The Ember Lord

The Ember Lord is the patron God of Vograntz, where he is worshipped by the vast majority of its citizens. He is the God of life, charity and chastity and is often seen as an enemy of necromancy and undeath. His symbol is a flame in the palm of a right hand, symbolising his ownership of all life.

### Core Beliefs and Worship

The Ember Lord is the god of life and enemy of all those who take it unjustly, but he is also the giver of life, and forbids his followers to revive those who have fallen without his blessing. Only his representative on Thraddia, the current High Paladin of the Finite Flame, Quintinus Fuerstenberg, can make that decision. As such, many Clerics who have taken pity on a fallen ally or loved one have been excommunicated from the church for performing illegal resurrections. The core beliefs of The Ember Lord are as follows.

* Promote charity and take no more than you need to live in comfort.
* Promote chastity and lust not after that which you do not need.
* Neither take nor give life unjustly or unnecessarily.

What determines necessity has been the subject of much debate among scholars in Vograntz, but it is generally accepted that unless you are performing work which is crucial to the church, you do not require Resurrection. The High Paladin can never be resurrected, owing both his life and his death to the Ember Lord.

### Clergy and Ceremonies

The Church of The Ember Lord is the state religion of Vograntzia and while worship is becoming more common outside of this nation, the entirety of the church's hierarchy is centred on the city of Vograntz. At the head of the church is the High Paladin of the Finite Flame, whose role is that of both a spiritual and military leader. Over time, this has merged with the political role of a King, essentially making him the head of state. Symbolically, his key job is to be the keeper of the 'finite flame', an ever-burning pyre at the top of the cathedral's highest tower. This symbolises his guardianship over all life in Vograntzia, as like a fire, life must be tended, nurtured, and sometimes even doused in order for it to remain stable.

Ceremonies are performed daily in the cathedral, with a weekly mass being acknowledged by a large portion of the citizenry. These typically include sermons, prayer and the symbolic lighting of candles. The vast majority of this is spoken in common, with occasional words and phrases in celestial. For this reason, it is not uncommon for Clerics of the Ember Lord to be able to read Celestial, although competently speaking it is difficult, especially given the alien nature of a God's thought patterns.

There are also a number of feast days recognised by followers of the Ember Lord, these include.

* Candletide - A winter festival and celebration of the ascension of the Ember Lord to Godhood.
* Gramercy's Mourn - Another winter festival where the followers of the Ember Lord celebrate their victory over an attacking horde of Orcs who threatened to overrun Vograntz. This is also a kind of remembrance festival that gives thanks to all those who have lain down their life in defence of The Ember Lord or Vograntzia.
* The Pyre Parade - A summer festival in which a flaming sword (a standard longsword doused in oil as opposed to a magical sword) is passed from person to person through the streets of Vograntz, before the city enjoys three days of music, dancing and heavy drinking to celebrate the coming of summer.