The Order of Blue Fire, sometimes referred to as the Order of Blue Flame, was an outwardly benevolent organization whose members were known to treat and aid individuals afflicted by the Spellplague, and who often travelled to plaguelands in what were referred to as scar pilgrimages.[1][6]
Activities[]
Across Faerûn, the Order operated many hospices—called "houses"—whose mission was to aid those infected by the Spellplague. Their mission included both educating the populace about the Spellplague (with some houses serving as libraries of related lore) as well as providing expert treatment and management of out-of-control spellscars.[1] They offered training to individuals to help them understand their spellscars and to effectively control them for the sake of local peace, although in some cases, they would confine or manipulate such individuals for the sake of the common good.[7] Among those who instead wished to acquire a spellscar, the Order was known to support these "scar pilgrims" in their journeys to plaguelands.[3][6] Order members themselves were also known to undertake such pilgrimages for the purpose of learning about such plaguelands in order to better inform the public about their dangers and their wonders.[1]
All of the above activities were managed by the Order's "public works branch".[3] However, the Order of Blue Flame's public face and its true motives were very different. The Order's true belief was that the Spellplague was a holy event that should be continued, and so its most fanatical members sought to expand plaguelands and to spread spellscars. They were thus secretly often the ones who caused the problems that they publicly claimed to fight against,[1] for example, by actively encouraging people to embark on scar pilgrimages.[6]
Despite their sinister activities, the Order of Blue Fire maintained a pristine reputation through the late 15th century DR thanks to their public works. The Order was widely understood to be a benevolent organization, and its members were welcome within most cities. As long as they denied any accusations of evil actions, it was nearly impossible to turn public sentiment against them.[1]
Base of Operations[]
The Order's most active cell was located on the edge of the Plaguewrought Land in Ormpetarr, and was known as the Changing House.[2][3] The Order was involved in the governance of Ormpetarr as of the late 15th century DR, and helped to enforce local justice.[3] They also sponsored the annual Festival of Blue Fire, during which thousands of pilgrims journeyed to Ormpetarr in the hope of receiving a spellscar. Unfortunately, most died a horrible death.[2]
Other Known Chapters[]
The Order of Blue Fire was active in many other places across Faerûn,[1] including:
- Baldur's Gate. The Order maintained a mission in Scarred Alley, which was connected to other houses via a teleportation circle.[8][9] This chapter was abandoned by the Order after subversive actions by Grand Duke Valarken.[9]
- Halruaa. The so-called Temple of Blue Fire on Mount Talath was vigorously defended by Order forces at the fortress of Talathgard.[10]
- Impiltur. The Order's more sinister activities in this realm were known to Arshryke Taranth, the royal spymaster of Impiltur, who worked hard to foil their machinations.[7]
- Marsember. This chapter was established in the early-to-mid 15th century DR, and over the following decades, it handled several outbreaks of Spellplague and assisted thousands of patients with their spellscars.[11]
- Sshamath. Drow members of the Order established the School of Blue Fire in this city.[12]
Dogma[]
A member of the Order of Blue Flame seeks guidance from a sharn.
The secret faith of the Order of Blue Fire was based on the teachings of its true leaders: crazed sharns and a mysterious entity known as the Masters of Absolute Accord,[1] who visited members of the inner circle in their dreams.[13] They believed that the Spellplague was a sacred cosmic event that was to be perpetuated by unleashing and nurturing its power against the people of Toril.[1] The Order taught submission to and acceptance of the effects of the Spellplague,[14] and their deepest precepts further regarded the Spellplague and its energies as a divine being, of which the sharns were said to be miraculous manifestations.[1]
Owing to the scattered organization of the Order and the sometimes contradictory edicts of the sharns and the Masters of Absolute Accord, it was not uncommon for different houses of the Order to evolve in different ways, and in some cases, schisms arose as different sects believed that the Order's dogma could be pursued in different—even truly benevolent—ways.[5] For example, the chapter in Marsember taught that the Spellplague was part of the natural world, and that spellscars were "gifts" not to be cured but to be controlled and understood.[11] Meanwhile, Order members in Sshamath taught that the Spellplague was a manifestation of Mystra, and worshiped their spellscars as her last boon.[12][15]
History[]
Originally founded during the Wailing Years as a cult dedicated to prolonging the Spellplague, the Order first came to prominence in the Year of the Ring, 1393 DR, when it started aiding scar pilgrims in Ormpetarr.[1][4]
Following the events of the Ruining in Neverwinter, a group of Blue Fire fanatics traveled to the Cathedral of Mystra within Neverwinter's Chasm upon hearing rumors of active Spellplague within. There, they clashed with Scar Company, a division within the Neverwinter Guard who battled the plaguechanged horrors within the Chasm.[14]
As of 1479 DR,[note 1] agents of the Order operating in the North heard rumors about active Spellplague in the village of Deadsnows, and sought to hire adventurers to investigate.[16] They were similarly interested in rumors of a plaguechanged wight known as the Mound King.[17]
Members[]
Most of the Order's members were spellscarred, especially among those in leadership roles and among those inducted into the Order's mysteries, known as accordants. However, the Order welcomed capable non-spellscarred volunteers to perform services for them.[1] Public-facing members of the Order wore blue robes.[18]
Low ranking members were often unaware of the more sinister beliefs of the Order's upper echelons, and instead believed in its outward mission of good works.[5] Among all members, those who embarked on scar pilgrimages were seen as having a bravery that was deserving of respect, regardless of whether they survived their encounters with the Spellplague.[1]
The Order also had so-called "fringe members", who were not involved in the organization but would direct interested parties to its services.[3]
Leadership Roles[]
The Order's hierarchy was distributed and informal. The most senior or otherwise capable members within a given house or cell tended to assume leadership positions that suited their abilities.[1] Leadership roles included:
- Commanders
- Proselytizers and healers responsible for leading houses and caring for those afflicted by the Spellplague, sometimes by taking its energies into themselves.[1]
- Loremasters
- Philosophers and arcane teachers responsible for accumulating, increasing, and spreading knowledge of the Spellplague.[1]
- Knights
- Military leaders responsible for defending the Order's holdings and maintaining control over Spellplague manifestations.[1]
Accordants[]
The Order's secret, darker objectives were pursued by an inner circle of zealots known as accordants (or Blue Fire accordants).[1][14] This title was bestowed in addition to any existing leadership titles (e.g., "commander accordant", "loremaster accordant", or "knight accordant").[1][13]
Only true believers or truly zealous devotees of the Spellplague were invited to join the accordants and learn the Order's secrets, and generally only once they had experienced a vision or visitation from either a sharn or the Masters of Absolute Accord.[13] In some cases, the Order would recruit Spellplague disciples to become accordants,[14] and their ranks were known to be both weird and diverse.[1]
Accordants were known to enter battle alongside aberrations like foulspawn, doppelgangers, and destrachans. They were also known to tame plaguechanged ghouls for use in combat.[5]
Code Words[]
Members of the Order of Blue Flame used coded language to communicate, especially among the ranks of the accrodants. Two common code words among even the lower ranks included "taelen" (pronounced: /ˈteɪlɛn/ TAY-len), which referred to spies within the Order or otherwise to enemies who pretended to be allies, and "lochar" (pronounced: /ˈlɒkær/ LOCK-arr), which referred to a spellscarred individual in whom the Order was interested in using, training, or restraining for the good of the Order or the public.[7]
Accordants used code words and passphrases to conceal their nefarious activities, sometimes compounding code words to create new ones. These included "ammanant" (an imperative to kill someone or something), "calag" (to capture someone or something), "nathtag" (to destroy someone or something completely, such as by burning, exploding, dissolving, consuming, or transforming such that no identifiable traces remained), "orglamant" (to question and kill by torture, and then to display the body as a warning), "orglanathtag" (to question under torture and then destroy without a trace), "orglul" (to question under torture and then keep alive and imprisoned). By the late 15th century DR, many of these code phrases had come to be learned and deciphered by the likes of the spies of Impiltur, however other phrases continued to elude them (notably "yelve" and "zarrem").[7]
Notable Members[]
- Lanskar, a representative of the Order active in Sundabar during the late 15th century DR.[18]
- Lucius Corgan Adaster, the founder of the Marsember chapter. He was unaware of the darker side of his Order.[11]
- Molbelphyr Ilmtar, a drow bard who led the School of Blue Fire in Sshamath as of the late 15th century DR.[15]
- Senoblith the Corruptor, leader of a sect known as the Acolytes of Corruption who colonized the Cathedral of Mystra in Neverwinter.[14]
- Vraith, the elven wizard who led the chapter in Ormpetarr until her death. She was among the Order's members interested in expanding the area of plaguelands, and sought to do so via the Ritual of the Border.[2]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Unless otherwise stated, all Forgotten Realms content released as part of 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons is assumed to take place in 1479 DR.
Appearances[]
Adventures
Novels & Short Stories
Brimstone Angels
Video Games
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
Silent Streets and Vanished Souls • Killing the Messenger
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 264. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Jak Koke (August 2009). The Edge of Chaos. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-5189-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 193. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Brian R. James (December 2007). “Countdown to the Realms: Spellplague: The Wailing Years”. Dragon #362 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 10.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 267. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 51. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Ed Greenwood (March 2011). “Eye on the Realms: Whispered Words”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #188 (Wizards of the Coast) (188)., p. 5.
- ↑ Dave Brainard (June 2009). Silent Streets and Vanished Souls (BALD1-4). Living Forgotten Realms (RPGA), p. 12.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Dave Brainard (June 2009). Silent Streets and Vanished Souls (BALD1-4). Living Forgotten Realms (RPGA), p. 13.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 137. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Template:Cite LFR/CORM1-4/All the King's Men
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Template:Cite LFR/CORE2-1/Killing the Messenger
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 265. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Cryptic Studios (June 2013). Neverwinter. Perfect World Entertainment.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Template:Cite LFR/CORE2-1/Killing the Messenger
- ↑ Dan Jewell, Creighton Broadhurst (March 2009). Shades of Blue Fire (LURU1-3). Living Forgotten Realms (RPGA), p. 5.
- ↑ Dan Jewell, Creighton Broadhurst (March 2009). Shades of Blue Fire (LURU1-3). Living Forgotten Realms (RPGA), p. 26.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Dan Jewell, Creighton Broadhurst (March 2009). Shades of Blue Fire (LURU1-3). Living Forgotten Realms (RPGA), p. 6.