Eternal Flame
The Cult of the Eternal Flame is the oldest of the sect to worship the Radiant Lady and has its popularity within the Free States. The Eternal Flame is the official religion of the Kingdoms of Righteous Flame, and the only religion permitted to be worshipped.
The Radiant Lady
The Cult believes that the world is in a state of disarray, beset by monsters, and plagued by violence because heathens reject the Lady. This chaos can only come to an end once all the world worships the Lady. The faithful believe that the Radiant Lady is the only true god, whilst the other deities have power they but pretenders who scour Runetalras with infighting and lust for power. The Radiant Lady is oft depicted as a young beautiful female Human, garbed in long robes. She is commonly depicted surrounded by or within flames.Practices and Beliefs
The dogma of the Eternal Flame is based upon a hatred of the arcane and nonhuman, as well as the belief that the Radiant Lady is the only true faith. The faithful believe that all those who are cursed to be born with arcane magic and those reckless enough to learn it should be imprisoned within the Arcane Bastilles, and should they resist then the only option is their destruction. They believe that humanity has been chosen by the Radiant Lady, and must unite all Runetalras in her worship. They also believe that nonhumans are naturally heathens, and for that reason they must never be trusted, this has caused the followers of the Eternal Flame to lead countless pogrom against nonhumans. The contempt and violence of the Eternal Flame is not exclusive towards nonhumans, as all who do not recognise the Radiant Lady as the only true deity can suffer it, although attacks on humans are rare due to legal protections. The faithful put forward that amongst the great virtues are loyalty, sacrifice, mercy to the deserving and faithful, and charity to the downtrodden. On the other hand contend they that gambling, worshiping false deities, fornication outside of marriage, adultery, polygamy, polyamory, and homesexuality are greavious sins; with its preists peaching against them regularly. The faithful also teach that kinslaying is a vile sin and being accused or guilty carries significant stigma. Other beliefs include that it is considered a great crime and sin to harm a priest of the Radiant Lady; and that a fair trial should be held for the accused, although the Cult also retains the right to perform its own trials for its members.Organisation
Training: The training of the faithful is far from uniform. In cities the Radiant Lady’s larger temples are used to take in orphans and those who seek to dedicate themselves to the Radiant Lady, where they are housed and educated - this education is the most that the smallfolk could hope to obtain normally. Outside of cities, members of the faithful are poorly educated; with the leaders of local temples and churches handing down the poor education they received to orphans and those who seek to dedicate themselves to the Lady. It should be noted even this poor education is better than that most of the smallfolk receive. Nobles also join the Church usually at higher ranks. Servants of the Flame: Males and females who devote themselves to the Lady are known as the servants. Upon taking their vows they become acolytes. Above the devotees and acolytes are the clergy and high clergy. Men and women are represented in the clergy and high clergy approximately equally. Priests within the clergy lead worship, and are the leaders of churches and chapels in small towns, villages, and hamlets. The high clergy, made up of high priest and faith administrators are leaders of larger churches and chapels which are a part of the administrator aspect of the church; They play little role in active worship, save for on the most holy days or ceremonies, and instead dictate the use of the Church’s wealth and resources, as well as determining the faiths dogma and canon. The priests of the Eternal Flame typically garb themselves in robes, primarily of red and white although in poorer regions any robes will do. These priests perform rites of birth, marriage, and death, they pray for protection, success in war, and knowledge, they also agitate against heathens and nonhumans. Perhaps the most successful ventures that the priests pursue in the healing of the masses which they perform for free or the lowest possible cost, their militant arms also kill monsters, bandits, and hunt evil mages and witches. Followers of the Eternal Flame are made upon of people from the lowest classes to ruling elites and monarchs as the Eternal Flame as board appeal, this of course exudes nonhumans who are othered and oppressed by the Cult. In villages or hamlets which are too small to support a churchs, a priest from a neighbouring village might visit. Other times, a wandering priest, a priest who travels from village to village without a specific temple at which they serve, might visit these small villages. These priests perform holy services, marriages, and forgive sins. While the priest is visiting the village, the people must provide him with food and a place to sleep. Hierarch: The head of the Eternal Flame is the Hierarch, they are the embodiment of the Lady’s will on Runetalras. The Hierarch is chosen by the Council of Conflageration - made up of the highest ranks of the high clergy - who typically choose a member of their own rank to take the office. The Hierarch serves as the foremost source of canon and dogma throughout the church. The Hierarch has extensive say over the Kingdoms of Righteous Flame, with the Hierarch being the de facto leader of the city of Toc’Vastil Militant Orders: The Eternal Flame like many of the faiths of the Lady is highly militant; as a result there are many militant orders. The most storied is the Order of the Holy Flame, which serves as temple guards, protectors of the faithful, and bearers of the flame bring the faith to new peoples. Since 533:Contempt the Smouldering Swords have increasingly grown in prominence, as the guards of the Arcane Bastille, and most numerous of the militant faithful. Finally the witch hunters could be said to be a violent arm of the faith, although the faith is only able to exert a limited amount of influence on them.Churches and Cathedrals
Churches and Cathedrals of the Eternal Flame fall into one of two categories grand and functional, with large cities oft possessing multiple of each. Grand churches are extravagant structures that serve as locations for important rituals and ceremonies, they also serve to impress the populace with their size and grandeur to demonstrate the superiority of the Radiant Lady. These churches are filled with gold, silver, silk, and incense tangible objects displaying the power, wealth, and influence of the Eternal Flame. Function churches are the most common, they are buildings within communities and serve them, blessing union in their grounds, sheltering the vulnerable, treating the sick, cremating the dead, and serving as staging grounds for their militant arms. These churches are modest, possessing little finary and stand in distinct contrast to the grand churches. The Cult of the Eternal Flame has its centred within the Toc’Vastil where the Holy Church of the Eternal Flame is found atop Penitent's Hill; there the Eternal Flame itself sit burning flames of crimson, white, orange, yellow, and black in it gold and Dimeritium brazier as it has since the beginning of time. The Cult is also organised out of the Holy Church of the Eternal Flame, as it is the religious leader the Hierarch.Afterlife
The faithful of the Radiant Lady believe that devout are taken to the Heavens once they pass from this plane, the Heavens are synonymous with the Celestial Heavens. Within which one's ancestors and loved ones dwell feasting and singing in an everlasting paradise. Sinners who do not repent or continue their sinning, on the other hand are taken to the Nine Hells or Abyss to suffer eternally.Funeral Customs
The Embertakers attended to the deceased. The faithful of the Lady are not buried, instead they are cremated. They prepare them for funeral rites by removing organs and blood, whilst stuffing the corpses to preserve and hide the smell of decomposition. Funerals for dignitaries, nobles, and royalty can last several days with prayers and rites held several times a day. When the deceased dies far from home, it is considered customary to return the corpse to the family so that it may be scattered in one's ancestral homelands.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
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