I estel si cuiva na gen
No i ganed e-d?ath...
No ledhiag lim min
nd?r e-galad, si m?r dhanna...A promise lives within you now
May it be the shadow\'s call
May it be your journey on
Where once was light, now darkness falls.
Intrigued? I thought you might be. You can feel it, can\'t you? Feel it pulling at your very essence... feel the yearning growing inside your very soul... that\'s the shadow\'s call. That\'s the power of darkness. Join me, and you will have that power at your fingertips.
A Brief History First, I should introduce myself. My name is Yarulion. I came to PlaneShift at the beginning of October, 2003, by your reckoning. Like everyone that comes to Yliakum, I was searching for something. I, however, was one of the lucky few who found exactly what I wanted here. For me, Yliakum was the land of opportunity, where I could let my order flourish. But I am getting ahead of myself. All that you need know is that I, too, am a traveller, and I, too, have a dream. My dream is to fulfill the quest of the transcendental life, as outlined in the Black Flame Scrolls that I have possessed since my birth. How, exactly, can I accomplish this? Well, I\'m glad you asked, because that is exactly what I intend to show you.
What is the Black Flame?The Black Flame is everything - it is our insignia, our name, and our goal. Its symbolism originated in the very scrolls I mentioned before, the utter foundation of our order. The Black Flame is a metaphor for the transcendental philosophy at the heart of our order. A flame gives off its color because of the amount of heat it produces, white denoting the hottest flame of all. Fire symbolizes our actions - ever changing and ever on the move. The slightest stimulus and our active response to it can redefine who we are, much like adding the tiniest spark to a fire can control the shape of a flame, albeit momentarily. The heat of the flame symbolizes our thought, the mental power we exert when creating the flame of our actions. A black flame symbolizes fire without heat, like actions without thought.
There is no thought...
...there is only action. For a transcendental cipher, the ultimate goal is to purge oneself of thought. This is accomplished through a number of means, including but not limited to meditation, physical and mental training, and even guesswork. But what is the difference between a cipher and a random, impulsive fool? A question often asked by outsiders, but to a Disciple of the Black Flame, this is a joke. Of course any fool can blunder into a situation without first considering his options. But a true cipher always chooses the right thing to do at the right moment. At the heart of the philosophy of the order is the belief that we are all inherently one with the multiverse. The multiverse is necessarily governed by forces that keep it in balance and shape the events that come to pass. Most of these forces, however, are not sentient, which is to say they have no sense of choice. What is choice, then, but a hindrance? Thought comes in many forms - moral deliberation, hesitation, doubt - all of which will earn you nothing on the battlefield except a swift death. Thought is what brings chaos to the multiverse. While many outsiders view us as chaotic, what they are actually perceiving is us imposing order on them. Our instinct is so naturally and perfectly attuned to the forces of the multiverse that our reactions border on precognition. We are able to choose the right path at the right time because we have removed the medium of interference between what the multiverse dictates and what we choose. We are also often accused of being thoughtless. We simply have no need of thought - our decisions do not require pointless seconds, minutes, hours, or even days or weeks as many outsiders seem to take. This waste of time is not tolerated by ciphers - it is their life\'s goal to eliminate it.
Alignment and Structure The Disciples of the Black Flame does not represent the entirety of the Transcendent Order. In fact, were you to travel outside Yliakum and talk to other self-proclaimed ciphers you might hear some opinions quite a bit different from ours. However, the following defines Yliakum\'s chapter of the order as set forth by their current guildmaster and founder Yarulion.
* We are chaotic evil.Individual members may be of any non-good alignment, provided they are
either chaotic
or evil. This means that in the nine alignment system, the alignments in red would be allowed, while the alignments in blue would be restricted.
Lawful Good............Lawful Neutral............Lawful Evil
Neutral Good.............True Neutral.............Neutral Evil
Chaotic Good..........Chaotic Neutral..........Chaotic Evil* We enforce role-playing.This guild is of a role-playing nature, and role-playing should be done to the fullest reasonable extent in the games, the forums, and any other PlaneShift medium. Of course it is allowed to go out of character, especially during these early stages when the community is so close and the game is in development. However,
never act on behalf of the guild out of character.* We are a monastic order.This does not mean you have to be a monk to join. It does, however, mean, that though we may seem militaristic, we are monastic in structure, with ranks and promotions being given in accordance with how much of the philosophy you have learned. In other words, the more you live like a cipher, the higher rank you will be awarded. The ranks are as follows:
1. Proselyte: Proselytes are converts who sometimes do not fully understand what they are getting into.
2. Catechumen: These guildsmen have undertaken the first steps to learning the transcendental philosophy.
3. Votary: These members have pledged enough time and effort to the order to be accorded this first rank of full membership.
4. Laureate: These members have done something laudable or noticeable in the eyes of their superiors. Their fine work has been rewarded with an increase in status.
5. Maven: This is the only non-officer rank to possess any authority over their subalterns in the guild. Very few people occupy this rank at one time, and most who get it are soon to become officers.
6. Canon: This is the first level of officer status within the order. Canons have limited authority over their underlings, but have little decision-making power. They are only included in important matters at the discretion of guild leadership.
7. Sectarian: These officers have full authority and jurisdiction over the guild except in matters such as promotion, war, diplomacy, and public relations that require the intervention of guild leadership. They may recruit, train, and probate members as they see fit, and they may recommend change to the leaders that they wish to see installed. Sectarians may act on behalf of the guild without permission having to be expressly granted.
8. Rector: Deputy guildmasters and council members comprise this rank. When only one or two exist, they have just as much authority as the guildmaster, excepting that the words of the guildmaster are final and can overrule their decision. When three or more exist, they comprise the Council of Apotheosis, so named after the process to which it is dedicated - the process of transcending from human to divine, from mortal to immortal. Council members have full authority over all guild matters without exception. They can only be overruled by a decision of the guildmaster.
9. Exemplar: The exemplar regnant is the current guildmaster, who all of the order members should strive to be like. He is the insignia of the guild, and everything he says is law as far as the order is concerned. A single word from him on any matter can override any decision by the council, or any precedent from a similar decision in the past. He leads the guild by his words, his life, and his actions, and is the greatest cipher in the realm.
Who Should Join Fighters will receive the most benefit from becoming a part of our order. Though ciphers look just like everyone else, they are faster, better, and stronger. Fighters who use martial arts will find especial benefits from our practices of meditation and rigorous training.
Rogues are welcome in the order to hone their skills. The skills of stealth and assasination are most directly affected by the guild training, though many have reported their thiefly skills growing as they progress. Even such a simple act as lock-picking can be improved when one is not nervously fumbling about, but calmly deciding everything without doubt or hesitation.
Clerics and mages, those who deal with spells and magical effects, will usually find the least benefit from joining. This is not to say they are restricted from membership and should go elsewhere, but it will be particularly difficult for them to enhance their field as much as other classes. Mages who operate off charisma will certainly benefit more than those who use natural magic, but all are welcome to try the transcendental life and see what benefits they can reap.
How to joinE-mail meORvisit
www.blackflameorder.com Good luck with your decision. Fare thee well, and think not overmuch!!
