Bobitron
Explorer
Gloria e Flamae Solei
“Glory to the Flame Alone”
Entering the dimly lit chamber, you duck your heads to avoid the hanging incense burners that dangle from the high ceiling, forming a ring that encircles the room. A circle of light illuminates the center of the chamber, although its source cannot be seen. Your eyes, after adjusting to the hazy darkness, pick out the shadowy outlines of a score of figures on a raised platform ten feet from the circle of light. “Please, move into in the light.” The voice rises out of the dark like a soaring bird, high and clear. You move slowly into the light, bowing in reverence to the shadows, as she continues.
“You have been called for your reputation as people of faith, with the conviction to do the work of good that others cannot. Each of you brings skills that will serve to eradicate evil wherever it is found. To be chosen is to be honored. The Lodge of Glory does not choose those who are weak or without peerless merit.”
There is a long pause, and another voice continues. This one is nearly opposite the first; deep, ragged, and sounding as though it flows into pools on the floor, like heavy smoke or fog.
“There are those who would oppose the good that the Lodge would do. We trust you to be respectful of the secret that you have been entrusted with. This opposition may come even from within the Church, where some of the weaker members seek to corrupt and twist the word of the Voice of the Flame. We cannot allow evil to go about its dark plans unobstructed. For too long, the Flame has been weak in its pursuit of good. This ends now.”
A third man speaks, with a voice that carries the weight of decades. “We are the Faithful, those who would work in silence, without greed for personal gain or political leverage. We work outside of the normal hierarchy of the Church, to avoid those inside it who have grown corrupt and unwilling to continue the struggle against the forces that would destroy that which we hold dearest. The Lodge of Glory shall be the rapier that cuts the evil from within the shadows. If the Church will not do this, it falls to us. It falls to you, as our champions.”
Background: Formed by Venerable Cardinal Kora Radiante at the height of the inquisition against the were-creatures that stained Khorvaire, the Lodge of Glory is a secret organization buried deep within the hierarchy of the Church of the Silver Flame. Radiante was a zealous opponent of evil, and felt that more needed to be done to combat the influence of the various evils upon the good people of the world. She was strongly supportive of the crusade against were-kind, and was criticized by the other cardinals for her strong prejudices against shifters. Cardinal Radiante was an advocate of the worst aspects of the crusade, seeking the destruction of all forms of were-kind, regardless of history or morality. She formed the Lodge of Glory to further her goals by circumventing the watchful eyes of the Keeper of the Flame, who, towards the end of the conflict, was beginning to steer the Church along a more moderate path. Radiante formed an elite cadre of religious adherents to fight evil, whatever the cost. She felt that the ends justified the means, and that evil must be rooted out, even if that meant sacrifice of individual rights and welfare. The Lodge has been responsible for some of the vilest acts ever committed in the name of the Flame in its pursuit of its goals. They have destroyed entire towns to kill a single creature hiding amongst the population, performed torturous acts upon hundreds of victims, and many other atrocities more suited to the evil they fought than the champions of good they claim to be. Pressure from the Council and the Keeper of the Flame eventually weighed heavy on Radiante, and the Lodge was officially disbanded just before the start of the Last War. Radiante died soon after. The Lodge of Glory no longer exists. All official records of its acts were sealed, and the majority of its members retired, with a few responsible for the most corrupt and vile acts tried in secrecy.
The Council of Cardinals itself has little knowledge of the continued existence of the Lodge of Glory. A group of cardinals calling themselves the Faithful have resurrected the ideals of the Lodge of Glory. They have been slowly recruiting members from within the Church to serve in the Lodge, and preparing its members for action. They call upon the Lodge for issues that require absolute discretion and the complete ignorance of the other cardinals and the Keeper of the Flame. The members of the Faithful have kept their identity hidden from the Council and the members of the Lodge of Glory, and lead from the shadows. When a mission is entrusted to the Lodge, the utmost secrecy is to be upheld. If the members of the Faithful or the Lodge of Glory were to ever be revealed, the group would surely be disbanded once again.
Mission: The Lodge is most often called upon by the Faithful to take on issues which the Keeper of the Flame or even the Council is judged to be ‘weak’ or ‘indecisive’. The Faithful feel that evil must be destroyed regardless of the cost. Common tasks include finding covens of infernalists, packs of were-kind, possessing demons hiding within the population, and acting as a secret inquisition within the Church, seeking out those who attempt to destroy the Church from within.
Composition: The Faithful hunt for potential members of the Lodge within the Church. They look for people who are devout traditionalists, with a faith strong enough to smother evil’s dark flames. A penchant for intrigue and undercover activity is desirable, as well as combat experience and the willingness to take the fight to evil. The Lodge is made up of 48 members at any given time, although the turnover has been brutal. Many of the Lodge’s missions since its resurrection have been dangerous, and the attrition has been extreme. The Faithful are continuously looking for new members to complete the Lodge.
The Lodge is divided into six person factions, which act independently of each other. Two factions have never worked together, as the risk of discovery is regarded as too great. The members of each faction are locked into that faction for life, and are replaced with new recruits rather than veterans from other factions. Each faction effectively functions as an independent cell, with no knowledge of other members or missions.
A faction consists of a leader, known as the Pious. Normally, a second is appointed, named the Seneschal. The Pious is given the right to choose his Seneschal. The other four members are equal in rank, and are known as Purifiers. Factions vary tremendously in their makeup, but most are built around flexibility. A faction lacking an expert in the arcane or stealthy infiltration rarely survives to complete its mission. Each faction normally contains an inquisitor to ensure that the members do not cross the fine line between doing what is necessary to defeat evil, and becoming evil.
Character Creation: Members of the Lodge are chosen from the most elite members of the Church of the Silver Flame. I am looking for six characters of ninth level (37,000xp, to give a bit of padding for creation feats and the like). This will be a high-powered campaign. The Faithful only recruits veterans into the Lodge of Glory. Please post a concept first, and develop it further once I approve it. There are certain prestige classes that make obvious sense for this campaign, and that would be very helpful to the sort of missions the companions will be assigned.
Edit: I checked out those prestige classes I was considering, and the ones that fit perfectly are the Shadowbane Inquisitor and the Shadowbane Stalker from The Complete Adventurer, the Exorcist of the Silver Flame (obviously) from the Eberron Campaign Setting, and the Church Inquisitor from The Complete Divine.
Edit: Use a 32 point buy, as described on page 169 of the DMG. The characters will be of ninth level (37,000xp). Humans only, please, I want to highlight the intolerant nature of the Lodge. I am using the gestalt character variant from Unearthed Arcana to highlight the 'special' nature of the characters. If anyone is not aware of the gestalt rules, let me know and I will expand on them. Take 75% of all rolls for hit points. Each character gets 36,000 gp in equipment and magical items. The Faithful have vast resources to help, so don't worry about spending large amounts of funds on consumables, such as healing potions and scrolls. The faction will be given a budget each mission. It would be great if each of the prestige classes mentioned above were taken by a party member, but I won't require it if nobody is interested. If there is another prestige class not found in the DMG, Eberron Campaign Setting, The Complete Divine, or the The Complete Adventurer, email it to me at the addresses posted below for approval.
One of the things I love about the Eberron setting is the way it treats alignment. I will treat alignment in a somewhat ambiguous manner in this campaign. The characters will be called on as judge, jury, and executioner, and a certain degree of moral ‘looseness’ will be needed. I am looking for characters with a sense of morality and zeal that embody the ideals that Radiante portrayed. Anyone without the conviction to carry out the will of the Faithful would probably not have been approached to join the Lodge. For example, a Lawful Good paladin who kills a helpless criminal rather than seek a court of justice would risk punishment and loss of his paladinhood in another campaign. In this campaign, the same action would be perfectly acceptable, if it furthered the goals of the mission.
Players:
Pious~ Elohim by Ferrix
Seneschal~ Lhulan Ceth by GreatLemur
Purifier~ Andeus Kilishar by tyrlaan
Purifier~ Ivan Kurgoth by LogicsFate
Purifier~ Dathen Trament, NPC, to be replaced by taitzu52
Purifier~ Agral Orte by Someone
“Glory to the Flame Alone”
Entering the dimly lit chamber, you duck your heads to avoid the hanging incense burners that dangle from the high ceiling, forming a ring that encircles the room. A circle of light illuminates the center of the chamber, although its source cannot be seen. Your eyes, after adjusting to the hazy darkness, pick out the shadowy outlines of a score of figures on a raised platform ten feet from the circle of light. “Please, move into in the light.” The voice rises out of the dark like a soaring bird, high and clear. You move slowly into the light, bowing in reverence to the shadows, as she continues.
“You have been called for your reputation as people of faith, with the conviction to do the work of good that others cannot. Each of you brings skills that will serve to eradicate evil wherever it is found. To be chosen is to be honored. The Lodge of Glory does not choose those who are weak or without peerless merit.”
There is a long pause, and another voice continues. This one is nearly opposite the first; deep, ragged, and sounding as though it flows into pools on the floor, like heavy smoke or fog.
“There are those who would oppose the good that the Lodge would do. We trust you to be respectful of the secret that you have been entrusted with. This opposition may come even from within the Church, where some of the weaker members seek to corrupt and twist the word of the Voice of the Flame. We cannot allow evil to go about its dark plans unobstructed. For too long, the Flame has been weak in its pursuit of good. This ends now.”
A third man speaks, with a voice that carries the weight of decades. “We are the Faithful, those who would work in silence, without greed for personal gain or political leverage. We work outside of the normal hierarchy of the Church, to avoid those inside it who have grown corrupt and unwilling to continue the struggle against the forces that would destroy that which we hold dearest. The Lodge of Glory shall be the rapier that cuts the evil from within the shadows. If the Church will not do this, it falls to us. It falls to you, as our champions.”
Background: Formed by Venerable Cardinal Kora Radiante at the height of the inquisition against the were-creatures that stained Khorvaire, the Lodge of Glory is a secret organization buried deep within the hierarchy of the Church of the Silver Flame. Radiante was a zealous opponent of evil, and felt that more needed to be done to combat the influence of the various evils upon the good people of the world. She was strongly supportive of the crusade against were-kind, and was criticized by the other cardinals for her strong prejudices against shifters. Cardinal Radiante was an advocate of the worst aspects of the crusade, seeking the destruction of all forms of were-kind, regardless of history or morality. She formed the Lodge of Glory to further her goals by circumventing the watchful eyes of the Keeper of the Flame, who, towards the end of the conflict, was beginning to steer the Church along a more moderate path. Radiante formed an elite cadre of religious adherents to fight evil, whatever the cost. She felt that the ends justified the means, and that evil must be rooted out, even if that meant sacrifice of individual rights and welfare. The Lodge has been responsible for some of the vilest acts ever committed in the name of the Flame in its pursuit of its goals. They have destroyed entire towns to kill a single creature hiding amongst the population, performed torturous acts upon hundreds of victims, and many other atrocities more suited to the evil they fought than the champions of good they claim to be. Pressure from the Council and the Keeper of the Flame eventually weighed heavy on Radiante, and the Lodge was officially disbanded just before the start of the Last War. Radiante died soon after. The Lodge of Glory no longer exists. All official records of its acts were sealed, and the majority of its members retired, with a few responsible for the most corrupt and vile acts tried in secrecy.
The Council of Cardinals itself has little knowledge of the continued existence of the Lodge of Glory. A group of cardinals calling themselves the Faithful have resurrected the ideals of the Lodge of Glory. They have been slowly recruiting members from within the Church to serve in the Lodge, and preparing its members for action. They call upon the Lodge for issues that require absolute discretion and the complete ignorance of the other cardinals and the Keeper of the Flame. The members of the Faithful have kept their identity hidden from the Council and the members of the Lodge of Glory, and lead from the shadows. When a mission is entrusted to the Lodge, the utmost secrecy is to be upheld. If the members of the Faithful or the Lodge of Glory were to ever be revealed, the group would surely be disbanded once again.
Mission: The Lodge is most often called upon by the Faithful to take on issues which the Keeper of the Flame or even the Council is judged to be ‘weak’ or ‘indecisive’. The Faithful feel that evil must be destroyed regardless of the cost. Common tasks include finding covens of infernalists, packs of were-kind, possessing demons hiding within the population, and acting as a secret inquisition within the Church, seeking out those who attempt to destroy the Church from within.
Composition: The Faithful hunt for potential members of the Lodge within the Church. They look for people who are devout traditionalists, with a faith strong enough to smother evil’s dark flames. A penchant for intrigue and undercover activity is desirable, as well as combat experience and the willingness to take the fight to evil. The Lodge is made up of 48 members at any given time, although the turnover has been brutal. Many of the Lodge’s missions since its resurrection have been dangerous, and the attrition has been extreme. The Faithful are continuously looking for new members to complete the Lodge.
The Lodge is divided into six person factions, which act independently of each other. Two factions have never worked together, as the risk of discovery is regarded as too great. The members of each faction are locked into that faction for life, and are replaced with new recruits rather than veterans from other factions. Each faction effectively functions as an independent cell, with no knowledge of other members or missions.
A faction consists of a leader, known as the Pious. Normally, a second is appointed, named the Seneschal. The Pious is given the right to choose his Seneschal. The other four members are equal in rank, and are known as Purifiers. Factions vary tremendously in their makeup, but most are built around flexibility. A faction lacking an expert in the arcane or stealthy infiltration rarely survives to complete its mission. Each faction normally contains an inquisitor to ensure that the members do not cross the fine line between doing what is necessary to defeat evil, and becoming evil.
Character Creation: Members of the Lodge are chosen from the most elite members of the Church of the Silver Flame. I am looking for six characters of ninth level (37,000xp, to give a bit of padding for creation feats and the like). This will be a high-powered campaign. The Faithful only recruits veterans into the Lodge of Glory. Please post a concept first, and develop it further once I approve it. There are certain prestige classes that make obvious sense for this campaign, and that would be very helpful to the sort of missions the companions will be assigned.
Edit: I checked out those prestige classes I was considering, and the ones that fit perfectly are the Shadowbane Inquisitor and the Shadowbane Stalker from The Complete Adventurer, the Exorcist of the Silver Flame (obviously) from the Eberron Campaign Setting, and the Church Inquisitor from The Complete Divine.
Edit: Use a 32 point buy, as described on page 169 of the DMG. The characters will be of ninth level (37,000xp). Humans only, please, I want to highlight the intolerant nature of the Lodge. I am using the gestalt character variant from Unearthed Arcana to highlight the 'special' nature of the characters. If anyone is not aware of the gestalt rules, let me know and I will expand on them. Take 75% of all rolls for hit points. Each character gets 36,000 gp in equipment and magical items. The Faithful have vast resources to help, so don't worry about spending large amounts of funds on consumables, such as healing potions and scrolls. The faction will be given a budget each mission. It would be great if each of the prestige classes mentioned above were taken by a party member, but I won't require it if nobody is interested. If there is another prestige class not found in the DMG, Eberron Campaign Setting, The Complete Divine, or the The Complete Adventurer, email it to me at the addresses posted below for approval.
One of the things I love about the Eberron setting is the way it treats alignment. I will treat alignment in a somewhat ambiguous manner in this campaign. The characters will be called on as judge, jury, and executioner, and a certain degree of moral ‘looseness’ will be needed. I am looking for characters with a sense of morality and zeal that embody the ideals that Radiante portrayed. Anyone without the conviction to carry out the will of the Faithful would probably not have been approached to join the Lodge. For example, a Lawful Good paladin who kills a helpless criminal rather than seek a court of justice would risk punishment and loss of his paladinhood in another campaign. In this campaign, the same action would be perfectly acceptable, if it furthered the goals of the mission.
Players:
Pious~ Elohim by Ferrix
Seneschal~ Lhulan Ceth by GreatLemur
Purifier~ Andeus Kilishar by tyrlaan
Purifier~ Ivan Kurgoth by LogicsFate
Purifier~ Dathen Trament, NPC, to be replaced by taitzu52
Purifier~ Agral Orte by Someone
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