Order of Broken Wings

When I drank the Martyr's Water I swore an oath; an oath of protection, of loyalty. And they all want you to believe that I swore this oath to my people. But the truth is, the oath I swore that day was not to my people, to my siblings and cousins. No, I swore an oath to this nation, to its rules, its laws and its wars. I have no interest in being the puppet of aristocrats in their ivory tower. I am healer of the people, and no court of law can ever take that away from me.

Altani, ex-Martyr wanted for high treason and member of the Order of Broken Wings

Tamynia, in its desire to institutionalize its healers and spiritual fighters, created the class of Martyr. These healers, controlled by the Tamynian government, are devoid of free will and conscience, conditioned to follow orders and grant life as easily as they would take it away. Because of this centralized control, Martyrs are expected to quit jobs or patients if told to do so, no matter their own feelings on the matter. In fact, for those in charge of supervising Martyrs, "feelings" is a concerning word, and various measures are put in place to crush sentimentality and subjectivity. Those that would dare defy orders, though they are few, are usually stripped of their boons, accused of high treason and either imprisoned or executed, depending on the gravity of the insubordination.
Over the years, a few individuals have started to denounce this system, recognizing in it a tyrannical control of rulers over the health and lives of their citizens. Though they have been silenced and marginalized by their communities, their ideas have spread and marked others. Barely 5 years ago, the Order of Broken Wings was founded, the first attempt to formalize the organization of such ideas.
The Order of Broken Wings believes that Martyrs, as they exist now, only serve as puppets of the government, who sacrifices the lives of its citizens in the name of its own interests. They have built a parallel network of healers, help ex-Martyrs escape the authorities, and disseminate their ideas in any way they can without getting caught.

Culture

Members of the Order strictly adhere to a tenet of justice and devotion, though they define those values as inherently different from the justice of the courts and devotion to the nation. They believe in their own justice, characterized by empathy and equality, and their notion of devotion is closer to solidarity than chauvinism.
Because of the dangerous nature of their work, members are usually suspicious of newcomers, and they rarely share information, even amongst longtime members. In meetings, most members conceal their identities from others and relay plans privately and on a need-to-know basis, so that, even under arcane torture, their accomplices can never reveal the whole network.
The reality of these people is tainted by grief every step of the way: patients who couldn't be saved, estranged families, entourage decimated by the authorities, or, more often, fallen comrades. They have learned to deal with the sadness, grief, and sheer despair that accompanies their work, and they are all the wiser for it.

Tenets of Faith

All members of the Order pledge allegiance to its tenets in a ritual often seen as the polar opposite of the one required of Martyrs:

• Compassion: Aid others, protect the weak, and punish those who threaten them. Show mercy to your foes, but temper it with wisdom.
• Responsibility: You must deal with the consequences of your actions, and you are responsible for fulfilling your duties and obligations.
• Devotion: Death is more honourable than the betrayal of justice and freedom. Those that benefit from your actions will be the reward.

Type

Illicit, Other

Location

Hamji

Related Ethnicities

• Esu
• Tashi