Firebrand Church

Religious zealots who worship the last living god: the All-Flame Queen, also
called the Burned One — a fire deity who survived the God-Emperor's god-killing
purges (see World History). Established year 976. Its clerics can actually cast
magic, fueling rapid growth. A signatory of The Coalition — "Orathos would be
foolish to turn away an organisation so willing to take the front lines, no matter
how unsettling their cultists may be."

Ranks

• Blessed — one in eight hundred children are born conduits of the Burned One,
  raised from childhood in the ways of flame (fire magic, sermons, the right to
  perform ceremonies including branding). Their standing goal: convert and brand
  willing converts. Kain is a Blessed.
• Branded — converted later in life via dousing in oils, immolation, and branding
  by a Blessed; for some a punishment, for others a dream. Trained for relentless
  war (bonus fire damage, fear from commoners who recognize the scars).

Notes from play

• Brands recruits (often society's worst); ships zealots to the Orathos front
  lines — dying in battle pleases the Queen
• Offers free housing, food, components — and dental
• Voluntarily pays Varia's higher "noble" tax rate
• Pamphlets are flameproof vellum (the party ruled this "doesn't count as paper")
• Local figure: The Flamespeaker. Other members: the very tall Lurch
  ("Larch"/"Ljorstud" — spelling unsettled), now reaching
  shelves no one has ever reached. Kain recruits constantly.

Session 4

• Kain recruited the cowardly gladiator from The Urina and his wife; both
  now attend introductory night sermons hand in hand. "Little Bub" declined.
• The pink-mohawked orc charity lady spent hours at the church listening — past the
  10-minute walk-out window, a promising sign by Firebrand standards.
• Free perks on display: weekly teeth cleaning for Kain, dramatic Warbrand
  faith-healing for Magra after sermons — a performance that pulled in youths
  who'd been headed out drinking.

Session 5

• Full-service day: a 25-gp dwarven wedding by Kain, Ash Warden overhealing for
  Magra, a steps-of-the-church redemption branding of a back-alley thug by
  The Flamespeaker, and a free Alchemist's Fire worth 10–15 soldiers' gear.
• Silithane scammed supplies with an illusory brand and a fake Flame Queen voice —
  caught; the High Sun charged Kain with teaching him honesty.
• The church's big play revealed: a 20-ft burning statue of the Flame Queen
  (half angel, half dragon) craned into The Expedition Ship's lowest deck to make
  "super soldiers"/summon a super Firebrand at sea — hatch guarded by Ashwalkers and
  twin priests; "the Blessed may enter... with up to 6 idiots." There's a bone pit.
• Notably absent from the top-deck war planning, to deck officer Pam's disgust.

Session 6

• The Holy Chambers run "showings" of the fire ceremony roughly every 8 hours;
  the twin door-priests keep a drawer of consolation lozenges for those who miss one
  (Kain missed by 2 minutes).
• The Ashwalker deck guards can sense who doesn't embrace the Flame Queen — they
  wave Kain through and eye his companions; Lash's "official
  inspection" bluff worked anyway.
• Priests below decks were horrified to learn "Fire Eyes" blinded himself — the
  Flame Queen had nothing to do with it.