Lalim

The denizens of Lalim hold fire to be sacred and all-important -- perhaps unsurprisingly, considering the country's location adjacent to the southern icecaps of Raljikka. Every household has an everburning flame, carefully tended to by every family member, that is only to be extinguished during times of great grief for the family, usually a death. Should a household's flame go out outside of these times, it is seen as a sign of negligence and lack of care -- or, if it was intentionally put out, an insult of unparalleled spite. To reignite the flame properly, atonement must be made; whoever was responsible for the fire's death must surrender something of material worth to the new fire, and in the cases of fires put out intentionally, families might search for even multiple generations to locate the culprit and restore their flame to its proper glory.
The goddess Dalaera the Firecaller is predominately revered in Lalim; old legends state that this god was actually the one to originally grant their ancestors fire, and some temples with everburning flames are said to still be the original flames of Dalaera kept alive for countless years; these pyres are all-important to the religious of Lalim, and the country's leaders cannot lead unless they have "walked among the Firecaller's bounty" by sustaining burns from these flames. The burns take years to heal normally, and once they fade, that is the end of the individual's time in office; those who seek for longer terms in office may surrender themselves over to Dalaera's flames again to show their dedication to their country. As a result, Lalim's most prestigious and longest-ruling leaders are covered in burn scars.
Just as Lalimite citizens will pursue anyone responsible for extinguishing a flame, many of them seek revenge for the death of the Firecaller and believe that sacrificing the individual -- or their descendants, as time has gone on -- who "extinguished" Dalaera the Firecaller to one of the temple's flames will restore the goddess back to life. Some have left the country entirely, carrying with them ashes of their home's everburning flame, to hunt down anyone who claims to know how to kill gods.
Category:Ealdremen Nations
Category:Raljikka
Category:No Spoilers