Hinokami

The Hopeful Flame

Martyrdom,

Remorse

Healers

## History

Hinomaki achieved divine transcendence in the year 1020 on Erastil 8th, after a fight with his evil alter ego Uchi No Waru, in Uchi's divine realm.

## Appearance

Followers of Hinokami often wear clothing with vibrant golds, orange, red, and ash, with fiery and phoenix motifs. The form of clothing being dependant on the region, but a distinguishable article worn is a red scarf with golden lining, the positioning usually being around the neck, fists, forearms, or shins. Hinokami doesn’t expect his followers to do anything extravagant in regards to clothing nor does he care, as peasant or noble both bleed the same and both hold faith in Hinokami.

## Realm

Hinokami's realm, Corruption's Edge, is located on heaven's first tier, The Threshold. Corruption's Edge is a shengese pagoda surrounded by a lush garden. Corruption's edge is one of the few places that petitioners can be seen with corruptions. These corruptions are often just visual tricks, as the corruptions are stripped away from the petitioners when they enter heaven, though a rare few are vouched for and allowed to keep the corruption.

## Priests, Temples, and the Church

Priests of Hinokami are usually Paladins and Clerics, though some cavaliers, bards, and phoenix sorcerers perfluate the ranks of the clergy. Many are people who have been brutally traumatized, cursed, possessed, or corrupted in the past. Hinokami guides these people not to be afraid of their traumas and fears but to accept them and be strengthened by them, to use their strength for good.

Most priests, spend their time helping around the settlement their temple is located, helping tend the temple in whatever way they can, or training for combat. When they have free time available Hinokami encourages art, as art is a means of expression so most priests create works of art. These art pieces usually start being dark and tortured, and eventually they turn more positive as priests accept themselves and look on the world with a good perspective.

Temples are built around a room with a firepit, with nothing obstructing the light, and a mirror against the wall of a room. The walls will be lined with smaller firepits. Some temples have the ceiling coated in glass, obsidian, shards of metal or shards of mirror to reflect the light. The central room will be enclosed so that when the light dies out there is nothing but enveloping darkness. The temples are places of healing for illness and injury, physical and mental. Services are held by the firepit, usually involving singing, chanting, praying, and are either somber or hopeful affairs.

Each morning the priests will rise and tend to the coals of the firepit, kindling the flame just enough for it to keep burning, while they pray. After the day’s work a few priests will stay up through the night, and turn the coals in the pit into a full fire. The priests will offer some prayers and spend some time during quiet introspection, before going to bed for the night. The night priests will stay to tend the fire and keep it’s flame burning strong and bright, for the night is when light is needed most. Should Hinokami ever be slain, every place of worship will light the fires, and tend to them for a full day, whilst singing the aria of the eclipse.

At the largest cathedral, and the oldest temple of Hinokami, the priests tend the fire to constantly burn, no matter the time of the day, these two places are known as the Everflames. Every time Hinokami succumbs to his darkness, the Everflames darken their flames, letting the fires go out, yet when he eventually returns from his darkness, the flames are rekindled, bringing about another era of flame.

The church is organized in a monastic-ecclesiarch hierarchy, due to Hinokami’s past as a general and Duke of a warfront country. With the most experienced, and Loyal followers being further in rank. The clergy is organized into four branches, as a phoenix has four talons on each foot. Each branch is focused on control, combat, support, and intelligence respectively. Clergy are formally addressed by the name of the order they are in, their rank, and their name. (Ex: Regimen Bishop Charles

Ordo Regimen (Control

Ordo Bellum (Combat

Ordo Auxilium (Support

Ordo Obscurum (Intelligence

* Novice
* Brother/Sister
* Deacon
* Priest/ess
* Prior
* Vicar

Ordo Regimen is special, in that it has its own ranks set above the other three orders allowing the Ordo Regimen to dictate the other three order’s movements during times of war and crusade. Ordo Regimen only accepts clergy members who have become vicars and desire to do more, or new members who pass the Probatio Fidelis, a test of one’s faith and ability to lead.

* Vice-Bishop (rank for those who pass the Probatio Fidelis
* Bishop
* Archbishop
* Abbot/Abbess
* Ash-lord/lady
* Ember-lord/lady
* Flame-lord/lady
* Grand-Inferno

## Religious Allies

The Bright Lord: The Empyreal Lord of Lebenreich was Hinokami’s king, before The Lord ascended. Hinokami has always respected the Lord’s holy presence, and fostered a friendship with the Lord as a mortal.

Our Lady in the Light: While The Bright Lord and Our Lady might not be particularly friendly towards one another, Hinokami will not let that prevent positive relations affect the both of them. Hinokami met Our Lady when both were mortals and nascent adventurers. Our Lady eclipsed Hinokami in power and ascended to divinity first, Hinokami was not too far behind, relatively.

## Favored Weapon

The scimitar, Sarenrae’s favored weapon, and Hinokami’s as well. Followers who master the art of using two scimitars are few and far between, and are revered within the church. Those who wield two scimitars they have made out of or use fire are further revered.

## Favored Animal

The phoenix is already a majestic being, one made of fire, good, and knowledge. A trait of the phoenix that particularly caught Hinokami’s eye is its unique relationship with death. Every year, if the phoenix is superficially killed it will resurrect itself from its ashes, a perfect display of tenaciously unstoppable willpower. Then when the phoenix has risen again it continues spreading it’s goodness, it’s light.

## Ceremonies, Hymns, and Religious Texts

Acceptance of the Burdened (Ceremony
When the Clergy of Hinokami accepts a new member into its ranks, or a clergy member attains a higher rank, a ceremony is held. The new Novice is taken to the firepit, where they start their own fire in a small fire pit. While the fire burns they sing the hymn of Rekindled Flame. When the fire has been burnt out they are anointed with the ashes.

Aria of the Rekindled Flame (Hymn

Aria of the Faded Light (Hymn

The Light of the Phoenix (Text