Fire Temples and Mobads

A mobad is a priest of the Parsan deities. They are astrologers, alchemists, sages, and practitioners of magic. As priests, the mobads are the intermediaries between Ahura Mazda and the other deities, and humanoids. Humanoid prayers are carried to the heavens by the heat and smoke of a sacred fire, which is personified as Azar, goddess of fire and magic. Their prayers are made manifest by the fire, to work powerful magics in the world in the names of the Amesha Spenta or Beneficial Immortals.
A fire temple, or Atashkada, literally "house of fire", is square in layout, with a pillar at each corner supporting a dome. The sacred fire is kept in the inner sanctum of the temple. The inner sanctum is hidden from the view of casual visitors to the temple, and is only accessible by the mobads. While tending the fire or using its ashes to perform magic, the mobads wear veils to keep their breath from polluting the fire. The fire is fed by dry sandalwood or other sweet scented woods. The fuel is often offered by pilgrims to the temple as a sacrifice. This fuel is placed on the fire by the tending priest using silver tongs. The priests of the fire temple compete to draw the most pilgrims, spreading far and wide stories of the miracles produced by their fire.