Children of the Flame

The **Children of the Flame** is a monotheistic religion centered on the one true God above who believes that impurity is evil, and gives way to the darkness. Therefore, their order is highly militaristic, and sends its Holy Knights to slaughter the impure to bring the world back into the light. This has caused much unrest in Asaldur as the unauthorized killings of those deemed impure has caused friction with the Governments.

## Deity

There is only the one deity associated with the **Children of the Flame**, referred to as God, Fire God, or God of Light. It is said that he created the world with from a piece of himself, and created life with his breath. He is in divine battle with the Darkness, an endless entity of pure dark that hopes to extinguish all light from the world.

## Organization

The church is often split into several sects, rather then led by any one individual. The leaders of these sects are referred to as the Knight of the Flame. Other members of the church are simply considered Holy Knights. Everyone in the church is trained to combat evil. Though referred to as knights, the people of the church are not necessarily gifted the title of Knight. Any individual can be ordained a Holy Knight by another Holy Knight or Knight of the Flame. It is believed that only divine revelation can appoint a Holy Knight to the role of Knight of the Flame however. Once ordained a Holy Knight, the individual is given a brand to signify their loyalty to the **Children of the Flame**.

### Knight of the Flame

The leader of a sect of the **Children of the Flame**. They help direct the faction of Holy Knights under them, and often stay at a temple communing with God. No one Knight of the Flame is considered higher rank than another.

### Holy Knight

A Holy Knight is a member of the **Children of the Flame** that is not a Knight of the Flame. They are trained in martial combat and will travel the lands to cleanse them of the impure. Often they will have a Knight of the Flame that they will report to occasionally, and do not travel far from that temple. However, there are times when a Holy Knight will choose to go on a voyage of their own to cleanse the world, listening only to the word of God as their leadership.

## Practices

Worship, Holy Days, Trials, Marriage customs, Death (Afterlife and Funeral Customs)

### Brands

Upon being ordained as a Holy Knight, an individual is given a brand to show their loyalty. These brands come in all different shapes and sizes, and the individual receiving it is often able to decide his own brand to some extent. Each design is unique to the member, and it is rare to see a brand more than once.

### Trials

Members of the **Children of the Flame** use fire to find those of impure hearts. Most times they will instantly judge the person guilty and lay a sentence of death on them unless they can prove their case otherwise. In some cases, the accused may be able to call for a Trial by Combat to prove their innocence.

### Marriage Customs

There are no Marriage customs in the **Children of the Flame** as the idea of marriage was never created in the cultures that this religion was born into.

### Afterlife

It is believed that after a follower of the **Children of the Flame** dies, they become a part of God's Fire, and is able to help bring light to the world.

### Funeral Customs

After death, a follower of the church is given a funeral pyre, and it is said by sacrificing the body and its belongings to the fire, the deceased is given to God, and joins his flame to help keep light on the world.

## History

**Children of the Flame** was preached in Asaldur as early as 1100 C.A., brought over by the Other Men. However, its teaching took awhile to catch on, and therefore is not very common to be followed by the natives of Asaldur. In the year 1399 C.A., a large band of members of the **Children of the Flame** swept across Asaldur in a cleansing known as The Scouring, or sometimes referred to within the church as the Great Cleansing. It was an all out onslaught on those deemed impure, but the countries of Asaldur retaliated and eventually killed every member of the church involved in the attack.

### Origins

It is believed that God created the world from a piece of himself, breathing life into with his inner flame. His flame gave light to the world to keep the Darkness at bay, and to help life thrive.

### Legends

It is said in the early ages of the world, the Darkness attempted to take over once again, and God gifted an individual the ability to harness God's flame to drive back the Darkness. He ordained that the impure have been the reason the Darkness can return, and it is the job of the **Children of the Flame** to remove the impure from the world to prevent its return. There are prophecies claiming that the Darkness will return again, and thus the church works to cleanse the world to prevent it.