The Worshipers of Flame
The Worshipers of Flame is the official name given to a group of pre-medeean historical sites by the Department of Anthropological Studies of the Exarhi University. These sites have been linked together based on a few similarities that suggest they were used as places of worship by a nomadic culture, dating centuries before the forming of the Empire of Old Medeea. Not much is known about this ancient religion, aside from the historical evidence that survived for more than two and a half millenia; the influences of the other cultures, as well as their rites and god of worship remain problems for Exalted historians and archaeologists to debate over.
Structure
The presence of well-preserved and detailed garment around the worship sites indicates that, at the very least, one person was appointed to conduct the rituals - most likely a priestess, or an equivalent. A problem arises, however, when it is taken into account the fact that the known cultures of that period showed signs of a nomadic lifestyle. One popular conclusion that circulates in the academic sphere is that one woman was appointed priestess of a respective worship site; while the rest of the population lived as nomads, these priestesses had a stable place to live - or maybe the worship took place inside their very homes.
Anything beyond the "priestess theory" is up to debate. While it is generally accepted that the communities were all practicioners of this ancient cult (indicated by a myriad of amulets scattered all across the Continent, bearing almost identical symbols as those found near the worship sites), it is up to speculation if there was a greater degree of organisation among them:
- Some Exalted believe that there must have been an apprentice living with each priestess, citing the evidence of more than one person living at the Oharia site - this supposed apprentice would learn under the priestess the intricacies of the rituals. That would suggest the role of priestess could only be held by one female until her death, at which point the community would have to appoint a new (and unexperienced) priestess, thus risking the loss of knowledge. Having an apprentice would solve this problem of succession by simply moving the appointment of the new priestess long before the death of the current one, giving the youner practicioner time to learn the sacred knowledge.
- Another viable theory is the existence of retainers for the priestess - one or two people elected from the community to serve her and assure her security. A good argument in its favor is the logical assumption that one person could hardly survive on their own after being separated from their group, especially in nomadic lifestyles. If a person of such importance as a priestess would be left alone, the preservation of culture would be at risk; thus, the need of people to attend to her needs arises. From the overall size of the sites it can be inferred that there could be at most three other people living together with the priestess, but all historians agree that the most likely number of retainers is two, thus completing the triad, a symbol of great importance for this culture. Opinions are split between the "double male" and the "male-female" interpretations of the theory; the former affirms that two men were required to ensure both the protection and the comfort of the priestess, while the latter indicates the spiritual meaning of having both a man and a woman serve under the head of their religion. It is very possible, however, that at least one man was chosen as servant because of the Hakkura drawings, more specifically the central drawing, of which only the image of a man protecting the religious symbol with a spear remains. Many such spearheads were found alongside male bones in a communal grave near the site, a memento of the valiant protectors of the faith, perhaps.
- By combining the two theories you arrive at the officially-accepted interpretation of the "succession triad": one man acts as retainer and guard, one woman is appointed as apprentice, and the priestess completes the trinity.
Culture
The culture of this religion is largely unknown, although many convincing theories and ideas have surfaced over the years.
A few things can be said to be certain about it, though: their worship of fire, and their representation of a god of rebirth.
Fire is the central theme of all the unearthed religious sites.
Often represented by a crimson equilateral triangle pointing upwards, the fire is the central piece around the cultural life of these communities.
Many have used the symbol of fire as a way of relating this ancient cult with the more recent religions present at the early and middle periods of the Empire of Old Medeea.
Notably, the modern representation of elemental fire appears to draw inspiration directly from this culture's symbol; this possible connection is considered a controversial topic in the academic sphere.
The god that was worshiped by the cult is largely unknown.
Many representations of a bird made out of flames can be found - a bird that turns to ash when it dies, then comes back to life with a spark of fire.
What is commonly known as the mythological "phoenix" appears to be rooted in this culture older than Old Medeea itself; one can assume that the communities worshiped this image as a god of renewal and rebirth.
One important historical evidence regarding this god is one of the better-preserved murals from the Hakkura site, one representing this phoenix bird setting the entire world aflame - a possible apocalyptic myth, showing the death of the old world and ascension to a higher plane of existence.
Mythology & Lore
All myths related to this cult (that have at least some historical proof) are the myth of destruction, the elevation of the self through fire, and the worship of the phoenix bird. The myth of destruction relates to the depiction of apocalypse: at the end of times, the world shall be engulfed in flames and burn alongside the pheonix, cleansing and purifying it before being reborn. This is closely related to the worship of the phoenix bird, or of a deity that takes its form. Such a god is supposed to represent the ideas of renewal and rebirth, of destroying the old and accepting the new, ideas that align with the lifestyle of nomadic societies that value constant movement and change. The elevation of the self through fire refers to the common symbolism associated with the element of fire - as fire exists in a world both physical and spiritual, the practicioner should follow its lead and live in a way that would elevate their inner self to a higher plane of existence.
Worship
It is widely accepted that communities would gather around the places of worship, where the priestess would perform the rites required; the nature of these rites is unknown, but one could speculate about their cultural significance and importance. Apart from the effigies found scattered around the places of worship, there is virtually no evidence of further worship across the nomadic families and groups. The only signifiers of faith that have been uncovered are amulets bearing the symbol of this cult, possibly being held by the leader of the nomadic group - there has been found at most one amulet at each historical site. The importance of this sigil is unknown.
Priesthood
The priestess is considered to be the authority of the religion, with the nomads serving as worshipers of the faith.
Her religious garements were made of soft fur and leather, painted with red colors - a way to differentiate her from the rest of the community.
It is possible that priestesses wore many accessories, although very few have been uncovered.
It is unknown how the appointment or succession were determined.
Granted Divine Powers
It is higly debated what powers, if any, were offered as a reward for proper worhsip. One thing to note is the predominant usage of magic with a fire trait, alongside the fire symbolism that permeates the ritual sites. Whether or not the faithful received fire-aligned magic or not, one thing can be said with certainty: the usage of fire magic was either encouraged, or highly regarded among the community members.
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