View source for First-Flames

The '''First-Flames''' were the first deities chosen by their siblings in '''[[Yedistren]]''' to lead the unfallen spirits before mortality. As the first to take mortal vessels, they became the '''Elder Sherok''', wielding near-divine power as '''lawgivers, guardians, and enforcers of divine will''' under the command of '''[[Meera Jenlek|The Mother]] and [[Merrik Jenlek|The Father]]'''.

Their leadership established the '''Golden Age''', a time of prosperity for the '''Free Species'''. However, their rule—originally a benevolent dictatorship—became flawed, breeding resentment among the [[High Valorèin]], leading to rebellion, the fall of the [[Sherok Empire]], and their '''self-imposed exile'''. Their most infamous act was the '''Cursing of the High Valorèin''', a deed they would later deeply regret.

After the defeat of [[Malismorai]], the First-Flames purified the [[Valorèin]] and ultimately '''chose to transcend'''. Before their ascension, they performed their final miracle—the '''resurrection of [[Merik Teslek]]''', the Chosen Hero.
{{Deity
| name          = The First-Flames
| image        = FirstFlamesEmblem.jpg
| alignment    = Lawful Divine
| universe     = [[Lethurèa]]
|full_title=First Hundred [[Sherok]]
|aliases=First Hundred, The Council
|creation=Born to the [[Meera Jenlek|Mother]] and [[Merrik Jenlek|Father]] their [[Divine Parents]]
|affiliation=The Ancient [[Merek Tetorak|Hero]] and [[Myhhra Tetorak|Heroine]], [[High Sherok]]
|abilities=Resurrection, Healing, Cursing
|rival_deities=[[Malis]]
|current_status=[[Transcendence|Transcended]]
|worshippers=[[Free Species]] during the [[Golden Age (Sherok)|Golden Age]]
|mortal_status=Yes, until they [[Transcendence|Transcended]]}}

== '''The True First War & The Rise of the First-Flames''' ==
Before mortality, '''[[Yedistren]]''' was ravaged by the '''[[True First War]]''', a battle between the '''unfallen spirits''' and the forces of [[Malis]], who had already become corrupted. This was not a war of flesh, but of '''spirit against spirit''', with '''soul-destruction''' just as horrific as any physical war.

The First-Flames rose as '''Grand Generals''', leading the '''unfallen spirits''' against [[Malis]] and his loyal [[Malisik]]. Their '''wisdom, strategy, and self-sacrifice''' secured victory, making them the natural leaders of the unfallen.

When the war ended, the '''[[Meera Jenlek|Mother]] and [[Merrik Jenlek|Father]]''' decreed that the First-Flames would lead the Free Species in mortality. However, not all spirits agreed.

=== '''Opposition from the Sebuuk & Malisik''' ===
* Many spirits, particularly the [[Sebuuk]] and [[Malisik]], rejected their rule, calling them "warriors of peace" rather than conquerors.  
* When the ruling vote was cast, '''Deviant factions''' splintered off, led by '''Elidrèel''', who would later become '''[[Malis]]'''.  

This division planted the first seeds of rebellion '''long before the First-Flames ever ruled'''.

== '''The Great Decision - Accepting Mortality''' ==
* All spirits were eager to take mortal vessels, but none more than the First-Flames.  
* Unlike others, the First-Flames '''created their own bodies''', which allowed them to:  
** Retain '''divine memory''' upon entering the world.  
** Sacrifice full divinity but retain '''power to enact the will''' of the [[Mother and Father]].  
** Avoid the '''Veil of Mortality''', which stripped most deities of divine power.  

== '''The Golden Age of the First-Flames''' ==
The First-Flames ruled through the '''Council of the First Hundred''', a benevolent dictatorship. However, their rule, though wise, became oppressive over time.

=== '''The High Sherok & Their Decadence''' ===
The '''[[High Sherok]]''', the First-Flames’ chosen heirs, '''expected to inherit rule''' upon their ascension. But because the First-Flames were '''functionally immortal''', succession never came.

This led to:  
* The High Sherok descending into '''hedonism and indulgence'''.  
* Apathy towards the '''ordinary Sherok''', whom they considered beneath them.  
* Neglecting the '''rising power of the [[High Valorèin]]''', allowing resentment to fester.  

=== '''The Laws of the First-Flames''' ===
The '''[[First-Flames' Sacred Mandate]]''' was intended to preserve order, but some laws bred unrest:

* Thou Shalt Not Murder  
* Thou Shalt Not Steal  
* Thou Shall Respect Thy Parents  
* Thou Shalt Not Consume Alcohol  
* Thou Shalt Not Indulge in the Pleasures of the Flesh  
* Thou Shall Cleave Unto Thy Mate and No Other  
* Thou Shall Take a Mate by Adulthood and No Later  
* Thou Shalt Not Lie  
* Thou Shall Sing the Praise of the Council Every Dawn and Dusk  
* Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery  
* Thou Shalt Not Copulate Without the Intention of Begetting a Child  
* Thou Shalt Not Perform Copulation in any Position Not Approved by the Council 
* Thou Shalt Not Commit Sodomy
* Thou Shalt Not Curse  
* Thou Shalt Not Utter Against the Council  

== '''The Fall of the First-Flames & The High Valorèin Rebellion''' ==
Tensions exploded when [[Malismorai]]—once a trusted figure—was exiled for attempting to '''reopen the sealed Black Hole to [[Gozog’nok]]'''. He '''corrupted the Queen of the [[High Valorèin]]''', whose Lifemate, [[Azlen Velorn|King Azlen]], had been '''executed for dissent'''.

=== '''The Purging of the Sherok & The Fall of the Crystal Citadel''' ===
* The '''[[High Valorèin]]''', under '''[[Onarèa Velorn|Queen Onarèa]]''', '''stormed the [[Crystal Citadel]]''', burning it to the ground.  
* Sherok cities were '''purged''', millions slaughtered.  
* The '''First-Flames, for the first time, were powerless''' to stop the onslaught.  

=== '''The Cursing of the High Valorèin''' ===
In desperation, the First-Flames '''uttered a forbidden Eldritch incantation''', cursing the '''High Valorèin''':  
* Many succumbed to '''[[Rampancy (Valorèin)|Rampancy]]''', losing their minds.  
* The rest '''descended into slow madness'''.  
* Only '''[[Lifemates (Valorèin)|Lifemates]], young adults, and children''' were spared.  

== '''The Resurrection of Merik Teslek''' ==
As their final act, the First-Flames performed a miracle:  
* They lifted the Curse of the [[High Valorèin]], transforming them into the '''[[Neo Valorèin]]'''.  
* They resurrected '''[[Merik Teslek]]''', the Chosen Hero.
Their voices, now eternal whispers in the cosmos, left behind only a single message:  
<strong>
''"Lead with wisdom, not dominion. Serve with humility, not pride. Remember us not as rulers, but as those who sought redemption."''
</strong>
[[Lerèan Muldûr]], ''First-Flame''


And with that, the First-Flames were no more.

==Legacy==
The First-Flames' legacy is one of triumph, tragedy, and redemption. Though their rule led to rebellion, their atonement ensured the survival of the Free Species.  

They were not perfect gods, but flawed deities who learned from their failures.  

And in the end, they left behind a [[Universe]] stronger than the one they had ruled.  
----
== '''Related Articles''' ==
* [[First-Flames' Sacred Mandate]]  
* [[Sherok Empire]]  
* [[High Valorèin]]  
* [[Neo Valorèin]]  
* [[Merik Teslek]]

[[Category:Deities]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Lethurèa universe]]