Order of the Holy Flame

Structure

1. Lay (or serving) Brethren: these folks carry out most of the menial labor involved with maintaining the order’s lands. Anyone hoping to enter the order begins at this rank, without exception. 2. Pages: promising individuals are taken from the lay brethren and trained in court etiquette, religion, law, and history. Most pages are groomed for various manorial administrative posts through their training. 3. Squires: pages who show an aptitude for combat are sometimes drafted by individual knights to be trained in the use of arms. Knights do not take on squires lightly, for the conduct of a squire affects the honor of his or her mentor. Many squires retain this servient role for their entire lives, while others are separated from their mentors after their martial and religious training is complete and assigned as temple guards. Only a handful become knight errant. 4. Knight Errant: the knights have a responsibility to fill their ranks with only the finest warriors of the purest hearts. When a mentor believes that his or her squire has the martial and spiritual caliber to become a Knight of the Eternal Flame the mentor promotes the squire to knight errant status. Knights errant are effectively released from their mentors’ service, but their conduct is still credited to or against their mentors’ honor. This crediting assures that mentors only grant errant status to the most deserving squires. Some squires retain errant status for life, but most attempt to prove their worthiness for full knighthood by completing a “Burning Walk” 5. Knight/Pyre Guard: the deeds of those Knight errants who complete a “Burning Walk” proving their faith, adherence to edicts, character, tenacity and courage are reviewed by the Council of the holy flame, a group of senior knights. The council determines if a candidate can be given knighthood and even the legendary status of Pyre Gurard, or if another quest is necessary as proof. 6. The Council of the holy flame: these knights, selected by the Highlord, determine which squires are knighted. They also sit in judgment of knights charged with cowardice and edict violations and determine any modifications to or additions of edicts. When a council member leaves office, the Highlord selects a replacement; when a Highlord leaves office, the assembled knights elect a replacement from this council.

Public Agenda

Goal of the order: To burn away the heresy and terrors of the world and spread Solis’s divine and true light. Secondary Goals: (1) To protect and avenge the helpless, (2) To uphold the rule of law, and (3) Identify and destroy the enemies of the Temple of Solis and man.