Cult of the Black Flame
{{DM}}
{{Organization
|Headquarters=The catacombs beneath The Flaming Brazier, a large temple to Kossuth in Bezantur, Thay
|Members=Roughly 150 clergy and 2,000 worshippers.
|Hierarchy=Loose.
|Leader=Zephraim Gaznaresh
|Religion=The Black Flame
|Alignment=CE, NE.
|Secrecy=Medium.
|Symbol=A black pyre engulfing a red silhouetted figure, an opposite of how a burning at the stake would appear.
}}
The Cult of the Black Flame is a religious organization which worships an evil aspect of Kossuth known as The Black Flame, though commonly referred to as Kossuth himself. They believe that the sins of mankind (and all sentient life) must be purified by fire. Their extreme viewpoint on Kossuth's dogma has led them commit grave atrocities in his name. They despise arcane magic, believing it leads to corruption, and thus it is no surprise that their greatest following is in the nation of Thay, where the Red Wizards make their home.
Headquarters
The cult is headquartered where it began, in the catacombs beneath the ancient temple of Kossuth in Bezantur known as The Flaming Brazier. Once a massive complex of which the central pyramid was only a part, time and progress have overcome all but the pyramid itself. What appears to the be the ground floor of the temple is, in fact, many levels above the lowest known floor. This is not to mention the innumerable tunnels, basements, and caverns of the complex itself, collectively known as The Old Gods' District Underworks, which are home to thieves, monsters, and other undesirables.
The catacombs were actually part of a separate structure, the above-ground portion of which is long vanished. Currently, a tailor's shop rests atop the center of where the structure used to stand, though no direct access is available from that location. Instead, the cult uses the tunnels linking the undercroft of the temple with the catacombs, and their primary access is the temple itself.
Indeed, the vast majority of The Black Flame's clergy are, in fact, practicing members of the Kossuthan priesthood, The Tendrils of Flame, and the same is true of the lay worshipers. Some of their secret meetings take place in the temple itself, to avoid all the unnecessary walking and fuss of retreating to their secret lair.
All important meetings of the cult are held in the catacombs, and all of their valuable resources are stored there as well. There are many layers of security protecting them from interlopers both casual and determined.
- Firstly, the passage leading to the catacombs are obscured behind what appears to be a collapsed tunnel. In fact, an illusion masks the remainder of the tunnel, which is intact.
- Secondly, the entrance to the catacombs is protected by a Symbol of Fear (DC 28). Those who would bypass it must chant "May the Flame purify my soul" in Ignan (kass-thamé iszila hur-kamesh).
- Thirdly, the chamber immediately beyond the primary entrance is guarded by two Black Flame Elders, who will attack anyone who does not proclaim "The Black Flame is my salvation!" in Ignan (Asz-karath hur-zasshalat moré!).
- Beyond the guardians, most of the catacombs lie open. However, the Inner Circle is beyond a corridor filled with fire, which can only be traversed safely by one capable of casting spells granted by The Black Flame. In game terms, it is a corridor 60 feet long and 10 feet square in cross-section, suffused with an maximized Wall of Fire inflicting 32 fire damage per round to anyone caught inside with no save, and inflicting 1d4 temporary negative levels on all inside, once per round, as in Enervation. All spells are at caster level 20. A heavy iron gate in the middle of the corridor must be lifted (Strength DC 12 as a standard action or DC 22 as a move action) to proceed, preventing swift travel through the corridor.
The facilities of the Outer Circle include a large chamber of worship, dormitories, guard barracks, storehouses, and several special-purpose rooms. The chamber of worship is a large room of blackened stone with a bowl-shaped floor. An eternal pillar of fire burns atop a pile of charcoal. A common practice is to cast onto the pile any items of sin, including heretical literature, extravagant material goods, and consumables such as gourmet food and drugs. When such an item is cast into the flame, it burns black as the item is incinerated, become part of the charcoal mass of the pile. The pillar burns mostly black even when nothing fresh is thrown in; it is said this is because of the indelible stain of sin upon man.
About four dozen clergy are living in the catacombs at any given time, devoting themselves to the worship of their god and making plans to further the goals of the cult. An equal number of guardsmen, mostly fanatical lay worshipers willing to fight to defend their cult, are stationed there to ward off intruders. The guard force consists of 32 1st-level warriors, 8 blackened ones (warriors who have undergone a ritual transformation, stats of a gargoyle with fiery fists), 4 great ones (more transformed warriors, stats of a fire giant), and 4 eternal champions (stone golem with 2d6 fiery fists, heat as greater fire elemental).
Among the special-purpose rooms of the headquarters are several sealed conference chambers warded by Nondetection spells, chambers for magical rituals, including healing, and sealable chambers for locking up undesirables.
Inside the Inner Circle is a massive ritual chamber comprised of stone paths winding through lava, spiraling toward a central, circular platform. The great, domed ceiling is that of a fine cathedral, while the walls fade from worked stone to natural cavern before meeting the lava pools below. At the center of this chamber is a great circle (90' across), wherein the most powerful and complicated rituals to the Black Flame are performed.
There are several other chambers within the Inner Circle, including a treasure vault and the private residences of the greater clergy. The vault is heavily guarded; protected by multiple Symbols and Dimension Lock, and sealed behind heavy iron doors warded against almost all magic.