Cinders

"*Born from ashes, threatening to become embers and ignite into a flame that will nip at the roots of all we have built. They must be snuffed out before all is lost*"
—The First Toranku Chairman
**Cinders** (燃え殻, Moegara) are born from the ashes of burned branches, branches that have broken away from the Toranku 15 to act independently. The mages who reside within these burned branches become known as Cinders, the remains of the branch still glowing with the flames of their treachery. While this term was originally only used to describe those who broke away from the Toranku it has come to be a common term used to describe any mage who is not registered by name and ability within the Toranku database. This includes any mage who does not register within the time limit after their fifteenth birthday or hide their magehood entirely. As such actions are illegal, Cinders are labeled as criminals.

## History

The birth of Cinders began not long after the formation of the Toranku 15 and the Branches. Just like those who felt uneasy about the formation of Hylion itself, there were many mages who disliked the idea of Branches, being forced to register their abilities and join a Branch being something many had problems with at first. As such there were many mages who chose not to withhold information about their abilities or simply not register at all. This led to unrest among the two factions of mages, those who allied themselves with the Toranku and those who chose to become Cinders. This led to conflict among the factions and eventually the formation of the Cambium Knights, a large group equipped and trained to deal with mages using anti-magical equipment and armor. Toranku mages working alongside these knights helped to quell the unrest and eventually saw to it that 98% of the mage population had found their way into a Branch. However, Cinders still exist today and branches are still known to burn from time to time but the efforts of the Toranku to offer mages a comfortable living within the formed branches as well as the hard work of the Cambium knights sees to it that the problem of Cinders has become an increasingly less prominent one in recent years.

## Ranks

Those who burn and become Cinders are criminals and considered dangerous, often wielding unknown or simply powerful magical abilities. Like the mages who reside within a branch, their skill and power often varying greatly and as such they are categorized into four different ranks based on the threat they pose to society. These ranks are Dust, Soot, Embers, and Flames.

**Dust**: Those who rank within the dust category are often week mages finding themselves in the bronze star area of ranking. Their powers are often weak, some barely even having started to learn to control their Ki and magic power. Often time these Cinders haven't even learned to utilize an elemental change in their Ki. Their intentions in becoming Cinder were often harmless and they often pose little threat to society. These are those who use their magic for petty theft and trickery. They are the lowest on the danger scale due to this fact as they often harbor little to no ill will toward society and lack the strength to cause harm even if they did.

**Soot**: Considered the middle rank. While some were self-taught, these Cinders were often former members of branches who have gone through the training to hone their own magical abilities before deciding to leave on either a burned branch or of their own accord. Cinders of this rank may or may not harbor any ill will toward the Toranku or society as a whole. Regardless, their abilities have been honed to that of a true mage and as such they must be approached with caution as their motives are not always friendly. These mages often find themselves in the middle silver to high bronze ranking but can be any rank.

**Embers**: Mages who harbor ill will toward the Toranku or society as a whole. Cinders who have ignited into Embers are considered true threats toward society. They are mages who have organized and honed their skills, offering their abilities to active burned branches and using the gift of their magic to commit crimes. These mages are considered dangerous and should not be approached by non-mages. These mages are often listed as high priority targets in job listings in all guilds with the option of capturing them dead or alive. They often have high prices on their head and are heavily sought after by both other Cinders and those who wish to capture them.

**Flames**: The most dangerous mages to threaten the peace and safety of Hylion and the rest of the world. These mages often being former Branch leaders or gifted mages finding their ranking in the Gold stars. These mages not only tend to harbor ill will toward the Toranku but often society and the very world itself. Destructive mages with grand skill and power as well as the willingness to use it to get whatever they want. Often responsible for the burning of branches and the organization of other Cinders. Cinders of this rank are considered high-level terrorists with unbelievably high prices on their heads. The hunt for these Cinders only being assigned to other high-level mages hand picked by the Toranku such as Branch masters or the Four Beast Saints themselves.