Firewalker

The head of each branch of the Church of Fire is called the Firewalker. With this position comes a host of powerful abilities that allow the Firewalker to be kept up to date about what is happening in his church and the world at large. The Firewalker has no fixed abode, no temple where he is supposed to reside. Instead he wanders the country, performing acts of charity and generally making the land a better place.

Unlike other high priests, the Firewalker is expected to get his hands dirty. No matter is too trivial or small for the Firewalker to take a personal interest. However, even with the most powerful spells, the Firewalker cannot be everywhere at once. The Church hit upon an ingenious solution to this problem very early on in its career. Within four seasons of the church being established, there was a Firewalker leading it.

The story goes that Bertelmeus Berdgardt - the original head of the Church of Fire and contemporary of Uros - was visited in the night by an emissary of Calafax: a Phoenix. That Phoenix told Bertelmeus that the Church of Fire had a very special road to tread in respect to the other Moon Faiths. The Church of Fire had a responsibility to put people first, not philosophy. They were there to keep the other churches grounded in reality, to remind them that they served the worshippers of the Moon Gods. The Church of Fire was free to take a different stand on things like philanthropy and resurrection. Everyone was deserving of a second chance, but it was only the Church of Fire who would be prepared to give them one. However, in order to accomplish this the Church of Fire needed an edge.

The phoenix shed a single tear that touched Bertelmeus and granted him the powers of the Firewalker. Bertelmeus also saw how he could create Fire Eyes to exploit his new powers. However, the phoenix warned him that no Firewalker may ever have more than nine fire eyes at any one time.

The phoenix shed more tears that were held in a special vial. It said that as the Church of Fire expanded beyond Norandor so would other Firewalkers be needed. One drop onto another person would grant them the power of the Firewalker, but no more than one Firewalker could exist in any one country. When a Firewalker died, a special ceremony would be required to pass on the power to another or the magic would be lost.

Game Rule Information

"Firewalker" is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature) that has endured the Trial of Flame

Attributes: There are no modifications to the base creature's attributes.

Size and Type: The base creature's size and type are unchanged.

Speed: Base land speed increases to 40 ft. If the base creature could already move faster than that he gains no additional benefit. The Firewalker can force march for eighteen hours per day (covering eighty miles at a base speed of 40) without taking any of the penalties normally associated with forced marching (see PHB p164). Note that terrain penalties still apply to the amount of distance that can be covered in one day. This is an Extraordinary ability.

Special Qualities: In addition to the special qualities of the base creature, the Firewalker gains the following:

See Through Fire Eye (Su): The Firewalker can automatically link with any Fire Eye created by himself, or any predecessor in this role. The Fire Eye cannot prevent the Firewalker from exercising this ability. The Firewalker can see through the eyes of the Fire Eye and benefits from any supernatural abilities of sight such as See the Unseen or Premonition the Fire Eye may possess. The Firewalker can also see through a Fire Eye's Fiery Eye, but the Fire Eye would have to create one first.

Converse with Fire Eyes (Su): The Firewalker can telepathically converse with any Fire Eye created by himself, or any predecessor in this role. He can speak with a number of Fire Eyes equal to his character level (or hit dice) simultaneously. Fire Eyes cannot resist a Firewalker if he desires telepathic communication.

Closeness of Calafax (Ex): The Firewalker is much closer to Calafax than even clerics of the highest level. Firewalkers do not find their spellcasting or granted powers diminished during the Dark of Calafax. Their powers function normally during this time. They are still enhanced during the full moon.

Entourage of Fire (Ex): The Firewalker can confer his extraordinary overland movement rate to his entourage. The number of people in the entourage cannot exceed the Firewalker's hit dice. Everyone in the Entourage can move at Speed 40 for eighteen hours per day without suffering any of the ill effects of forced marching. The Firewalker and his entourage can cover as much as eighty miles per day in this fashion. This bonus to Speed only applies to overland movement, and does not apply to tactical movement during combat.

See Also:

• Church of Fire
• Fire Eyes