The Burning Wheel

Theology
The Burning Wheel is a dualistic religion originating from the world of Tremons. Its doctrine states that there exists a constant spiritual cycle of birth, death, and conflict fueled by the turning of the Burning Wheel, and instigated by the platonic dark and light. All souls live countless lives, eternally seeking to achieve dominance for either light or dark. Adherents of the Burning Wheel believe that the true answer to escaping pain and suffering, is to seek balance in all things.

Adherents and priests seek to stop great acts of violence, especially wars, banditry, and other acts of destruction. The Burning Wheel's view of good and evil is not so static or defined as many other religions, with good being seen only in acts that prevent or lessen suffering, and evil being seen only in acts that cause or spread suffering.

The Burning Wheel has no gods. The wheel, and the platonic light and dark are not considered actors on the world stage, but rather as driving forces behind the world itself. As a result, The Burning Wheel is inherently syncretistic with nearly every other religion.

History
The first Burning Temple was built in the river delta neighboring the city of Seravath, by the first luminary, OddestIndividual. This first luminary would experience a vision of darkness and flame while attempting to preach in Seravath, leading to his founding of the settlement of Agnichakra as a center of the Burning Wheel's faith.

Several more visions would follow, all catalogued in a journal kept by the high luminary, which would come to be known as the Fire Prophecies.

These predictions included a Seravathii declaration of war, large-scale conflict in the Southeast of Akonanda, and the mass exodus and flight to other worlds due to rampant banditry.

These predictions were used to aid player efforts to unite the many disparate city states of Akonanda in a war against banditry, though it was also predicted that many would die in this fight, and the survivors would fight amongst themselves.

These efforts would come to pass with the formation of the First Akonandan Empire, with the declaration of imperium made at the feet of the sacred flame in Agnichakra, and the path of the Burning Wheel being named the official state religion.

The seat of the faith was moved from Agnichakra, to the great church of Hammerhold, where the sacred flame was transferred to a new brazier.

Holy text
The holy text of the Burning Temple is known as The Book of The Burning Wheel. It was written by the temple's founder OddestIndividual as an interpretation of visions seen while gazing into a flame.

The Text reads as follows."'There stand at the fulcrum of all things, the great two, the brother sisters, the daughter sons, the platonic light and dark. No spirit lives which does not derive from these two, and no spirit lives which does not ascend the fulcrum, not once, but times uncountable. We, being spirits, walk the world many times, children of the two, that we might become the one. Each being, be they born of light or dark, seeks the oneness, the unity with all things, and separation from all terror, all sorrow, all loss. Those who walk the path of shade and flame are those who will find this oneness. We are, each of us, but a speck upon the spokes of the great wheel, a wheel which ebbs and flows, burning with light, and drowning in dark. It is the lives we live, inclined towards good or evil, towards oneness or separation, which turn the wheel. And so we gather, we congregate, we burn and tend, and sow and reap. Only through balance may we turn the burning wheel, and through its turning, ascend to yet greater heights.'"

Practices
There exist no central ritual of the Burning Temple, but an emphasis is placed on meditation, the prevention of conflict, and deep introspection. The practice of staring into flames, or lighting signal fires to illuminate the night is also encouraged.

Occasionally, priests and lay-people will gather around a sacred flame, and sacrifice items which have brought them pain or suffering. This can be done either to predict the future, or bring good fortune.

Priests themselves perform a daily ritual known as the "Little Turning." They make two circuits around their temple's central idol, be it a wheel or their sacred flame, once clockwise, and once more counterclockwise. They then bow and recite prayers before the idol.

It is also common for priests of the burning wheel to bless endeavors carried out by lay practitioners, and beseech the great wheel to turn in their favor.

Symbology
The symbol of a wheel is central to the Burning Temple, no Burning Wheel holy sight is complete without one. Each temple has a sacred flame, a brazier which contains a pyre tended by the priesthood.

The most common architectural features of Burning Wheel temples are rounded peaked roofs, and stripes of black and white building materials. These represent the interplay of light and dark, and can be seen in the diagonally divided floors of many Burning Wheel buildings, with one half black, the other white.

The use of crystal blocks is important for ritual purposes, and most temples use these materials for their chiming sounds.

Priesthood
The Burning Temple's priesthood is composed of lay clergy known as luminaries, with the caretaker priests of each temple being referred to as high luminaries. The clergy serve as both caretakers for sacred sites, tenders of sacred flames, and advisors and guides on matters of spirituality for those who ask. The temple is led by the pontifex, who rules from the great church of Hammerhold at the heart of the First Akonandan Empire, and serves as a councelor and magistrate in the imperial government.

Political Importance
The path of the Burning Wheel is the official state religion of the First Akonandan Empire, with its syncretic nature allowing for the adoption of new gods into the faith as is needed. The empire is considered by official temple doctrine to be chosen as the great wheel's agents, hastening the wheel's turnings on Tremons.