Order of the Diamond Sphere
The Order of the Diamond Sphere is a religious monk order devoted to the god Toran. Based in Mikona, it was founded by Cendri, a monk of Toran, and Bolo'druul, an orc shaman and monk of Toran.
In a letter to an unknown recipient, Cendri explains the origin of the order's name:
"With regards to the Order of the Diamond Sphere, in addition to what has been revealed above, perhaps I can explain with reference to the name of our collective. We refer to ourselves as the Honorable and Most Humble Order of the Diamond Sphere. In this title, is reflected the base of our collective beliefs. We conduct ourselves with honor and humility in all our dealings, personal and public, for in these ways we preserve our personal integrity. By allowing oneself to become otherwise, would be to compromise ourselves to the stench of personal glorification. Order, of course, has a surface and subsurface meaning. We are an Order in the sense that this is the accepted term used in the Common Tongue to refer to an organization of Monks. This is true, however, we also beielev that Order is itself the constant underlying foundation upon which all things are built. From Order arises the possibility of improvement, both personal and in the world at large. Without it, is Chaos, and with Chaos comes inevitable distruction. There can be not growth in Chaos. The Diamond, we are told, is the strongest of natural materials. Alchemists have said that the diamond draws its natural strength from the reglaurity and rigidity of its structure. Every article of its being is in its exact and proper place. When one piece is out of place, the whole is weakened, and is considered to be flawed. Finally, the Sphere, which too has a double meaning in the Common-tongue. By shape, the Sphere is the most perfect of creations, with no single point above any others. In our organization, we recognize internal authority by mutual agreement. For example, the Procurator of thee Manufactory, a position held currently by Patron Bolodruul, is recognized as the authority in the crafted arts. He holds that position by virtue of his demonstrated abilities and as he whose knowledge in these matters exceeds that of our other members. While this is is his title, and we defer to his expertise in these matters, he has no authority over the others, and cannot by himself override the collective wisdom of the Order. Likewise, as acting Grand Matron, I accept the responsibility of administering the official business of the Order, and hope that my wisdom, such as it is, will serve to guide the Order. I do, however, serve in this capacity for the sake of, and by the will of the Order, and for no other reason. By second meaning, the Sphere also refers to the realm of our influence. Each of us, individually has a sphere in which we move, and can or cannot influence others. We, as a collective, attempt by combining our reach, hope to maximize our influential sphere, by protecting, preserving, and enhancing the Order upon which all is built, for the sake of the common improvement and contentedness."
Monks of the Diamond Sphere take a vow of poverty. The order tries to be self-sufficient; its monks mostly make what they need themselves, and when funds are needed will sell handcrafted items.
The order seeks to foment order and reduce chaos. One of the ways in which it attempts to do this is by acting as mediators in disputes, be they between individuals, organizations or nations.