The Ministry of Flame

## The Ministry of Flame is a religion that has existed in different forms from the time of Vahlanost. They venerate fire as the ultimate symbol and expression of power.

The Ministry first came into being on Vahlanost, when it was simply a cult dedicated to the worship of Meshvara and used pain ordeals, the smoke of sacred hallucinogenic herbs, and (after procreation was invented) ritual sex as a path to enlightenment. Mage was briefly a member, but found their focus on the physical less than satisfactory. Cheirin found them much more to his liking, founding a new iteration in his own name on Annarion. He shifted their focus to include protection (via burning away any threat) of homes, towns, and Annarion's few cities, leading to the name "Hearthkeeper" as a public facade for the group. Privately, they still primarily reveled and tested their bodies' limits, twisting in ecstatic dance, firewalking, and the occasional orgy, around sacred flames in temples and glades. On Dorhaun, Flariok-Censha brought them back after questioning the half-dissolved form of Cheirin on the Plane of Fire during the Age of Rebirth about ways to enhance his influence on the material plane. He reformed them again, adding mercenary service to their portfolio, and changing one detail: they would now venerate all gods, past and present, with dominion over fire.

### Embers of Vahlanost

The Ministry on Vahlanost was little more than the Vahlan equivalent of a "hellfire club," formed by devotees of Meshvara as a way to venerate their goddess and excuse to smoke hallucinogenic herbs, and have massive amount of indiscriminate sex. While Vahlanost did not have the same mores as many worlds regarding the carnal, the specific practices the Embers (a term for an individual worshiper) of the Ministry favored (including more than one evening involving copulation as a writhing pile in a tub of steaming wine) as odd, to say the least. It is likely that more Vahlan children were conceived by Ministry members in acts of worship than by couples of what would become the "traditional" nature. After the invention of sex, the other practices of the sect diminished almost to nothing (even the consumption of hallucinogenic smoke). The ordeals and talk of enlightenment some of their prominence back later as the ageless Vahlan moved on from their initial fascination with sex to a more nuanced worldview, and began to think again about improving themselves. As fire could forge tools, could fire (used with care) not forge people as well? When Mage accidentally introduced death to the world via fire, the Ministry moved their efforts underground (literally and figuratively) for fear they would be blamed. They never were, but their efforts were hampered somewhat, except for their new carnal pursuits, which the smoky darkness only seemed to enhance.

#### Hearthkeepers of Annarion

The Ministry on Annarion was considerably more practical from the start. Cheirin had loved the old Ministry, in more ways than one, but Annarion was a different world facing different threats. Ordeals, ritual sex, and practice with weapons were blended from the start, with divinely-granted fire magic being added in as magical practice began among the mortals. He consulted with Aurioch and Karnos respectively for advice on incorporating warfare and magic into his cult, but never introduced their worship for fear that adding in water and darkness rites to their practice would be confusing. Also, he had become somewhat vain, and disliked sharing the attention. Hearthkeepers, as he dubbed public face of his mystery cult/defense force,would be devoted to him, hearth, and home, in that order. The private practices of the cult insured that members produced many children, with those that grew up to join the order being exchanged between communities when they came of age to avoid incest during the chaotic, sexually charged rites of the Ministry.

##### Ministers of the Flame

"Everthing burns, but what is good rises from ash to divinity." This is the creed of the Ministry of Flame on Dorhaun. The individual members, known openly by their default title of "Minister" now, are devoted to different aspects of worship, but the goal remains the same: perfection of the mortal into the divine. Fire is the symbol and expression of power, and through the cultivation of power they strive toward perfection. Some seek perfection through perfect crafts, other through mastery of sexual arts, others through war or the tending of the sacred dead. In forming his new order Flariok-Censha learned much from Cheirin, and in his determination to succeed where he felt that the older god had failed he devised a new methodology while keeping what was most effective from the previous ones. He chose to do this by encouraging worship of all gods of fire, rather than just himself. He knew he would be sharing favor, but wanted to cultivate the highest quality of followers by giving them choices and refining their talents via selection. Each division has an in-group title and focal deity, but all devote some worship to all of the fire gods and outsiders simply know them as ministers. Those who favor sex rites above all else become Celebrants, devoted to Meshvara, whose diminished power relegates them to a less influential (but definitely enjoyable) role compared to other priests. Those who favor the more mystical aspects of fire, such as divination and other non-battlefield magic, become Oneiroi of Cheirin, reading their god's dreams for the power and wisdom of a dead world as they perfect their bodies through pain. A newer portion of the cult favor Molmutius, and perform funeral rites for dead Ministers so that their souls can journey/"rise" from Paradise (or even, some say, the Abyss itself) to the Plane of Fire and continue their service to their gods if they so choose. Most of the remainder are warriors and smiths devoted to Flariok-Censha primarily, called simply "Stewards," and the majority are mercenaries and warrior monks in their day to day lives. The minor fire deities are also worshiped, but their specific groups lack divergent specializations and are also called "Stewards," but with the name of their deity added, such as "Stewards of Taul Minevas."

###### The Design in Action

Flariok-Censha's modern Ministry has been highly effective. The Ministers are such effective producers of mercenaries as well as finely wrought weapons and armor, that their services are sought the world over. While not their sole patron, all members worship him to an extent, and those who do choose him are more committed and more competent because of their more varied training and service. The new Ministry will likely never die, and even if it does, it will rise from the ashes.