Flareism

Flareism is the shamanistic, henotheistic, apocalyptic cult of the Cataclysm and Karsen's most widespread religion. Informally, it is also known as the Cult. The continental head of the faith, located in their seat of power in Beiratros, is called the Detonus. The Flare is its unique magic system and also the repository of its teachings. It is most practiced by phrinu.

Beliefs
The faith teaches that far in the future, the Cataclysm will awaken, bringing an end to the Deepskies and consuming the combined mana and life energy of its dreams and Halse to reset the universe back to its peaceful beginnings, this time as a pure utopia without any gods but itself. Believers understand that phrinu were created by the Cataclysm in its last moments before sleep to restore order to Halse.

It also teaches that the Cataclysm left behind its special charism - the Flare - which brings divine enlightening to users regarding the gods' wishes for its creations, chief among them love for others and violencing of the self. Faeries and drakes have traditionally thought that it sealed away the Flare to protect Halse from ever seeing such destruction again, while phrinu, who discovered and broke the divine seal thousands of years ago, believe that was to eventually be rediscovered and used for the good of all. They also believe that communing with the Kindred is possible, and that each phrin has a Kindred who watches over them and will escort them to the Deepskies upon their death, reserving judgment until then.

Lastly, the cult believes that mankind must work to make the world as perfect as possible until its return. This is ideally achieved through becoming in tune with the Flare, as well as cleansing of evil forces and potential threats to world peace.

Organization and Hierarchy
Flareist belief is expressed in a decentralized hierarchy, an emphasis on mysticism over scholasticism, and official state temples with rites specific to the local culture.

While the Detonus enjoys place of honor among the leaders of the cult, they have no direct control over the actions of the Phlogisters, the heads of the state temples of each country. Instead, the Detonus presides over religious conventions among the Phlogisters and at most acts as a mediator of the faith.

Local spiritual leaders, the lowest-ranking positions of authority in the cult, are known as Mendicants in honor of the first Flareist missionaries, who traveled in poverty to bring the Flare to non-believers. Faeries and drakes are barred from the Mendicancy, and therefore the rest of cult leadership. A Mendicant is the spiritual guide of their community who brings their followers closer to the Flare through rite and ritual, as well as community leadership and physical and spiritual defense against evil. The proper Mendicant is something of a renaissance person, with expertise not only in teaching the faith but also philosophy, medicine, nature, local politics, magical combat, and clairvoyance.

To become a Mendicant, one must be a mage. They then replace their charism with the Flare in a sacred rite called the Beautiful Conflagration of the Soul after having studied, trained, and meditated for at least six years under the guidance of a higher-ranking Flareist. The rite is a dangerous process akin to Tempering, and has a moderate chance of resulting in death or a vegetable state. Upon surviving the rite, the newly-ordained Mendicant is assigned to a community of any size by their Phlogister, where they remain until further notice.

Lay assistants to the Mendicants are called (WIP). Oftentimes Mendicants cannot run an entire community's spiritual leadership by themselves, so they draw assistants from both their general acquaintance and the surrounding area. A (WIP) is not capable of using the Flare (and may not even be a mage), and the amount of training they have is minimal compared to that of the Mendicant. The only requirement to be a (WIP) is to undergo a brief training period of at least a year as well as a ritual similar to that of the Beautiful Conflagration but much safer, and to have the official approval of a Mendicant and at least one Phlogister. (WIPs), like Mendicants, can stay in their positions until death or dismissal by a superior.

The cult considers itself the bridge between the Coil and mankind, and as such it maintains and guides the temples and sects devoted to them. However, they have no real authority over the spectropaths, and consider their combination of divine and mortal methods against the Fair Folk sacrilegious to varying degrees. Flareists also argue against the wisdom of the Spectres continuing on as an institution at all because of the transformations they undergo into deranged Haunts themselves. This as well as different schools of thought in philosophy and theology have caused significant friction between the Cult and the Refuges over the years, though they keep a precarious peace.

Culture
Iconodulism is a trademark of the cult, as well as the color gray contrasting with the colors of fire, evoking the anima spell that once almost destroyed the world. Orange is considered the holiest color, since that is the color that manara, the mana-like fuel of Flare magic, takes on when shaped by the Flare. Common religious symbols and icons include stylized flames and explosions representing the Flare, spoked wheels representing the Cataclysm, magic staves, and mirror images.

Men and women have specific roles in the cult, which are meant to mirror and honor the Twin Embers, two early members of Flareism. These were a pair of fraternal twins who were the first to be enlightened by the Flare and become Flareist mages. Women are instructed in the destructive side of Flare magic, while men become creation mages befitting the other side of the Flare's dualistic nature. Those in a position of power, such as the Phlogisters or Detonus, must be learned in both systems regardless of sex.

Dress codes of the clergy are also divided by sex. Female Mendicants wear yellows, oranges, and reds, while males dress in shades of gray. Nonbelievers tend to confuse them for secular mages because of the plain hooded robes they wear, but they can be distinguished by their