Gloria e Flamae Solei

Gloria e Flamae Solei~ Prologue

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.”

Welcome to the Lodge of Glory In-Character thread! I’ll go over a few things before we start.

Regarding posting;

1) Please put your character’s name at the top of each post. Keep track of your own HP, equipment, and other consumables such as spells. Don’t worry about this if your character is at full HP, but if they take damage, please record a HP total after your name at the beginning of each post.

2) All thoughts should be written in italics. Example: Hmm. All this zealotry makes me want a cheeseburger.

3) Any spoken word should be highlighted in a color of your choice. Please choose a color that is easy to read. I reserve Yellow Green for NPC’s. Example: “Your time in Thrane is finished, spawn of evil! Die so I can go eat my cheeseburger!”

4) For dice rolling, please use the one found at:

http://krisinchico.brinkster.net/rolldata.asp

This will allow me to keep easy track of all the rolls. Each character’s rolling history is recorded there for access at any time. Please put a link to your character’s rolls in your Rogue’s Gallery entry. Please ‘show your math’ on complex rolls with multiple modifiers.

5) I’m not great with rule details. Ferrix will be helping me along with the rules. If you catch me or another character making a mistake, please post your comment in the OOC thread, and we will discuss it there, making corrections as necessary.

6) Any OOC comments made in this thread should be displayed in Dim Gray, and wrapped in an tag. Example:

OOC: I smash the idol with my mace, dealing 12 points of damage. Does the cultist run or stay to fight? Does he leave the cheeseburger behind?

7) I will be using a mess of mutated Latin to represent the Draconic language, which is the language of the Church of the Silver Flame. Day-to-day interactions use Common, but religious ceremonies and particularly traditional members often speak Draconic. If you have not taken Draconic as a language, please shuffle a skill point.

8) Extra XP will be rewarded for those who write particularly well thought-out, interesting posts. This is a story, not a board game, and while I will create the framework to build from, you are just as much storytellers as I am.

Rogue’s Gallery thread:
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=121438

OOC thread:
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=120453

Gloria e Flamae Solei~ Chapter One: The Wayward Soul

The delicate, sweeping buttresses and smooth curves of the Flamic style fill you with a sense of peace as you move through the Holy City of Flamekeep, the Seat of the Sacred Flame. The faithful of the Flame mill about in their daily routine, unaware of the secret sacrifice you are about to make to protect the faith they cling to. Passing through the thick walls of Flamekeep itself, you can’t help but shudder as a wave of reverence rushes through your body. Within these very wall burns the Silver Flame itself, the pillar on which your faith is based. Even though you have entered these revered halls before, the gravity of standing within a few hundred feet of the Sliver Flame never loses its effect. You pass through layer after layer of guards, striding with confidence towards the Fina Requietum below the stone.

Seven weeks have passed since you first meet the Faithful and accepted your position in the Lodge of Glory. Once the members of your faction had all accepted, the Faithful advised you each go about your normal business, but stay close to Flamekeep. Early this morning, after the First Mass of Silver Fire, you were approached by a hooded messenger wearing the pale blue livery of the young initiates that people about the city know as “runners”, the Council of Cardinal’s messengers. Bowing deep in reverence, the messenger handed you a scroll bearing the markings of the Council; a series of interlocking arrowheads over a single flame. Opening the case, you noticed the text fade slowly away as you read down the parchment, engulfed in tiny silver licks of fire that created no heat.

(See the letter posted below.)

A Knowledge (Religion) check with a DC of 25 reveals the following:

Revered Father Keleron was a templar that served the Silver Flame before the Last War. He had a reputation among the weaker members of your faith as one who was far too willing to use the sword and healing flame his faith had given him in his work. In the days just before the Last War, he was tried and executed in secret for abusing his power in a controversial trial. After much lobbying by Venerable Cardinal Radiante, the Speaker of the Flame finally gave in and allowed him a burial in the sacred tombs beneath Flamekeep. You knew him to be a staunch Puritan, and now it seems obvious that he was a member of the Lodge as well.

You feel the air start to cool against your skin as you descend deeper into Flamekeep. The Church venerates its fallen with profound respect, and the tombs below the city are filled with generations of the faithful. You go beyond the consecrated gate to the Fina Requietum, and an acolyte approaches.

“Blessed be the faithful of the Silver Flame, who approach the Final Rest seeking enlightenment.” he says, respectfully bowing. “Who do you seek in the Fina Requietum?”

Hearing your request, the acolyte nods in respect and leads you to a dark chamber. The walk from the doors takes nearly five minutes, winding through a confusing blend of dark tunnels lit only by flickering torches, and wide, open chambers lit by glowing balls of light hovering near the ceiling. The acolyte motions to a doorway encircled with delicate carvings of ivy. “The final resting place of Revered Father Keleron lies within this chamber. Please indicate you are finished by ringing the bell near the door, and I will return to lead you back to the gates.” He bows again, stepping back into the dark hall from which you entered.

From outside the room, you can see that it is dimly lit with flickering torchlight. You enter the room, and find it dominated by a large sarcophagus in the center of the round chamber, with intricately carved stonework depicting a paladin with a proud and stern visage. The outside of the room is ringed with pillars that rise up far into darkness that the torches cannot pierce. A prayer stone for kneeling sits in front of the entombed paladin, already worn smooth from being kneeled upon many times over the few years since his death. A tiny bell hangs from a fine chain near the door.

Your faction is gathered for the first time since the initial meeting in that incense filled room nearly two months ago. There is no obvious answer to who has called you to this hallowed place.

OOC: Please take this time to introduce yourselves to your new faction members. Please provide a good physical description.

Ivan Kurgoth

If everyone is here I will step up to speak first

I, being a 6ft, muscular man with blue eyes and short blonde hair that is currently swept back and a neatly trimmed goatee. Wearing modified silver cleric robes that slit down the front and the back occasionally reveling long black pants underneath. With no visible weapons (not even arrows) except a bow.

He flashes I stern faced glance at his new teammates

I am Ivan Kurgoth, a master of the bow and a paladin of the flame. He pause for but a second and finish with a Glory to the Flame

Ooc// http://krisinchico.brinkster.net/searchroll.asp?username=IvanKurgoth#148422

Agral Orte, cleric and archer.

(ooc: Failed Knowledge: religion check.)

The next speaking is a tall man, about 6 feet high, dressed in with simple dark grey habit. There´s nothing remarkable about him, only his dark eyes and hair and tan skin shows he or his family comes from some shouthern region. He studies the group, looking -you notice it- beyond the external appearance.

"I´m glad to meet you" says.

Lhulan Ceth

Brother Lhulan is no stranger to the Fina Requietum, having passed hundreds of torchlit hours in the catacombs, chasing the details of the Church's history. Father Keleron's tomb is new to him, however.

And significant, somehow? he wonders. Must look into him, later.

For now, he addresses his fellow faction members.

"I'm Lhulan Ceth. Just a humble historian, I'm afraid." His spectacles are full of torchlight, hiding his eyes. He gives a brisk bow, one hand to his head to hold the glasses on.

He's of barely average height, and notably sleight build. His face is young, almost boyish, but his blond, short-cropped hair seems to be thinning already.

He wears no clerical robes, but simple, well-worn--if immaculate--street clothing of a soft blue cast, appropriate to a young scholar of a minor house. The silver arrowhead at his neck, however, proclaims his devotion clearly. And the rapier at his hip proclaims at least a pretension to martial skill.

OOC: Religion check failure here, too. Guess I shouldn't have ditched that Education feat. But I needed Improved Feint so badly, and that meant I needed Combat Expertise too, so... Anyway, I'm afraid I'll be quiet for much of today. Getting dragged off to another con. (And an anime one, this time. Idiot cosplayers ahoy.)[/occ]

Andeus Kilishar

Andeus stands at attention. His pale skin makes a smooth transition to the whites and off-whites of his outfit - a simple tunic, a pair of trousers, and a cloak. Both the tunic and trousers fit taughtly on his muscular frame which is clearly evident in his exposed arms. He is wearing a pair of tight leather gloves that leave the ends of his fingers uncovered. The ends of the gloves are tucked underneath the most plain set of bracers you may have ever seen. The look to be made of steel but have obviously been dulled, absent of the typical sharp reflection of light one would expect. The cloak he wears, although equally simplistic as the rest of his clothes, seems oddly out of place. It is tan in color and carries no identifying marks or designs, but the subdued appearance the rest of his outfit suggests contrasts with a long flowing cloak. Strapped to his waist is a large crossbow and a bulky mass under the cloak suggests the location of the bolts.

Whereas his clothes fail to cause notice, the tattoo on his head succeeds. On the top of his head is a fine reproduction of the symbol of the Silver Flame. The tip of the arrow ends just above his brow and the base of the arrow starts just over the nap of his neck. His face is currently devoid of expression.

Andeus does not speak until all the others have introduced themselves, at which point, he simply states "I am Andeus Kilishar... From the monastery."

OOC: Failed the Knowledge (Religion) check as well.

Elohim

Elohim watches those assembled introduce themselves, noting that the tall southern looking man does not properly do so. Brushing a stray-lock of silver-grey hair from his midnight eyes, he looks to the great horned owl perched upon his ash staff, smiling he speaks, "I am Elohim, Judge and Arcanist of the Church, this is Rishi," indicating the owl. His slightly slouched frame sinks deeper into his dark silver robes, making him seem slightly shorter than he actually is.

May their devotion be as unswerving as the Silver Flame itself lest the all-consuming fires of righteousness flow from my hands and purify their souls.

OOC: Knowledge (religion) check 25

Dathen, The Masked Judge

Although Dathen had arrived before the others, staring at all those who entered after him through the cold lifeless black orbs of his mask, he spoke only after the smaller Judge had introduced himself.

"I am Judge Dathen."

Turning to face Judge Elohim, Dathen bowed his head slightly in respect to a fellow Judge of the Flame. While it was uncommon for two Judges to work together for any length of time, as the demand for their time and services often prevented such a luxury, the Lodge must have felt that their situation called for such a measure.

~Only the Flame knows what is true, and all things will be revealed through it in time...~

Stepping fully out of the shadows to stand with those that the Lodge had called together, Dathen's masked gaze once again took in all those that had been called together.

~All things in time...~

Failed check

After a few minutes, the torch in the room flickers rapidly, and then settles back into its normal rhythm. You sense a new presence in the room. Looking around the tomb carefully, you spot a figure concealed by a pillar, wrapped in a deep blue cloak. The cloak billows out to the sides as though caught in a breeze, even though the air in the tomb is rather stagnant. The figure steps out from behind the pillar and speaks.

“Chosen of the Flame; Believers in the true and sacred undertaking of the Lodge. I have gathered you here to answer a threat to the secrecy of our mission.”

Her voice is incredibly musical and clear, the same one you remember from your initial contact with the Faithful. Her cloak is topped with a large hood that conceals her visage in deep shadow.

“Father Cilain

OOC: pronounced Sil-ane

of Sigilstar has revealed our sacred presence through research and investigation. He is a strong member of our faith and a true believer in the Silver Flame. However, our contacts in Sigilstar have reported that he means to present his findings before the next council of Cardinals, taking place in three weeks. It appears we have one advantage granted by the Silver Flame. Father Cilain has rejected using messengers or magical means of conveying his message, and wishes to reveal the Lodge in person. Doubtless this is to maximize his stature and influence in the Church through a display of his cleverness.” She extends a delicate hand holding a sheet of parchment from the folds of her cloak. “Take this. It is a letter for credit that will be accepted by any merchant in this city. Use it to purchase anything you feel is needed for the journey. Sigilstar lies just over 300 miles south, and time is of the essence. Your travel must be swift. To be present in Flamekeep in time for the Council, he will leave Sigilstar within the next 10 days.”

She looks around the room, pausing at each of you to inspect the faction. Seemingly satisfied, she continues.

“It is not a pleasant task you have been given. I prayed to the Flame that Cilain will see the error of his ways through discussion, but the time for talk has worn thin. Approach him in peace, but know this. If he plans on revealing the Lodge of Glory, he must be stopped, by any means necessary. If the Council is made aware of our presence, we might all join the martyr entombed in this sepulcher.”

She slowly takes two steps, backing away towards the pillar she appeared behind. “It has fallen to me to choose a leader among your group. The role of Pious is a sacred task, and among the faction, I have chosen the most suitable in the eyes of the Faithful. Sacred Judge Elohim, come forward.”

Reaching out as you step to her, her delicate hands frame your face as she begins a prayer.

“Sancti nominis tui, Flamae, timorem pariter et amorem fac nos habere perpetuum: quia numquam tua gubernatione destituis quos in soliditate tuae dilectionis instituis. Gloria e Flamae Solei.”

OOC: Translation: Bestow upon us, Silver Flame, both an abiding fear and an abiding love of your Holy presence. For those to whom Thou guide with the depths of Thy justice, never dost Thou fail to govern by Thy grace. Glory to the Flame Alone.

For Elohim only:

She looks deep into your eyes. You catch a glimpse of pale blue iris and smooth skin from within the shadow, but it is quickly hidden again by a change in the angle of her hood. Suddenly, words enter your head, as though she is speaking to you without a voice.Each day, our bond will allow you to speak directly to me through a sacred connection, immune to scrying and interruption, regardless of distance or barriers. Use it daily, to keep the faithful informed of your progress. It is tasked to you and Judge Dathen to ensure the faction stays upon its path. Do not allow them to stray, for therein lies the faction's downfall.

She releases your head, and says “One more task falls to the Pious; selecting a Seneschal. An answer is not required now, but one should be selected before you leave Flamekeep.”

She takes another step back, and now stands partially concealed by the pillar.

“You have been chosen for your resourcefulness and competency. Do not let down the Faithful, for in failing us, you fail the Holy Flame.”

With those words, she reaches behind her and touches the wall, opening a passage into the stone. Stepping through the door, she leaves you alone.