M is for: Murid and Murshid

The Murid are those Oathed sworn not only to an Ascended but also to an order of fellow mortals dedicated to the ideals of one or more of the Host. They date back many centuries, and those most prevalent in the Old Crown tend to trace their traditions back to the old Istani Kingdoms.

The different orders of Oathed, called Taruqah in High Istani, formed around great individual mortal or groups of mortals, as they sought to fulfil the goals of their Ascended patrons.
The oldest orders have followed a succession of great leaders and teachers, or Murshid in High Istani. Sometimes an order will face a schism, an a new leader will strike out and form a new Taruqah with any who would follow him.

Not all members of a Taruqah are Murid or Murshid. There are many layers to the hierarchy of most orders, and the lowest level is generally made up of many Talibe, an archaic word for student, who are newly initiated into the order.

This is not the case for all Taruqah however.
The Black Order, dedicated to the Black Lady and the hunt for and eradication of the Undeath Curse, has no talibe members. Oaths to the Lady Death are generally sworn before or upon joining the order.

Other large orders include:

The Green Order, dedicated to the Green Lady and the preservation of the natural order. Generally they oppose followers of the Storm.

The Order of the Crucible, dedicated to the Fiend and the Storm, who seek to gain power and influence for themselves and their Ascended masters. Use of powerful magical rituals and the Undeath Curse is common among the order.

The Ragged Order are young, following the newly ascended Beggar. They have few members but a strong presence in and around Queenstown. They are generally charitable, working to improve the lives of the poorest members of society.

The Oathed sworn to the Traveller are sometimes called Marabouts, wandering teachers. In theory, they would all be equal to a Murshid, but rarely bind together in organised Taruqah, as too great is their wanderlust.
Some Oathed that do not join a Taruqah may also be given this title by other mortals.