Ashheart Pyromancers

I swear to protect the sacred ember above all else. I swear to protect my siblings from those who would wish to extinguish our flame. I swear to preserve the words of the radiant Goddess so that her warmth will never fade from the world.
— Vow of the Ashheart pyromancers

The Ashheart pyromancers are a small religious group who wield the power of fire. Their numbers have gradually dwindled as the keepers of their sacred embers have been lost. Now they travel the world in search of the goddess who could keep their order from being extinguished entirely.

The Sacred Embers

The Ashhearts' power and religion centers around the sacred embers that are said to have been given to the first pyromancers thousands of years ago by the divine Fire Serpent. A sacred ember is a sliver of divine power that exists within a pyromancer. Only those who possess a sacred ember can wield pyromancy.

When a pyromancer decides the time is right, they will pass on their sacred ember to their apprentice. Without the sacred ember, the master pyromancer will lose all of their abilities. The flame will live on in their apprentice until they repeat the cycle with their own apprentice. In this way, the flames of the Fire Serpent have been passed down through generations for thousands of years.

Structure

All pyromancers work in pairs. One is a master who holds a sacred ember within their veins. The other is an apprentice who is training to one day inherit their master's power.

Pyromancers are permitted to choose their own apprentice. An initiate typically begins their training in their early to late teens. Even after they join the order of the Ashhearts, initiates are not officially considered apprentices until at least one year after they begin training with their teacher. This is a trial period when the young person learns about the lifestyle, responsibilities, and faith required of a pyromancer.

After a year if the young student still wishes to commit to this life, they swear the vows of a pyromancer and are given a coiled serpent tattoo. From that day on, the new apprentice dedicates their life to the Fire Serpent and their fellow pyromancers.

All Ashheart pyromancers are led by a council of clerics known as the Ashen Circle. Each of the nine members of the Ashen Circle was once a pyromancer who retired after passing on their sacred ember. They reside at the Emberheart Monestary located deep within the mountains of Ain. These clerics guide the pyromancers in the teachings of their faith and organize yearly gatherings to ensure that all bearers of the sacred embers remain a close community even as they travel the world in search of the Fire Serpent's nest.

Culture

The Ashheart pyromancers are a very tight-knit group. The relationship between a master and apprentice is considered equivalent to that of a parent and child, and fellow pyromancers consider each other siblings.

Public Agenda

The pyromancers are dedicated to the preservation of the sacred embers. They have continued to pass down their arts from master to apprentice for thousands of years.

However, when a pyromancer dies before giving away their power, that ember is lost forever. Over the years, the number of pyromancers has dwindled until only a few dozen remain. Most believe that the only way to prevent their flame from dying out is to seek out the Fire Serpent who lit it in the first place. The Ashheart pyromancers search across the world for any sign of the Fire Serpent's nest and the deity who could keep their order from vanishing forever.

Assets

Ashheart pyromancers typically have very few possessions. The Ashen Circle and other retired pyromancers build or grow anything they need within the walls of the Emperheart Monestary. Ashheart pyromancers traveling abroad are expected to make their own living.

Cosmological Views

The pyromancers believe that the world was created by the three Great Serpents, enormous ancient dragons that still live secluded throughout the world. Although they revere the Ocean Serpent and the Wind Serpent as primordial creator deities, it is the Fire Serpent that the pyromancers actually worship.

The Fire Serpent is believed to have once lived within the Ashheart Mountain in Quentoria where she taught humans the art of pyromancy. That gift has been passed down through generations of Ashheart pyromancers ever since.

Granted Divine Powers

Ashheart pyromancers with a sacred ember can conjure flames out of nothing and manipulate their shape and movements. However, these flames are not actually the same as normal fire. They are slightly darker in color and are fueled by the caster's sacred ember rather than physical materials like wood. Pyromancers have no power over natural fire or the fire of other pyromancers. They only wield the flames created by their own sacred ember.

The size of their flames depends on the concentration of the caster. Losing focus of a flame will cause it to dissipate. Trained pyromancers can create small bursts of fire without too much difficulty. Meanwhile, expanding a flame to the size of a house is considered an incredible feat of concentration even for experienced casters.

Sects

Although most dedicate their lives to searching for the Fire Serpent, there are a few who believe that it is better to wait for her to return rather than needlessly risk the lives of the few remaining pyromancers.

This sect has built a small monastery at the base of Ashheart, a peak in the Serpentine Mountains from which the pyromancers took their name and where the Fire Serpent is said to have once lived. There, they train young initiates and continue to pass down the teachings of the Fire Serpent and her sacred embers while they wait for their goddess to return.