Church of the Silver Flame

Beliefs
There is one power and that power is the Silver Flame, which shall consume all unpure people and beings in the Final Refinement. All evil and blasphemers shall be burned away and only the pure of heart will be left behind. The Silver Flame is not a “god” or “deity,” it is not a person that one can know or meet. It is rather the ultimate unbridled power and judgement of the cosmos.

All those that claim godship are deceivers and blasphemers. All who claim or acknowledge authority other than that of the Silver Flame are blasphemers, and they are to be judged harshly.

Goals
The status quo as it is must burn, especially the temples and churches that mislead the innocent and stupid. No judgement is too harsh for those who teach or believe in the deceiving gods. The Church of the Silver Flame carries out a holy war against the religious and political structures, wherever they may be. They originated in Vetulonia, but quickly spread into Illuska some forty years ago and have since infiltrated into some areas of Everstaadt and further west. In harrying and destroying religious and political institutions, the Church believes it will bring about the Final Refinement.

Membership
Membership is secretive. Much of the Church’s power lies in its ability to silently infect a community, winning over individuals that raise little suspicion of being zealots. Conversion is usually spearheaded by charismatic figures, “missionaries,” who gently work the populace of an area and identify skilled individuals who may be good targets for indoctrination. The missionary will win over individuals on a personal basis, laying the philosophical groundwork for conversion, and once rapport has been built they will begin to teach the tenets of the Church. Steadily, the convert will be taught the more radical beliefs of the church. If at any point, the convert recants or is discovered by others outside the Church, the Silver Flame’s response is quick and merciless. Keeping zealots’ identities secret is top priority.

Roles

 * Missionary- Covertly find candidates who could be useful to the church's membership. They slowly influence and convert new members. Revelation that they are church members takes place very late in the process.


 * Preacher- The soldiers of the Church. These are the terrorists that everyone fears so much. They sack churches and temples, burn idols, and are generally feared. They (similar to the KKK) almost always keep their helmets with vizors on. They typically live double lives, still maintaining good citizenship at home.
 * Deacon- A shadowy and mysterious figure that calls the shots. His identity is unknown to all but the highest echelons of the church. It is also unclear if there is only one deacon or if there are several spread throughout the regions of Wösterkhan. There was apparently only one in Datricum, as far as Mazer knew.