Tamard Food Sacrifice

The two elves looked on in confusion as the third poured the delicious-smelling stew that had been bubbling away for hours on to the ground. Moiraine watched through her mask as the steaming liquid sunk into the ground, chunks of meat and vegetable sullied now by the earth.
"Buh..." Lia was the first to break the silence. The brunette woman of the cloth looked from a juicy cube of potato to the quiet, deadly waster of stew. "That was... Uh, that was going to be our..."
Moiraine cut her off, by raising her head a couple of degrees. The light of the fire caught on the mask's red eyes; the alchemically treated crystalline lenses that saved Moiraine's eyes from the harshness of daylight. Her mask lent to her an air of danger. Moiraine was an assassin, and she had killed the group's dinner with her usual efficiency. "The spirits of the land ask for little in return for their protection. These customs are old," Moiraine explained quietly, "and need to be respected. You will not die from a missed meal, Lia."

Lia's lips tightened, and her cheeks flushed as she pouted, puffing her cheeks out with held-back indignation. Moiraine wouldn't be calling her fat if she was unmasked.

History

Tamardam is a land that was ruled by spirits. They grant the mortals of the continent stewardship of these lands, but they expect respect in return, expressed through certain rituals. Among these rituals are ones that would be considered extreme. The food sacrifice's extremity is debatable -- some think it the direst of all rituals; a waste of precious sustenance. The simplest way of performing the food sacrifice is to simply leave prepared food on the ground. Some spirits have preferences for, or will only accept certain types of food. Other spirits demand additional steps for this ritual to appease them. These gems of knowledge are all too often known only by the people local to the area. The food sacrifice is a simple and minor ritual that many spirits look kindly upon. In accordance with the ancient laws, benevolent spirits will bestow their protection upon travelers or fortune on hunters and foragers who sacrifice food.