Orbaak
God of Fire and Metalworking
Description of the Church
The Church of Orbaak, often called The Emberforge, is a molten-blooded institution that venerates fire not only as a destructive force but as the sacred power of transformation. It is both a temple and a forge, a place where prayers are hammered into metal, and sparks are seen as fragments of divine thought. The faithful see Orbaak in the furnace, in the clang of the smith’s hammer, and in the forge-fire’s flicker. Fire is neither good nor evil—it is the will to create and destroy in equal measure. Orbaak’s followers believe that through discipline, heat, and vision, the unshaped can become magnificent. The Church emphasizes mastery, craftsmanship, and inner strength. It is widely respected by artisans, warriors, and architects, and plays a crucial role in many cities' guild systems and infrastructure.
Core Beliefs
- Creation is sacred, but only through labor and flame.
- Fire is a teacher, harsh but honest.
- The forge refines all things, from ore to soul.
- Discipline tempers chaos into power.
- Destruction can be a form of transformation.
Religious Structure
The Emberforge is a structured order with a guild-like hierarchy.
- The Hammerkeeper – Supreme forge-priest of Orbaak’s most sacred temple, chosen by crafting a miracle object said to be blessed by divine fire.
- Master Forgelords – Renowned smiths, architects, and elementalists who guide regional churches and schools of craft.
- Kindlepriests – Clerics responsible for maintaining sacred flames, blessing forges, and officiating rites of binding and crafting.
- Sparkbearers – Itinerant fire-clerics and smiths who wander to teach, mend, and judge the work of others.
- Ashhands – Novitiates who serve in the forge-temples, cleaning, observing, and learning to endure the flame.
Rituals and Practices
- The Firebond – A ritual binding of souls, metals, or communities through shared crafting.
- The Ember Trial – A purification rite where a supplicant endures heat or fire symbolism to burn away doubt or corruption.
- Festival of the First Flame – Celebrates the first forging of metal, marked by collaborative work and public craftsmanship.
- The Rite of Rekindling – A sacred lighting of a forge fire believed to carry Orbaak’s direct presence.
Followers
- Smiths and metalworkers, who believe their craft is divine labor.
- Architects and builders, shaping stone and flame into form.
- Fire mages, honoring Orbaak’s dominion over elemental power.
- Soldiers and weapon-crafters, revering the god who tempers steel and wrath alike.
Conflict and Controversy
Natural enemies with Deskeylla’s faithful, who view mining and smelting as destructive to the wild. Respectful tension with Marawae’s Church, where artistry and structure blend and blur. Looked down upon by Klavik's followers, who value destruction over craft. Internal tension between:
- Flamewrights, who focus on artistic creation, and
- Ashforged, who view destruction and war-making as the god’s truer purpose.
Temples
Temples are blackstone forges, heated sanctuaries, or volcanic sanctums, always active with work and flame. Features include:
- The Heartforge, a central furnace said to house eternal fire.
- The Anvil of Purpose, used in sacred oaths and object creation.
- The Hall of Sparks, lined with masterworks offered as prayers.
- Bellows of Communion, where heated wind is believed to carry divine whisperings.
Symbol: A hammer striking an anvil, sparks flying outward in a flame pattern shaped like wings.
Meaning: Power forged in fire, transformation through work.
Children
Comments