The Eternal Flame Cult, devout servants of the fiery entity “Phoenixa,” relentlessly seek the elusive Eternal Flames: catalysts for transforming individuals into the feared Fireborne.
These eternal flames are the effect of Dahlia’s malefic Corrupted Aether infecting creation. In the form of fiery rage, Eternal Flames grow like fruit - extremely rare, a twisted version of the natural growing aether crystals that have started to show up in worlds beyond Aetheria. On consumption of an Eteranl Flame, one is transformed and ignited with eternal fire. Were you to walk into the ocean, the water around you would boil and the fires would not be quenched.
The Eternal Flame Cult believes these Eternal Flames to be gifts of a deity known as Phoenixa - a great goddess who takes the form of a phoenix who is bound in her plane of eternal fire. They believe that the only way to join her is to ascend to a form of permanent fire. It is believed that Phoenixa will grant her most devout an Eternal Flame so that they might ascend.
It should be noted to the read that becoming Fireborne is deemed a capital offense, given the inherently corruptible and destructive nature of the flames, compelling even those with noble intentions to succumb to the call of the flames. The absence of Fireborne factions attests to the dangers they pose, with a single Fireborne capable of unleashing city-wide devastation, as well as the attention and active hunting by elite soldiers tasked with their suppression. The Ashen King, a notorious and believed to be “first” Fireborne, once organized a formidable faction of Fireborne, proving nearly unstoppable until his eventual defeat. He is heralded as a prophet and avatar of Phoenixa, for the Ashen King could grant the gift of the Eternal Flame to whomever he chose. The Cult follow in his footsteps.
In preparation for their fiery transformation, members of the Eternal Flame Cult temper their skin with fire, fortifying themselves against the inevitable day they become engulfed. The Cult actively hunts for Aether crystals, though rather than use them for their own gain, they store them, only using ones that give them fire-like abilities.
Unyielding in their pursuit, the cult openly attacks anyone impeding their path, posing a relentless threat to those who stand in opposition.
Only the most devout will undergo the transformative baptism of fire, emerging as conquerors in the flames of rebirth. Embark on your descent into the fiery embrace by seeking out the Eternal Flame Cult, the path to ultimate power awaits those who dare to embrace the flames.
