Cult of the Phoenix

Cult of the Phoenix
Type	Local faith
Areas of concern	Freedom, societal renewal (specifically for Ashnan)
Typical worshipers	People of Ashnan desiring freedom from Tamkaranu
Domains	Fire, Freedom, Zeal
Divine font	Heal
Divine skill	Diplomacy
Divine ability	Charisma or Dexterity
Favored weapon	Scythe
Symbol	Phoenix
Sacred animal	Phoenix
Sacred color	Red and orange

The Cult of the Phoenix is a religious movement that began in Ashnan after Y9965^*. The cult holds that they are guided by a semi-mythical phoenix that they believe to be a manifested spirit of the Ashnan people and land. The cult has a significant following amongst the laborers and common people of Ashnan. An especially zealous group within the cult, known as the Ashnan Phoenixes, has played an important role in the ongoing Lamplighter Rebellion against the Tamkaranu colonial administration and trade coliations that control the colony.

Edicts and anathema

Edicts

Resist colonial control and influence in Ashnan, question traditions and laws

Anathema

Allow the phoenix-fires to burn out, be complacent towards injustice

History

To the people of Ashnan, phoenixes and what they represent have long been important. The town of Phoenix Crest, located in the grasslands of northern Ashnan, gained its name from a legend that the first inhabitants of the settlement were guided to that spot centuries ago by a benevolent phoenix who had observed their long struggles. The fiery creatures appear frequently in Ashnan folklore, legends, and art - even though none had been spotted in the region since this first semi-mythical appearance, they have remained influential symbols.

By Y9965^*, Ashnan was in the middle of a period known as the Long Ten Years. A prolonged drought in the lands around the eastern Chaska Sea had ruined the harvests of Tamkaranu farmers. Seeing the opportunity for immense profit, the influential trade coalitions of Ashnan greatly increased the quotas they demanded from local farmers in order to sell their foodstuffs in the markets of the metropole, to such a degree that the Ashnan people were left with little to eat themselves. Famine was mitigated only through the services of a great number of sympathetic clerics, but Ashnan suffered greatly nonetheless. Unrest rose across the colony. The situation around the town of Phoenix Crest was particularly harsh, as its people barely scraped by. An attempt at an armed uprising had been put down and morale was extremely low. In the middle of this, the town's phoenix is said to have returned, spreading its massive wings in a gesture of hope and solidarity. Renewed, the residents of Phoenix Crest launched a second uprising, this time pushing the forces of the Balanos Consortium out of the town. Phoenix Crest has maintained its autonomy since, something its inhabitants credit to their faith in their fiery symbol of hope.

Accounts from those that were in the town at the time differ. Some say they saw the phoenix themselves, others say they did not. Even those that claim they witnessed the event recount very different details from each other. Regardless of whether any such creature actually appeared, the cult spread rapidly across Ashnan, the symbolism of the event far more important than its factual details.

Beliefs and followers

The Cult of the Phoenix believes that Ashnan must go through great struggle and upheaval in order to be reborn, independent and in control of their own fate. Adherents to the cult have become critical in the ongoing Lamplighter Rebellion, and are known for being especially zealous in their desire to see Tamkaranu and the trade coalitions driven out of the colony. The Ashnan Phoenixes, a rebel group formed entirely by phoenix cultists, has established itself across the region and become increasingly influential. Past their immediate goals, members of the cult also believe more broadly in the value of freedom and independence, and many advocate for the reestablishment of a communal agricultural society that was common in Ashnan prior to Tamkaranu colonization.

Itinerant armed clerics of the phoenix cult are a common sight in Ashnan today, especially in the small rural communities away from the major cities. These clerics have been instrumental in spreading the beliefs of the cult, both through preaching and through action. They frequently work to undermine colonial control, primarily through acts of sabotage. Though they rarely intentionally obscure their identities, these clerics generally prefer anonymity, never providing their names even to those who aid and shelter them.

Fires, and especially wildfires, are seen as sacred by phoenix cultists. They are symbols of renewal, agents of change that burn away the old and allow for new growth. Some phoenix cultists even go so far as to set forest- and grass-fires themselves, though almost always in places where doing so will not bring others to harm or danger.

Not all phoenix cultists agree as to the nature of their legendary phoenix patron. Some believe it to be a real creature that seeks to aid them while remaining aloof, while others believe it to be the spirit of the Ashnan people given form.

Shrines of the phoenix cult feature sculptures of the magical beast, known as phoenix-fires, which are covered in pitch and set ablaze. More fuel is added continuously to ensure the fire never goes out. Prayers are usually offered in quiet contemplation around the burning statue, either silently or whispered to ensure the sound of the flames can always be heard clearly.