The Fissure's Gift

The Fissure's Gift is a peaceful order that aim at a better future through the practice of sacrifice. It is their fundamental belief that when one sacrifices something important, in the present, they evoke rewards that will be delivered in the future. Oddly enough, none of the sacrifices are of a material nature. They do not sacrifice money, property or even animals. Rather, sacrifices are made up entirely of pieces of themselves, both metaphorically and literally. Members of the Fissure's Gift believe that greed, resentment, jealousy and arrogance are parts of all conscious beings that can and should be sacrificed.
By practicing humility, they sacrifice arrogance. By practicing charity, they sacrifice jealousy. By practicing gratitude they sacrifice greed. As such, the community surrounding the Fissure's Gift endures a surprisingly low rate of crime compared to other political entities. New adherents to the order often begin living in the surrounding communities where they are exposed to the lifestyle. Once they have demonstrated a promising level of honesty, humility, gratitude or reciprocity they are offered the opportunity to "confront the fissure". Confronting the fissure is the only common, dogmatic ritual that the order carry out. A follower enters the "Essence Chamber" and kneels over a fissure in the stone floor. Gases and vapors exude from the opening and are breathed in. These vapors induce a trance like state in which people are shown their flaws, how they can be their best selves and the good to the community, and then the world, that can be done if they continue to act out the best mode of being. Once a part of the Fissures Gift, followers adopt the title of "fissurite" and are allowed back into the Essence Chamber whenever they choose should they feel themselves slipping towards selfish, dishonest tendencies. The most devout fissurites are even able to ask something, a gift, of the fissure and, if they make an abnormally large sacrifice, might just receive it.
Due to their pacifist tendencies some think of the Fissures Gift as meek or an easy target for raids or forceful diplomacy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Almost every member of the Fissure's Gift undergoes some form of weapons training. Martial training of this sort not only helps followers defend themselves but also hones the discipline required for such a lifestyle of constant sacrifice. When ships of war near the coast, fissurites converge on the nearby fishing villages to defend them. Although many who live on the island are not technically members of the Fissure's Gift, they have picked up martial training by example. In addition to the capable fissurites, the Fissures Gift controls and fearsome mountain stronghold and a number of smaller defences that overlook most of the bays, deemed necessary and constructed after the War of Negotiation.

Type

Religious, Holy Order