Laminae Interspinus

Structure

The Laminae Insterpinus is a subsect within the Glistening Thorns but has their own separate herarchy and structure that the parent organization does not control. The Glistening Thorns helps to train new members before offering the opportunity to enter into this sect but it has no power over it and chooses to allow it be autarchic.
This Religious house is split into two which are ruled over by their respective leaders. Both of these leaders run the organization jointly. House Laminae is ruled over by the Corolla and House Interspinus is ruled over by the Chriniam. Directly under them are a the Spinarium and the Petallia, a rank which can only be achieved with time, dedication and high success. One can achieve both ranks, individually or together. A devotee who has achieved both of these ranks has the titles of both and the privilages and respect of the entire order. It is difficult to achieve even one of these ranks much less both and the skills of a Spinarium Petallia are highly sought after and incredibly lucrative to the order.
The rank directly under the Spinarium and Petallia are the Acueolus and the Parum respectively. This rank is achieved after finishing their training and having some experience in the field. it is not unlike the journeyman status of an apprecticeship in a guild house. These devotees are experienced enough to earn their own money and have better quarters than the initiates, but are still vastly below their more venerated brothers and sisters. As with the higher ranks in the order you can achieve either or both, but you cannot achieve any of the higher ranks without first mastering the lower ranks in that specialty. An Aceolus may rise to become a Spinarium but cannot become a Petallia unless they master Parum first.
The initiates into the Laminae Interspinus may be the most inexperienced and least requested and educated in this sect, but they are by no means beginners. Even to be given the opportunity to join the Laminae Interspinus most devotees will have spent a few years with the Glistening Thorns learning and working alongside their devotee brothers and sisters before earning a chance to enter this special sect.

Mythology & Lore

The Laminae Interspinus are a unique religious order in that they do not believe that the gods, if they even exist, are in need of worship. Their concerns are closer to to the humble Spheres. They eschew the worship of any divine beings or magic of any kind and focus on the more tangible needs and cares of mere mortals. The closest to any divine hand in their worship is that in ages long past the Crysannia were the only species on the planet, perfect and serene. When other species emerged the Crysannia lost more and more of the world to them until today's age where they only exist within the The Forest of Hynier. They consider the Forest itself to be a sacred place and have great reverence for the Duella who have set foot on it's soil and beheld the Crysannia itself. Their worship centers around the core belief that of all living beings, the Cryssania itself is the closest to perfection, from the comfort and joy from the nectar that it provides to the most deadly of poisons with which to protect themselves from others. Indeed the fact that their deadly defenses are intertwined throughout the whole of their species is one the most exalted aspects of their faith. One that they strive to emulate.

Origins

During the year 549 The skills of the Glistening thorns were requested more than ever before. Everywhere they went the people were on edge. Small wars were breaking out, people were starving, the very land itself refused to give up it's yield. The initiates performed their assignments and reported back home to the Sanctuary. As the year went on more and more supplicants requested their services and many initiates ended up losing their lives. Eventually a Thorn by the name of Reffik Fahev started an argument with the High Priest at a burial ceremony two days after the loss of a dozen brothers and sisters. This argument turned from argument to hot debate which spread like wildfire amonst the practitioners of the faith, threatening to tear the Sanctuary apart.
Reffik's arguement was that they were ignoring half of their beliefs in order to fulfill the other half and that by the very nature of their work they were contributing to the suffering of the Spheres instead of alleviating it. That they were sacrificing one side of their faith for the other. During one such hot debate he is recorded as saying,

"I refuse to sacrifice one half of my soul in order to save the other. The end result would be the same as doing less than nothing!"

— Reffik Fahev

by Freja via Midjourney

Supplicants from every Sphere travel to the houses of the Laminae Interspinus for their services.

Eventually the High Priest had to concede that the passionate young Thorn made a valid point. A council was picked from amongst the wisest of the Thorns with answering the question of how to best serve the people and meet all of tenets of their faith equally. The Glistening Thorns had spent five years cutting the rot from the Spheres but they had been doing precious little of cultivating the good. The council decided to take it to the people. After months of discussions and prayers a verdict was reached. The people themselves needed comfort. without judgement, without rejection, without fear. They needed what all living beings need. To be held, to feel protected and safe, even if just for a little while. And so a new sect was born.

The Laminae now served with the sole purpose to be the safe haven in the storm. The head of this new sect was to be Reffik Fahev himself as none could think of another more passionate about cultivating the good in the Spheres. The newly formed Laminae were to house themselves at the Sanctuary under the auspices of the High Priest, but once word got out of the Laminae and more and more people flocked to the Sanctuary for supplication things quickly erupted into chaos. In those early days more often than not the Thorns found themselves overwhelmed just trying to find out what a supplicant needed than actually being able to fulfill their requests.

Reformation

The historic massacre that occured in the middle of The Sacred Blooming Rite during this time pushed the Sanctuary into further disarray. Historians are unsure of exactly what sparked the massacre itself and internal Sanctuary records are sealed. Twelve supplicants and two novitiates were killed during the incident. While the massacre itself was small and the bloodshed contained to the walls of the Sanctuary, it spurred the High Priest into action. The laminae were ordered immediately to be a completely separate sect, still subject to the Glistening Thorns and the tenets of the Sacred Crysannia, but under their own jurisdiction. The Thorns would not interfere in their inner workings. However, the High Priest also ordered the creation of a new sister sect The Interspinus Who would serve double duty as protectors of the Laminae and specialize in assignments that were more suited to single target oriented rather than the group assignments that the Thorns generally took on. The High Priest chose Lael Patriye to be the head of the new Interspinus and the order invested in constructing a new temple for the order to be erected. It is rumored that Lael and Reffik could not stand each other at first, but as time went on became the closest of friends and completely inseparable. There are few in the Holy Order of the Crysannia with as many tales told of them as these two.

When the cruel wind blows and the cold north snows, Petals will warm and take your woes. When some bastard kills and innocent blood spills, call the Thorns to use their skills.

— Popular ditty at The Last Stand Tavern

What is your need? The Petals or the Thorns?

by Freja By Midjourney

Sacred Tenets

Protect the weak and Comfort those in need
By defending others you defend us all
There is more than one kind of sustenance
Divinity is in the connection of all living things
Try to bring those that have fallen back to the path
Do not mistake kindness for weakness
Some need to die in order not to destroy the whole
Understanding the Crysannia is to understand the Divine
The world is full of beauty and danger in equal share
Cultivate the good, Cut out the rot

First Corolla Reffik Fahev

Reffik Fahev by Freja By Midjourney

The Sects

The Laminae and The Interspinus are technically two separate subsects combined into one under the joint authority of the two priests of their sect. They are all a sect under the mother branch of the Glistening Thorns. They each run their own novitiates and training courses but share headquarters and worship together. They also are formed into groups that work together on certain assignments when they are away from the safety of their Sanctuary grounds. Most of the time the Interspinus are called away for assignments and the supplicant comes to the Sanctuary for the services of the Laminae, but this is not always the case. Special requests have been known to have them working and traveling together. On occasions where the Laminae is asked to travel they are also of Parum level or higher and a Spinarium will be assigned to travel with them.

Founding Date

549

Type

Religious, Sect

Alternative Names

Petals, Thorns, Prickers,

Predecessor Organization

• The Glistening Thorns

Ruling Organization

The Corolla Chriniam

Founders

• Lael Patriye and Reffik Fahev

Parent Organization

The Glistening Thorns

Location

Cirrisian Sphere

Related Species

• Crysannia

First Chriniam Lael Patriye

Lael Patriye by Freja By Midjourney

Laminae Interspinus In the Current Age

Since the inception of this subsect their popularity has grown. Now they span almost every Sphere with central Sanctuaries of their own. At the end of every Sacred Rite of Blooming the heads of the Sphere chapters will all travel to the Cirissian Sphere for a Convocation. Debates are held, concerns brought up and the trials for the rank of Laminae Interspinus conducted personally by the Corolla Chriniam. This is considered a High Holiday and any devotee of any rank tries to attend as the festivities are the highlight of the year. Laminae are sought out in every city in which a chapter exists and the respect by layman of the Interspinus has grown to be legendary. Every branch now has the added position of Mistel. They are tasked with the day to day affairs and carefully going through supplicants requests for approval or denial. People from every corner of the Sphere recognizes and uses their services. From the lowest peasant to the highest lord, none are turned away regardless of their faith. However, this does not mean that you will be granted your request. Unlike the Glistening Thorns, the Laminae Interspinus do not interfere in the wars between other factions and refuses to get involved with the world powers. Personal requests may still be granted however.

My fiercest hope is that one day we are not needed in either of our capacities. That we as a people can learn to love and accept each other in our entirety. Perhaps there will come a time when no more blood needs to be spilled to cut the rot from our souls. But until that day we shall be here.

Personal Journal of Lael Patriye