The Ferozi Resistance

Understandably, not everyone is keen to enter the melting pot that is the Tosgiv Empire. Some island communities are proud of their own traditions, customs, and religious beliefs that are at odds with those of the Empire. Moreover, they have no desire to be ruled by an elite somewhere across the sea. This has led to several armed conflicts between the native Ferozi people and the Empire. Some resist the moment the Empire’s ships show up on their shores, while others are more patient and form a separatist movement once the bulk of the invasion force has left. Having nowhere close to the amount of resources the Empire has, the Ferozi resistance utilizes guerilla tactics to combat their superior foe, lacing their jungles with traps and striking Imperial soldiers with poisoned darts fired from cheap but effective blowpipes. Rooting these rebellious pockets out is incredibly difficult, and has been the focal point of Tosgiv’s military operations for decades.

## Religious Differences

Pre-Empire beliefs in the Ferozi archipelago revolved around a concept of “oneness”, which for some made the introduction of Imperial beliefs regarding The One confusing, yet at the same time partially successful among those faced with the earliest induction into the Empire, before resentment began to grow. In reality, the concept of oneness was a Ferozi belief that all life is linked and connected, both before and after death.

* Ferozi religious beliefs differ significantly from mainstream Tosgivite religion in their conviction that the dead join The One in their own definition, which is at odds with the exclusivity of ascension of a Conduit. To those still practicing the old Ferozi ways, the Conduit is a strange idea because The One is an abstract concept rather than a divine entity.
* Familial clans would frequently have an elder tasked with ensuring the clan was supporting the balance of nature, with a parallel drawn to the Conduit resulting in greater outcry when the Empire began cracking down on what they deemed to be primitive beliefs.
* In most of modern-day Feroz, the old beliefs have been partially reconciled with the Imperial religion. It is accepted that The One is some sort of entity that represents the abstract ideas of pre-Imperial beliefs and enforces them by guiding ancestors and their living successors. Despite this, the Imperial Inquisition still seeks to completely eradicate the ancestor-worshipping aspects.
* The Ferozi variant of the religion has always been much more personal than the mainstream Imperial one. The bells and whistles of a Conduit, monstrous cathedrals, and multiple churches conflicted with the personal nature of spirituality for the Ferozi people. Nowadays, many Ferozi still pray in their own homes, though most towns do have a single church that sees some use by those who have fully adopted mainstream religion, or are brave enough to practice the old ways publically.
* The One is occasionally referred to by a gender as well, though whether it be a “He” or “She” largely depends on whether a family clan is matriarchal or patriarchal, which also determines which gender of ancestor is of more prominence and which elders serve as spiritual advisors. This is often a point of contention among islands and their inhabiting clans.
* On the contrary, the tendency to give sacrifices translated well for those who converted with some adjustment, and the communal values remained, though in a more limited and more direct frame of view.
* Trust and reputation is very significant among the small, inter-dependent clans. As a result, much conflict on the island resulted from the confessions of Ferozi citizens to the Imperial church being relayed to the Inquisition and used against them. Such behavior would be unheard of among a clan, seeding further distrust.

## Religious Customs

Central to the Ferozi belief set was the balance of life and death, and coexistence among the forces of nature. Emphasis is put on the scarcity of resources on the islands, and very little goes to waste. What cannot be used is often offered as evidence to the ancestors of living graciously, and anything that will go to waste if unused is given to the community or offered as sacrifice. Communal values are central to the clan mindset.

### **Sacrifices to the Ancestors**

After a successful hunt, major life accomplishments, or any string of good fortune, it is common to give back a portion of what has resulted from the good fortune to show gratitude to the ancestors that supported an individual in their time of need. For a hunt this can mean burying a portion of the harvest, or a lock of hair from a healthy child, or part of a good harvest. Giving something reaffirms the value of what has been attained.

### **Death**

Death is rarely thought of often, merely a transition in form and the dead are rarely buried with anything of value and burials are modest and simple, often at sea, to support new plant growth, or beneath a painted and carved stone if someone of particular importance. Some ancestors are believed to ‘attach’ their presence to physical items, animals or places after death, especially near where their bodies were laid to rest.  All are highly coveted, treated with the utmost care until they again pass from their forms to the beyond until returning again.

Children are believed to have an ancestral boon as well, and children who do not survive to adulthood are believed to have lacked one. Sudden illness and death can be blamed as a result of failing to maintain the support of one's guiding ancestor, often by abandoning traditional beliefs. Souls deemed lost are feared, and avoided with special omens requested from ancestors to ensure their misfortune does not rub off onto the living. For this reason, many Ferozi people fear sea travel at night, claiming the lost souls wander the mists, and only specially crafted vessels with the guidance of an elder can travel freely.

**Ancestral Communion**

Elders took care of the clan in terms of spiritual matters and leadership, but the young would frequently give offers from each of their hunts and feasts to their ancestors out of gratitude for past guidance. Communing with ancestors in an effort to achieve boons to ease the trials of life is common, and the process is taught by elders.

A common way of communing with ancestors is by means of ceremonially dyed cloth, placed in particular locations as an offering. Wildflowers can be wrapped in the cloth as well for more specific requests. Each combination has a very specific meaning and use. All completed personal omens are burned as well to finalize the offering, as it is considered greedy to have more than a few open boon requests.

* Blue is for matters of health and wellness
* Yellow represents prosperity and skill
* Red can be used when personal matters are at play, such as overcoming fear or escaping anger
* Purple is used for matters of relationships
* Green is associated with luck
* Orange is the color of perseverance and passion
* White governs vision, clarity, and focus
* Black represents integrity and protection

Interestingly, the meaning of these colors was later incorporated into the Tosgivite custom of tying ribbons around people and objects. Formerly the color of the ribbons had no bearing on their meaning, and it still does not for every citizen of the Empire. However, the migration of more Imperial-aligned Ferozi people to Abfall and Belar and cultural assimilation by the Empire have led to a sizable portion of the populace consciously picking what color they use to ward against disasters. To this day, academics are still unsure whether this is the result of Ferozi people clinging on to what little traditions the Empire allows them to keep, or a ploy by the Empire to appropriate aspects of Ferozi religion in order to both ease conversion and erode an aspect of Ferozi culture by taking away its uniqueness.

* Blue wards against health issues
* Yellow wards against poor performance
* Red wards against emotional outbursts and melancholy
* Purple wards against heartbreak
* Green wards against bad luck
* Orange wards against losing one’s spark
* White wards against clouded judgment
* Black wards against corruption