The Church of the Golden Flame

[Corwin]

The Order of the Golden Flame was established in the year 401 DK on a Prime that has been isolated from the planes for two millennia after a cataclysmic series of battles called aptly the God-King War between a gnomish archmage seeking ascension and the avatars of divinity banding together to stop him. In an ironic twist of fate, those events that ravaged the world directly resulted in the creation of the Order, as one of the champions entrusted by the celestial pantheons to eliminate the slumbering God-King once and for all found herself elevated to divinity. Forbidden from finishing the job once assigned to her, but open only to mortalkind via fiat by an all-powerful Arbiter, the red dragon Seira, an archmage in her own right, made a contract with her erstwhile comrade, the strongest mortal she knew who followed the same path she had and was not beholden to a deity at the time. In he, Hellman Oberuth of the free barony of Balmuria, she entrusted the completion of her mission, and with him she shared her will, sponsoring him as her Knight in that confrontation she was now barred from affecting directly.

Hellman is to be the first of her Order, a group of like-minded individuals who would rise up against injustice, seeking to purify the world and abolish evil from the universe. A group of knights brought together by a shared goal, working towards it in their own ways, yet able to accomplish so much more with support they now enjoy, not only from their fellow knights, but from the Church built around the Order.

The Church of the Golden Flame adds ministers to assist the knights, and to spread their shared ideals across to the people of the world, to guide them and educate those they can, to bring about greater harmony amongst all people and help turn the world into the pure vision the knights fight so valiantly for. And, never forgotten by their sponsor, the Church's bureaucracy extends upwards to the divine realm of the Cauldron, from where the Church's celestial branch remains in contact with mortalkind.




Core Beliefs

The Golden Flame is a manifestation of Seira's divine power. It is identical to the fire that burns in the hearts of gallant men and women who wish with their all for a better world. Seira doesn't require sacrifices or offerings, nor is she seeking out praise in the form of ritual prayer. She only wishes for her existence to serve to give the world hope, and to aid those who wish to end evil's seemingly-unending tyranny. With education and guidance from her ministers, and the strength of will on the part of her knights, Seira wishes to attain an ideal, pure world for mortalkind to live in. A typical worshipper would not offer prayers to Seira in the hope of her direct assistance; a true follower is none other than a fellow traveler of Seira's, sharing in her ideas and ideals.


The Afterlife

None had followed Seira and met their end in battle thus far, though her previous actions indicate that Seira will do her utmost to give everyone a second chance at life. Should the follower in question decline, he will be given the chance to continue their good work in her divine realm, either as a heavenly crusader or a humble minister in the same bureaucracy that governs the Church of the Golden Flame. To be able to contribute in the Order's tireless quest to abolish evil even after death is the earnest hope of those who pick up its mantle.


Evil

The Order's main enemies are fiends, for they are the ones that prey on mortals more than any other. They are allowed a chance to surrender, but should this offer be rebuffed, the Order is to fight towards a decisive conclusion. Knowing it would not always be possible to accept the surrender of a superior force or enemy, Seira opts to leave handling such situations to those on the scene rather than putting rigid instructions into her doctrine. Nevertheless, this is one of few cases where she or others in the celestial bureaucracy would attempt to grant aid if appealed by the knights on the scene. If nothing else, by accepting surrender it provides an option for the fiends other than fighting to the death or returning to their masters for terrible punishment. If word of this spread out and more prefer to give up rather than fight pointlessly against the forces of good, it can only be in the Order's advantage.

Shar and the rest of the evil deities are also to be opposed greatly at any cost. As their servants are often mortal, redemption may play a bigger part of any resolution. As with fiends, the servants of the evil deities are allowed a chance to surrender. And as before, every knight may exercise his or her judgment in such a situation. Seira believes that every mortal can be reached, and the desire to aid in genuine redemption is to be lauded. The celestial bureaucracy is unlikely to intervene directly in such a situation; instead, it will provide the Order's knights with the means to counter various tricks their enemies might use in an attempt to deceive them, from dimensional shackles to means of applying nondetection to the prisoners to prevent them from being tracked down easily.

And then, there is the mortal evil. It is not the Order's job to eradicate jealousy or greed; its ministers can only preach acceptance and better values. All the same, some mortals are truly vile, and it is the Order's task to protect the Prime Material from threats from both without and within. Such matters would fall under the latter jurisdiction. Working closely with the clergy of Waukeen, the Crimson Guard and relying on Seira's own contacts, forged during her mortal life, the Order is able to operate in the known world. It is not above the law, but neither can evil escape its reach by trying to hide under legislation. Unless acting in self-defense or the defense of another, the Church's knights and ministers are to work through the local legal framework, in turn enjoying the cooperation of those local authorities. In the cases that serve as exceptions, they are to answer to figures higher up the hierarchy of the Church, which would then settle things with the local powers.


Detect Evil

While the Order has no imperative to smite all who might be indicated as tainted with evil by the spell, those with a moderate or stronger aura are to be investigated. Indirectly, if possible. It is another area where the member of the Order can call upon the divine branch for aid in divinations to resolve the matter conclusively.


Temples

Only one such temple exists at present, located in the divine realm of the Cauldron. Waukeen shares her temples with the Order of the Golden Flame due to the close link between Seira and Waukeen, just as the Order ensures the safety of the roads for her caravans and any travelers besieged by banditry or monsters.


Rites

Thus far, the Order officially performs only exorcisms or last rites on the sad occasions such are necessary.


Organization

The Church is divided into two branches that strive to support one another.

The mortal end of things is in the care of Ministers, who provide guidance and act as intermediaries and Knights, who represent the Church in its fight against evil. All mortals can contribute to the Church if they so wish; both parts of the Church's mortal establishment are important to it.

The divine end of the bureaucracy comprises a system for assistance to Prime Material from beyond. From Seira's stronghold of the Cauldron, the situation on Prime is being observed and studied, special resources are being prepared and delivered where needed, and an attentive ear for the clergy exists. In extreme cases where divine intervention is called upon, the Order's divine branch can call upon the aid of the Crimson Legions serving under Seira's direct command for a localized strike on an encroachment of evil on Prime, or even a full-out crusade should the situation ever turn truly dire.


Quests

As the Church is in its infancy, it lacks an established framework of temples and fortresses to operate out of, a fact that suits it just fine. Most of the Prime-based clergy and knights travel the land, using the portal network to traverse between distant lands. Select members may be granted tools to allow them to travel with more ease, though the Church encourages self-reliance in such mundane matters whenever possible. While on the road, the Order's knights will seek to ensure that it is safe to travel for all and protect any merchant caravans they come across along the way. While a knight may not always know how they'll serve the Order, in the end their goal remains to make a stand against evil. The celestial bureaucracy will try to direct the Order members towards where they will be needed the most, although as with many other things, it is up to the mortal in question whether he or she listens to such advice.


Prayers

Appeals to Seira are concise, in honor of the directness and clarity she favors. In most cases, they are a mantra chanted by the knights as they charge into battle or seek to instill fear into the hearts of their enemies, as contacting the celestial bureaucracy often addresses all of their needs. Still, there may come a time when a plea for a miracle is carried towards Seira in prayer. As this has yet to happen, there are no clear guidelines on what would take place, and merely a suggestion from Seira that such prayer be made with a determination that won't lose to anyone's.


Training and Education

Initiates are taught skills favored by the Order, those being Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (The Planes), Sense Motive and Spellcraft. A hobby is also encouraged, although no uniformity exists there.

Once an initiate is ready to graduate, they are told about the true state of things, and the stakes that exist in Creation. Their ability to accept the unfair world they live in and renewed determination to make it better against the odds serves as the true graduation and their joining the ranks of the Church in truth.


Favored Weapons

The Order favors and encourages variety, and places emphasis on training in such. As its doctrine acknowledges that not everyone can have a thorough martial education, it allows its members the option of specializing in either elven weapons of choice, the elegant rapier and longsword, or the sturdier weapons preferred by humans, the bastard sword and the greatsword. Knowledge of the longbow or shortbow is strongly encouraged, in acknowledgement of all the cases one might be forced to remain at a distance from its enemies or even find it preferable.


Other Faiths

While the Order's vaunted goal is the abolishment of evil, it also wishes to establish a pure world and foster knowledge, understanding, communication and acceptance throughout its people. The latter follows the doctrines of Waukeen as laid out by Seira at Waukeen's bequest, and is much of the duty that falls upon the Church's ministers. Seira wishes to protect Waukeen's work from harm and aid it along, and thus the Church finds itself closely linked with the clergy of Waukeen that follows the Golden Lady's paradigm shift. The rest of its links are far looser, but it honors any lifepath that celebrates life, fosters wisdom or opposes evil at its core. Liira and Hanali Celanil, Mystra and Alicia Reynes, Empress Sulia and Ilmater, Lathander and Helm... the friendly faiths are many and varied, extending past those few that Seira has a personal link to, and thus could expect greater cooperation in times of need.


Heralds and Allies

Hellman Oberuth holds the title of the First Knight of the Order, anoited personally by Seira's hand and divine will. He leads the Order's mortal branch as the result. The divine branch will often send elementals suitable for the task should aid be required by the mortal Order members and such an intervention is deemed justified; if no particular elemental type is especially suited for the task at hand, the elemental would invariably be one with a Fire affinity. In each case, the elementals in question are followers of Good.

In exceptional cases, celestials or even dragons from the Crimson Legions' top echelons may be sent in aid.

[Corwin]

So why would you join? In many ways, Seira does not find herself occupying a comfortable niche. Viewed broadly, to follow her means to dedicate oneself towards fighting evil. Deities of War and Good abound, however. There is no doubt that their churches are established and strong, or that the ones guiding them are far stronger powers than Seira.

The answer, then, must lie beyond simple words! In clear dismissal of the commonly-accepted norms, the Church does not exist to aggrandize Seira. Its main purpose is to serve as a support mechanism for the Order of knights in their crusade against evil and injustice. It seeks to change the world, one person at a time, and then the universe, one world at a time. The very notion of increasing her power through mortal worship or souls fills Seira with disgust she freely shares. No matter the person who chooses to follow her, he or she is her precious ally, not a tool to be used! When she appeals to all mortals regardless of race or birth, the appeal is for them to forge a strong, exalted society by coming together in the world they live in; the afterlife does not even factor into the equation. The heavenly realms certainly feel better than anything a mortal can experience during his life but one thing -- the feeling of accomplishment, the feeling of pride with one's actions. Yet it is that single thing that Seira views as more important than the elated sensation of transcending to an afterlife where everything is artificially more pleasant.

Seira's fellow travelers, be they knights or ministers, are nomads. Corellon Larethian, Ilmater and certain others are said to travel the world in disguise, helping where they can. If so, why not build the entire religious order after that principle? The cities are where yet another deity preaching openness, education and coexistence is hardly needed, with Waukeen and others around. The places where the Church can do the most good are smaller communities that don't have the luxury to build or attend temples, they are the lengthy roads so often dangerous to travel without an armed escort, they are the hotspots desperately in need of salvation.

Having experienced the difficulty of wrestling with her faith, Seira will ensure that those following her would never need to worry that their wishes are shared by her, that she approves of their exalted goals. Such worries, generated by a sense of mystique Seira does not feel is particularly crucial in worship, only serve to occlude the real matters the brave men and women of the Church should debate. The choices one makes while pursuing such lofty goals, the balance between what is lawful and what is right, between the state and the individual, between free will and the potential to cause harm to others. These and many other dilemmas have no easy answer by definition, and they are the matters Seira wishes those following her path to consider. Should someone's answers cause them to act in a manner grossly inconsistent with the Church's path, Seira's disapproval would be made clearly as well. People are free to come to their own conclusions and follow their own paths. She is not, however, obligated to sponsor every mortal in existence.

In the larger scheme of things, Seira stands for change. The status quo has gone on long enough, and while the Good deities are fighting the good fight, they have, at heart, given up on winning it. It's either that or their idea of 'winning' comes down to holding evil back. Foolish, naive or whatever epithet one chooses, but Seira strongly believes that evil can not only be beaten back, but wiped out altogether, and she tries to share that hope with the rest of Creation. She may be derided for her youth and inexperience, but it is exactly that which is her strongest selling point! She is untainted by the decadence of the elder gods, untouched by the seeping despair and arrogance of so many of them! The worst example, Torm, struck his most trusted servant for daring to turn against him during a key battle of the God-King War. To Seira, such acts are anathema, for she does not expect blind obedience or consider anything less than that a grave insult. She is also, despite her rashness, not so foolish as to blame those serving under her command for falling prey to a worthy opponent in some way.

[Anastasia]

Reactions and thoughts as I read:

Core Beliefs

The Golden Flame is a manifestation of Seira's divine power. It is identical to the fire that burns in the hearts of gallant men and women who wish with their all for a better world. Seira doesn't require sacrifices or offerings, nor is she seeking out praise in the form of ritual prayer. She only wishes for her existence to serve to give the world hope, and to aid those who wish to end evil's seemingly-unending tyranny. With education and guidance from her ministers, and the strength of will on the part of her knights, Seira wishes to attain an ideal, pure world for mortalkind to live in. A typical worshipper would not offer prayers to Seira in the hope of her direct assistance; a true follower is none other than a fellow traveler of Seira's, sharing in her ideas and ideals.

It sounds more like you want philosophical followers rather than direct clerics and worshipers so far.

The Afterlife

None had followed Seira and met their end in battle thus far, though her previous actions indicate that Seira will do her utmost to give everyone a second chance at life. Should the follower in question decline, he will be given the chance to continue their good work in her divine realm, either as a heavenly crusader or a humble minister in the same bureaucracy that governs the Church of the Golden Flame. To be able to contribute in the Order's tireless quest to abolish evil even after death is the earnest hope of those who pick up its mantle.

By second chance at life, what do you mean? Resurrection/reincarnation? The rest of it sounds fairly standard, though the focus on being able to continue after death versus rest is interesting. It reminds me of Helm's faith, a high focus on duty and doing what must be done.

And then, there is the mortal evil. It is not the Order's job to eradicate jealousy or greed; its ministers can only preach acceptance and better values. All the same, some mortals are truly vile, and it is the Order's task to protect the Prime Material from threats from both without and within. Such matters would fall under the latter jurisdiction. Working closely with the clergy of Waukeen, the Crimson Guard and relying on Seira's own contacts, forged during her mortal life, the Order is able to operate in the known world. It is not above the law, but neither can evil escape its reach by trying to hide under legislation. Unless acting in self-defense or the defense of another, the Church's knights and ministers are to work through the local legal framework, in turn enjoying the cooperation of those local authorities. In the cases that serve as exceptions, they are to answer to figures higher up the hierarchy of the Church, which would then settle things with the local powers.

Sounds really NG to me. There's quite a focus on stopping evil, be it by the law or ignoring it if they use it as a shield.

Temples

Only one such temple exists at present, located in the divine realm of the Cauldron. Waukeen shares her temples with the Order of the Golden Flame due to the close link between Seira and Waukeen, just as the Order ensures the safety of the roads for her caravans and any travelers besieged by banditry or monsters.

Now this is more interesting. This directly implies a close cooperation between the churches of Waukeen and Seira, putting Seira in the role of protector versus the less war-like Waukeen.  Also, could you describe your temple a bit, assuming you've created it in the Cauldron already?

As the Church is in its infancy, it lacks an established framework of temples and fortresses to operate out of, a fact that suits it just fine. Most of the Prime-based clergy and knights travel the land, using the portal network to traverse between distant lands. Select members may be granted tools to allow them to travel with more ease, though the Church encourages self-reliance in such mundane matters whenever possible. While on the road, the Order's knights will seek to ensure that it is safe to travel for all and protect any merchant caravans they come across along the way. While a knight may not always know how they'll serve the Order, in the end their goal remains to make a stand against evil. The celestial bureaucracy will try to direct the Order members towards where they will be needed the most, although as with many other things, it is up to the mortal in question whether he or she listens to such advice.

Tying into the above, the church sounds very disorganized, mostly relying on independent agents with only loose guidance at best. It reminds me a little bit of the Church of Selune and a few other chaotic faiths.

Once an initiate is ready to graduate, they are told about the true state of things, and the stakes that exist in Creation. Their ability to accept the unfair world they live in and renewed determination to make it better against the odds serves as the true graduation and their joining the ranks of the Church in truth.

What exactly are the stakes they're told about?

Favored Weapons

The Order favors and encourages variety, and places emphasis on training in such. As its doctrine acknowledges that not everyone can have a thorough martial education, it allows its members the option of specializing in either elven weapons of choice, the elegant rapier and longsword, or the sturdier weapons preferred by humans, the bastard sword and the greatsword. Knowledge of the longbow or shortbow is strongly encouraged, in acknowledgement of all the cases one might be forced to remain at a distance from its enemies or even find it preferable.

It's worth noting here that each God has a favored weapon - for example Shar has the chakram, Mystra shiruken, Helm the bastard sword and so on. What would Seira's be and how would this factor into this? This doesn't mean every follower has to use the favored weapon and encouraging variety is entirely fine, but it should be noted too.

---

Interesting stuff. I won't pretend this is entirely done or set in stone, as I figure any new faith has it's bumps and twists until it settles on it's doctrine. After all, doctrine tends to shift and change over time, and the Gods aren't entirely static.

Seira sounds really idealistic and hopeful. Reminds me of someone like Torm before he fell, or a more boisterous archon.  There's a very unitary approach to things, like a product of synthesis. Having been exposed to so much and being a very sweeping person in aims, this makes a lot of sense. Hope and courage feel like strong centerpieces of your tenets.

The choices one makes while pursuing such lofty goals, the balance between what is lawful and what is right, between the state and the individual, between free will and the potential to cause harm to others. These and many other dilemmas have no easy answer by definition, and they are the matters Seira wishes those following her path to consider. Should someone's answers cause them to act in a manner grossly inconsistent with the Church's path, Seira's disapproval would be made clearly as well. People are free to come to their own conclusions and follow their own paths. She is not, however, obligated to sponsor every mortal in existence.

This highlights both a disengagement from passing moral choices over certain judgment calls and a promotion of independent agents.

[Corwin]

It sounds more like you want philosophical followers rather than direct clerics and worshipers so far.

I want to have a martial order of knights who travel across the land and right wrongs. And in acknowledgement that on their own they can't bring about the world I wish for, and that most people aren't suited for such activities but still wish for it alongside me, the church also incorporates noncombatants. I went with 'ministers' and decided that their duties would be supporting the order and spreading good faith amongst mortals, bridging gaps and so on.

By second chance at life, what do you mean? Resurrection/reincarnation? The rest of it sounds fairly standard, though the focus on being able to continue after death versus rest is interesting. It reminds me of Helm's faith, a high focus on duty and doing what must be done.

In this context, yes. As a window of opportunity exists to attempt resurrections/reincarnations within a week of mortal death, Seira will provide the means for it by responding to clerical prayers for such. If her mortal follower died and there had been a request to bring him back to life in time, Seira will agree and it would depend upon the follower's own decision. In either case, she will make the outcome/reasoning behind the spell not working clear to the caster.

If Seira cannot actually do this with her own power/cannot hear such prayers, she will strive to provide alternate means.

Sounds really NG to me. There's quite a focus on stopping evil, be it by the law or ignoring it if they use it as a shield.

Good is what matters. Law should be respected not only when just, but also when the alternative leads to a worse outcome. It should not be obeyed at all costs, however, and ultimately a single person in danger is more important than any law.

Now this is more interesting. This directly implies a close cooperation between the churches of Waukeen and Seira, putting Seira in the role of protector versus the less war-like Waukeen.  Also, could you describe your temple a bit, assuming you've created it in the Cauldron already?

Waukeen told me to interpret her dogma and my position by her side as I wished, and I'm continuing to do that. Here, I am extending the role I chose for myself as the one who safeguards Waukeen's projects and defends her vision, and sharing it with those who follow my path.

The temple is getting constructed. I'll post it in the Cauldron thread once I do that writeup? I'm waiting to know just who is with us there, first.

Tying into the above, the church sounds very disorganized, mostly relying on independent agents with only loose guidance at best. It reminds me a little bit of the Church of Selune and a few other chaotic faiths.

It reminded me of Claymore after the fact. Except not, you know, demonic. But the way that system works would actually be a good analogy for the order and the support it receives. If you just ignore all the blackmail and the demons and the bad faith.

The guidance I'm thinking of lies more in the 'racial tensions might erupt in this region of Malmuth' or 'that elven city treats half-elves and humans badly' or 'there might be demons still lurking in Arad' than spiritual guidance. That is separate from support, however, which would be fully given. Mission control would ensure these agents never find themselves lacking in supplies they need for their task. The ideal here would be that they would rarely be denied in anything reasonable, but encouraging self-reliance on their part would prevent abuse of that. Hard to say how that would work out, but if you're a holy knight fighting evil you probably aren't the sort of person to try and enrich your hoard by swindling your patron deity.

What exactly are the stakes they're told about?

This part was written before The Reveal, as it happens. The way I see it, there are several degrees of ignorance in the mortal world (a generalization, perhaps, but let's run with it).

Firstly, there is the ignorance of the facts of life and afterlife. Surely so many people wouldn't sell their souls to fiends if they knew for a fact what sort of eternity exactly they were buying. Seira has been trying to educate people on that via the framework of Waukeen's temples, and she wasn't alone in that. Naturally, this would continue here as well. Secondly, there is a belief Seira considers misguided, which perceives the deities and their divine servants as superior in every degree, and often as actually infallible. While statistically this is true when compared to mortal races, it is wrong to accept this in absolute terms. It is also unwise to blindly accept any divine fiat without critically examining it or trying to understand the reasons it was derived from. Once again, Torm is a good example here, as his directives clearly did not jive with the tenets of his church, which drew his worshippers to him in the first place. Seira hopes that next time, it wouldn't take such a blatant shift on the part of the deity and Demedais intervening personally to make a paladin realize that. Thirdly, there is the issue of the universe's prophecised demise. The calculations of Primus are not to be treated lightly. Unlike Mechanus, Seira does not believe in preemptive surrender; rather, she sees them as a reason to take the threat very seriously. To oppose evil is to oppose the will of those who seek to end all life and have a decent shot at it if good men and women do nothing. Those are the stakes.

The next level deals with Ao and the Far Realm, but that's not something that would get shared for many obvious reasons. The idea here is to slowly teach the initiates the truths of Creation, gradually guiding them to the inquisitive set of mind Seira wishes to cultivate while hoping to avoid them sharing Mechanus's defeatist mindset once they learn of Shar's plans.

It's worth noting here that each God has a favored weapon - for example Shar has the chakram, Mystra shiruken, Helm the bastard sword and so on. What would Seira's be and how would this factor into this? This doesn't mean every follower has to use the favored weapon and encouraging variety is entirely fine, but it should be noted too.

This is true. I was thinking within the framework of the order, not of my own weapon of choice. How does unarmed/natural strike sounds? I think it could be suitably hot-blooded! I could have a neat icon of a claw and everything.

Interesting stuff. I won't pretend this is entirely done or set in stone, as I figure any new faith has it's bumps and twists until it settles on it's doctrine. After all, doctrine tends to shift and change over time, and the Gods aren't entirely static.

Seira sounds really idealistic and hopeful. Reminds me of someone like Torm before he fell, or a more boisterous archon.  There's a very unitary approach to things, like a product of synthesis. Having been exposed to so much and being a very sweeping person in aims, this makes a lot of sense. Hope and courage feel like strong centerpieces of your tenets.

Likewise. There's always the possibility it won't draw enough people to it to matter. But we'll keep hope alive for now~

I'm totally taking Torm's stuff, it's his own fault for losing them. Determinators and messiahs are welcome, etc. The older deities had, what, 3 trillion years to win, and the past 2 millennia to realize they've utterly forgotten what they're supposed to be about? Given the mixed results so far, let's see if we can do better. And make our own mistakes, of course.

This highlights both a disengagement from passing moral choices over certain judgment calls and a promotion of independent agents.

Yes. Moral dilemmas lack a proper resolution by their definition, since they entail making a difficult, unclear choice between two or more bad options, and bad consequences of some sort cannot be avoided no matter the choice. She wants educated people who think for themselves, and chose to follow her after agreeing with her, as she had vis-a-vis Waukeen, rather than blindly following her dogma because it sounds pretty. She then wants those people to try and solve then unsolvable in a way they can live with. Perhaps not all such situations are truly dilemmas, and one day someone will find an answer to some of them that doesn't contain the aforementioned bad consequences.

Of course, if someone takes that third option, but it's disproportionally horrible, or someone acts terribly in resolving a fake dilemma of their own making, Seira would indicate to them that she would not sponsor someone who diverges so much from her own moral outlook. A lot of this is inevitably case-by-case.

[Anastasia]

In this context, yes. As a window of opportunity exists to attempt resurrections/reincarnations within a week of mortal death, Seira will provide the means for it by responding to clerical prayers for such. If her mortal follower died and there had been a request to bring him back to life in time, Seira will agree and it would depend upon the follower's own decision. In either case, she will make the outcome/reasoning behind the spell not working clear to the caster.

If Seira cannot actually do this with her own power/cannot hear such prayers, she will strive to provide alternate means.

Do bear in mind that this cuts both ways. If Seira goes around always reviving her followers, her enemies will likely start to do the same.

The temple is getting constructed. I'll post it in the Cauldron thread once I do that writeup? I'm waiting to know just who is with us there, first.

Sure.

This is true. I was thinking within the framework of the order, not of my own weapon of choice. How does unarmed/natural strike sounds? I think it could be suitably hot-blooded! I could have a neat icon of a claw and everything.

What's the weapon type you've been using the last ten levels or so? I'd go with some sort of glittering 'Sword of Pure Wealth' or something that works for that purpose. Alternately, claw is a decent backup, but bear in mind that this'll affect your clerics and more devout followers.