Fire Temples
ոյխէրե ոյոյէ
A fire temple, (Nimearan: Oygherē Oyoye, lit. ‘Fire Shrine’) is the place of worship for the followers of Ashvetism, the ancient religion of Nimeara practiced in much of Western Galisea. In Ashvetism, fire and water are agents of ritual purity. Clean, white "ash for the purification ceremonies" is regarded as the "basis of ritual life", which are proper to the tending of the sacred fire that burns within each Fire Temple.
Purpose / Function
As a place of worship, Fire Temples serve as sanctuaries from worldly concerns. Ashevite practice does not mandate group prayer or location-specific prayer, and instead practitioners come and go based on their own spiritual journey. Some larger temples are part of broader religious complexes, housing clergy, religious texts, and Ashevite-affiliated orders. The fire is not kept continuously burning in every temple, sometimes for safety reasons, sometimes for lack of resources, or even simply due to being a minor temple.
Architecture
Fire Temple architecture varies, with most ancient temples built in the Nimearan style. Being primarily constructed from local stone, including tuff, basalt, and limestone. Many included domes with which the fires within could fill the inside of. North of Volgier, the typical Tiefen Fire Temple is made of stone brick and wood, more readily available in the climate.
History
During the height of the ancient Nimearan Kingdom, there were Great Fires in each of the provincial capitals of the Kingdom, all except the one in Stelara of which were extinguished in the centuries following the Yulan-tai expansions. Today, there are two Great Fires, one of which remains the Stelara Temple, the other of which started in Brücter after that city's elevation to co-equal status within the Ashevite religion with Stelara.
