Held Monastery

The Held Monastery was a convent dedicated to the Held sect, located near a Lucifenian port town and funded by the Freesis Firm. The monastery upheld the faith within the minority religious community there, becoming a safe haven for many over the years as both a church and an orphanage.

Early History
Around the mid EC 490s, a friar of the Held sect established the Held Monastery in a Lucifenian port town using the donations of the merchant Keel Freesis, acting as the director. The Golden Key that a pilgrim, Yvette, carried was soon after sealed in the convent. Afterward, Yvette was baptized as a nun at the monastery. Eventually, she became the Mother Superior following the friar's death.

New Converts
Following the Green Hunting a Netsuma, Clarith, came to work in the convent per Keel Freesis' recommendation; she was later visited by Elluka Clockworker and Gumillia. During her work, Clarith rescued a young girl named Rin and brought her to the convent to live. Over time, the immature Rin began helping out at the convent. At some point, Clarith was officially baptized as a nun in the church.

In EC 505, Mikina Freesis began repeatedly visiting the monastery to spy on Rin. At a later date, Yukina Freesis visited the monastery, accompanied by Germaine Avadonia,  in search for Yukina's recently missing mother. Later Abyss I.R., using Mikina's body, was spotted outside the monastery on the beach, and she was eventually subdued by Rin, Germaine, and Yukina.

Change in Hands
Years later Rin was baptized as a nun in the church, and Clarith left the convent to form her own convent; in EC 529, following Yvette's death, Rin was made the new head of the Held Monastery. She worked hard to care for the children in the orphanage until her death in EC 562.

Church
The Levin church where prayers were conducted within the monastery. The church was outfitted with bells and served as a gathering place for the faithful. Due to the Held sect's restrictions on idolatry, the building was sparsely decorated.

Confessional
A place inside the church where sinners were allowed to "confess" their sins to God in privacy. Those confessing would kneel inside the room and speak their sins aloud in order to obtain forgiveness.

Orphanage
A place within the monastery for children that had been orphaned, abandoned, or had run away from their homes.

Convent
A place within the monastery for workers or nuns that had been baptized into the church. Workers would reside in their own quarters when not working.

Fields
Grounds of the monastery that had been domesticated for farming purposes. All able members of the monastery, child or adult, were expected to help in the farmwork. The fields were used to grow crops for wine-making as well as food for the residents.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * The monastery and its Levin practices bear many similatiries to modern day Christianity, particularly the religion's monastic orders.