Sacred Pyres

Sacred Pyres are the beacons of hope and safety that allow The Age of Umbra/01 Setting/Key Concepts/The Enduring to survive in the Age of Umbra. These hallowed fires were lit by the waning conclave of Ordinants before they vanished following The Apostasy, and their flames are one of the few wonders that keep the horrors of The Umbra at bay.

The Nature of Sacred Pyres

A Sacred Pyre is not merely a bonfire—it is a divine flame sparked by a Blessed Branch, carrying a splinter of the gods' power. These fires burn with an otherworldly warmth that repels all but the most powerful monsters from their immediate vicinity. The light they cast pushes back the encroaching darkness, creating islands of relative safety in a sea of shadow.

Every surviving settlement in the Halcyon Domain has been built around a Sacred Pyre. The communities of the Enduring huddle within reinforced battlements with their central Pyre burning as a symbol of strength and defiance. The flames climbing above the tallest ramparts serve as beacons visible across the land, signaling safety to travelers and warning monsters away.

Tending the Flame

Sacred Pyres must be continuously kindled by those given the mantle of Pyrekeeper. Only a bit of kindling must be provided daily to maintain the slow-burning blaze, but this duty is treated with sacred importance. A Pyre that goes out cannot simply be relit—it requires another Blessed Branch, an artifact of extreme rarity.

The Enduring live in constant fear of their Pyres dying out. Communities that have lost their flames have been consumed by the darkness, their populations either slaughtered or transformed into Umbra-Touched horrors. The protection of the Sacred Pyre is the highest priority of any settlement.

Smaller Consecrated Embers

Beyond the great Pyres that anchor settlements, smaller consecrated embers are said to persist undiscovered in distant places. These remnant flames, sparked by Blessed Branches in the chaos following the Apostasy, may still burn in forgotten shrines, hidden caves, or abandoned outposts.

Finding such an ember represents both opportunity and responsibility—it could serve as a waypoint for travelers, the seed of a new settlement, or a valuable resource to be brought back to strengthen an existing community.

Limitations

Even the Sacred Pyres have limits. While they repel most Umbra-Touched creatures and provide safety from wandering horrors, the Enduring must take heed: not all evil is repelled by the Pyres' flickering light. Some creatures have grown powerful enough to resist the divine flames, and mortal threats—bandits, raiders, and the desperate—can walk freely into the light.

Game Mechanic: Lurking Darkness

The importance of Sacred Pyres is reflected in the Lurking Darkness mechanic. When the party finishes a short or long rest while not in the vicinity of a Sacred Pyre, roll a d12:

Keep Watch (Downtime Move): When the GM makes a Lurking Darkness roll, a character who kept watch can roll their Hope Die and choose whether to replace the GM's roll with theirs.