Order of the First Flame
The followers of Yef, the Primal Elemental of Flame. The primary goal of the Order of the First Flame is to find the lingering embers of the First Flame, so that they can restore fire to its original state.
Public Agenda
The main goals of the Order are to combat the aggressive Fire Giants to the west, as well as to seek out and collect the lost Embers of the First Flame.
Territories
The Order of the First Flame primarily dwells in the territory of Ixuil known as Konari, the area with the highest density of Eleyef population, but they also have a presence in Luduun, helping to guard the Summer Grove.
Infrastructure
The order rarely builds larger scale temples, usually favoring the crafting of shrine bonfires. The temples that are constructed are usually crafted out of obsidian or other volcanic rock, and are usually built only in large Eleyef villages. Nearly every settlement with Order presence has a shrine bonfire built in the center of the settlement. These bonfire pits are used to create massive bonfires for the settlement to throw offerings into and to host nightly dances and revelries.
Divine Origins
As followers of one of the Primal Elementals, the Order of the First Flame has been around since the creation of the elements, using the Materils in the Age of Creation.
Tenets of Faith
Members of the Order of the First Flame often follow the following code:
- I will seek the Embers of the First Flame, so that fire may be restored to its proper place.
- I will search and destroy those beings would would corrupt the forces of flame and turn it against the mortal world.
- I will work to protect the Eleyef people and spread their passion around the world.
- I will respect the destructive power of flame, and only use it against those who are deserving of its cleansing wrath.
- Just as Yef holds the First Flame, I too hold the inner fire of my life. I will never my resolve to die out and I will stoke my inner fire with the joys of life.
- It is better to flare out in a blaze of glory than to flicker out slowly.
Ethics
The Order believes that people should be free to express and pursue their passions, whatever they may be, as long as they don't bring harm to others. Thus, the Order strives not to interfere much in the lives of others unless there is evil that must be actively combative.
Worship
Large-scale worship in the order often involve wild dances around large bonfires, while personal worship usually takes the form of quickly running your hands over and open flame while singing thankful prayers to Yef
Priesthood
Priests of the order must be Firedancers, able to wield the power of flame and fire. Their role differs based on their faction, with priests of the Burning Blades being combat-trained strike leaders, while an Impassioned priest would focus more on religious ceremony and mastering oratory and dance performance.
Granted Divine Powers
Yef grants many of his followers minor protection from the effects of fire, the ability to create and manipulate fire, as well as the ability to always light fires despite weather conditions. The more devout members of the order sometimes gain access to abilities such as complete resistance or immunity to fire, the ability to transform open flames into fire elementals, the ability to summon creatures known as fire veelas, the ability to affect creatures resistant to fire with ones flames, and even burn away those resistances and immunities, and the ability to cause massive bursts of fire to extrude from ones' body.
Those with Yef's favor find themselves protected from fire and heat, find themselves filled with excess energy, or a gain a newfound sense of rhythm. Those who earn his ire often suffer from random bouts of intense heat, a reddening of the skin, or gain an unusual clumsiness.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Many denizens of Ixuil can trace their lineage back to Yef in some way, and thus the Order of the First Flame holds much respect in the realm. The Order seeks little in the way of politics, mostly content to worship Yef and search for the Embers of the First Flame. The exception to this is the ongoing conflict with the Fire Giants of the Blasted Plains, as the Order is heavily involved in the protection of other territories against their expansion.
Sects
The Order is divided into four main groups: The EmberSeekers, the Burning Blades, and Summer Dancers, and the Impassioned.
The EmberSeekers are members of the Order who scour the world for the lost fragments of the First Flame. They search far and wide, delving into dangerous areas in their search.
The Burning Blades are the warriors of the order, they are sent out to burn away the enemies of the order. Most are stationed near the Blasted Plains and help to combat the Fire Giants.
The Summer Dancers are members of the order who work with the followers of the Flower Princess, the Seasonal Lord of Summer, and help to protect the Summer Grove. Many Eleyefs worship both Yef and The Flower Princess simultaneously, and thus the entirety of her religion is often seen as a subsect of the Order of the First Flame.
Those who don't belong to any of the other three sects and are just general worshippers of the Order are known as the Impassioned. They simply live their life and find their inner flame through daily life and regular worship.
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