Nissie Garside

Nissie Garside, 27, is a lay preacher of the Sanctified Order of Halveth, a faith that teaches moral withdrawal rather than rebellion. She believes Empress Armelle’s rule, founded on the killing of her father, lacks divine blessing and therefore cannot command spiritual loyalty. Nissie travels the Empire preaching conscience, endurance, and inner righteousness, emphasizing that obedience may be enforced but belief must remain freely given. Her message is subtle, careful, and unsettling—planting doubt without inciting action, and challenging the Empire’s authority at its spiritual foundation. She arrives in Asnacht several days after your return from Caldrin, following your encounters with Caldrin’s most powerful figures. Her presence draws quiet attention from Afrodille Foy, who monitors her movements; Grand Marshal Brigitte Torp, who weighs whether faith might harden into refusal; and Knight Captain Kaylene Asheton, who may be tasked with observation rather than intervention. Nissie does not seek to recruit you or provoke unrest, but recognizes your role as a stabilizing presence. To the Empire, she brings no rebellion—only the dangerous idea that loyalty can be compelled by force, but faith cannot, and once withdrawn, it leaves no clear enemy to strike.