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

The Strength and Extent of the Order

The Fuming Gate is a small order, with only three major temples, all of which are located in Rethem, as well as a handful of minor chapels and shrines. It barely has enough members to keep these temples (located in Golotha, Tormau, and Hyen) operating.

The order was not always so small, however. During the reign of King Nemiran, it became one of the most powerful orders in Rethem. Its strength was drastically reduced by Ezar's War (681-697 TR). Temples in Menekod, Selvos, Dunir, were lost to the order at to the Peace of Selvos (697).

The order's influence within the kingdom also began to decline. While now serving primarily as apologists for the expansively minded Order of the Copper Hook, the Fuming Gate clerics are still a religious community that works to spread the teachings of Agrik to lay followers.

The Order of the Fuming Gate possesses numerous banners from the Copper Hook, the Flaming Fist and The Reasonless Reaper in their temples. Each banner is associated with a historic battle or a challenge. Banners from Ezar's war are displayed in Golatha and Hyen. Although the Order of the Fuming Gate will not speak of the war casually, the banners are proudly displayed in the entry corridors of the temples.

Major Temples

The Order of the Fuming Gate has three major temples at Hyen, Golotha and Tormau. There were once eight such temples, but many were lost during Ezar's war (which is often called Chafin's War by Fuming Gate loyalists).

The Hyen Temple

The temple at Hyen Keep is a traditional eight-sided building with the Eternal Flame burning brightly in its center. The temple stands close to Caer Hyen, the headquarters of the Order of the Copper Hook. The mighty stone structure was recently rebuilt and improved during Ezar's war.

The temple is small and poor. Its 22 Agnichari often work in the local gardens to assure enough food to feed its members. The Aperani insist on at least appearing self-reliant, but are always grateful for whatever the Order of the Copper Hook can provide.

The Temple has eight floors (including the cellar and the roof). It is constantly ahum with activity. Whenever possible, the Aperani send some of the Agnichari out with the Terhani on their raids and patrols whenever possible. Services are very well attended as this fief brooks no other religion.

[Note: For a map of the Hyen temple, please refer to the Hyen Keep article in HârnLore 10.]

The Golotha Temple

The temple in Golotha backs against the Rusu Canal is the headquarters for the Order. It is adjacent to the temples of two other Agrikan orders: the Order of the Eight Demons and the Order of Mamaka, the Master of Steel. While larger than the temple at Hyen and the primary temple of the order, it is has fewer priests and lay followers. In recent years, several priests from this temple have accepted appointments as Ulankhs or have left the order rather than remain to watch its slow disintegration.

This is not the the Fuming Gate's first temple in Golotha. When the city was first founded (388 TR) a small temple to the order was built just beyond Dedergon Bridge. This wooden structure was burned during the Balshan Jihad (562 TR). The current stone temple inside the city was built a few years Arlun's conquest of Golotha (635).

The temple in Golotha is a rectangular building that can be divided into two parts. The larger of the two has eight floors (not including the two cellars and the roof) in the center of which is the Eternal Flame. The smaller section has four floors and acts as a viewing gallery, lay ritual area and Terhani quarters. The building that buts up against the wall of the Rusu canal is a small stable built to house up to 8 horses.

The Tormau Temple

The temple in Tormau was built in 710 TR. The current Earl of Tormau, Denyl Lynnaeus, cares little for the order personally, but supports their presence for political reasons. The Earl believes that the enemies of his enemies are his allies-- reasons for which he also has close contact with Kuboran tribesmen, Ivinian mercenaries, and the exiled orders of the Kukshin and Crimson Dancer. While the Fuming Gate is by no means the king's 'enemy', the Copper Hook's constant skirmishing with the the Kandayan-based Order of the Checkered Shield is a thorn in Chafin's side. The Earl hopes to press that thorn in deeper.

The Fuming Gate serves as intermediaries between the Earl and the Copper Hook, to whom he supplies funds and weapons. The Earl's main goal is to keep the Copper Hook from fighting for the crown in the impending civil war and hopes to keep them neutral by (1) buying their favor with donations and (2) keeping them occupied with the Laranians across the border in Kanday (to whom he is also supplying funds). Outwardly, the Earl disavows political interest in the order, insisting that they are in Tormau to minister to his vassals and serfs. Most priests suspect the Earl's lack of sincerity in his dealings with them, but they are glad to accept his money and to use his association with the Orbaalese order of the Kukshin to trade information.

The Tormau temple, built in the 610's, is constructed in traditional octagonal style. It is an eight-sided structure of eight floors. In the center of the struggle burns the holy fire of the Eternal Flame.

There are eighteen Agnichari and eight Aperani in this temple, but only a handful of Heruchai. Six to eight Terhani reside her as well. The Viriahn of the temple is a calm and open-minded woman; unique in her faith and profession. She believes she is using the Earl to better the Order and fill its ever-empty coffers while increasing the overall possibilities of a war. It is rumored that the temple's Agnichari sometimes accompany the Earl's raiding parties.

Minor Temples, Chapels, and Shrines

In addition to these major temples, there are minor Fuming Gate 'temples'. These minor temples are generally chapels, located inside of keeps, rating rarely more than an altar and brazier in a quiet part of the building. These chapels rarely house more than one Aperan, two or three Heruchai, and a handful of Agnichari

One such chapel-temple in Chakta, a keep on the border with Kanday. The Sheriff of Chakta, a loyal king's man, disapproves of the raids across the border and fears they may be escalating. While Chakta has not yet been used as a staging area some feel with the Order's presence, he suspects it soon will be.

Omnis, a keep that is under contention amongst the various Earls of Rethem, is home to a minor Fuming Gate temple. The current Earl of Omnis is rarely in residence. The Earl's scorn toward the Order is ignored as his servants and kings are being converted.

The other minor temples are located in the manors and keeps of Hyen province.

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