Luminarch

Luminarchs are a magical species which inhabit and rule Allumeur, the planet of fire.

Eternally bound to the Sacred Flame – the supposed Last Light of Galaxy – their ancient dynasty have been its keepers since time immemorial. Said to be the site of Galaxy’s defeat, the Burning Fields of Allumeur (which sit at the base of a great, miles-wide crater) were where the goddess’ final flames flickered and waned in the dying light – but before the final embers extinguished, they were picked up and tended to by a young wisp named Wick, who would become Wick the Unfading, first of the luminarchs, and first King of Allumeur.

As they reproduce solely for the purpose of passing on the Sacred Flame, and do so asexually, there are only ever a handful of living luminarchs at any one time. The species’ only current living members are King Waxworth, his wife and sister Queen Candella, and their heir, Prince Litandle.

Biology and appearance

In basic terms, luminarchs resemble candles. Their bodies are made entirely of wax, and coated in a heat-resistant, armoured plating. On their heads and hands they carry the Sacred Flame, which – though split into several individual flames, for practicality – is their share of the original Sacred Flame rescued and nurtured by Wick the Unfading. The melting wax on their heads gives the impression of hair, and also – particularly on older luminarchs – moustaches and beards.

Despite their unique physiology, they do eat and they do drink. The planet Allumeur is abundant with heat-based fruits and other foods which provide the luminarch, and the Sacred Flame, with nourishment. As royalty, they are known for their grand banquets, to which many noble and well-to-do folk are invited, of magnificent, heat-rich game (phoenixes, for instance) and fiery fruits, coupled and washed down with liquid fire wines and gleaming teas.

Luminarchs reproduce asexually by crafting new wax husks, and then breathing life into them by passing on a portion of the Sacred Flame. It costs the luminarch some of their own life essence to do this, which is why they are concerned only with producing heirs to ensure the succession, as well as the survival of the Sacred Flame.

A luminarch dies either when it has passed on the last of its flame, or when its wick completely burns to nothing. The former is more common, for to fade away is considered undignified, and not befitting a king.

Natural abilities

The luminarchs’ possession of the Sacred Flame grants them many magical abilities.

The brilliance of Galaxy’s light enables the luminarchs to breathe new life into inanimate wax. This ritual is highly taxing, and so it’s most often used to temporarily grant life to the wax statues and other wax constructs that defend the Palace of Eternal Fire, and Allumeur as a whole – but it can also be used to ignite new luminarchs, who themselves become new keepers for the Sacred Flame. Luminarchs are long-lived, but they do not live forever, so maintaining a line of succession is critical for the flame’s survival.

There are many secrets in the galaxy that can only be unveiled beneath the light of the Sacred Flame. The Palace of Eternal Fire is itself full of old tomes and scrolls that only the luminarchs can read, and secret passages to which only luminarchs can open the way.

Being imbued with the flames of Galaxy, the luminarchs wield many powers over fire. Whilst they cannot do things like throw fireballs or conjure up great walls of flame, they can ignite anything and bless it with Galaxy’s divine light. Being painless to the touch, their fire can be used to heal and cauterise wounds, and its warmth and light can gently nurture flowers and plants. Though today’s luminarchs have little use for combat, their kings of old were noted for riding into battle on fiery steeds, armed with flaming swords.

Simply being in the presence of a luminarch’s warmth and golden light is enough to inspire confidence and hope. It is perhaps this natural aura of theirs that has made so many fine leaders and kings of their line.

Notable individuals

The line of luminarchs began with Allumeur’s first king, Wick the Unfading, who (with no flame of his own) rescued the dying embers of Galaxy and nurtured them into the Sacred Flame, before uniting the various petty kingdoms under one banner. That very flame has been passed down since time immemorial through a long lineage of great luminarch kings and queens.

Due to the physical cost of reproduction, and the fact they do it only to produce heirs for the Sacred Flame, there have only ever been a small handful of living luminarchs at any one time.

At present, there are only three known living luminarchs on Allumeur:

• King Waxworth
• His wife/sister, Queen Candella
• Their son, Prince Litandle