The Fuming Gate
A Clerical Order of the Hierarchy of Eternal Flame

The Order of the Fuming Gate has always been more martially minded than other clerical orders. Their ritual activities tend to reflect this as well as the order's belief that that, before entering Balgashang, each devotee must have his worthiness tested-- preferably in combat.

"War and combat, are the best ways to test our suppliants. War brings out the creativity and the features that are lost amongst the easy life of peace. Without war, mankind is never tested, and has no chance to improve himself. Each day should be a struggle; nothing should be easy. This is the way of fire. This is the way of the Fuming Gate."

Basic Ceremonies

As with most Agrikan orders, there are three basic kinds of services, (or as they are sometimes called, 'masses') provided by the Order of the Fuming Gate: low ceremonies, middle ceremonies, and high ceremonies.

Low Ceremonies

Low ceremonies are intended primarily for lay adherents. Worshippers are guided before an altar upon which sits a brazier that was lit from the fire of the Eternal Flame of the temple. Incense or sulfur is sometimes burned. A priest guides the adherents in collective prayer and ritualized sacrifice.

The sacrifice may be of some item of worth, money or even drops of the worshipper's blood. The item (or blood) is gathered carefully in a small bowl and covered with holy oil before it is set alight. The item appears to burn, but in fact is protected by the oil.

Ablutions are performed with sand or powdered lava whenever available-- never with water. Private ceremonies may be performed for a donation, otherwise all ceremonies are conducted in small groups in rooms that open to the Eternal Flame through small grates.

Middle Ceremonies

Middle ceremonies are reenactments of mythological and historical combats. They are intended primary for the Terahni in the Company of the Copper Hook, although they are occasionally performed to impress laity.

The Terahni fight inside an octagon drawn on the ground or floor. The actors will sacrifice speed to ensure that the moves are precise. The master of the middle ceremonies voices an invocation, and the warriors and audiences respond on cue. These ceremonies are clearly modeled upon certain High Ceremonies.

The choice of battles is determined by the date and its historical relevance. The ceremonies are typically led by a priest (usually the Aperterahn), but may occasionally be led by an Akarata or Tenaka. The celebrant chooses both the battle and the combatants. He also decides if the battle should be fatal, or not.

High Ceremonies

High ceremonies are intended primarily for the priests, although the Fuming Gate differs from most other orders in that it let's its Terahni attend and even participate.

High ceremonies typically consist of ritualized martial movements acting out planned or anticipated battles in the future, much like these ritualistic battles tend to be less mythological and more mundane. The Order's preference is a series of ritual combats that deal with border skirmishes around Kanday. Eight to ten Terahni at Hyen Keep are considered experts at imitating the fighting practices of the Order of the Checkered Shield. These Terahnini call themselves the Banner of Blood.

Occasionally, sacrifices are performed instead of reenactments of future battles. These sacrifices are long and slow, with the victim being prepared through a form of ceremonial torture for several hours. The victim is eventually consumed by fire.

Human Sacrifice

The Order of the Fuming Gate has two forms of human sacrifice: Sacrifice by Combat, and Altar Sacrifice. They perform offerings of both forms regularly. Many suspect that because of the order's need for living sacrifices that their main temple is in Golotha, rather than Tormau.

Sacrifice by Combat

In Sacrifice by Combat the victor sends the vanquished to Balgashang. The sacrifice begins with a ritualized challenge that leads both combatants into a cleared area to fight. The fight ends only when one of the combatants is dead. If the captive or challenger wins, he is allowed to go free. The dead are sent to Balgashang to be tested. If the captive or challenger looses, it is a good sign and the Order will often reward the challenger's family, or allow the related captives to go free. The rituals before, during and after the combat are performed on the site of the combat. The blood of the dead is carefully collected and the body burned in a funeral pyre.

Altar Sacrifice

In an Altar Sacrifice, the victim is tied and bound atop the altar. The victim has already fought against the orders champion and lost, but was not killed directly. The body is bathed in the blood of other sacrifices by combat, and ritualistically killed on the altar. Usually this is slow with prayers and invocations performed at various parts. The victim is sometimes drugged so that he can not cry out and interrupt the ceremony. The altar sacrifices are performed most often after ceremony of True Visions.

Special Ceremonies

The Order of the Fuming Gate has several special Agrikan rituals. Such ceremonies are primarily used in combat or in preparation for combat, although the list below includes a description of ordination ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, etc.

Appeal for Plague

This ceremony is performed over a water source (well, river etc.) and may only be performed by priests. The priest in charge begins by performing a standard service to the deity. He then rises and pours a bowl combining some of his own blood, and holy oil into the water source. The blood must pass directly from his blood into the bowl.

The more loyal present the greater the possibility that a plague will strike whoever drinks the water. The priest performs the invocation 'Cause Plague'. This ceremony is believed to increase the chances of that ritual's success.

For GM use: A good formula is to increase the effectiveness of the ritual by 1 point per priest who adds some of his/her blood to the bowl. The amount required depends on the size of water source:

small/medium/large - 1/5/10 drops
stagnant/slow/medium/fast +2/4/6/8

For example, to appeal for plague in a large fast running stream - it would cost each member of the ritual 18 drops of blood.

Elevation of the Agnichari

This special ceremony, only open to priests, and would-be priests, is the ordination ritual the Agnichari who are deemed ready to become Heruchai.

The candidates for elevation are lined up before the sacrificial altar and their hands are bathed in holy oil. They then dip their hands in the Eternal Fire while slowly reciting their oath.

Within the Fire I live.
Within the Fire I shall die.
To fight again in Balgashang.
No longer is my life my own.
Now I do as I am bade
by my god, by my church, by my lord.
Now I am three, not one.
And at the Gates of Darkness I stand
At the Gates of Darkness I defend
All in the name of War.

If, for any reason, the candidate for elevation withdraws his hand before the oath is completed, s/he is deemed to have been found unworthy by Agrik for service as a priest. When this happens, the candidate typically either leaves the order or seeks to join the ranks of the Copper Hook, although there are rare tales of particularly devout Agnichari who chose to remain permanent acolytes.

Holy Ordeal

This ritual is a medium ceremony used for trying temple crimes and disobedient followers.

The priests attending mark off an octagon in the temple or on the ground. The accused person and the Order's appointed 'champion' are then both blessed. The priests then take up positions at the eight corners of the octagon. (If there are not eight priests present, Terahni, or even laity may be substituted). The champion and the accused step into the marked-off area and begin to fight. If either combattant comes to close to the edge of the pentagon, the priests drive him back to the center with whips.

If the fighter is innocent, he will defeat the Order's champion. If he is not, the champion will win .Combat is often to the death, but losers are sometimes spared at the end of combat so that they may serve as sacrifices later. If the crime is minor and the accused a particularly skilled warrior, combat may simply be to first blood or till one fighter is knocked unconscious.

The ritual begins with both the accused and the champion being blessed. The priests oversee the battle and each stands at a point in the shape drawn into the ground. If the fighter tries to leave the octagon, the priests use their whips and drive him back into the octagon. Striking at a priest or leaving the octagon is considered proof of guilt.

Initiation

All applicants to the clergy of the Fuming Gate are tested before being welcomed as an Agnichari. The initiation begins at midnight when the applicant is stripped naked, and allowed to enter a testing area. The testing area is filled with Terhani and other soldiers who have blunted spears, maces and whips. The applicant must survive the crossing of this testing area by whatever means they deem necessary. They are armed only with a small red dagger. Many applicants try to run through the area, dodging as many combatants as they can. Some go through in groups, in the hopes that their numbers will give them strength.

The Terhani and priests in the testing area are there primarily to scare, scar, and taunt the applicants. Killing an applicant outright is considered unsporting, and raping one is thought to bring bad luck in future combats. High praise is given to an applicant if they can wound one or more of their taunters, but emerging is the only real criterion of success.

This first test by combat is designed to see how the applicant reacts to overbearing odds and the fact that s/he will not escape unscathed. The ritual is also intended to teach the applicant how frail life truly is.

Kissing the Hook

This is a middle ceremony performed in the temples, under various circumstances. The officiating priest presents a sickle from a chosen Terhan and lays it upon the altar or, if outdoors, on an appropriate object. The priest then performs a standard ceremony of blessing while other priests beat out a heart-based rhythm on drums.

After the blessing, the participants line up in front of the altar.

Priest: "Are you faithful?"
Supplicant: "I am - by body, by mind and by heart."
Priest: "Prove your faith by Kissing the Hook."

The gathered Terhani then bow and kiss to the sickle. If any are unfaithful, it is believed that they will suffer 1d6 burning pains in their lips or even be struck mute. The priest presses the Terahn's's head against the sickle for a few seconds to assure contact.

The sickle is then returned to the Terhan from whom it was chosen. This weapon is now blessed and is believed to deal extra damage in combat for the next eight days.

Purification

Purification is performed just before the Order or its Terhani enter combat. This is a form of blessing, and is believed to grant bloodlust on the fortunate, and strength in the battle to all.

The ritual begins by gathering near a source of Holy Fire. Those seeking purification must kneel as close to the flame as permissible. Oil heated by the flame is poured over the supplicants gloved fists and heads. The oil is not hot enough to scald, but often smokes as it touches the colder armor.

Blessings are said as the oil begins to turn red. The special oil will turn from a dirty yellow to blood red in a matter of minutes. The darker the color the greater the blessings bestowed.

Songs and prayers are offered up, occasionally live sacrifices are also made to increase the blessing on the gathered warriors. It is commonly believed that those that do not fight within a day of receiving this blessing will go insane.

Reaping the Harvest [Marriage]

This ritual is performed near Holy Fire, preferably in a temple. The two to be married dip their hands in a holy oil and then place their hands in the flame. The oil, and their faith, assure that their hands will not burn, but the flame does hurt.

The couple must each profess their loyalty to Agrik by saying:

We survive, we thrive, until we are needed, we are here.

The priest offers a blessing and ties the couple's right hands together with a thin cord. The couple must then again place their hands in the flame until the cord burns off (which it should very quickly.)

Songs of Destruction [Conversion]

This ritual is performed to convert a member of some other sect of the Agrikan religion to that of the Order of the Fuming Gate. On a rare occasion, this ritual is performed to convert a follower of another deity to the worship of Agrik.

The Heruchai and any temple masters who wish to be in attendance gather around the applicant (or applicants) and begin to chant and beat drums. The applicant is in the center of the culmination of their voices, and often describes the effect as 'deafening' (literally for up to 2d6 days). The leader of this low ceremony cuts the applicant with a ceremonial dagger in eight places while chanting:

These hands are now the device of destruction. These feet shall carry destruction where He wills. This head shall guide the destruction to success. This heart shall enjoy the destruction to its end. This face shall witness the destruction. This back shall bare the destruction. All as The Reaper Wills.

The cuts are only deep enough to bleed, and are treated immediately after the ritual. The ritual is never performed on an unwilling subject, although it is considered perfectly acceptable to apply torture to the subject before the ritual in order to make them more willing to convert.

Rumor says if this ceremony is performed upon a converting Laranian, the cutting causes burn damage and numbness in addition to all the other effects.

Songs of War

This ceremony is performed while the soldiers are moving towards battle. Drums are beaten in an unnerving arhythmic pattern that corresponds with the beats of marching feet, the thumping of horses' hooves, and the melodies of a particular set of warchants.

To be properly performed, the drummers (usually priests) and soldiers (usually Terahni) must be in a particular formation and know the songs to be sung. When performed correctly, this ceremony creates a deafening sound in front and behind the marching warriors without hindering the hearing of those within the column or group.

True Visions

This a high ceremony, limited to priests. It has two variant forms. In the first variation the priests prepare a sacrifice upon the altar. The sacrifice is tied firmly to the stone and all his/her clothes are removed. The sacrifice is then fed an overdose of ordeal drugs. The priests pray reverently over the newly converted victim and await his death. During his screams and deranged ravings the deity or one of his servants possesses his body and prophecies the future. Only after the sacrifice dies, which may take several days, is the body removed and then ritually burned.

The second variation of this ritual is typically performed if the sacrifice is not of the faith. S/he is chained tightly against to the altar with an iron neck collar and shackles on their hands and feet. The sacrifice is then annointed with a holy oil that will prevent them from burning. The altar is then covered with a highly flammable oil and set alight. As the flames and their heat engulf the sacrifice, s/he is put into a frenzied prophetic state. Note: the holy oil protects the victims from being consumed by the flames, but does not shield them from the fire's heat. The victims usually die from the heat, and if they do not, they are dispatched at the end of the ceremony with the Tazhan.

[Adherents][Beliefs][Ceremonies][History][Legends and Heroes][Politics] [Organization][Holy Relics Held][Ritual Invocations][Rules and Ethics][Songs and Prayers][Symbols][Temples][References]

This page was last updated on
Questions/Comments should be directed to the Webmaster.
All works are Copyright their respective authors, 2002.