Remove ads by subscribing to Kanka or enabling premium features for the campaign.

  1. Organizations

Church of the Silver Flame

Religion

The Church of the Silver Flame is the state religion of Thrane. The followers of the religion are called the Purified.

History

The Church of the Silver Flame was founded in the early centuries of the Kingdom of Galifar by the sacrifice of a brave paladin, Tira Miron. The church's influence spread throughout the centuries, but its heart remained in Thrane. During the Last War, Thalin ir'Wynarn declared independence in the name of spreading worship. When Thalin died, the Church stepped in to replace the monarchy with a theocracy.


The Age of Demons

However, the story of the Silver Flame does not start in 299 YK. The Overlords ruled the world during the Unknown. After the discovery of the Draconic Prophecy, the fiends were overthrown by the combined forces of Dragon and Couatl. However, like all immortal spirits, the fiendish overlords could not be permanently killed. Countless of immortal couatls sacrificed themselves to bind the children of Khyber, creating the Silver Flame.


The Founding of the Church

Millennia later, in 299 YK, a pillar of crimson fire erupted on the shore of Scions Sound. Dark and vile creatures crawled from the ground, and the people grew to fear and distrust each other. The Year of Blood and Fire was filled with terrible loss of life - but it was also filled with hope, as a Paladin of Dol Arrah, Tira Miron, lead a band of heroes to defeat the fiends.

In her final confrontation, Tira's celestial guide - a couatl - materialized to help her confront the nearly-free Bel Shalor. Tira watched the two epic beings struggle, but Bel Shalor prevailed. In one last act the Couatl gifted Tira with its dying power, and the paladin leapt into the flaming chasm, plunging her sword into the fiend's body. A massive explosion rippled out, and the dark, crimson flame was transformed into a cool silver fire.

While Tira's body perished, her soul persisted and she became the Voice of the Flame. A new city grew around the site of Tira's sacrifice, and eventually the capital of Thrane moved from Daskaran to Flamekeep. The church was administered by a series of keepers, as listed in the table below.


DateKeeper of the Flame
300-320 YKMaliah Sharavaci
320-389 YKTraelyn Ghelios
389-461 YKDarmin Avaroth
461-524 YKKyra Danth
524-525 YKBec Avaroth
525-578 YKValiron Silverthorn
578-610 YKTorah Ariadu
610-698 YKSaren Rellek
698-768 YKJareen Imistil
768-825 YKAelyndari Valystar
825-860 YKJolan Sol
860-863 YKTzandra Corus
863-903 YKJovor Daran
903-936 YKKaith Serrain
937-993 YKLavira Tagor
993 YK-Present

Jaela Daran


The church has faced four great challenges in its history - the Time of Two Keepers, Joliana's Crusade, the Silver Crusade, and the Last War.


The Time of Two Keepers

In 497 YK, a peasant woman named Melysse Miron challenged Keeper Danth for leadership of the church. Not only did she challenge the church's doctrines, but she wielded astonishing divine power, able to directly call upon the Flame like the keeper herself. Divination magic was unable to ascertain the truth, leading to a schism that lasted years. Eventually, Melysse was uncovered as the False Keeper - drawing upon the power of Bel Shalor instead of the Silver Flame - and petrified in Dreadhold. While the demon was bound by Tira's sacrifice, the Shadow in the Flame could now whisper to the faithful, disguising itself as Tira to lead them astray.


Joliana's Crusade

In 558 YK Queen Joliana attempted to make the Church of the Silver Flame the state religion of all of Galifar after converting during her time as Thrane's regent. A few bloody clashes almost led to civil war, but she died of mysterious and sudden circumstances during her second year of reign.


The Silver Crusade

At the start of the 9th century, Lycanthropy began to surge in Western Aundair (now known as the Eldeen Reaches). The rising tide led to Keeper Jolan Sol declaring "the curse of lycanthropy corrupted the soul itself". With this proclamation the templars of the Silver Flame launched a nearly 50-year war. This crusade ignited the Pure Flame in Aundair, a sect of the faith that is more ardent about eradicating perceived evil.


The Last War

The Last War changed everything for the church. Thalin ir'Wynarn echoed Queen Joliana's language, proclaiming a vision of a new kingdom devoted to the Silver Flame. In 914, Thalin died of old age, and a combination of popular sentiment and the political maneuvering of the Council of Cardinals led to the church gaining control over the nation of Thrane. While this has empowered the church in the world, critics say that the concerns of the state are a distraction and avenue for corruption. The Argentum are an example of this, as an organization originally intended just to contain dangerous magical items is now also trying to perform ordinary intelligence work, where the lines are blurrier.

Beliefs

  • The Silver Flame is force of light that holds fiends at bay. Those who seek to defend the innocent from evil can draw on the power of the Flame.
  • Every mortal soul can find the light. Inspire and guide others to virtuous behavior; force is a last resort.
  • Listen to the Voice of the Flame; beware the deceiving whispers of the Shadow in the Flame.

At its core, the Silver Flame is an active religion that calls upon the faithful to fight evil. For the warriors of the church, this means combating the many supernatural threats present in Eberron like undead and fiends. For the ministers and friars of the church, this means leading others to be more compassionate. And for the laity, this means simply living a virtuous life.


The Hierarchy of Evil

The Purified sort evil into five categories.

  • Entities of alien evil. Fiends and aberrations fall into this category, as both malevolent and foreign. While the Gatekeepers are the primary group in Khorvaire concerned with aberrations, a templar of the silver flame would absolutely recognize the threat as important.
  • Entities of unnatural evil. Undead and lycanthropes are originally of Eberron, but fundamentally corrupted by malevolent forces.
  • Entities of innate evil. A controversial category, this covers "monsters" like medusas, yuan-ti, and hags. These beliefs have long led to conflict between the church and the natives of Droaam.
  • Those who choose evil. Evil humanoids are covered by this. Only the most zealous followers believe all evil humanoids must be put to the sword - the church broadly espouses ideals of mercy and repentance for those who choose evil.
  • The evil within. The time of two keepers has highlighted the importance of staying vigilant for the whispers of the Shadow in the Flame, which seek to mislead and corrupt the purified.

Corruption

Corruption within the church comes in three forms - Zealots, Opportunists, and the Tarnished.

  • Zealots are faithful who forget the importance of mercy and compassion. This form of corruption is most common in Aundair, where the Silver Crusade inspired paranoia and purity testing. Aundairian zealots like to identify as Puritans and with the Pure Flame movement, taking literalist and extreme interpretations of the Voice of the Flame.
  • Opportunists are faithful entrusted with the authority and power in the church. Opportunists sell connections, spellcasting, and magic items. This form of corruption is most common in Breland, where pragmatism clerics maintain their faith by justifying their corruption as "for the greater good". Archierophant Ythana Morr of Sharn has been accused of this corruption, selling the services of the city's templars as common thugs.
  • The Tarnished are the most insidious corrupted and are a form of the Cults of the Dragon Below, serving the Shadow in the Flame. While the Tarnished appear to draw upon the silver flame in their spells, their true source of power is Bel Shalor. This form of corruption is most common in Thrane, where Bel Shalor's influence is strongest.

Syncretism

The Church of the Silver Flame is not exclusive with worship of the Sovereign Host. The Sovereign Host explains the fundamental forces of reality - magic, commerce, storms. By contrast, the Silver Flame is a faith solely born of fighting supernatural darkness.

Rites and Prayers

The Silver Flame is a practical religion with short, purposeful rites and prayers. A purified farmer doesn't associate a good harvest with the blessings of the flame and doesn't involve prayer in ordinary and mundane activities. Simply acting virtuously and embodying the ideals of the church is devotion enough. However, a faithful purified may pray for strength or guidance in a time of hardship or in the face of temptation to do evil.

Rites are similarly practical, oriented around purification and preventing the spread of unnatural evil. Both friend and foe are purified after death by the burning of an alchemical substance known as silverburn, which is also used in other rites. Purification rituals are also used for the sick and for those ordained into the ministry. Since the start of the theocracy, the church has also performed purification rituals on behalf of the state.

Similar Groups

  • The Ghaash'kala orcs of the Demon Wastes have served the Silver Flame for millennia, guarding Khorvaire from demonic invasion.
  • Serpent cults directly venerate living couatl. Their leaders often become Shulassakar. Historically, the nation of Khalesh was led by a serpent cult.
  • The Lizardfolk of Q'barra have dreams directed by the Silver Flame to guard against Masvirik's influence.