The Lord of Light

R'hllor, also known as the Lord of Light, the Heart of Fire, the God of Flame and Shadow, is a prominent god in Essos, but has only a few followers in Westeros, where he is more commonly (and often derisively) known as the red god. His symbol is a fiery heart. Red priests lead prayers to R'hllor at red temples.

## Beliefs

The religion is based on a dualistic, manichean view of the world: R'hllor, the god of light, heat, and life, and R'hllor's antithesis the Great Other, the god of ice and death. They are locked in an eternal struggle over the fate of the world; a struggle that, according the ancient prophecies from the books of Asshai, will only end when Azor Ahai, the messianic figure, returns wielding a flaming sword called Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and raises dragons from stone. It is currently believed by most that Vaegon Targaryen, head of House Targaryen and Dragon Triarch of Volantis, is the prophesied Azor Ahai reborn.

R’hllor is also called the Lord of Light, the Heart of Fire, the God of Flame and Shadow. His nemesis, the Great Other, whose name may not be spoken, is known as the Lord of Darkness, the Soul of Ice, the God of Night and Terror.

Followers of the Lord of Light consider themselves to be slaves of R'hllor. In life they should serve their Lord's will, and then in death they will be cleansed by R'hllor's flames. For this reason, they consider a death by fire to be the purest way to die. It is believed that life is warm and a gift from R'hllor, and upon death a person ascends to the Hall of Light and sits beside their lord.

## Believers

The Lord of Light is worshipped primarily in Essos. R’hllor is worshipped in Asshai and red temples can be found in most of the Free Cities. The red temple in Volantis is exceptionally large, said to be the greatest in all the world.

## Clergy

* **The High Priest** resides in the red temple of Volantis. He holds the titles Flame of Truth, Light of Wisdom, First Servant of the Lord of Light, and Slave of R'hllor.
* **Red Priests** are the most commonly-seen clergy of the Lord of Light. They can be male or female, and wear loose robes of red. The slave-priests of the Volantene temple have flames tattooed across their faces, as is the custom in Volantis. They are taught prayers and spells, and a rare few are gifted with the ability to see visions in the flames.
* **The Fiery Hand** are the legion of one thousand slave soldiers who guard the temple of Volantis. They wear ornate armor over orange robes, and wield spears with points shaped like flames. They have flames tattooed across their cheeks.
* In Volantis, some slave girls and women purchased by the temple and trained to become **temple prostitutes**.

## Azor Ahai

According to legends from Asshai and the mythos of the religion, Azor Ahai was a great hero, chosen by the Lord of Light to fight a great darkness that covered the land. To do so he forged the Red Sword of Heroes, known as Lightbringer. On his first attempt to forge the sword, he spent thirty days and thirty nights working on it, then tempered the blade in water. The blade shattered, and so he tried again. This time it took him fifty days and fifty nights, and he tempered it by plunging the sword into the heart of a lion. Again, the blade shattered. On his final attempt, Azor Ahai toiled for a hundred days and a hundred nights, and tempered the sword by stabbing his wife in the heart with it. Lightbringer was forged, and Azor Ahai drove back the darkness.

There are ancient books of prophecy in Asshai, dating back to over five thousand years ago, that say Azor Ahai shall be reborn. There are several indicators, according to prophecy, that shall herald his return. He will be born again amidst salt and smoke, after a long summer when the red star bleeds and a cold darkness gathers over the world. Azor Ahai shall then wake dragons from stone, and draw from fire a burning Lightbringer.

The majority of the red priests and priestesses believe that it is Vaegon Targaryen who is Azor Ahai reborn. His principal religious supporters are the priests from Red Temple of Volantis, the main red temple for followers of R'hllor. At the request of his father, he was born in the Red Temple with burning incense and red priestesses throwing salt on him. Being born amidst salt and smoke is the only part of the prophecy that has been fulfilled so far, but Vaegon and the followers of R'hllor remain convinced he is Azor Ahai reborn, nonetheless.

## Practices

The most ubiquitous ritual performed by the red priests is the lighting of the nightfires. At sunset, a fire is lit and the followers will stand around it for an hour. During this time, the followers will pray to R'hllor. Prayers are typically guided by a priest, who will thank R'hllor for the day, and pray for him to return the dawn. The followers will respond to the prayer with their own set of words. Some priests will tend to the fires all night, and additional fires are also lit at sunrise.

After years of training, a red priest may be able to see visions in the flames of a nightfire. It is said that these visions are vague, and infamously hard to interpret, but they are never wrong. They may show a past, or a future. A vision of the future could also be one of a certain future, or just a possible future. Despite the difficulty in interpreting visions, red priests who interpret incorrectly are subject to much criticism.

When a person dies, it is customary for a red priest to perform "the last kiss". The last kiss involves a priest breathing fire down the deceased's mouth, which will then enter the throat and go into the lungs, heart, and soul.

During marriage, a priest says prayers which are answered by guests, in a similar fashion as to the prayers during a nightfire, or before a trial by combat. The bride is brought before the priest and groom by a ditchfire, who asks the bride to identify herself, and then asks who claims her. The pair are asked if they'll share their fire with the other when the night is dark and full of terrors. After these vows, the two leap over the ditchfire together, to emerge as one. Finally, the groom removes the maiden’s cloak and places the bride’s cloak around her shoulders. The ceremony is concluded by a feast.