The Black Flame Brotherhood
Few enjoy or tolerate the Congregation of the Eternal Flame, but fewer still, including many Congregants, abide the Brothers of the Black Flame. This splinter sect of the infamous Congregation of Evocation Arcanists is more zealous and brash. They care little for the safety and security of the lands they travel through and are sometimes the cause of violent and uncontrollable disasters the world over. Where the Congregation is content to journey, learn, research, and experiment, the Brothers seek to dominate lesser peoples with their superior and untamed arcane might.
Structure
The Brotherhood is largely nomadic, never moving as a unified whole as the elders of the group are paranoid that their enemies, whom are belligerant and numerous, would take any opportunity to deal a critical blow tot he whole of the organization. To help in aleaviating these concerns, the Brotherhood is made up of dozens of smaller, more mobile groups called Kamut. This cell works as a family unit, or party to the members, traveling together, sharing meals together, so forth.
Each Kamut is led by a Deacon, who is the spiritual and focal center of the group, often they can be mistaken for charismatic cult leaders. A Kamut is generally no larger than ten Black Brothers, who serve various roles on their kamut's travels.
The Brotherhood is controlled by a singular brother, who is appointed by their peers, the method of which changes, but often involves branding one's self. This individual is treated witha great deal of reverence and respect, as to achieve this position is not an easy task, for it requred other well regarded members of the Brotherhood to agree to be led by this person.
Culture
As opposed to their counterparts in the Congregation, the Black Brothers wear black robes in place of the red. They bare much of the same iconography and stickwork, but are distinctly dyed black.
Internally, the atmosphere of many of the traveling bands, called Kamut, is typically nothing short of antagonistic to one another and toxic. Initiates are hazed relentlessly and commanded to perform dangerous and life threatening acts, even when the pursuit of thier goals are not involved. Those who survive to become adepts of the Brotherhood are very cruel and harrowing folk, fostering the tension and cruelty of their peers into their own works.
Long lived members of the Brotherhood are often madmen, driven insane by their lives of unfettered play with forces they can only barely understand, and the ever present paranoia that one of your own brothers may seek to kill you, or worse, undermine you in the eyes of other brothers.
Though the organization calls themselves a Brotherhood, it is not uncommon to find women or non masculine persons among their ranks.
Public Agenda
Much like the Congregation, the Brotherhood seeks knowledge, but knowledge in order to increase ones power and capability to dominate those they deem as lesser than themselves. Common public works for the Brotherhood is raiding small town magic shops, kidnapping arcane scholars, assaulting arcane institutes and conclaves, and challenging magically adept persons in the street to magic duels.
History
Records differ on when the Black Brotherhood split off from the Congregation, but what is confirmed is that it happened some time in the middle to late Fourth Era. Additionally, it has been recorded that at one time, the Black Brotherhood did have a central base of operations, but it was destroyed by the Congregation during the early years of the schism. The ruins are said to still smolder somewhere in Astrairia.
No blood, no bone, no flesh, nothing shall remain, not even ash.
Type
Religious, Sect
Alternative Names
Black Deacons
Demonym
Black Brothers
Leader
Parent Organization
Notable Members
