomy. The people of Aerenwe have long embraced these teachings, and the people of Aerenwe do not seek to dominate others and avoid subservience themselves. Further, they seek to avoid the conflicts of others and seek neutrality in general. Practitioners of this wisdom desire only to go their way, depending on no one, responsible for no one.
Critics of the teachings on self-reliance from within Nesirie's temples and from some of Haelyn's priests argue that radical autonomy lacks compassion which is a central teaching of Nesirie. Those of the compassionate school argue that we are responsible for the fate of others and that refusing to accept this responsibility is selfish.
The teachings of self-reliance have also influenced the diplomatic posture of Aerenwe, in no small measure because priestesses of Nesirie are able diplomats and are common in the state's diplomatic service. As a result the throne of Aerenwe generally seeks to remain aloof from the conflict of others. This policy of "glorious neutrality" has generally been advantageous to Aerenwe and is a favorite of the temples of Nesirie, though some priests of Haelyn have had the Queen's ear in the matters of Osoerde since the fall of the house of Moergan.
The Ursuline Chapel was known as the Chapel of the Solitary Hill before the arrival of Ursula Diem. Ursula was a scion of the noble house of Diem and a member of the Holy Convent of the Sisters of the Veil, dedicated to aiding other and taking responsibility for the weak against those who are selfish or evil. When Ursula discovered the teachings of self-reliance and autonomy within the faith of Nesirie she came to question the role of the Veiled Sisters, and withdrew to the Chapel of the Solitary Hill. During this time, she became friends with Liliene Swordwraith and came to utterly reject the principles of the Veiled Sisters. The grief she had felt in doing harm to others in the service of the weak and needy were not assuaged by the aid and protection rendered to the weak and needy. The discovery of the teaching of self-reliance finally brought solace to Ursula and she has in turn taught it vigorously.

The Speakers Academy in Calrie is a school, archive, library, and residence for diplomats of the famous order. Though not the most famous school of its kind, it is the most important in eastern Anuire. The Speakers, as this order is known, extend their offices to every head of state and domain ruler to prevent disputes from escalating into violence. In the Eastern Marches, their successes have been few of late. The realms of Ghoere and Osoerde are not amenable to solving crisies by negotiation, but often seek to exploit crisies to their own advantage. Also, though rulers respect the neutrality of priests and priestesses of Nesirie, the role of the Eastern Temple as the state religion in Aerenwe and the role of Nesirie's priests in the diplomacy of that realm creates some suspicion in the minds of those who distrust Aerenwe.
It is often presumed that Cuiraécen's mantle as Haelyn's Herald is an entirely Haelynite circumstance, in truth the first heralds of Cuiraécen were trained in Nesirie's Speakers academies as well as in Haelyn's institutions. To this day, it is quite common for such individuals to study among the Speakers. Though most today take up service with Cuiraécen's own orders, a few have won a place among the Speakers.

Originally the Hospital was a place of hospitality for pilgrims to the centers of Nesirean worship, but over time, the arrival of injured and sick travelers have the far corners have altered the mission of the hospital, and the influence of this institution has been profound in Aerenwe. Few are the priests of Nesirie in Aerenwe who are not proficient in the healing arts and herbalism. Today everyone who encounters a priestess of Nesirie and suffers from some injury or ailment expects some form of comfort, either a recipe, the name of the right herb to ingest, or perhaps even a spell. As a result, the clergy of Nesirie study and serve at the Hospital in order to be prepared to satisfy those seeking aid.

The Chapel of Rain in the Mierese province of Serien is the main administrative complex of the Eastern Temple in the west. It is unusual in that it is built in a landlocked province. A throwback to an earlier era in which temples of Nesirie were prevalent throughout Mieres, the priests of the Eastern Temple constructed this temple on the slopes of the mountain range in the southwestern portion of Serien province. The temple offers a majestic view of the seas all around the Mieres.
Today, the temple is still the headquarters for the Eastern Temple?s administration in the west. While shrines and small temples to Nesirie still dot the eight provinces of Mieres, all tithes and other collections are brought to the Chapel of Rain.

In the great forest, a few shrines dot the coast and a few priests keep watch on the sea. The fishermen of the Suidemiere rely on the clergy of Nesirie to read the sea and warn of approach of the Stormlord.

Most of the northern three provinces of Aerenwe are flat, verdant grasslands, prime farmland and the intensive agriculture here is as well developed as anywhere you might find. Eight substantial towns are sited here, each with its own temples and churches.

The Ursuline Chapel, the Speakers Academy, and the Hospital are all near the city of Calrie in this province.

Domain Table: Eastern Temple of Nesirie

Province	Law	Temple	Guild	Source
Calrie, Aerenwe (6/0)	LS (6)	MCw (6)	SG (3)	HMA (0)
Dhoenel, Aerenwe (5/0)	LS (5)	MCw (5)	SG (3)	HMA (0)
Halried, Aerenwe (5/0)	LS (5)	MCw (5)	SG (3)	HMA (0)
Shadowgreen, Aerenwe(1/6)	LS (1)	MCw (1)	MA (1)	HMA (5)
				RA (1)
Ilien (7/0)	RA (7)	HA (4)	EH (7)	RA (0)
		MCw (3)
Ghaele, Mieres (2/3)	AV (1)	MCw (2)	AV (2)	Mhi (3)
Serien, Mieres (4/3)	AV (1)	MCw (4)	AV (4)	Mhi (0)
	DA (3),
Abbreviations: MCw=Maire Cwllmie (Eastern Temple of Nesirie); LS=Liliene Swordwraith (Aerenwe); RA=Rogr Aglondier (Ilien); AV = Arron Vaumel (Mieres); DA=Darien Avan (Avanil); SG=Siele Ghoried (Spider River Traders); HMA=High Mage Aelies; HA=Hubaere Armiendin (Impregnable Heart of Haelyn); MA=Mourde Alondir; EH=el-Hadid (Port of Call Exchange); Mhi=Mhistecai.