The Fire Dragon, The Blazing Wyrm, The Fiery One, Lord of the Inferno, in all these aspects and more does the Fire Dragon exist, a guardian to his chosen peoples; a deadly adversary to his foes. To his chosen, the Fire Dragon is considered a noble, yet unwavering god. He watches over his people, but rarely intervenes, preferring that his children learn their lessons the hard way and thereby grow stronger because of it.
Followers of the Fire Dragon consider life a series of trials, where success in your endeavors leads to betterment of self and prosperity for the entire clutch. The Fire Dragon is revered by the Black Talons; who consider him everything Kassegore is not. To them, the Fire Dragon represents loyalty, honor, bravery, and compassion, sentiments absent from the majority of Ssethregoran society. Through the teachings of their Lord, the Black Talons seek to better themselves, both physically and spiritually, determined to never again sink into the mire of hate and destruction that was their way under their ssethric overlords. Those who follow the Fire Dragon hold their community above all else and consider protection of the hatching fires a sacred duty borne by all.
Sphere of Influence
Presently the sphere of influence of the Fire Dragon is rather small, being limited to the thousands of Black Talon ss’ressen inhabiting the Sulphur Marsh and a few hundred Ashen Hide ss’ressen found within Nier’s spine, who believe the deity to be an aspect of Nier. Both of these groups are budding cultures, set to expand their own realms and therefore the worship of their god beyond their own current borders. Interestingly the ruined city of Lanpeltis, which the Black Talons rebuilt and now call their capital, was originally dedicated to the Fire Dragon, hinting that older races may have once worshipped the Fiery One.
Temple
Temples to the Fire Dragon are ornate affairs, constructed as steppe pyramids with interior levels that descend deep into the earth. Even the smallest temple has one subterranean chamber where an Idol of the Blazing Wyrm sits basking in the warm glow of the ceremonial braziers. The main Temple of Cinders located in Lanpeltis is an immense imposing structure of black basalt that predates the Black Talon colonization of the area. From its uppermost tier smoke can always be seen rising both day and night, for to let the sacred fires die would signify ill omens for the reptilian worshippers.
Fire is sacred to the ss’ressen, it being the element they feel most akin to, as it grants them life through the hatching fires, and warms their bodies in cooler northern climes.
Deep below the ziggurat, in a natural cavern cut from the bedrock, there exists a vast grotto of colossal proportions.
The cavern is constantly warmed by steam rising from the active geothermal rifts, and condensation drips from the myriad of stalactites high overhead. Every free surface has been carved with ceremonial runes sacred to the Fire Dragon, and bas relief images of the entire history of the Black Talons. Centermost is the awe-inspiring idol to the Fire Dragon. Fully thirty feet tall, this draconic monolith of solid silver rears its head high over the assembled worshippers, its eyes constantly glowing with the immortal fires of the deity.
The statue’s lower tail wraps around a spectacular alter of red veined basalt, and the entire cyclopean effigy is encircled by an ever-burning ring of molten fire that flows from the very earth itself. It is in this great chamber that daily services to the Fire Dragon are held.
Role of the Priestess
The priesthood of the Fire Dragon is the ruling political body of the entire Black Talon clutch. The exclusively female clergy tend to all governmental functions, as well as watch over each budding generation, guiding it with a firm, yet gentle, claw. Adventuring priestesses are rare among the older ss’ressen, but the younger ranks often leave the confines of the Sulphur Marsh for more exotic locales. Many of these wandering clerics leave to seek out ancient ruins of the past in an attempt to unravel the lost histories of the Fire Dragon. In particular they search for the legendary twelve teeth of Dargas, holy relics inscribed with the lost scriptures of the Fiery One, said to predate the fall of Yahssremore. Others leave on less exoteric missions, seeking to reconcile the differences between the Ashen Hide and Black Talons, or to draw other ssethrics into the Fire Dragon’s flock. The recently discovered Ghost Scale ss’ressen have drawn much attention from these zealous priestesses.
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