Founding of Clairvaux Abbey
Bernard of Clairvaux and his fellow monks, including an Elder Monk and a Novice, are marking the foundation of Clairvaux Abbey in a remote clearing in the Aube Valley. With the help of a Local Woodsma
Setting
A clearing in the dense forests of the Aube Valley, where a group of monks is establishing the foundation of Clairvaux Abbey. The site is marked by freshly dug earth for the foundations of the future abbey, surrounded by towering oak and beech trees.
Characters
Bernard of Clairvaux
primary
A slender young man in his mid-twenties with sharp, ascetic features. His pale complexion contrasts with intense dark eyes that burn with spiritual fervor. His tonsured head and clean-shaven face mark him clearly as a monk. His hands are delicate but show signs of recent manual labor.
Elder Monk
secondary
A wiry man in his late 60s with a deeply lined face and close-cropped gray hair. His hands bear the calluses of decades of manual labor, and his posture remains upright despite his age. Pale blue eyes peer intently from beneath heavy brows.
Novice
secondary
A young monk in his late teens or early twenties, slender but strong from manual labor. His face is smooth and boyish, with earnest brown eyes and short-cropped dark hair in the tonsure style. His hands are calloused but not yet hardened like those of the elder monks.
Local Woodsman
background
A middle-aged man with a wiry build, sun-weathered skin, and calloused hands from years of labor. His dark brown hair is streaked with gray and tied back with a simple leather thong. Bushy eyebrows shade his keen, observant eyes.
Dialog
Bernard of Clairvaux
As the deer pants for streams of water, so our souls thirst for this sacred ground. Let these stones be laid with the same fervor as David's psalms were sung.
Elder Monk
The eastern wall must follow the sun's path, Dom Bernard, that the chapter house may receive God's light at prime.
Bernard of Clairvaux
Not merely stone upon stone, but virtue upon virtue. Each layer must ascend toward heaven as our prayers do.
Elder Monk
The Rule teaches us: stability comes from proper footing. These footings must be three cubits deep to withstand winter's fury.
Bernard of Clairvaux
Remember, brothers - we build not for this age alone, but for eternity. Let no careless hand profane what God has sanctified.