Burning Tower

On the shores of Lake Jirulen near the high city of Esto stands the Burning Tower, the seat of faith and piety throughout Higale, and also Carrisor’s nexus of espionage and intrigue. Pontiff Elike DuPré oversees the operations of the church, both known and unknown, as priests and spies from the Burning Tower have spread to every city and town between the Otegarde and the Middle Sea.
The Tower gets its name from its thick cloak of ivy, which turns a brilliant red-orange in Autumn. The sigil of the priesthood is a literal burning tower, symbolizing the intensity and power of the Church, as well as the punishment that awaits evildoers in the afterlife. The tower’s military branch is known as the Red Cloaks, a name also loosely based on the flame-red ivy.
Yet unrest stirs within even this most revered edifice, as a band of recusants named “Storm’s Eye,” led by Cäcilia Miter, plots to overthrow DuPré and his inner circle, remaking the church in their image. This is an irreconcilable political schism, framed by two very different interpretations of the divine word. But from the outside, no one can tell how the sects are in any way different.
Cäcilia Miter now plots with the LaForêts to invade the Lion’s Keep in exchange for the Burning Tower. No one on either side is completely honest, and the arrangement will not end the way anyone expects.
Note: The Church of the Burning Tower, and the Tower itself, are often referenced as “The Flame,” not to be confused with “The Fire Hand,” the mysterious wizard-craftsmen of Fris.