_Governing Body of the Flamebound Order_ The **Ash Council** is the spiritual and ideological heart of the [[Order of the Flamebound]]. Formed from the oldest surviving paladins—those who have endured not only war and fire, but doubt and renewal—it exists to preserve the Order’s wisdom, traditions, and moral clarity. Though the Council does not command the Circles directly, its guidance shapes every Flamebound’s path. The Council convenes once every ten years in a hidden chamber deep within the **Sanctum of Cinders**, where sacred flame never dies and visions of the gods whisper through the smoke. --- **Council Structure** The Council is composed of **seven seats**, known as the **Embers**. Each Ember is a title earned through years of service, revelation, and the Trial of Final Light—a test that no Flamebound undertakes lightly. **Current Known Embers:** - **High Ember Saelorith the Unshaken** _Race:_ Aasimar • _Age:_ Unknown (appears 40s) The de facto leader of the Ash Council. Known for her serene demeanor and unflinching gaze, Saelorith has not raised her voice in over a century, yet her word carries the weight of law. She once quelled a war between three Flamebound Circles with a single sentence. - **Ember Varn of Blackglass** _Race:_ Human • _Age:_ 83 A former slayer of fiends in the Ash Wastes. He walks with a cane of obsidian, said to still burn if held by the unworthy. Varn believes in judgment through ordeal and champions the old rites. - **Ember Halorn Flamewarden** _Race:_ Dwarf • _Age:_ 210 Keeper of the Eternal Flame in the Sanctum of Cinders. Stoic, loyal, and slow to trust, Halorn rarely leaves his forge-chamber. Some believe he crafts sacred weapons from the bones of the unredeemed. - **Ember Yshari Dawncoil** _Race:_ Elf • _Age:_ 610 The Council’s visionary and chronicler of fire-dreams. Her eyes glow with prophetic flame. She often speaks in riddles and is said to have predicted the fall of the Red Citadel twenty years before it occurred. Yshari is one of [[Sapphira]]'s most vocal supporters within the Council and is said to have hinted that a new Ember seat should be made for her. - **Ember Drevan the Hollow-Handed** _Race:_ Tiefling • _Age:_ 97 Known for sacrificing both his hands during a failed ritual to save an entire village from being consumed by a divine wildfire. His prosthetic flame-gauntlets serve as both weapons and reminders. - **Ember Tora Veylan** _Race:_ Half-Orc • _Age:_ 72 The war tactician of the Council. Tora advocates for proactive action against tyranny. She has led several crusades into Askaria territory and is fiercely protective of the Free Kingdoms. - **Ember Melka the Soot-Tongue** _Race:_ Gnome • _Age:_ 128 An eccentric speaker who sees flame as language, story, and memory. She teaches that every spark remembers something—and that the flames speak if you learn to listen. --- **[[Sapphira]]’s Role** Though not officially one of the seven Embers, **Dame [[Sapphira]] of the [[Iron Ray Order]]** serves as the Council’s **Flameborne Delegate** stationed in [[North Angoria|North Angoria]]. Her deeds, wisdom, and battlefield reputation have made her one of the most influential voices in the region. The Council has granted her the authority to act on their behalf in matters of liberation, prophecy, and defense across the Free Kingdoms and the borderlands of Askaria. There is growing pressure among younger Flamebound and even some Embers to grant [[Sapphira]] her own seat—a historic move that would expand the Council to eight members for the first time in its history. While traditionalists like Varn and Halorn remain hesitant, others, especially Yshari and Melka, quietly support the idea. Until then, [[Sapphira]] continues to shape the future of the Order with or without a seat—her flame guiding not just the people, but the Council itself.