The Church of the Silver Flame
The priests and paladins of the Silver Flame have battled the forces of darkness for hundreds of years. While it is a relatively young religion, it has found staunch support across Khorvaire, especially in the kingdom of Thrane.
Brief History
The Church of the Silver Flame was born in 299 YK. A massive and unexpected volcanic eruption in Thrane released a demon lord and its minions, and for a time it seemed that darkness would cover the land. But the upheaval had also opened a path to the force that had bound the demons for an aeon. This silver flame found a vessel in a young woman named Tira Miron; empowered and inspired, Tira rallied the forces of Thrane and drove the fiends back to the black mountain, sealing them in the vaults of Khyber once more. But Tira's work was not done. Traveling to the cavern where the flame rose from the earth, she allowed her body to be consumed so that her soul could join with the flame itself. Tira now serves as the Voice of the Silver Flame, the intermediary between humanity and the divine.
Over the centuries the Church of the Silver Flame has spread across Khorvaire. Its followers are engaged in a never-ending struggle against the forces of evil. They have fought demons, hunted the lycanthropes almost to extinction, and battled all manner of monsters. But all too often, it is human corruption that proves the most dangerous foe.
Five Edicts of the Church
1. Trust in the Silver Flame. The Voice of the Silver Flame never lies. It will light your way to glory and salvation.
2. Heed the words of the Keeper. The Keeper of the Flame is your emissary. Through the Keeper, the Silver Flame speaks.
3. Fight evil in all its forms. Not everyone can have the strength or conviction of a paladin, but there are many ways to fight evil that don’t require one to draw a sword. We must also remain vigilant, for the one thing evil does well is hide in plain sight.
4. Lead a noble life, and encourage others to do the same. Temptations abound, but the wisest of us can recognize and avoid them. If you die with a pure spirit, you will be forever bound with the Silver Flame.
5. Share the faith. The Silver Flame can purify the darkest spirit. Share the power of the Flame with those who have not yet embraced it.
The Organization
Headquarters: Flamekeep, Thrane
Leader: Jaela Daran, the Keeper of the Flame
Alignment: Lawful Good
Secrecy: None
Symbol: The symbol of the Church is a silver arrowhead engraved with a stylized flame.
Hierarchy
The Church of the Silver Flame is divided into the church militant and the church ministry. The ministry oversees the administrative functions of the church. The members of the ministry are also responsible for providing spiritual guidance to the followers of the church. They are shepherds rather than soldiers, and they battle evil by nurturing good. Each kingdom is overseen by a network of priests and bishops; this chain of command continues up to the Council of Flamekeep and the Keeper of the Flame. The current Keeper is a girl named Jaela Daran, who was appointed in 995 YK .
The church militant is comprised of warriors, paladins, clerics, and exorcists. Where the ministry attempts to kindle a spark of good in the human spirit, the church militant battles the forces of evil wherever they appear. Members of this spiritual army live ascetic lives in monastic fortresses, alternating periods of devotion and training with circular patrols across the territory protected by the Flame. The church militant has its own internal hierarchy, but it is under the rule of the Keeper of the Flame, and the rank and file of the army are expected to defer to the ministry. The church militant is the sword of the Flame; the ministry is the mind that guides it.
Within both the ministry and the church militant, a promising initiate is often sent on an extended and unstructured pilgrimage, charged to discover the true nature of good and evil by walking in the world and to try to make a difference as an individual. These pilgrims are expected to respond to the needs of the church in the communities they pass through. Any PC cleric or paladin who wishes to be a member of the Church of the Silver Flame should usually be considered a pilgrim.
Motivation and Goals
The Church of the Silver Flame seeks to purify the world. Its most obvious work is its war against supernatural evil; members of the church militant roam the land fighting fiends, undead, and magical beasts. But the church also seeks to fight corruption, greed, and other human evils. The common layman is not expected to fight zombies and ghouls; this is the work of the soldiers of the church. But he is expected to live a noble life and to encourage others to do the same. It is said that those who purify their spirits in this life will join with the Silver Flame after death, strengthening the flame as it binds the forces of evil within Khyber.
Sadly, the priests and parishioners of the church don't always live up to these noble standards. Within Thrane, the warriors and ministers of the Silver Flame are generally dedicated to the ideals of the church — sometimes with an almost frightening zealotry. But the further away one gets from Flamekeep and the watchful eye of the Keeper of the Flame, the more common it is to find corrupt ministers and warriors who abuse their reputation for personal gain. Southern Breland is particularly infamous for the conduct of its ministers. Periodically, the Council of Flamekeep sends agents to seek out and eliminate corruption within the church — but the foul often find shelter in the shadows.
Allies
The Silver Flame has close ties to the Knights of Thrane. Most of the knights are devotees of the Silver Flame, but they have chosen to serve the crown instead of taking up the monastical rule of the church militant.
Enemies
The greatest enemies of the Silver Flame are the Lords of Dust. Though few even within the ministry are aware of it, the Silver Flame was born in the ancient struggle between the rakshasas and the couatl, and it is the power of the Silver Flame that holds the rajahs at bay. The Lords of Dust rarely move openly, but over the centuries there have been many clashes between the agents of the flame and this alliance of fiends.
A second deadly rival is the Order of the Emerald Claw. The church militant will take any opportunity to strike down these necromancers and their vile creations — a situation that may exacerbate tensions between Thrane and Karrn'ath, where the Order has been gaining support.
Notable NPCs
Jaela Daran (LG female human Clr16) is a nine-year old girl who was called to serve as the spiritual leader of the Church of the Silver Flame. She has a streak of pure silver in her hair, a sign of the touch of the divine. She is disturbingly intelligent and charismatic; while her body is that of a little girl, she speaks with the voice of all of the Keepers of the Flame who have come before her.
While Jaela is one of the most powerful clerics in Khorvaire, she is bound to the flame and cannot venture far from it. She is not a hero, but she has been empowered to recognize and guide heroes, and adventurers may be summoned to Flamekeep to receive messages from the Flame.
Opportunities
Any PC who chooses to play a paladin or cleric devoted to the Silver Flame has a tie to the church. A fighter or wizard with strong religious beliefs could also choose to join the church militant. In most cases these characters should be pilgrims — freed from the strict hierarchy of the church. As a pilgrim, a character will be treated respectfully by others of the faith, but does not have access to the resources of the church; the purpose of his journey is to learn about the world on his own.
The Church of the Silver Flame can serve as a valuable ally to good-aligned parties. It is engaged in an endless battle against evil, and while the church militant has many warriors, few have the potential of player characters. If they chose, PCs who align with the Silver Flame can become champions of the church. However, there are a number of limitations to consider when using the church as a patron. First, good contacts with the church does not automatically equal free healing magic. In small towns or smaller communities, the priest of the Silver Flame may simply be an expert with ranks in Healing, Sense Motive, Knowledge (religion), and Diplomacy — but no actual magical powers. Even in larger cities, members of the ministry are more likely to be adepts than full clerics. Clerics are rare and exalted, and are usually tied to the church militant, serving on the front lines of the war against evil. While most priests know mundane healing techniques, House Jorasco is the center for magical healing.
Another limitation is the high moral standards of the church. Normal parishioners are not expected to behave as paladins. But the Silver Flame sees the world in black and white, and when dealing with the church of Thrane, PCs will be expected to act as heroes.
But then there is the final issue: The fact that not all priests live up to these standards. Characters who appeal to the church for aid may find that the local priest cares little about their problems. In fact, a truly noble pilgrim or champion might actually become the target of treachery, if a corrupt priest sees the character as a threat to his position.
Listening to the Voice
The Voice of the Silver Flame whispers from the depths of the everburning fire located in the Cathedral of the Silver Flame in Flamekeep. The Voice, said to belong to Tira Miron, usually communicates through the Keeper of the Flame (currently Jaela Daran). Others of the faith sometimes hear the crackling Voice, and many make pilgrimages to Flamekeep in hopes of participating in just such a miracle. However, some scholars outside the faith believe the Voice isn’t Tira Miron, at least not solely.
Some believe that in rare instances the demonic entity that shares the flame with Tira and the rainbow-winged serpent can speak through the silver fire. In these rare instances, these scholars believe, the demon lures people on to acts of terrible evil by whispering to them that they will accomplish good works. Some of the crusades and inquisitions undertaken on behalf of the Silver Flame may fall into this category.
The Church of the Silver Flame, naturally, rejects this theory.
