Art by Stephanie Osborne
The Cult of the Lightless Flame is an organization dedicated to The Desolation. They worship the Desolation under several names such as The Lightless Flame and Asag.
The cult's members are enriched by destroying the lives of people who have things to live for and destroying things before their potential is realised. In exchange, the cult members can create heat--but not fire--and gain the ability to make their skin run like wax.
Known Members[]
- Agnes Montague - Messiah
- Arthur Nolan - Leader (Formerly)
- Diego Molina - Leader
- Jude Perry
- Eugene Vanderstock
- Eileen Montague
- Roger[1]
- Sandy[2]
History[]
1950s[]
There is no information on the founding of The Cult of the Lightless Flame but the earliest information comes from the 1950s, when Eugene Vanderstock is introduced to the cult by Diego Molina and Arthur Nolan.
Diego’s wishes to perform a ritual for the Desolation by creating an inferno of apocalyptic proportions, but no one in the cult has access to firepower of such magnitude. As an alternative, Arthur proposes creating a messiah, an incarnation of flame who can usher in the new world that Diego calls “The Scoured Earth”. Eileen Montague, a pregnant member of the cult, volunteers her child for the cause. For the birth, they burn down five acres of woodland and erect a massive pyre in the middle. Eileen lays in a hollow at the centre of the pyre and as she goes into labour, they set it ablaze.
Her body is consumed and atop her mother’s ashes lies Agnes Montague, unharmed by the flames. They baptise her in boiling water and set out to raise their messiah, something that turns out to be an unexpected challenge.
In addition to being a vessel for the Lightless Flame, Agnes is also a child given to fits of violent rage. Her caretakers are forced to move frequently as her destructive powers prove difficult to conceal. A few members of the cult even perish to her power but Arthur simply declares it a test of their devotion.[3]
1960s[]
Agnes settles down as she ages and becomes a quiet and studious child. The cult is divided on their next course of action. Some believe she needs to spend time with other children, some believe she should simply focus on honing her powers and some think she is already powerful enough and they should strike at their enemies. They ultimately settle on a compromise, she will be sent to live at Hill Top Road. It is a stronghold of the Web and full of children her age. They are confident the Web poses no real danger to her and simply supervise from a distance.[3]