Editing Church of the Silver Flame (section)

==Variant Sects and [[Heresy|Heresies]]==
As the Church of the Silver Flame is just the most recent incarnation of the faith in the Silver Flame, there are many faiths that actually worship the flame, though these are often just categorized as sects of the church.

===Ghaash'kala===
The Ghost Guardian [[orc]]s of the Demon Wastes see it as a duty to keep the horrors within away from the outside world, and worship the ''Kalok Shash'', the Binding Flame, that draws the souls of the dead to keep darkness and evil at bay. Many of course see the similarities between their beliefs and those of the church and the orcs, though the purified say that they just have a skewed and inaccurate view of it. Others refuse to accept that a screaming orc [[barbarian]] and [[human]] [[paladin]] in shining armor technically worship the same deity.

===Knights Militant===
An order of knights known for their strict standards on purity and morality, and an emphasis on self-sacrifice.

===Order of the Radiant Flame===
An order of mystics, seeking to spiritually become one with the flame while still alive. Mainly spend their time contemplating the mysteries of the cosmos in their monasteries and shrines.

===Penitent Brethren===
The order for the self-loathing. Mainly made of [[shifter]]s and [[warforged]], they believe themselves to have some innate sin they must atone for either through injury or death.

===Serpent Cults===
The umbrella term for all the faiths based on couatls and the Silver Flame that predate the church. Their name comes from the fact that they and the church have a shared serpent/couatl theme. Currently the only known serpent cult is active within the [[shulassakar]] city of Krezent.

===Servants of the Pure Flame===
The "Puritans" are your standard extremists/fundamentalists with emphasis on the letter of the law, forced conversion, and purging heretics and enemies of the faith. Mainly centered in Aundair, they actually have some political power in Thrane and the College of Cardinals. Their leader is also a [[Lawful Evil]] powermonger who has a passion for burning witches at the stake.

===The Stormreach Church===
The result of [[fail]]ed missionary expeditions to Xen'drik. They were declared [[heretic]]s because they opposed the theocracy in Thrane, and changed their teachings from the mainline due to exposure to the local legends and unconventional worshippers of the Silver Flame joining the church. One of their members is also a member of the shulassakar serpent cult, and even one of their Inquisitors was a Lord of Dust, not to mention they failed to stop said Lord of Dust from punching a hole into Khyber and releasing one of the Demon Overlords from their imprisonment!

The accusations of heresy were not wholly exaggerated is what we're getting at here.

===The Tarnished===
The biggest of heresies in the church, these are those who worship the overlord trapped within the Silver Flame. Sometimes they do this intentionally, but mainly they get corrupted by the Shadow in the Flame, as it promises them riches and immortality in exchange for services rendered, or lures them into doing great evil while making them ''think'' they're following the Greater Good. They actually almost gained control over the church in 497 YK, before other sects found out they were demon worshipers.