The Blue Flame

There are few more dangerous fanatics than the Blue Flame. They claim to be servants of a living god of fire and ice, or an ice that burns. It makes little sense. They call this god "The Solitary King" or "The Sovereign". Mortals they say, are imprisoned in the world, which is a cage of mirrors that makes them tiny, weak, material and dependent upon the Gods. The Gods are jealous and malicious, inflicting disease, want, need and suffering to force worship and dependence. This god acts via a Chosen One and Apostles. What is known is that they are fanatics and few survive failure of their missions. The elect appear normal though they tend to wear gloves as they become more powerful and acquire a blue skin tone in the hands and feet, and their touch turns colder. They are dedicated to overthrowing all civilization and natural order and promoting their mad God's agenda of a world of ice and cold.

Hoga Uki, Lord Lady Monitor. "Enemies of the Empire"

The Blue Flame is the name of the cult. The Blue Hand are servants of the god called "The Solitary King" via it's servants. Specifically, they serve the Avatar and Apostles. The Avatar is a being of light that inhabits a chosen one. The Chosen is a pure soul that can sense the illusions of the Mirror Cage. The Apostles are raised up mortals, beloved to the Solitary King and dedicated to breaking the five Seals that open the Gates. The goal is to spread cold and ice by establishing shrines. This will free mortals from the Material Veil of Want.

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Culture

The Order is a secret cult, often hiding within official recognized power structures but performing a secret set of rituals and missions to promote it's agendas of 1) promoting a world of ice and cold. 2) Finding the Gates and breaking the Seals to open these gates and 3) overthrow of established order and powers including nobility, states, churches and the Gods.

Public Agenda

These evil cultists seek to spread a curse of ice and cold, dooming the world to a frozen wasteland. (Official stance of the Empire and other governments and churches)

Cultists say they wish to break the chains of want, need, pain, suffering and inequity created by the Gods in this Mirror Prison and bring all to a truth of immortality, joy, and light beyond the planes that make up the prison.

Demography and Population

The Apostles wander the world seeking new recruits, aiding established Shrines and seeking to find and control the Gates. They may be found amongst all speaking species all over the Kuan region and perhaps beyond.

Mythology & Lore

The Sovereign created a perfect world without needs, wants, or suffering. All were free in the infinite light. The greatest desired to rule and be worshiped by all others and created a sphere of Desires and offered entry to other beings of the light. This Sphere was a prison wrapped in layers of mirrors that reflected desires back upon the prisoners.

First they passed the Mirror of Darkness across a great Rift. The entrants became isolated and alone, lost in Darkness. From this place they could see a light, a beacon, which drew them into the Astral realm of Order and hierarchy. Now some were more and others less. The Gods showed them wonders- food, sensation, and forms every Dream imaginable offering release, freedom and joy and they raced into the Prison of the Dreaming Realm. But Dreams are just promises and the mortal material world made them true. So the once free, perfect beings fled into mortal bodies to taste, feel and suffer from want and pain. But the only escape they were offered was sorrow in the Umbra and Underworld that turned them back to mortal flesh once more. The perfect beings of light were now caught in imperfect material forms by sensation and desire and once so caught were driven by suffering and wants. The Great Ones offered to reduce the suffering, want, and to feed desires in exchange for recognition of their greatness, worship and service. They doled out bits of food, introduced money and gave it to their obedient faithful to control the others, they spread hunger, disease, and other afflictions from which the prisoners could appeal to the Gods for relief. Relief was only ever given to those who most pleased the ones in power and caused more to suffer. The perfect world of light was forgotten and ignored.

But the Solitary King did not forget the Lost. It desired to free the lost beings of light and restore them, destroying the Prison of Mirrors. But the Gods had Sealed it's layers so that only those within could open it, and they were denied the Keys. The Solitary King conceived a plan and sent the Avatar within a lesser being to join the suffering prisoners and work to escape. The Keys to break the Seals would be found. The Gates now locked, would be open, and joy and light without limit or suffering would be restored to all. Until that time the Avatar and Apostles would strive, though bound by the limits, hierarchies and suffering of the world and realms of the Gods. The prisoners can only be freed entirely or not at all. To strive within the world of Want and Desires is to suffer, always. To exist in the world of Want, Desires and Suffering is to be unequal. Some with more and others with less. The Cleansing Blue Flame transforms. It preserves so that all might be freed one day. It seeks to overthrow the deceitful Gods and ruin their prison. To do this requires that the order of the Gods is overthrown and replaced by the vision and servants of the Solitary King. Only by shattering the Mirrors can all be free.

Worship

The litany is the basic statement of belief:
"We are perfect beings trapped in and distorted by imperfect flesh. The flesh has desires, wants and needs that demand satisfaction and all are slaves to it. These wants, needs and desires cause suffering, pain and inequity.
The world and the planes are a Prison of mirrors and illusions meant to feed desire, want and need. This is the design and purpose of the Gods. They want worship and obedience, rewarding those that please them and inflicting pain and suffering, want and need on all. The Solitary King has sent the Avatar and raised the Apostles to lead all flesh from the prison and out to limitless light and joy without pain, suffering, need or want.
Until the Gates can be opened, the mortal world must be broken and freed. The Tools of the Gods- the churches, the states, the rulers, the laws and the deluded followers that maintain the Mirror Prison and the Gods themselves must be overthrown and destroyed. As we ascend we make war upon the true enemies. We will turn our backs on the fires of desires. We will deny the iron of shakles. The Gates will be found. The Seals broken. The way opened and all will be freed."

Priesthood

Entry into the Cult requires introduction, but the Avatar has been known to reach out in dreams to those who are suffering pain, loss and sorrow to explain the illusionary world they inhabit and the means of escape. The Seeker asks for some small want to be satisfied. They will then be asked to perform a small task, such as gathering information or identifying a potential place to create a Shrine. If this is done, they may ask to become an initiate.

The initiate swears oaths to overthrow the corrupt and broken world and the Avatar is called into a Lesser Vessel. The initiate is granted one small miracle- but the Avatar can not cure diseases nor inhabit the diseased - these are too full of the evil of the world. Too impure, infested with the tained substance of the world of pain. Initiates are also granted the First blessing: Immunity to cold. Ice and freezing temperatures feel like a fine spring day. This is delivered by a kiss from the Avatar in the Lesser Vessel. Warm temperatures become significantly more uncomfortable over 50 degrees F and the Initiate feels chilled to the touch.
The Initiate will be given a mission. If performed successfully they become a Novice and are granted the Second Blessing power. These missions may involve harming churches of the false Gods, agents of state or "freeing" many from the illusionary state of material being. They will also be obligated to avoid use of fire or flame and to eat and drink only cold or unheated/ uncooked foods.

Novices are given the mission of establishing and maintaining Shrines. The Shrine contains the indigo Blue Flame which must be daily "Entombed" (see Blessings). The Flame is attuned to cult members via a ritual involving spirit binding to the flame with at least two successes. Each binding gives the Flame a Force rating +1. This +1 may be borrowed for rolls vs magics or ability rolls by one attuned to the Flame of a Shrine. Multiple shrines may be attuned. If a Shrine is destroyed, this bonus is lost and the cultist suffers a Shaken status until overcome by a Vigor roll. The Shrine must be protected from the Gods and their agents which seek to extinguish it. The Shrine reduces the local area warmth, dropping temperatures one degree F (1.8 C) per day over an area of 1 mile (1.6 km). Maximum range is equal to Vigor of the Novices +1 per cult member attuned to the Flame. Novices are granted a Third Blessing and may call upon the Avatar's ability to Heal wounds, Create food enough for three (raw, uncooked), Circle of Protection and Light. Any one of these "miracles" may be called upon daily, up to a number of times equal to the Novice's Occult rank. (A novice with Occult 4 could do any one, four times or perform each once or any combination up to four such miracles per day). The Novice starts to show blue hands and feet. Fire is the enemy of the Shrines and the tools of fire are the enemies of the flesh and the Flame. Novices are forbidden to use smithied tools, armor or weapons.

The Elect are the most advanced mass of cultists. The eyes turn dark blue and the body acquires a pale blue tone. They gain the Fourth and Fifth Blessing, the miracles of the Novices and may borrow a power from any Apostle once daily or from an Apostle they are most attuned to up to two powers and up to twice daily. They seek to protect the Shrines and promote the cult while also fighting against the Gods, states and anything creating inequality. They must be subtle and avoid detection or direct conflict.

The ultimate desire would be to become an Apostle if something should somehow destroy one of them.

Granted Divine Powers

The Blessing powers are these and may be used once daily per rank of Occult skill:
Blade break: a bladed weapon (stab or cutting) becomes icy and brittle, then streaked with rust. Range is Smarts. Targets a single weapon. Weapons resist as damage die vs Occult. One success means the icy weapon will crumble to dust when used. 2 success or more cause the weapon to shatter into hundreds of icy shards instantly.


Entomb: range smarts. Causes the target(s) to become encased in ice. Resisted by Agility vs Occult. A single target: Success causes -2 on rolls related to pace(reduced by 2), agility and Str. Raise totally immobilizes for Occult +1d4 turns. -1 vs small area 10ft, -2 vs large 20ft area. The emtombed may roll each round str or agility to break free ( success+ 1 raise). They also roll Vigor to resist being shaken or wounded each round.


Coldfire bolt: Range 10/12/14 areas. bolt of coldfire does 2d6 base ( 2d8 at -1 to cast, or -2 does 2d10). Each additional bolt to be cast at a time ads -1 on Occult roll. Bolt may be evaded on agility -2 roll.

Icy Tool: the power allows the user to produce a tool or weapon made of an arcane black ice that is hard as iron, from water, ice or cool air upto 1 ft at 1d4 (Occult 1) and 8 ft at rank 7. Hot weather or conditions reduce maximum size by 1 per 10 degrees F above 70, with a minimum of 1/2 ft. This is a Spirit roll to succeed. Raises count as a boost to Occult Rank. The item will persist for minimum of 1 scene and maximum of 1 hr.

The Fifth Blessing is Granted to Elect and Apostles: The Black Flame Forge. Using a Shrine's Blue Flame and the Icy Tool blessing tools, weapons and armor of Black Ice may be crafted to replace any item of metal. Items have a toughness equal to the number of Essence Points (power points) instilled in them at creation. These have a cold aura and protect against heat and flame at +1 per point of Toughness. Weapons have an extra 1d6 of cold damage. They are otherwise equal to mundane gear.

The Avatar is typically hosted by the Chosen, a youth who has suffered loss. They call to the Avatar, who shows them the truth. The Avatar most directly is in communication with the Solitary King and directs the Apostles and the whole of the organization. The Avatar may briefly occupy a Lesser Vessel - typically in bringing in initiates. The Chosen One has white eyes and blue skin when inhabited. Hair color becomes white as well.

Show Spoiler

The Avatar has all the Blessings, the powers of the Apostles and may perform these miracle powers: cure wounds, create food, produce coins or goods, and creates a circle of Protection or creates Light. The Chosen keeps these Miracle powers even when the Avatar is not occupying them.

The Apostles likewise have blue skin. The eyes are dark blue and hair is white. The Apostles have specific Seals to break and Gates to open. They possess all the Blessings and may grant them.

The Apostle of Want: Dajarool, is a Titan of Damamalia. he typically wears a kimono type robe with vest jacket over the top. He is serious and tacturn and applied/ practical in outlook. He's seen it all in the past 4000 years. His mission is the Seal of Want and the Material Gate. He is the only one so far to have control of a Gate and has opened it. They must all be open to break the prison. To wrap the world in ice will bring things to a new order and overthrow the established order of the Gods. This is his new mission. The Gate is in the Southwest beyond the Lizard Kings' domain. The Seal is broken by the Blood of the Chosen. Fresh blood is required each time. The gate opens to one of the Sealed Hells- different each time, and deals may be struck with the Inhabitans. The Apostle of Want is a Master of Water Antepex who fled the fall of Damamilia. Since becoming an Apostle, he has gained Ice and Cold. His base Antepex power is 20 of each Water, and Cold/Ice- affecting 1 volume or 1d6 of force per point. In presence of water or natural cold/ice he repowers at upto 5 points/ force per round with each point being a 5x5 volume he can consume into his Antepex sphere. His Antepex powers are:

• Compact/ Spread: They could cause the same amount to become more concentrated or spread out.
  
• Create/ Dispell: produce volumes drawn from the Anteplex but reducing the power of the Sphere.
  
• Amplify/Diffuse: they could create more or reduce their element adding or subtracting volumes pulling from the Antepex
  
• Direct: They could force the Antepex material to take on shapes or project it as a beam or bolt.
  
• Manifest: personification of the element and ability to merge into a volume of it.

The Apostle of Sorrow: Adzu. Human male. Apparently about 24 years old, but actually over 200. Well dressed, neat and clean at all times. Proud, and self-asured, he is also very devout to the Flame and cause as the newest Apostle. He is a transformed Nemesis Vampire and is immune to sunlight. His mission is the Underworld/ The Umbral Realm Seal and Gate. He is excavating a cave where the Seal and Gate are- but they are guarded by three "shining beings". These are Tal-Vabigni, Umbral spirits that manifest as indigo furred humanoids with bat faces. They attack physically with long razor sharp claws and psychically, causing loss of Intelligence (wounds cause Smarts to drop 1 die) and cross back and forth from the Umbra plane to the Material world. The gate opens to the Abyss and Oblivion and offers the Unity per The Dark Fae [spoier] The Seal is broken by a ritual sacrifice of an innocent and the Gate can only be opened by an active Ghost in the Umbra sacrificing itself, once the Seal is broken. [/spoiler] His vampiric powers are:

• Spirit Vision: they can see spirit forms and in total darkness. Nemesis know others and can see riding or possessing spirits.
  
• Command: one word command that must be obeyed. Must not cause self injury or run counter to dictates of a situation. Range is Spirit. Roll Spirit to resist -4.
  
• Hypnosis: implants a complex command: report anyone in a blue cloak. Go to the market at noon and confess to stealing gold.
  
• Fog the mind: implant or place a false memory or cause something to be forgotten for a time. Don’t you recall, I’m your long lost cousin. We had a business dealing. You took a long way home or drank too much lastnight.
  
• Fear: Nemesis possess an aura of cold and fear- draining temperature 10 degrees and causing Fear roll.

The Apostle of Resurrection: Aeush- Octnon (they) Ikosh outcaste - Half Tyjut and Eshe - dark redand black color replaced by blue and black, with spines and horns. It is inquisitive, and exacting but surprisingly sentimental. Works with the Apostle of Power frequently in seeking the Dreaming Gate. The Seal is broken with a ritual invoking any strong emotion that involves at least 50 individuals where the spiritual energy is gathered and fed into the gate. The gate itself is in a tiny domain drifting somewhere in the Dreaming but can be accessed from a specific Fairy Ring of mushrooms that moves around the Western Shore region.
Powers:

• Sight: Can see immaterial spirits as if manifested but can't tell if materialized or not without stopping this power. May also see possessing spirits. 2 essence. Roll Spirit.
• Spirit Touch: May touch and influence unmanifested spirits as if manifested. May attack possessing spirits without harming the possessed. 3 essence for a single use + 1 will for extended
• OpenDoor: May step into immaterial sanctum/ abode of a spirit of power less than Caster. Items may be brought or withdrawn. Higher pow require permission to enter. 3 Essence + 3 per other with user.
• Ghost: User and others with the user become immaterial and can not be see or detected except by those who can see the immaterial or immaterial spirits. Immaterial may be interacted with as if solid. The surroundings may be seen and heard but not effected by the material world. 3 essence + 3 per traveling with.
• Summon Elemental: summon elemental of power to serve for days = rested essence. Required 4 hrs ritual and materials. Roll Spirit + vs Elelemntal rank: 1 success = hrs instead of days. 2+ = days. 0= failure, elemental leaves. Elemental successes 1= demand tribute, 2= attacks summoner, 3+ Elemental is free to do as it wishes. (essence = 3/ pow of elemental)
• Bar: By laying down a barrier of ground crystal and performing a ritual 1 area/ essence may be warded to either - Bar materialization of dematerialized or force materialization, but not both. Essence 5 + area.

The Apostle of Power: Finelle. Female Elf: Unsealie Sidhe. Air tribe Zyphir. House of Winter. Arrogant, cheerful and optimistic. She exudes an aura of power per her Birthright. The Gate of Power is an Astral construct and the Seal is broken by 100 Essence fed into it.

1. Birthright: Awe : charismatic (3). Sidhe can radiate an aura of terror, confidence or pure power. This allows them to (on skill roll and 1 pt gossamer of the right radiance) influence the emotions of others, even to the extent of making them + or - on rolls (on raise). And any enchantment that would make them look silly fails.
2. Truthsense: Sidhe know when they are around something that is other than it seems. They will see, hear or otherwise sense a hidden form. Skill roll vs Alert to identify it.
3. Flight: Can spend 1 gossamer and 1 essence to become light as featherdown - leaping and floating in the air as if flying (1 area per pt Spirit +essence spent).
4. Glamour of Seaming: By expending 1 gossamer and essence may change appearance to appear as surrounding creatures for 1 rnd =1/ raise (1 essence base + 1/pt + lvl vs Smarts+Alert of seekers). Alternatively may pull one’s Chimeric gear into reality for 1 rnd /Spirit.
5. Psyche Skill: Fae may harvest Gossamer from the emotions and dreams of mortals. Or learn to influence dreams.
   

• Unseelie Powers: Cost 1 essence + 1 / Rank

1. 0 Dim: Causes 1 area+ 1/ lvl to become shadowy and dimly lit, casting a veil over lights, fire or lanterns. Those without night/ dark vision are at -4 aim. Lasts 1 round+1 / Rank of caster, +1/ raise.
2. • Look There: Causes a sound and flickering shadow to appear where desired within Rank + Magic areas. The effect lasts 1 round.
3. •• Promise: spirit roll . Promise made must be kept or suffer -1 die type on attribute rolls until promise is kept.
4. •••: Wyld Hunt: summons 1d4 Hunterss: Wolflike with antlers. Abilities and bite at at d6. Skill vs Spirit + Magic, on Raise they become d8 abilities and bite.
   

• Manifest: spirit manifests remotely at a cost of 3 essence / rank. Duration =Rank +1 rnd / essence spent.

1. • Touch: in line of sight: touch feel and handle what can be hand held. Can move upto 1 lb per sucess on skill roll. Resistance = 1d per success.
2. •• Manipulate: push/pull or handle as if present in line of sight with full strength. Skill roll = STR, if less decreases effective strength 1d6. Additional successes increases effective STR 1 PIP ( 1d6 Stam) for each 2. Resistance = 1d per success.
3. ••• Sphere: restraining constrictive bubble or defensive barrier of Gossamer and Essence. Force = 1/ Gossamer and 1 Essence. Add Force to armour or Force = STR to hold something. 1 Area / Gossamer. Skill roll successes = Force. Resistance = Force level created.
4. •••• Project: beam, bolt or sheet of force or energy 3d6 (element) + 1d6 per Magic Poll spent. Cost = 3 Goss +3 Esence +1/ magic pool. Skill roll to hit (less dodge and Essence cost - bigger are harder to control!).
   

• Hidden: These powers direct the aura into the development of the self. These cost 1 action to cast and cost essence = 1/ skill roll made.

1. • Ability: ( 1 yellow): increase an attribute rank for 5 essence for 1 rnd/ magic level (may be extended 1rnd/ essence on success roll vs resistance (1+1 / skill roll made) for each additional essence spent).
2. •• Action: ( 1 red Goss): You move twice as fast: gain 1 action per Magic PIP on successful Spirit skill roll. Resistance is 1+1 per additional Magic skill roll.
3. ••• Skill: ( 1 white) increase skill level 1 pt per 5 essence spent for 1 rnd/ magic rank (may be extended 1rnd/ essence). Resistance = 1+1 per skill roll.
4. •••• Knowledge ( 1 blue Gossamer): On touch or within 1 area may speak to the spirits of things, animals or the Po spirit of beings. They know what they are, where they have been and maybe things that have happened around them. Intelligent beings may add Smarts to resistance to prevent from speaking. More successes = better detail. By speaking to one’s own Po -Sense surroundings within 10’ (+5/ essence spent) even in complete darkness. Resistance is on Spirit roll. Cost = successes.
5. ••••• Healing: ( 1 Green Goss): on skill roll heal 1 wound, recover 1d6 wind, or resist disease per success and +1 per additional essence spent. May reduce addiction or add Clarity by 1 on success 3+.

The Apostle of Restoration: Awee. female Centaur. Pessimistic and prone to violence and moods if thwarted or facing difficulties, she is also paranoid and plotting. The Gate of the Rift is a black obsidian construct on the isle of Tslal within an eldrich realm of the Astral. Mages may see Tslal in fever dreams that drain their energies and haunt their days with memories of whispered voices and a black jade cage crackling with green lightnings. One of these haunted mages is needed to find the Isle's realm. The Seal is broken by sacrifice of Want, of life, of Sorrow, of dreams and of Power. It is believed that Want, Sorrow and Power mean the Apostles.
Awee is a Left-Hand Honor Path (Honor Amongst Thieves). Eclipse House of Commitment - (Judges, Merchants) - rightness, institutions that are built and made matter. That the follower is proved right. To right a wrong. Mediate or make a Deal. She is Pillar of Judgement: Fairness and honor are most important in Robin Hood context.

Her Vice is Gluttony: Over consumption if opportunity presents itself - of goods, of sensation, of food, of drugs. Indulgence without restraint, relent or foresight. Consumption without end. Collector of all, or only the very best - the finest products and only the best. The conissour of sensation and experience.
Her Honor Powers ( Rank5): Enacted by roll of 2d10 vs Honor Rank+Clarity Powers are gained 1/ lvl at Current or lesser Rank. Botch- you have contacted a Corruptor, Bane or Manitou.

• Ley Stone: At a shrine or Temple invest 2 essence to store 1 in the Ley stone. She has a stone with 100 Essence on hand and several 10 essence stones that she may give away.
• Lesser Node: 3 essence per point. This node stone allows storage in a pocket dimension of 1 point (10degree F) of heat/ cold or 10 lb or weight, 1 gallon of water/ moisture per time this power is taken for 1 hr / lvl. The stored may be released on touch and command.
• Node of knowledge (5): With Smarts roll, cost of 2 essence, may locate magic ley-line flows and instill into small stones (nodes) 1 Rank of a skill per Honor rank - these points are taken from the creator and can be recovered by spending 1 essence. Only the maker may use the node. Nodes decay over time - lasting 1 week/ lvl. A specific bit of information may also be stored - a map, image, story, etc and when stored can’t be recalled without accessing the Node.
• Node of The body (4): With Smarts roll, cost of 2 essence, may locate magic ley-line flows and instill into small stones (nodes), 1 PIP of Attribute or 1d6 of Wind, essence per PIP for each time the power is taken.
• Node of Condition (4): Nodes can store weight, move, heat or cold or other physical status. (10 degree F/ 5 C) of heat/ cold or 10 lb or weight, 1 gallon of water/ moisture per time this power is taken will release at up 1 hr / rank
• Node of time (3): actions can be stored equal rank. expending 1 allows taking action after other actions are announced but acting first.
• Node of Space: (3)creates a pocket which can be hidden in for 1 turn per rank + 1 /rank
• Node of Echoes (2): Stores 1 hr per rank: when activated allows viewing of echos of the past time frame by Rank( cost x2 to hear as well) in the area of activation within 10 ft (2 areas of user).
• Node Channeler (1): allows a node to be used by someone other than the Creator on skill roll vs Smarts. and 1 bennie.