Editing Flamepunk: The Church of the Holy Flame (section)

==Church Doctrines==

===Unto the Fourth Generation===
;''The shadow of the parent is passed on to the child''
:''--Path to Purity, verse I''

The Church teaches that the sins of the parent are visited upon the child, and it is in the interest of every man and woman to live righteously, and seek to emulate the purity of the Holy Flame in all things, lest their children suffer for their selfish acts.

This can be seen in everyday life where the children of poor parents suffer the curse of being penniless themselves, and the children of rich parents have the blessings of wealth. Similarly, poor children are generally sicker, more likely to die young, dumber and uglier than rich kids.

The rich Guilds and powerful Hadar Families like pseudo-Divine Right because it provides a moral justification for their wealth, beauty, success, etc. The poor don't particularly like it, but the pseudo-logic evidence is hard to dispute.

===Loyalty and Excellence===
;''Obedience to those whose flame bears less shadow than your own is the key to purification''
:''--Path to Purity, Verse II''

Dogma further teaches that the only way to move up in life is to unquestioningly obey those with fewer shadows on their souls than you. The Church teaches constant loyalty, even to death, to those who are your betters. Finally, they teach Excellence in all you do, persevering against and overcoming the toughest challenges your masters place before you.

Often distilled down to the idea that "the Flame helps those who help themselves," this attitude can be seen in everyday life where those indendants who work very hard for a Guild can not only improve their lot in life, but also improve the lot of their children. With better education and medical care, their children are obviously prettier and smarter (on paper) than those born in the ash-slums.

The Guilds like the unquestioned obedience and working hard parts, but it's the Hadar Families that really like the unswerving loyalty and personal excellence; it's a bigger deal in a warring criminal organization than in a warring corporate environment. The poor don't particularly like this part either, but the pseudo-logic evidence is again hard to dispute.

===Altruistic Tithing===
;''He who provides fuel so that another's flame may burn brighter, shall be rewarded tenfold in the Realm of Purity''
:''--Path to Purity, Verse III''

Lastly, dogma teaches caring for those less fortunate than you, and it is here that the Church's true genius shows. Having their Missionary Hospices already in place, the Church argues that any other form of welfare are wasteful - only the Church, with their centuries of practice, can do it right.

This means that the Church is best placed as the sole source of handouts and medical care for the poorest people. This generates massive amounts of self-replicating gratitude on the part of the poor for the Church. Of course, hospices generally treat the symptoms, and not the problems. Similarly, they don't tolerate people who just want food doled out to them (the whole work hard attitude). 

Generally they put those they're "helping" to work performing some Church or community service, like cleaning streets or caring for the sick and injured. If you prove yourself in these services, the opportunity exist to volunteer regularly as a hospice nurse, Church guard, Church "hostess" or one of dozens of other Missionary positions. These 'volunteers' are only paid in simple, bland food and a non-private spot on the floor in an unsafe and occasionally violent common room, but if you're down on your luck and starving to death...

The Guilds and Hadar Families don't particularly like this part of dogma, but they have very little choice in the matter, and realistically Tithing ten or even twenty percent isn't really all that much money to the richest. Over the years a type of blackmail system has sprung up where Church Paladins ferret out some of the less savory and shadowy secrets of the rich and powerful. Inquisitors then take the evidence of these actions and ask the individual implicated if he has any shadows on his soul he needs revealed to the Light. The Guild Sanctum Member or Hadar Mother/Father can then generally "buy forgiveness" for their sins by making a gift to the poor. The alternative is that the information leaks to where it can do the most damage: perhaps to a rival, or to your own employees, or even to the populace in general, inciting a riot. Time and experience has taught most not to screw with the Church of the Living Eternal Flame.

Of course, all is not bad, as especially generous or regular donations are noted by the Church: "This Eternal Flame Hospice opened with a generous contribution by Senior Sanctum Member Argus Pos'par of the Salamander Guild!"