The Flame
The Flame
Known Before as: Ignis, the Ever-Shifting
Current Form: Fragmented Consciousness, Felt in Wildfires and Volcanoes
Embodied Concept:
Transformation through Destruction. Ignis represents the inescapable truth that nothing new can grow without something being burned away. He is not flame alone—he is the need to burn, the power of ruin as a precursor to renewal, and the agony of becoming something else.
Patron Of:
- Fire, Magma, and Volcanic Rebirth
- Pain as Catalyst, Rage as Fuel
- Unstoppable Change, Breakage of Foundations
- Fire Giants, Red Dragons, and Wild Mages
Symbol:
A burning ouroboros—serpent made of fire devouring its own tail—etched in obsidian or glowing coals. In sacred rites, his sigil is drawn in ash or branded into flesh, never spoken aloud.
Common Appearance to Mortals:
Ignis never appears the same way twice. Sometimes a titan of molten stone with rivers of lava pouring from his chest, other times a flickering, shifting human silhouette made entirely of flame—laughing, weeping, or screaming. When he speaks, it’s as a wildfire: sudden, consuming, and gone before you realize what’s been lost.
History and Myth:
Ignis was once venerated as the god of sacred fire, hearth, and trial by flame. During the ancient war between the Old Gods and the demon legions, he unleashed such fury that his form shattered, igniting entire planes. His death—or transformation—is what gave rise to volcanic life and wildfire ecosystems.
Now, his essence flickers through every burning thing: not alive, but not gone. His remnants are strongest in magma fields, the hearts of stars, and moments of sudden, violent transformation—when a soul finally breaks to become something new.
Fire giants consider themselves his direct descendants, and some barbarian tribes believe all rage comes from a coal of Ignis buried in the heart.
Doctrine and Devotion:
“The flame does not punish. It refines.”
Ignis’s followers are rarely priests—they are fanatics, rebels, wild mages, and those who seek to destroy what no longer serves them. They hold fire-walking rites, self-branding trials, or purification burns. Among red dragons and elemental cults, Ignis is not a god—they call him The First Fire, and consider true devotion a willingness to burn everything, including yourself.
Relationship to the Pantheon:
The gods of order remember Ignis with awe and caution. The Platinum Dragon respects his place in the cycle but forbids his direct invocation. Tiamat reviles him for once burning one of her temples from the inside out—but some of her brood still carry his spark. He is closest in nature to The Frost (Hailor)—his opposite, yet bound eternally in the cycle of burn, cool, regrow.
Perception by Mortals:
Feared and Revered. To mortals, Ignis is divine fire without morality—he gives strength, clarity, and freedom, but only after taking everything else. Pyromancers, zealots, and mad prophets see him as the only god who does not lie—he does not demand worship, only honesty in the face of transformation.
Relic of the Flame: The Brand of Becoming
"To burn is not to die. It is to shed what cannot endure and emerge as truth."
Wondrous Item (Branding Iron, Weapon Hilt, or Seared Gauntlet), Legendary → Artifact
Requires attunement by a Warlock, Sorcerer, Barbarian, or any character who has survived a fire that should have killed them—or willingly burned something they once loved.
Initial Form: The Brand of Becoming (Levels 10–13)
A twisted length of bronze and obsidian, shaped like a branding iron—but with no end. It glows faintly with embers even when cold and leaves no mark on the unwilling. When held, it feels alive—breathing heat into the bearer’s bones and whispering “Change, or be changed.”
Flame of Refinement (1/short rest):
You may cast Fireball without a spell slot or components. All allies within the blast radius may choose to succeed on their saving throw and instead gain temporary hit points equal to half the fire damage. Enemies take full damage as normal.
Trial by Flame:
Once per long rest, you may brand a creature with a sigil of Ignis (melee spell attack). The target is considered under a divine geas: if they lie, resist change, or cling to what must be let go (as determined narratively), they suffer 3d8 fire damage and have disadvantage on their next action. The brand fades after 24 hours.
Kindling Spirit:
Whenever you take fire damage, you may use your reaction to gain resistance to that damage and cause your next melee or spell attack to deal bonus fire damage equal to your level.
Awakened Form: The Emberbrand of Ignis (Levels 17–20)
Once awakened, the Brand becomes wreathed in living flame that responds to emotional intensity. Its touch sears away illusion, cowardice, and spiritual rot. It no longer requires physical contact—its mark burns into the soul.
Burning Revelation (1/day):
You may mark up to three creatures within 60 feet as part of a single action. Each target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 20) or be stunned for 1 round and forced to relive their greatest moment of change or trauma, determined by the DM. For each creature affected, you may ask them one question they must answer truthfully and clearly (no riddles or avoidance).
Ashen Rebirth:
When reduced to 0 HP, you may instead burn into a pillar of flame, dealing 6d10 fire damage to all creatures within 20 feet (Dex save for half). You then reform from the ashes at the start of your next turn with half your max HP, visibly altered (hair turned to embers, eyes glowing coals, etc.).
Flame’s Truth:
You automatically succeed on saving throws against illusion or enchantment spells. Fire you create ignores resistance, and when you kill a creature with fire damage, you may gain 4d4 temporary hit points.
Awakening Trigger:
The Brand awakens when:
- The bearer willingly burns away something that defines them—an oath, a name, a person, or an identity.
- Or survives a moment of cataclysmic transformation (e.g., dying in fire and choosing not to be resurrected but reborn).
- Or, when Ignis speaks to them from the center of a wildfire, asking: “What are you willing to lose to become what you were meant to be?”—and they answer honestly.
Once awakened, the bearer’s presence radiates an aura of flickering warmth and dread—to some, comforting; to others, like standing beside a furnace that knows your failures.
