Race: Diabolus
Domains: Self-knowledge, Devotion, Diablerie
Ethos
To know thy weakness is its own strength. To know thy truest desire is to find the clearest path.
To cherish thy allies and be cherished in return is life’s greatest calling. Woe betide any who betray these bonds. Woe betide they who sever the bonds of another in gross mockery of life.
To harness the power of the Pit has its dangers. But to summon those who, in ages past, caused injury to the cherished of another to aid in the defense of thy own cherished is only fitting. If thy will and devotion are strong enough to resort to the dark practice, thou art certain to claim thy truest desires.
Fiammafede appeareth in whatever face suits them: sometimes it is the face of a chestnut-haired wylde from Tarklasys, sometimes it is the red face with the fang-filled smile of a diabolus, others it is whatever face is most suited to the task: there are few who have seen the true face of Fiammafede. The Heart of Gold is nearly always found in the company of another.
History/Relationships
Kade Crysilore’s mortal life was short. Her story was not. The journeys of Kade Crysilore– Hero of Jastrey, Blood Chief, Friend of Firsts, The Bad Copper, and Correspondent– stretched from the Heart of Gor Qalast to the doors of the Seven Heavens, from Huel Vor to Doom’s End, from the libraries of Beryl to the personal collections of vampire nobles, through the shadows and through the light. It was a mortal story marked by loss and fire and faith told for the joy of the Immortal Hunter, loyalty to the Will of the Stars, and salvation of her closest.
As a mortal, Kade’s greatest love was her family, the Blood Bears. She was a friend to many unlucky but brilliant inventors, a great writer of letters, and compulsive savior of orphans (for which she never sought credit). Though she was commonly held to be brusque and short-tempered, she had few enemies and was known to be reliable in dire circumstances.
The circumstances regarding the ascension of Fiammafede are muddled, but reports agree that it was Khulzan’s treachery that began it all:
In Tarkalsys, Khulzan set in motion his plan to create an eidolon of the Herald of Twilight and empower himself with the nightmares of Orn. In the fiendish fracas that ensued, he lost the Stone of Twilight to the eidolon and created an oneiroi, effectively reviving Dhuroscht to his full might. When Lemesin failed to arrive, Kade Crysilore was there to unite the heroes of Jastrey, the Lightbringers, the Crystal Fists, and the Sanguine Coven in facing down the Herald of Twilight. While the Coven summoned their own oneiroi champion and the paladins and adventurers fought valiantly against the onslaught of fiends, Kade and her allies were transported into the maw of the Final Death. Together, they destroyed the Stone of Twilight, and Kade emerged as Fiammafede with the legendary Fiend Frayer in hand.
Fiammafede’s relationships to the Chosen hinge very much upon their relationships in mortal life: having pursued common ends for so many years, Fiammafede remains allied with Aethos and Malykan in their task of vigilance. Kade and Esgir were bound in blood in their mortal life, and she continued on to follow the ascended Aldrhunrik: though Fate and Will are oft at odds, the Fate Forger and Heart of Gold are not. Fiammafede is aligned with Kagaminari in their disdain for Khulzan though their reasons differ. Fiammafede is also loosely aligned with Istensia, Rex, and the Lightbringers in their interest to see Necromancers brought to judgment and stand against the schemes of Xavros. As for Fiammafede’s fellow Pit-immortals, alliances and oppositions have yet to take form.
Dogma
Know thyself: thy strengths, thy weaknesses, and thy desires. Harness all the power that is thyself to grasp the Pit’s infernal strength to serve thy loved ones and fulfill thy oaths at any cost.
Followers/Temples
- The Devoted: Those who turn to Fiammafede and diablerie for the means to defend their loves or pursue their desires.
- The Cherished: Those who turn to Fiammafede weary of betrayal and bonds that fade know that whatever may come, as long as they are devoted to the Heart of Gold, the Heart of Gold will remain devoted to them.
- The Bards: In their mortal life, Fiammafede was fond of music and has remained so. The abiding devotion of a diabolus and Pit immortal is a curiosity and font of inspiration.
- The Bloodthirsty: Those who seek divine retribution for betrayal or to aid in Fiammafede’s eternal task of vengeance upon malevolent necromancers.
Temples to Fiammafede are places of practice and communion. They are modest, so as not to draw undue attention from those who condemn the dark art of diablerie, but often built near beaches or in the high branches of strong trees. So long as a temple or shrine is built with the earnest intention to honor Fiammafede and filled with blood and revelry, they are pleased.
Noteworthy Followers
The Aurum Eye: An organization devoted to Fiammafede’s enduring hatred of necromancy and desire to deliver vengeance for all who have suffered their crimes. Amaranthine is a haven for many who prefer an afterlife in the Nether over whatever the Gates of Judgement may bring: some do not deserve this choice. It is the task of the Aurum Eye to ensure that these sinners meet Purgatory face to face.
Domain: Soddisfatto
The body of the Herald of Twilight lies dormant, entwined by the gnarled roots of a great desert rose tree, roots cracked and blackened by the corpse’s corruption. Within the trunk of the great tree, Fiammafede orchestrates their repercussions for necromancers and traitors.
The lower branches of Soddisfatto are heavy with silver leaves and ever-blooming golden roses. Behind those bright flora, Fiammafede plays host to the Devoted, the Cherished, the Bards, and the Bloodthirsty who make the arduous journey there to better know themself or better know the Heart of Gold.
Its highest branches ascend into Astral clouds of orange and red. Those who seek alignment with Fiammafede may see both above and below them the horrors that await them should they stray.
The hammock of Fiammafede hangs high and wide so that they may keep watch over the cursed corpse and survey the comings and goings of their fellow Pit immortals. A second hammock hangs always nearby.