The Divine Flame

Overview

Location:

The faith in the Divine Flame is one of the most widespread and popular religions in Arboria and Sahadra. It is a Human faith, born from the fires of The Cataclysm. The Divine Flame is also the parent faith of the offshoot religion known as the Church of the Mason.

Gospel:

The Divine Flame centers on the worship of fire. From the moment an individual is born, they take warmth and light from the flame, binding themselves to its service as it is bound to theirs. Fire is seen as the force that enables Humanity not just to survive but to thrive. It cooks food, warms homes, lights paths, and frightens away the creatures of darkness. Fire is a tool to protect what is good and just, as well as to purify what is vile and corrupt.
The faith views The Cataclysm - a world-altering event that bathed the land in fire - as a divine act of renewal. It is seen as a cleansing that rid the world of its corrupt and power-hungry empires, particularly the old Elven empire of the Kleriel Imperium. This empire, which once claimed dominion over the known world, sought to achieve godhood through Arcane mastery. The Cataclysm is believed to have been a punishment for their hubris, resetting the world.
As a result, the Divine Flame teaches that Arcane magic is a sacred force of otherworldly origin, not meant for mortal use. To wield it is to invite temptation, corruption, and greed. However, the faithful embrace elemental magic, especially fire, for their needs.
In lands governed by the Church of the Mason, Arcane magic is not just frowned upon but actively hunted and eradicated. The Masonites, however, reject all forms of magic, not just the Arcane.

Symbolism:

The Divine Flame is symbolized by bright, burning flames hovering over a brazier. This brazier holds no fuel, and the flames burn eternally from nothing, representing the unyielding and divine nature of the flame.

Diety:

The faith of the Divine Flame worships the flame itself or its believed spirit - a singular will behind every flame that ever was, is, or will be. The flame is considered a gift from the Divine. Who or what this Divine is remains unknown, but many believe the flame embodies its essence. The flame can be benevolent and protective or cruel and destructive. It is said that wherever the flame burns, the Divine can see, which is why the faithful always keep a fire lit in their homes, even if only a candle. Similarly, a brazier is always kept alight in churches and chapels to provide light, warmth, and a sense of divine protection.
Followers of the Divine Flame revere the flame communally, celebrating shared struggles and victories rather than glorifying individuals.

Traditions & Practices:

Blessings of the Seed

Held on the 7th day of the Month of Sow, this tradition gathers farmers to have their crop seeds blessed by the local clergy, seeking divine favor for a plentiful harvest.

Week of First Harvest

Observed during the 1st week of the Month of Harvest, this festival marks the early summer when the first crops are ready. Celebrations include farmers' markets and communal gatherings.

Week of Last Harvest

Celebrated during the final week of the Month of Wind, this event marks the end of the harvest season. Similar to the Week of First Harvest, it focuses on farmers and craftsmen selling surplus goods before winter.

Night of Hearths

On the last night of the old year and the first day of the new, traditionally the coldest night, large communal bonfires are lit. People gather to socialize and sing praises. Merchants often set up stalls to sell holiday goods throughout the night.

Day of Courage

Celebrated in mid-Thaw, usually on a Sunday, this festival marks winter's retreat. Participants dress in vibrant red, march with lit torches, and make noise with bells and horns to symbolically drive away the frost.

Cremation

Cremation is a central practice in the faith. Those who have taken from the fire throughout their lives must return to it upon death. This tradition is both ceremonial and practical, as it prevents the deceased from being raised through necromancy or supernatural curses.

Mass

Mass gatherings bring the faithful together for prayer and worship. These ceremonies serve various purposes, such as farewells for the deceased, blessings for newborns, or marriages. Public masses are held regularly for communal prayer.

Hierarchy:

Patriarch

The Patriarch is the spiritual leader of a nation. Patriarchs convene annually in a Sacred Circle to discuss matters of faith and cooperate on shared challenges. This meeting is both ceremonial and political.

Bishop

A Bishop oversees a province or sector, coordinating efforts and resources to guide their flock.

Priest

The Priest leads individual churches or chapels, conducting ceremonies and spreading the teachings of the Divine Flame.

Scribe

Scribes manage the administrative aspects of the faith, including documentation, accounting, and record-keeping.

Ministrant

Ministrants are trainees and helpers within the church. Dressed in white albas that symbolize purity, they maintain cleanliness, tend to the flames, and assist Priests and Scribes during ceremonies and other tasks while learning to take on higher roles in the future.

Rhymes & Prayers:

''Come, weary traveler, sit by our fire, rest thine soul, and lend thine ear to our holy choir.''
''By the light and warmth of the holy fire, may our spirits never tire, let the world test our resolve, even when times turn ever so dire.''
''Divine Flame, i beg thee, let not the darkness come for me, i shall for ever have a candle lit, i shall forever do thein work till thee see fit.''
''Never fear, for the Divine Flame watches over all who lend it their ear, let it's light guide thee through life, less it becomes a mire of strife.''
''Oh Divine Flame, guard me down my humble path, towards the fire of the furnace, the water of the chalice, the winds in the mill, and the seed of the earth, all from which we make our bread.''
''Be grateful, bow, and dust thein head with ash, as it is the Divine Flame around which the world revolves, for it is warmth that makes the waters flow, and warmth of air that makes the winds blow, and if the earth too cold, it would host naught but ice and snow.''
''Divine Flame, shield me from the chaotic ones, those who pervert the forces of life and the heavens, ones who lure with power and promise of plenty. Tis' a ruse, and tis' my soul they're after, to rob me whole, to leave me empty.''

History

Origin

The faith in the Divine Flame arose in the aftermath of The Cataclysm, a catastrophic event that shook the world and plunged it into a swift Ice Age. As the cold consumed the far northern lands, Humanity, fleeing the advancing frost, found its greatest ally in fire. The flame provided warmth, warded off predators, cooked food, sparked hope, and, eventually, faith.
Not all of Humanity embraced the Divine Flame. In the west, the Jermane people were partially saved by the Elves and took refuge under their wing. Meanwhile, eastern Humanity, later known as the Slaya (a derivative of "slayer," due to their prolonged and bloody conflict with the Elves during their migration south), adopted the Divine Flame not only as a benefactor but also as a weapon against their foes.
The Heimer people were the last to migrate. Trapped in the region today known as Heimerland, they lacked both an Elven miracle to guide them across the Nord Sea and Elves to oppose them as enemies. As a result, they remained in place, preserving their faith in the Old Gods and surviving in isolation.
The Slaya and the Divine Flame spread rapidly across eastern Arboria. The faith was then adopted by the Humans of Nemedia and migrants who moved into the barren lands of Sahadra across the Messial Mountains. The eastern Feynarin Elves, weakened by The Cataclysm and robbed of their once godlike Arcane powers, struggled to resist the Human advance. The wars of The Great Migrations were protracted and bloody, fueled by desperation and leaving a deep-seated enmity between Humans and Elves in the region.
The Divine Flame's followers believe the Elves were stripped of their power as punishment for their hubris. By attempting to reach the Divine instead of humbling themselves before it, they invited their downfall. As a result, the faith rejects Arcane magic entirely, viewing it as corrupting, and limits its use to simple elemental magics and runes.

The Masonite Cult

The Masonite Cult, officially known as the Church of the Mason, is an extremist offshoot of the Divine Flame. This sect idolizes early leaders who championed the struggle against the Feynarin Elves during the Slaya's westward expansion into what are now Ardechia and Vishigrad. These leaders were deified after their deaths.
The teachings of their prophet, known simply as The Mason, and his disciples were clear: the age of Elves is over. Humanity must reject all magic and embrace the forge.
Unlike the Divine Flame, the Masonites consider all forms of magic heretical and have embraced technology as the path forward. They are technocrats and industrialists united by faith in their struggle against magic and those who wield it. To them, magic is unnatural and a false promise from trickster gods, leading to damnation. They point to The Cataclysm as evidence, which they believe exposed the Elves' dependency on magic as their ultimate downfall.

Present time

In the current era, the Divine Flame is a largely peaceful faith. Its primary mission is to protect and guide its followers, offering them a sense of stability and purpose during difficult times.
The church is well-known for its humanitarian efforts in impoverished regions. It prioritizes locating, collecting, and cremating the dead to prevent the spread of the undead plague. Missionaries also venture into foreign lands to spread the faith, sharing the light and warmth of the flame with lost souls. These missions achieve mixed results and occasionally encounter resistance or hostility.
In most realms, the Church of the Divine Flame operates as a secondary institution beneath the authority of the state. However, in Kassaria, the faith and the state are fully intertwined, functioning as a unified entity.

Followed by:

• Tsardom of Kyrus
• Dutchy of Groziya
• Dutchy of Lavonia
• Kingdom of Arnhall
• Kingdom of Kassaria
• Kingdom of Kophir

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Subsidiary Organizations

• Svozno Patriarchate