Aspects of the Flame

Aspects of the Flame

Creation

The Beginning

In the beginning, there was the Great Ocean, and no land farther than the eye could see. Galtea, daughter of Dalai heated the ocean floors to create the currents that allowed life to flourish beneath the waves. Galtea, however, quickly grew bored of these sea creatures that her mother created. She tried to make her own life, but under her mother's demanding conditions, the life simply ceased to exist. Galtea raged against the harsh conditions of the sea, time and again to create life, but each time it simply died. Summoning all of her power, Galtea raged once more throwing her powers at the ocean, erupting in a blaze of passion, she created the first lands. Seeing her creation, she rose up through her volcano to find that what was once nothing but endless ocean, was now land.

Her first order of business was to create life. Once more she tried her hands at creating creatures. The first few starved to death. Unlike with the ocean, there was no balance to maintain, no food, no resources. She could not maintain a balance without assistance, and refused to let her mother see her struggle like this. Concentrating her powers once more, she decided to give birth to the first life that would not need her help. Birthed from her mind was Ulyn, the Lady of the Seasons, bringing change and balance, but as things grew unchecked, Ulyn also struggled, flawed more than her mother. Using her own power, the light of the sun, and a tear for nurturing, she gave birth to twins Baigal and Anmal, the Great Farmer, and The Groundskeeper, keepers of life and balancing nature's growth with her changing of the land.

Dalai watched her daughter's growth with mixed feelings of pride and anger. How dare she be so defiant with her, shunning the watery gifts that she offered. At first, Dalai tried to bring rains to the land, a peace offering to help their creations grow. Galtea only responded with anger, trying to protect her creations from the water that killed them so many times before. She strengthened Ulyn's power, and that of the sun making an eternal summer. This was folly, as everything would only burn, and for a short time, it did.

Dalai had to do something about the sun. The sky was an extension of the sea, a sea of air and nothingness, clouds and rain. Like her daughter before, Dalai gave birth to a new being that she called Shuga, Lord of the Winds. The flames and heat were only harming her daughter's creations, so she sent Shuga, and unknown, to guide the winds and rains and storms to Galtea's people. While he was doubted at first, Shuga demonstrated his gifts before his sister, and she agreed to let him help. Crops grew more abundantly in her lands. Baigal and Anmal got along well with their uncle, and used his powers to amplify their own in guiding new life to the land, but the creatures were tired.

The creatures were tired because there was nothing but endless sun and rain. When they found shelter, many just passed out, enjoying a break from the harsh light and weather. Dalai once more tried to assist, this time, extending her reach out to the sea that was the sky. Sho was her next son, and he would gain strength from the sun. Enough that he could block it's harsh rays for a period of time using the starry sea as his strength. Sho quickly realized that his powers waxed and waned with Ulyn's work. Someone who could affect a being of his strength quickly caught his attention. The God of the night quickly became infatuated with her, and as winter came, would try to woo her with his new strength, but she never took notice.

Galtea raged at her mother once more. She needed to stop interfering with her work. Dalai claimed to know best, but this only angered Galtea further. Her volcano erupted once more. New lands began to appear around the world. Dalai fought back, not wanting to be covered over by her daughter's willfulness. In a great storm of fire and water, ashes and ice, to wills collided over and over again until they were worn out. Lakes were filled, rivers began to flow, rocks rose up from the depths, and the tides began to turn. Dalai and Galtea stared each other down as the ash settled and mist cleared away. Neither dared take a step, lest the other one gain the upper hand, watching, waiting. A sound of wailing came from the side, and both turned to look. A young woman was on the ground, crying, but not just any woman, a woman born from their power.

The Goddesses named her Khelta, and agreed that she should have a place in both halls. They named her Khelta, The Goddess of the Scales, The Gatekeeper, and The Lady of the Horizon, the boundary between Galtea and Dalai, who would allow travel between the Emberic and Oceanic Courts.

Monsters, Daimons, and the Undead

Monsters are the remains of Galtea's first attempts at life. Creatures beyond the balance offered by her and her kin. As the world took on a new balance, Galtea created her next creatures. Humans. These were a life form she could work with. Hardy. Adaptable. Full of the desire to live, and as the Gods found their balance with Khelta between them as a mediator, humanity thrived. Galtea poured into humanity all of her aspects, and Dalai gave them the ability to see beyond her raw emotions. Khelta tempered those feelings, once more acting as the go between.

Galtea's first creations grew jealous, twisting their feelings toward suppressing those that Galtea preferred over them. They rise up wherever humanity is at its weakest, where nature turns against itself, and they breed where life cannot reach.

As Monsters thrived, Galtea helped to keep them in check, granting her strength to new life, dedicated to keeping the monsters in check, she called the Daimons. The Daimons saw their fate as secondary creations, and with their greater power quickly turned on humanity, creating an unlikely alliance with the monsters from before. Each group was vying for Galtea's blessings as the dead piled up on both sides.

The clash with Dalai several years earlier left the earth filled with creative energies. Their largest clash created Khelta, but the rest of the energy was drank deeply by the earth. As the dead piled up, those angry at the creatures that killed them, and the humans for letting them die began to rise up. The dead found new life, and the Blue Flames began to appear around places prone to the dead rising.

The Embodiments of the Flames

Galtea will always be the Embodiment of the Red Flame. She is a Goddess of passion and power, and will never give that right to anyone.

As more creatures rose up to attack her precious humans, Galtea knew she had to respond with force, but her own anger would only hurt the land. She had to section off more of her power once again. Willing all of her righteous anger into a single White Flame, she cast it at the earth, and there appeared a young woman. The woman went by the name Riuna, and she was a champion to humanity. Taking up arms, she became a deity among men and women, people worshiping her as she passed. As culture and languages developed, some began calling her Leandra in a more modern tongue.

Riuna lead the way to many victories, and those victories left many dead in their wake. As undead were purified, and souls started to be free, Khelta began dealing more and more with the dead, guiding souls back and forth between the courts. She was growing weary, and in turn, souls were returning. The dead began rising in force once more. Galtea met with Dalai one more time. Together, they gave Khelta the power of the Blue Flame, Galtea's power tempered by the ocean, to aid her. Strengthened, she became a the Gatekeeper in ability as in name.

With their new champion, and the dead being properly managed, the next Embodiment was Ulyn as the Golden Flame. Handling the seasons around the world as people emigrated to new lands was difficult. She could not properly manage the seasons, and during a period known as the Decades of Chaos, wherever Ulyn was not, the seasons would change rapidly. Frost would suddenly kill crops one day, and the next a heatwave would overwhelm humanity. Her sons tried to help, to little avail. To improve the world, once more, Galtea gave a piece of her power to a daughter.

The Great Sleep and the Black Flame

Galtea, having given out her power to others, was tired, and slowly her influence waned as the other Emberics and the Oceanic Court took to managing the world. Satisfied that her creations were safe, Galtea closed her eyes to rest.

Dalai, the mother that she is, decided that if Galtea wasn't going to work on the world, she would. Imposing her will on the world, a new flame came into existence. A flame that could not produce light because it was born in darkness, Dalai's flame, the Black Flame. The Flame for those that did what they had to, a Flame that said humanity is capable of doing anything, good or evil, because survival was the most important Aspect to a life.

Elves

The history of Elves is a unique one. How did they come to exist? Seeking to teach humans to be even better at harvesting and hunting, Baigal and Anmal decided to try their own hands at creation, but lacking the ability to do so were only able to modify humans into what they deemed were superior creatures.

Emberic Goddess

• Galtea - The Goddess of Flames, The Avatar of the Volcano, Earth-mother, Light-bearer, Goddess of Passion

Lesser Emberics

• Ulyn - Daughter of Galtea, Lady of the Seasons
  • Baigal - Son of Ulyn, The Great Farmer, Lord of Feasts
  • Anmal - Son of Ulyn, Lord of the Hunt, The Groundskeeper
• Riuna - Daughter of Galtea, the Embodiment of the White Flame, Champion of Humanity and Justice

Oceanic Goddess

• Dalai - Mistress of the Depths, Shadow-mother, The Avatar of the Ocean, Goddess of Wisdom

Lesser Oceanics

• Shuga - Son of Dalai, Storm-bringer, Lord of the Winds
• Sho - Son of Dalai, Star-keeper, Lord of the Star Sea

The Goddess of Scales

• Khelta - The Gatekeeper, Lady of the Horizon

Symbols and Talismans

The symbol is typically done in a circle, star, shield, anything that can house the points. The Aspects are considered equals, each an integral part of mankind, and can be placed in any order. The top flame is used to mark your chosen path in the faith, however, it is also traditional that the Red Flame is at the top if one does not wish to disclose the path of their devotion.

Many adherents also like to carry stones with them, made by the pressure of the earth, and, like obsidian, symbolizing the conflict between Galtea and Dalai, they are used as talismans and prayer objects

The Aspects

The Aspects of the Flame are represented in various colors of flames, signifying the power that the Goddess of Flames used to give life. All of life is like a flame, once snuffed out, it ceases to exist, and like the many colors, no life is the same as another, and is made of many different aspects. The ones revealed to us at this time are as follows:

Red Flames

The Avatars of the God are known by their eyes, red flames cloud their mind and give way to visions, rage, etc... Red flames are the sign of the Goddess Galtea.

Devotees to the Red Flames typically carry a ruby, garnet, or other red gem on their person.

Gold Flames

These flames are the light of the sun, nurturing life and crops. Traders and Farmers often favor this path.

Devotees to the Gold Flames typically carry a topaz, a piece of gold, or another golden stone on their person.

White Flames

These flames are the flames or righteousness, justice, and honor. The morals of mankind were poured into white flames as a sign of warmth and home, something worth fighting for and defending.

Devotees to the White Flames typically carry a diamond, a pearl, or another white stone on their person.

Black Flames

The flames of violence and mankind's baser nature. These flames are not necessarily a sign of evil, but a sign of acceptance that some things must be done. The Black Flame is a welcome home to Infiltrators and Adventurers, though none are restricted here should they wish to seek another path.

Devotees to the Black Flames typically carry a black diamond, a piece of obsidian, or another black stone on their person.

Blue Flames

All must die at some point. People who say they've seen spirits have seen the goddess' will on the world in the form of the blue flame. These Wisps are echoes of what once was. Often they are seen in areas with lingering regrets, or around the undead, twisted remains of what they once were, and wish to aid in freeing their bodies from this cruel fate. Followers of the Blue Flame deal in life and death, are arms merchants and traders, those who seek to commune with the dead, or seek to destroy undead.

Devotees to the Blue Flames typically carry a sapphire, a lapis, or another blue stone on their person.

Miscellany

The Texts of Bahn the Illuminated

Controversial texts aimed at educating children in the ways of the Faith. Some think they are a cruel joke by an unfaithful priest, but for some reason they sell really well.