Firelords

## Brief Overview

The FIrelords are a large group of pyromancers that inhabit the large volcanic valley in the “” Mountains known as the Valley of Ashes. The Firelords are a militaristic, two tiered society that relies heavily on slave labor to function. However, as militaristic as they are, the Firelords do not often leave the Valley, as they are awaiting a time where their strength is great enough to bring the world to flames. Their isolation leaves them little known throughout the world, but those aware of their existence fear them for their horrifying appearance, hostile nature, and ability to control fire.

## History

The Firelords were originally prisoners of the Durok Fiefdoms sent to the ore abundant Valley in massive numbers to mine the area. Both the prisoners and guards were equipped with special ocular devices in order to protect their tender eyes from the intense light. The guards were equipped with goggles fitted with volcanic resin to dim the light and the prisoners were given blinding helmets in order to protect them as well as keep them submissive. However, the blinding of the prisoners and their time working near the heat of the magma attuned them to fire. The first pyromancers were made from the prisoners who caught fire in the mines and controlled it. This coupled with the steady decline of guards caused a gradual shift in power toward the prisoners. But in a final ditch effort to contain them, the Durok Fiefdoms destroyed the only easy passage into the Valley.

This led to an era of warlords and tribes to form. They warred with one another for power and resources, reverting to more primal warfare and forgetting their pyromantic roots. That is until Laylos the Blind, one of the few remaining pyromancers, began a crusade to remind the tribes of what they had lost. He forced all he conquered to serve him or face a Trial by Flames, where he would burn them alive to force them to become a pyromancer or die. Through this method, he unified the surviving tribes into the Firelords.

## Significant Figures

### Laylos the Blind

Laylos was a great pyromancer who blinded himself by removing his goggles and looking at a pool of magma. Doing so caused him to receive strange visions of a world on fire and also enhance his pyromantic abilities. He united the tribes and began the Firelords, but warned not to leave the Valley until “their eyes can truly open.” Many have interpreted this to believe that a child must be born with the ability to look at fire without the use of protective goggles.

### The Spark

The Spark is a child that has yet to be born that can look at fire without assistance. The Spark will be the first Living Flame, and will signify the coming of an era where the Firelords will light the world aflame.

## Culture

### Politics and Social structure

The Firelords are a purely democratic society. All people who are pyromancers(called Firelords) are treated as equals, and every decision is based upon a vote. A council of 19 different representatives signify the different warcamps unified together. Each has no more say than the rest, and they only act as a relay for popular votes made in their warcamp. Every time an important decision must be made for the entire collective of groups, each group will vote amongst themselves for their decision. It is illegal for a Firelord to not vote upon an issue save for extreme cases where an individual could physically not take place in the vote. That being said, Firelords may abstain from a vote by casting a Vote of No Voice, but they must also provide a solid reason to not vote under law. Becuase each vote is considered important, most decisions to not vote are rejected, making a Vote of No Voice a rare occurrence. When the decision is made, a random member is selected as the representative to bring the 19 decisions together to see what the entire populace voted for. There are no positions of power and no active government. Each person’s voice is as important as the next ones. While this process may be slow, the Firelords believe it to be the only way to prevent the tribes from reverting back to their war torn state.

Firelord society consists of two social classes: The Unburnt and the Firelords. The population is about 80 percent Unburnt to 20 percent Firelords. The Firelords are those who have passed a Trial by Flames, where one must endure being burned alive and harness the ability to wield fire. The Firelords act as the main governing force for the people, as they are the only “true” citizens. When votes come around, only the Firelords are permitted to vote within the society, and it is expected of all members. While the Firelords do not do any traditional labor such as farming and construction, they are still expected to train vigorously for combat. The Firelords consider pyromancy to be the only true form of combat. The only exception is when two Firelords duel using crude iron weaponry to symbolize their devolution back to a time when they were imprisoned. Combat between two Firelords is a shameful thing, and is often used only as a last resort.

The other group, the Unburnt, are the manual laborers of the society. These are the people who have not endured a Trial of Flames and are therefore not pyromancers. Most Unburnt are those who are captured within the Valley of Ashes, slaves, or the children of Firelords who have not yet endured a Trial. They are deemed lesser creatures than the Firelords, but do not reject them for their impurity. Instead, they are treated like caterpillars to a butterfly; they have not yet gone through their metamorphosis. Because of this, any Unburnt may choose to partake in a Trial at any time in order to become a Firelord. Until they do, however, they are treated as the general workforce for the society and do almost all of the work, almost like an indentured servant. Both types wear the Volcanic Resin Goggles, but most Firelords attempt to wean themselves from the goggles over time.

### Legal system

Firelords are a harsh society, but laws are few. Since the Firelords do not value material wealth, theft and property disputes are few. Since Firelords try to be above the petty ways of the Unburnt, they try to avoid conflict with other Firelords as much as possible. When a dispute does happen, the two will battle to the death with crude iron weaponry to show their devolution. The three highest crimes in Firelord culture are rape, murder, and refusing to vote. When a Firelord commits one of these crimes, they are stripped of their armor and flint and taken to the Great Sea where they will be drowned.

The Unburnt upon committing any crime are either burned alive or are beheaded. Any Firelord may act as executioner at any time.

### Foreign relations

Durok Fiefdoms: The Firelords primary antagonists. Though most Firelords have never been outside of the Valley, they are aware that this is where their progenitors came from. They acknowledge that without them, the Firelords would not exist, but still know they are all Unburnt and therefore must be converted.

Derilliol Confederation: The Firelords fought most of their battle with these people in their northern sections of the Valley. Many Unburnt slaves and even a few Firelords have come from the Firelords defeat of their mining and diplomacy missions, but recently fewer expeditions have been sent. The Firelords have considered reaching out and seeing if they would join willingly, but such actions have been a topic of much debate, as they would require a force large enough to destroy them should the refuse, forcing them to leave the Valley prematurely.

### Warfare

The Firelords consider pyromancy the only true form of combat, but utilize Unburnt in their fights for distractions, with the promises that the survival could lead to being a Firelord. The Unburnt are equipped with nothing but crude iron weaponry. The Firelords wear sharp iron armor all over their body. Mounted to their wrists is a piece of flint, which is struck on their armor to ignite their flames. The iron armor heats and continuously burns the Firelords, giving them an almost unlimited supply of flames to utilize.

Traditional warfare is something the modern Firelords do not have much experience in. While they’re ancestors fought against one another, the Firelords have been in no official wars with other cultures, and the few remaining from the Unification tell only tales of brutal savagery. The few skirmishes they encounter with outsiders are typically small and strategy is rarely utilized. The tactic thus far has been to send in a swarm of Unburnt to physically attack and distract. The Firelords spread along the back in a semicircle and use their powers to burn everything within it, including their own Unburnt.

## Customs

### General behavior

Firelord’s are not welcoming towards others outside of their society. They view all Unburnt as lesser creatures and therefore seem hostile to the outside world. In reality, the culture is assuredly harsh, but never cruel, and their actions are often misunderstood by those who do not understand them.

### Intrapersonal

It is expected in Firelord culture to treat all other Firelords as equals and to not bicker with one another. However, should two Firelords come into enough conflict that can not be resolved, the two will duel to the death. Each Warcamp is also a separate entity, and vary in mostly social aspects. However, if enough of a single Warcamp strays too far from Firelord culture, they will be executed by the other Camps.

Fighting among Unburnt is common, though singular murders are not usually recognized by the Firelords. Firelords may choose to kill an Unburnt for any negative action, but an Unburnt attacking a Firelord is grounds for immediate execution.

### Courting

Both courting and mating in Firelord culture is considered open ended. While there is no traditional marriage, some might dedicate themselves to a single person. Typically, the better the pyromancer the more likely they are to mate, as they believe it will accelerate the coming of the Spark.

### Ceremonies

#### Trial by Flames

A Trial by Flames is a very important aspect of Firelord culture. It marks an evolution from one form into the next. A Trial by Flames can be accomplished in many ways. One is a Traditional Burning. An Unburnt declares they believe they can survive. This belief is up to the individual’s own confidence. Some will try the Trial as soon as they can, while others are more reluctant due to the high mortality rate. Since the first pyromancers gained their discovered their abilities by working in the mines, many will volunteer to do so to be closer to the flames and magma in order to make themselves more attuned to the flames. Once an Unburnt believes they can survive, one Firelord will be randomly selected to come forth and will use their power to set the Unburnt ablaze. Should they survive and demonstrate the ability to control the flame, they are honored as a Firelord. Another form is the Combat Burning. The Firelords will often practice their pyromancy in combat against armed Unburnt to simulate battles with those from Beyond the Valley. Unburnt volunteer to battle in hopes of becoming a Firelord. As before, those who survive and control fire are accepted as Firelords. The final way is an Accidental Burning. These are people who have mistakenly caught fire and demonstrated the ability to control the flames, therefore becoming a Firelord.

#### Celebration of Decisions

Voting is considered the most sacred of practices. Whenever the Firelord groups or the Firelord Nation comes to a conclusion on a vote, all groups celebrate with a one night festival.

#### Test of Light

When a baby is born, a small flame is lit across from them in a small dark room to test if it is able to see the flame. If the baby flinches away, cries, or closes its eyes, they extinguish the flame and recognize it as a Maggot (baby Unburnt). They long await the day a baby can look upon the flames without them.

## Education

All children, whether born to the Firelords, Unburnt, or captured, are subjected to the same education. They are taught about Firelord culture and how to become a Firelord (as all children are born Unburnt). They are also trained rigorously in terms of strength and agility. On their 15th Quake, the children make a pilgrimage to the volcano to be assigned by random selection where they can choose to take a Trial by Flames or begin life working as an Unburnt until they decide to take their Trial.

## Art

Since Firelords do not value material possessions, they have little artwork that is tangible. They instead like to focus on artwork that is beautiful, chaotic, and short lived, much like fire itself. Members of Firelord culture may partake in silent dance numbers or might create patterns in the sooty ground with their flames and feet to create brief pictures.

Unburnt on the other hand pride themselves on their only possession: their bodies. Unburnt see the Dovasi form as a beautiful piece of work that can be sculpted and crafted in many different ways. Many will use soot and water to create a jet black ink, which is used to mark their bodies with tattoos. This idea parallels with the Firelords burnt skin in the idea of permanent body markings. They are also devoted to physical fitness.

## Resources

#### Natural Resources

The Valley is an area rich with natural resources. Copper, Gold, Lapis Lazuli, Obsidian, Volcanic Resin, Ruby, Sapphire, and Diamond can all be found here, but these are rarely mined by the Firelords. The most prominent resource found is iron, which the Firelords mine to excess to create all of their clothing and weaponry for the Unburnt.

#### Currency

Currency does not exist in this place, as the only workers here are the Unburnt, or those who have not given themselves to the flames. All food and supplies are to be shared equally among the people. Material possessions are only those that are practical, and even clothes are minimalistic due in part to the heat and to reveal the burns along their bodies. However, their vast wealth of natural resources makes them a very profitable location for many. This opens them up for trade with other nations, but they do not as they have adapted near perfectly into their environment and believe that it is aiding a force they will have to destroy later. It also makes them a target for mining teams to attempt to excavate their mines, which the Firelords will enslave or put to death.

#### Food

The palate of the Valley is incredibly dry, hot, and heavy foods. There are some varieties of plant and animal life to eat, but most are hardy and tough to break down. A main source of food among both the Unburnt and the Firelords is the (small gliding rodents), which are caught by the domesticated (fire cats). Another source of food is the wild (fire cats) as well, but typically these animals are dangerous if not domesticated. A variety of roots, mushrooms, peppers and occasionally snails serve other important pieces of meal.

The most prevalent source of nutrition, however is derived from a type of hardy wheat that grows, astoundingly, in very rocky soil. This grain is combined with boiled water from the great sea and sugarcane that grows along the coast. All of this is combined in a large pot and brought to a boil, which creates a thick, highly nutritious, and extremely alcoholic beer. This beer is actually the main food source for both the Firelords and the Unburnt, as it is incredibly filling. It is has also been used by many Unburnt taking a Trial to numb their pain, but this also makes it more difficult to focus on controlling it. It has also been hypothesized by some Unburnt that the beer is used to keep them subdued and stupid. However, the lack of any other nutrients makes it difficult to not drink it, leaving many constantly drunk here.

#### Magical products used

Due to the lack of Magical creatures in the area, the Firelords do not use magical products.

#### Products

The iron mined from the mountains is used to make all weaponry and armor for the Firelords and the Unburnt, but they are crude and brutal. More recently Iron is used to expand upon the prisons.

## Architecture

Firelord architecture is inherited from the Durok prisons built throughout the Valley. They are hard and massive metal constructions that are easily defendable, but nigh impossible to breach. As the Firelords grow in number, they have taken to constructing iron shacks and teepees, as well as dwelling in caves.

## Transportation

The most prominent form of transportation for the Firelords and Unburnt is by foot, but for fast travelling, some will ride the domesticated Scathes.

## Natural threats

#### Animals/plants

Scathes - Giant Mountain cats. dangerous in packs but can be domesticated

Fireflies - Large blood sucking insects that leave intense burning bubbling warts. Also carriers of blood disease

Poison Mushroom

#### Environmental

Magma pools

Eternally burning Fire

Rockslides

Steam from cracks

Earthquakes

#### Notable Disease

Blood Disease - Causes the body to heat and the flesh to bubble up from the inside. The muscle and organs begin to melt, leaving the body a pulpy mess and drives the victim insane.

Iron Lung - Common among the Unburnt. Extended time in the mines causes their lungs to solidify, making breathing difficult.

## Clothing

Due to the massive amount of heat in the area, traditional clothing is not worn here. In fact, cloth is incredibly dangerous due to its flammable nature. Therefore, most Unburnt do not wear any clothes at all and opt for being naked. The Firelords themselves wear crude iron armor, which may eventually be grafted to their skin due to constant heating and cooling around the flesh. Both FIrelords and Unburnt wear the Resin Goggles, but many Firelords gradually wean themselves from them.

## Science and technology

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## Religion

Firelord culture resonates around that of a butterfly. The Unburnt are like caterpillars: crawling over the land in search of constant fulfillment for the self. These people are made simply to serve the needs of the Firelords and are considered no more than unevolved beasts. The Firelords are like cocoons: still and patient, constantly waiting and preparing as they grow stronger and prepare for the day they can become a butterfly. All Firelords are considered equal in the eyes of other Firelords, no matter what their previous life experiences may be. As mentioned, the Firelords wean themselves slowly off of the goggles that they wear in order to see fire with their true eyes. However, none are born with the ability to look upon flames. They believe that the butterfly form of their people will begin when children are born and able to gaze upon flames without goggles. This new evolution will be known as the Living Flame. When a Living Flame is born into each group, it signifies that soon the Firelords may exit the Valley of Ashes and begin their conquest of evolution.

Since the sky above the Valley of Ashes is constantly being clouded out by the grey smoke and ash from the volcano, and no current generation has left the Valley, they remain largely unaware of the stagnant moon overhead. They do however live in fear of the Scream of the Earth, when the ground trembles, fissures form, magma rises, and the ash spewing from the volcano turn the air all around pitch black. Many consider this to be a way to further strengthen the Firelords, and some even believe it is during this to be when the Living Flames will be born, but most consider it a bad omen.

There is a fairly popular religion among the Unburnt called The Way of the Worm. These are those people who have dedicated themselves to staying Unburnt, simply because they recognize that if all people are Firelords, then there will be no laborers for their society. Without laborers, the society will collapse, and although conditions might not be great for the Unburnt, it is undeniable that the protection the Firelords provide is considerably formidable. Therefore, the followers of this religion have dedicated themselves to forever remaining as Unburnt to serve and ensure the society continues without fault. They believe that if any of them were meant to become Firelords, they will do so accidentally. However, many Unburnt see this religion only as a way of coping with being a slave, and some even theorize it is created and run by the Firelords way of controlling the population.

## Magics

Firelords rely entirely on burning themselves to utilize magic. While they are aware of other forms of magic, they reject them. Anyone Unburnt attempting to use magic that is not related to the Trial of Flames is executed immediately.

## Geography

<map here> Tucked in a valley of scorched earth and smoldering ash between the mountains and the Great Sea lies the Valley of Ashes. The Valley is an area of deep flat land at the foot of a great ash volcano. The grounds is scorched from an ancient eruption, pools of magma bubble up from the ground, and any plant life is petrified to stone. The sooty ground is prone to catching flame if lit, but will often not spread. The sky is blocked out by the constant flow of smoke and ash, but it is usually a soft grey save during the time approaching the Black Moon. The mountains to the south are steep and treacherous, making it nearly impossible to climb, but become more manageable in the north. One passageway cuts through the south mountains, but is blockaded.