[ -- I -- Introduction -- ]

To what end do we walk this world? We are as wanderers, lost in the desert, and parched from thirst. But water is scarce, and we must learn to seek it out, lest we shrivel up and die from our own ignorance. For this truly is a drought of knowledge. No normal liquids will refresh and revitalize our withered minds and dessicated Basin. Even the elemental waters of the Lake of Dreams is no aid. This is a spiritual dryness, and only the waters from the Well of Enlightenment will bring us the satiation we crave.

Nowhere in the Basin is more aware of this than Gaudiguch, an Oasis within the desert. Here people turn from petty distractions and mundanities to truly delve into the spiritual reality that keeps us from true understanding. As the guilds of Freedom gather, they each pursue their own path towards this goal, from the endless revelries of the Minstrels to the paradigmatic workings of the Illuminati.

Though all in Gaudiguch are kin to the Flame, none cleave as close it as the Pyromancers, seeking deeply into its workings for their Enlightenment. It is no mere inspiration, but a guide, a way of life, and a way of organizing the inherent chaos of the world into something beautiful, powerful, and energetic. Many see fire as nothing but a force of destruction, but in truth, it is powerfully alive and its radiant presence is testimony to that fact.

But even within the Pyromancers, views differ on how to relate to the fires they control. While for untold ages they all united under the same banner, developments in modern history have given rise to two distinct philosophies, each with a different mechanism of action based on the individual Pyromancer's Locus of Control - the place in which they interact with their element and guide its energies. For the traditionalist practicioners of pyromancy, their Locus is external. For those who have embarked on the esoteric studies of pyrochemantics, control is internal.

Each viewpoint, external and internal, can offer a map to Enlightenment, a set of principles laid out for the practicioner to walk as they seek their True Will, and their own truth. The same could be said, of course, for even something like the study of High Magic, and the path through the sephiroth as we walk from the worldly mundanites of Malkuth to the unity with All in Kether. But there are many paths to Enlightenment, and many techiniques to be used on the journey. The more ways we have to interpret reality, the more clear our view of it will become.

However, a wise man once said, "if you have to ask what it symbolized, it didn't." Symbols mean nothing without discussion and interpretation, and so the subtle hints and secret clues of a pyrochemantic's work might be missed by those less perceptive or more addled by inhaled fire essence and effluvia. Yet answers mean nothing if simply given away. Enlightenment is a -personal- journey. Help is appreciated, nay, often required. But in the end, it is up to the individual to realize their True Will. This book then, bridges a gap, providing an analysis of pyrochemancy, without revealing its deepest secrets. From the knowledge herein, one can get to where they are going, but they must take the steps themselves.

[ -- II -- A History of Futures Past -- ]

To know where we are going, we must know where we have been. As we look back over what has come before and realize what a long, strange trip it has been, we gather purpose and meaning, and provide a context for what we have now, and we will have in the future. Pyrochemantics especially requires this context, for its meaning, and its purpose, comes from a place we can never know, and struggles we will never face. Beyond this Veil so closed off to us, pyrochemantics was not an idle fascination or alternate viewpoint to Enlightenment, but a neccessity in a struggle for survival. It is imperative to understand this place, to understand pyrochemantics.

The story begins, as good stories often do, with the machinations of the Soulless Gods. Though They have been imprisioned for what seems like aeons now, Their reach is far and wide, Their influence vast, and Their power great. In this case, that reach stretches from a long forgotten past, to distant futures that never would be, and alternate realities that were and were not. It is the story of a people so determined that they broke the bonds of time and space, and reality, to accomplish their goals, and by doing so served their own undoing. And as do all good stories, it involved Xenthos An'Ryshe.

Xenthos serves as the marker for this era, since it is the apex of his rise and fall. Raised as Xynthin in 318 CE, repairing the damage to the Seals in the aftermath of the Forsaken War and the Resurgence of Xenos, he became the first True Ascendant to be stripped of his Ascendancy by the Creatrix Estarra, 327 CE, less than a decade later. Though his contributions to pyrochemantics directly are minimal, he played such a large part in the weakening of the time stream that any decent history must mention his involvement.

But long before the shame of Xynthin, before Ascendants, before Estarra, and indeed, long before even the Avenger Himself, a civilization flourished despite the rampages of the Soulless Gods. They, the Goloths, were a death cult, devoted to revering Crazen, and because of this, being allowed to live and draw upon His mighty power. A group of Dominators created using His power a mighty wheel, the Wheel of the Goloths, able to bend time itself as it spun. And so, led by the Time Dames, they advanced forward, seeking to subjugate the world and revive their leader, the Goloth Maxyenka. They had many incursions into the future, and the Wheel created rifts in time, tearing its very fabric asunder and allowing paradoxes to exist.

As Xynthin rose and fell, becoming Xenthos and then meeting Himself as an Ascended God from a non-existant future and formerly extant alternate reality, the Time Dames continued their assaults until time could stand it no more, and began to buckle under the weight of paradoxes and contradictions. The destruction of Xynthin and sudden release of pressure caused unprecidented cracks in time - mysterious doors appeared in the guild halls of the mages and druids of the Basin. Eventually, the doors would open to reveal more mysteries - a strange room with unfamiliar devices or designs, and an odd statue, in every case. Time enough would reveal the statue's secrets - they, and the rooms, were echoes of a future that was dangerously close to coming to pass. As connections were forged to those times adrift, the statues one by one awoke and told of their future. The Goloths would win.

In this bleak and ruined future, all was lost, with only a vain hope remaining. The Goloths, realising the power granted by the Nexuses, made a concerted effort to destroy them, starting with the Pool of Stars in New Celest. Their efforts were successful, and one by one they destroyed every Nexus of Power in the Basin. Those who relied on the Nexus channels to control their powers were soon bereft of their arts, and they struggled to find a way to continue their fight. It was in this way that they evolved new arts. The druids took literally to the trees, becoming the forest themselves. The mages had a harder task, as their melds and demesnes came from the channel of power outside themselves, through the Nexuses. Eventually, they all found an immense secret, a way to reach from Prime to Elemental directly, without a Nexus. Though the power they could channel was little, it was enough, and with the aid of various apparatuses and methodologies, they developed the chemantic specializations. Using this, they could fight back, but it was too late to make any difference.

Not so in the august reaches of the past, where the war still raged, and the Nexuses still stood. With the doors open, and those frozen in statue revived, the link to the future grew stronger. Those revived began to strengthen the link, drawing back into the present the tools of the future. First was one of the star ships of the Lost New Celest, planted within the Starry Sea, and serving as the teaching ground of the first aquachemancer in modern times. Whether this series of events, and the foreknowledge of the future it came with, led to the subsequent defeat of the Time Dames and the Goloth Maxyenka, or whether this future would never have come to pass anyways, the fact remains that the skills were brought to us, and with us they stay, despite coming from a time that cannot be. Though the Pyromancers did not learn of pyrochemantics until after the Ascension of Synkarin, it was nevertheless learned, from Scuchemi Tliwx, the foreign future dracnari.

And so, we hold in our hands a paradox. Indeed, the past history of a non-existant future and the very real things we gained from it are almost a koan worthy of the great Bhodifucious Xiim himself. Let us meditate upon the dracnari from the future-no-longer.

[ -- III -- The Locus of Control -- ]

It must be understood that the Pyromancers practice two arts, though they both are Pyromancers. The art of combusting the world around themselves, then melding their spirit with the heat, and channeling the energies of the Plane of Elemental Fire to create their demesne - this is the art of pyromancy. Much more different is the art of the lost future, pyrochemantics.

In the lost future, the Eternal Flame was considerably less Eternal, having been extinguished for good. Their link to Elemental Fire lost, they had to make do with smaller conduits - channels like the one from the golden fire pit of the Pyromancers, to Scuchemi's pavilion. Suitable for drawing small amounts of energy only, the once future Pyromancers were unable to establish large demesnes outside of themselves. Indeed, the channel itself was not enough for any pyromantic tricks. All but the simplest of workings required additional reagents, though the power of Elemental Fire could be used to control and shape those reagents. And so, the Pyromancers turned inward - establishing a demesne all the same, but inside the body, instead of outside.

The term for this is the Locus of Control. A locus refers to a point of congregation, centrality, and unity. In this case, it refers to where a Pyromancer focuses their power. Those who focus on an external Locus of Control draw vast amounts of power across their link to the Eternal Flame, using it to establish dominion over the world around themselves. And then there are those with an internal Locus of Control, using the power of Fire for bodily mastery, turning their insides into an alembic that processes and refines the very essence of Fire. The primary distinction between pyromancy, and pyrochemantics lies in this Locus of Control.

Though it is not entirely applicable to pyrochemantics, a similar distinction can be observed in high and low magics. Highmagic is focused on external forces, the control of the spheres of the sephiroth, and have effects that, even when personal, evoke outward energies and draw them in. Lowmagic is demonstrably opposite, as it is concerned with the control of internal chakras and their flow of energies. Effects invoke these chakras, releasing their energies and sending them out. Thusly, it is important to observe the distinctions there as well. However it should be noted that all control of elemental energies requires study of Highmagic, as the first and foremost task of any mage is to channel the energy of the elemental planes, and that powerful external force requires at least basic skill at manipulating the cabala.

[ -- IV -- Burning Blood -- ]

To consider the useful applications of pyrochemantics, one must consider the make up of the body. The body is the internal Locus of Control for a pyrochemancer, and it becomes their demesne. The understanding of the body, then is important to proper practice of pyrochemantics.

The essential building block to pyrochemancy are the effluvia, the gaseous secretions borne of Fire and channelled through the pores. Of these there are four - the Incendiary, the Opiate, the Narcotic, and the Pyrrhic. Though the many skills of the Pyromancers are dependant on the interactions of the various effluvia, the first step, so often taken for granted, is the actual creation of them. To understand the creation, one must understand the four bodily humours.

Though their legacy is fading with the advent of new curatives, once, there were four valuable purgatives, each of which cleansed the body of dyscrasias affecting one of the four humours. This lead to a deeper understanding of bodily works, and in time, the use of the various balances and centres of the humours to process fire essence into pyrochemantic reagents.

The four humours are the Sanguine, the Choleric, the Melancholic, and the Phlegmatic. Each is in tune not only with bodily processes and dispositions, but also the very elements themselves. It is important to understand then, that each of the effluvia is not purely of fire, but rather is Fire essence channeled through one of the body's elemental centres. They are hybrids, fire as seen through air, or earth, or water, or even magnified with fire again. This gives them their differing natures, the unique temperaments that react so strongly.

The first and most obvious of the humours is the sanguine, that which is commonly called blood. It is a liquid of vitality and youth, surging freely through our system and bolstering life. Represented by the Sacred Flame of Life, this humour captures the essence of Air within the body, and indeed, is the first exposed to air, through the lungs. As air is full of moisture, the sanguine humour is hot and wet, springing from the heart and bringing courage, hope, and carefree joy. Too much creates an imbalance, which leads to flightiness and irresponsibility.

The second humour is the melancholic, that of the black bile which sits in the spleen and brings about the most sombre of moods. Its particulate is small, but potent, and has a great effect on mood, though its quietude brings deep analysis of the world around ones self. Represented by the Sacred Flame of Knowledge, the melancholic humour channels the Earth within the body, murky and sedimentary in the blood. Quite the opposite of sanguine, the earthy humour is cold and dry, bringing forth in the body the dispassion of logic and seriousness. An imbalance can be dangerous, bringing about depressed moods, gluttony, and stinking thinking.

The third humour is the phlegmatic, that of the clear, watery phlegm that pervades the body and cushions the brain. The phlegm is present in all bodily fluids, and its pervasiveness is like a truth of reality. Represented by the Sacred Flame of Enlightenment, the phlegmatic humour is composed of Water, flowing and ever-pervasive. Much like winter, the phlegmatic humour is cold and wet, fostering a mind of calm and peace, rife with deep thoughts. In excess there is imbalance, which makes one apathetic and slow.

The fourth humour is the choleric, that of the yellow bile. Arising from the liver, this powerful element provides heat and power and verve. Represented by the Sacred Flame of Passion, the choleric humour is formed from Fire, filled with burning and drive. The power of heat makes this humour hot and dry, and bolsters strong, ambitious feelings, and the strong qualities of a leader. When the choleric dominates it creates an imbalance, and feelings of restlessness and anger will arise.

Understanding the four humours is important to pyrochemantics, for each gives rise to the vapours which become effluvia. From the Sanguine humours rise the hot and wet vapours that form the Incendiary effluvium. Next, the vapours become cold and wet, giving rise to the Opiate effluvium. The cold and dry vapours of the Melancholic bile are potent, easily converting to the Narcotic effluvium. And finally, filled with the passion of fire are the hot and dry Choleric vapours, alight with the fiery intensity of the Pyrrhic effluvium.

[ -- V -- Internal Processes -- ]

Effluvia, though important, are an end result, a product of a conversion in which already prepared reagents are mixed with vapours to become highly reactive gases. What of the reagents themselves? These are the true focus of the internal Locus of Control, for they are what requires the internal demesne, and complete control over the workings of internal bodily processes.

In the workings of the body, there are two vital forces, each a key component of life, and each in their way a key component of pyrochemantics. The first is the Pneuma, the Breath of Life. It is a strong, vital force, extracted from the air with every breath, and used to power any number of bodily processes, particularly those that combine things together. In contrast is the Ignis, the Inner Heat, which keeps our body temperature up and controls bodily process that dissolve or break down. But consider as well that heat has the power to combine, melting, forging, or fusing together disparate elements. Thus, it is the Ignis power we concern ourselves with, and learn to control.

All processes start, however, with the Pneuma, the Breath of life. As a fire will extinguish when lacking air, but too much air will cause a conflagration, so are these two forces linked. Within the body, air is taken into the lungs, where it crosses into the blood and straight to the heart, the centre of being. From here, in the heart, the Pneuma takes hold, causing two important reactions. Firstly, the flames of the Ignis are stoked, and the Inner Heat spreads throughout the body. Secondly, the Pneuma infuses the blood, giving it its Sanguine temperament.

The two forces flood the body, providing a wealth of vital faculties. Within the liver, they work together to create the four humours, which then spread to the body as required. Within the brain, they allow thought: the Pneuma providing sensation, awareness, and perception; and the Ignis providing digestion and absorbtion of these stimuli - processing insight, and distilling the essence and meanings of the experiences. Within the gut, the Inner Heat and the Natural Force play off each other to aid in digestion and absorbtion of nutrients.

Controlling the demesne of the body allows one to subvert the process, temporarily subduing the Pneuma, and controlling all functions with the Ignis. The process begins now with fire essence, either taken raw from the Plane of Elemental Fire, or contained in processed form as a glass pyramid. The pyramids are crushed and the essence snorted, filling the lungs with pure fire essence instead of air. It flows, as always, into the blood, and there to the heart, where it ignites the Inner Heat.

The heart is a deeply Sanguine organ, inextricably linked with the Pneuma and the Air. As it is the first organ the fire-Pneuma will reach, it is the first meld of the demesne, and thus, it is where the first reagent is made. As with regular Pneuma before it, the fire-Pneuma infuses the blood, but this time it takes on the Sanguine temperament, instead of imparting it. And so the first reagent, the Incendiary, is made.

The second meld is that of the brain, where thought origiates, and is processed. Here is the most directly obvious effect, to the pyrochemancer at least. Any inhalation of fire essence results in a heady rush, and an amazing high. The reason is simple - within the brain, the fire-Pneuma is unable to allow sensation in the same way as the regular Pneuma. It instead allows sensation of experience, which is then processed and experienced by the Ignis. Deep insights are often the result of this powerful high, and epiphanies or great import have been known to occur. Here, with true clarity of thought, the Opiate reagent is created.

The spleen, rather than the gut, is the third meld, as the spleen is the focus and storehouse of the melanchoic humours. The spleen uses the Retentive Force of Pneuma to draw sickness from the blood, maintaining its purity as it flows. So the fire-Pneuma burns away the sickness, leaving purity in its place. The impurities burn to ash, and then are fused by the Ignis to the melancholic humours of the spleen, forming the Narcotic reagent.

Lastly is the liver, the fourth and final meld. With its hot and dry temperament, one might expect it would not be the last to be learned and mastered by the pyrochemantic, but as the liver controls the creation of the four humours, it is vital to have a mastery of prior experiences. Improper control can be damaging, as the humours become upset and imbalanced. The fire-Pneuma does not provide the proper spark to make humours, but instead combines again, directly with the Ignis, and the sediment released from the conflagration is the Pyrrhic reagent.

Every reagent, once created, follows the same process. As the fire-Pneuma was brought to the organs by the blood vessels, so they also leave by the blood vessels. As with all blood, its job done, it returns first to the lungs for more Pneuma, to reinvigourate itself before flowing to the heart. And exchange is made, as the reagents flow out into the lungs, and air flows back in to the body. From here, it is a simple matter of exhaling the reagents into the fused quartz flasks that mark the pyrochemantic trade. At last at rest, the reagents condensate into their half-liquid, half-gas form, and they wait until needed. The fused quartz of the flasks is non-reactive with the reagents, and so they can stay safe for incredible lengths of time.

[ -- VI -- Vapours and Effluvia -- ]

There are many uses of pyrochemantic reagents, for their powerful temperaments are inclined to a variety of intricate tasks. But to see a pyrochemancer is to see the distorted haze about them, to smell the burnt purfumes that cling to them. These are the effluvia, and they are the powerful weapons that were used in the War That Never Was.

The creation of effluvia is the final major process that occurs within the internal demesne, though there are tricks abound to the resourceful pyrochemancer. It relies on one additional property of the four humours, that of the vapours.

The humours within the blood and body must constantly be replenshed. This is in part due to the diminishing of the vital force within them as they are used, unable to be restored by fresh Pneuma. This is better, however, since the nutrient rich Pneuma is better spent being split freshly into the four humours, than trying to give youth to that past its prime. Though the essence that the Pneuma provides is depleted, the body of the Pneuma is not. It combines with the spent humours, converting to the gaseous vapours that are expelled from the body. The vapours are repulsed by the air and Pneuma within the lungs, waiting to be exhaled, so they instead exit a different way, transpired from the pores in the body's skin. These deeply concentrated dregs retain some potency, and they have been known to strongly affect moods in both the self and others.

The creation of effluvia does not circumvent this process with fire-Pneuma, but rather relies on the already transmuted reagents within the fused flasks and the pyrochemancer's mastery to add an additional step. The semi-liquid, condensated reagents are imbibed, where they are churned within the gut, and acted on by the choleric Ignis forces therein. Swiftly broken down, they are absorbed into the body, as their elemental affinities makes them easy to control. The pyrochemancer uses attractive forces within the Pneuma to draw like to like, mixing each reagent with its corresponding vapour to create an effluvium. The process then is the same, and the effluvium is excreted in a noxious cloud about the pyrochemancer.

The effluvia are used for the most aggressive attacks the pyrochemancers are capable of performing. Surrounding the pyrochematic at all times, until despersed naturally or forcibly, they can be focused on a specific target, overwhelming the victim and causing a variety of ailments. Stupidity, clumsiness, confusion, even simply wracking them with fire; the effluvia can devastate an unprepared mind and body. Indeed, since the effluvia are so tied to individual body chemistry, one pyrochemancer cannot even protect themselves from another's focused effluvia.

By mixing two effluvia, it is possible to incite a powerful, destructive explosion that rips through the surrounding areas. It is dangerous, in no uncertain terms, for the reagents involved are volatile, and the temperaments imparted fall easily out of control.

There are only a few combinations of effluvia that can be reliably controlled, but their effects are immense. The mixing of the phlegmatic Opiate and the sanguine Incendiary creates a muddling effect that dulls the nerves in a psychadelic explosion. The Opiate also mixes with the melancholic Narcotic, and their mental force causes a phrenic explosion that rips the mind aparty and causes insanity. The Incendiary can be mixed with the choleric Pyrrhic effluvia, causing a devastating pyrokinetic explosion that dulls capacity for cogent thought. Most powerful, though is the arson explosion, a complete conflagration of all the effluvia in a true display of the power of fire. Weakensses are taken advantage of, and the scorching flames will seep though all cracks.

There are other variations as well, such as the creation of defensive smokes. These are highly concentrated, stablized mixtures of effluvia, produced in a slightly different manner than normal. As reagents are semi-liquid, they are drinkable, and this allows the overconsumption of given reagents. Reacting violently within the gut, they are broken down and dispersed through the body, combining with the vapours, though of course in different ratios. Whereas normal effluvia are too weak to transpire into the lungs, the overwhelming amount taken in this way incinerates the air in the lungs and fills them. They are then forcibly expelled, and the smoke is stablized with gold particulate, becoming a potent defensive shield.

As with explosions, there are only certain combinations that are viable. Incendiary by itself, curiously, makes a powerful scorching smoke whose sanguinous temperament can throw attackers off balance. By mixing Opiate and Narcotic with Pyrrhic, it is possible to make a hallucinogenic smoke to disorient foes. The melancholy Narcotic and choleric Pyrrhic alone create a pyretic smoke, and the gut focus of the two humours can cause addiction in even the most stoic mind. Pyrrhic together with the brain-centred Opiate effluvia makes a feverish smoke that addles the mind and causes amnesia.

[ -- VII -- Working In Gold -- ]

The majority of this text has focused on the internal workings of pyrochemantics, as these are the core fundamentals of the art. They are not, however, the end of pyrochemantic workings. Effluvia are transient, and even the most potent can only linger for about a day. Pyrochemancers need more stability to their works, and thus they have tinkered with various metals before settling on the most perfect metal to give their powers form, dimension, and stability. That metal is gold.

Gold is a truly powerful metal. It is deeply in tune with with the element of fire, and carries within many of fires most positive qualities. The most spiritual of all the metals, gold is symbolic of Enlightenment. Indeed, consider the smelting of gold, where intense heat is applied, infusing the gold with fire and melting away impurities. Those impurities may blister and char and fall away, but the gold remains, ever more pure until simply that is all that is left. The gold itself is unharmed, its true essence cooling into a more perfect version of itself.

Indeed, this process of purification reveals two vital aspects of gold, much needed by a pyrochemancer. No amount of heat or fire will change the base nature of gold, making it exceptionally stable. Yet gold remains malleable, open to change into a number of forms and shapes, before settling back into solidity and purpose. To contain the pure essence of fire requires something to counterbalance fire's ephemeral nature, here in an instant and gone just as fast.

Many other virtues endear gold to the pyrochemancer. It is not simply a symbol of Enlightenment, but also of Life, of Passion, and of Knowledge. Gold has an innate lustre that showcases vitality. The morning sunlight, and indeed the sun itself, is golden, and that light gives life to the world. Gold means wealth, and power, and status, and sparks the passions of people across the Basin, ever searching for the value and prestige it brings them. Gold is also the colour of knowledge, and it speaks to refinement of understanding and a constant search for more.

With attributes such as these, it is no wonder that gold takes so well to pyrochemantics. Ever flexible, gold can become sanguine or choleric, melancholy or phlegmatic, and yet remain immutable - still gold, eternal and perfect. Infused with the essence of the reagents, gold can become attractive, digestive, retentive, or expulsive as needed. No other metal can so perfect channel what is needed for the works and riggings of a pyrochemancer.

As mentioned previously, the defensive effluvian smokes are an example of just how much stability gold provides to a work. Bar gold is broken down with the digestive force of reagents into gold filings, each then made attractive and retentive. Thrown into the fiery exhalation, the gold filings bind the smoke and allow the pyrochemancer to easily shape it into a defensive shield. Whereas an effluvia on its own will last for at most a day, the stabilized smokes can last upwards of fifty months before the gold filings are spent, and cannot maintain the cloud any longer.

The pyrochemantic riggings are some of the most complicated workings of a pyrochemancer, relying less on the subtleties of humours and effluvia, and more on the qualities of gold and intricate designcraft. As means of example, both voltage dampeners which insulate against electric shocks, and the thermal pumps which help maneouvre heat energy in a restorative fashion, require incendiary and opiate reagents, yet their effects are wildly (though not uncharacteristically) different. This is due to the actual schematics, the pathways of energy imbued into the gold, and where the various vital forces are laid. Each of these unique parameters allows for the main pyrochemantic riggings. From electric dampeners and thermal pumps, to chemantic goggles and pyroaugmentorious, to the mighty pyrocannon and its pyrrhic muzzle, the opportunites afforded by the melding of gold and reagents are vast.

[ -- VIII - The Philosophy of Pyrochemantics -- ]

Pyrochemantics is more than simply a proscription of principles and mechanics, a lifeless science of creation and conversion. Nay, it must be said that pyrochemantics is so much more. It is art as much as science, in a way that words on a page simply cannot convey. It is a science of life, a living art, and its multitudinous precepts are focused on bringing forth a balance within the self, and exploting the imbalance within others.

Consider for a moment the difficulty of working with imbalanced humours. In an excessively melancholic state, for instance, the body and mind are overwhelmed by the potent black bile, and the sanguine humour must fight harder, and be consumed quicker, to properly do its job. This leaves less available for creating reagents, less for creating effluvia, and the struggle to extract the needed components is draining on the mind. Thus, a pyrochemantic must seek to achieve balance, and never let one humour dominate the others. It becomes a philosophy of unity and wholeness of being.

As the pyrochemancers are under the umbrella of the Pyromancers Guild, they ascribe to the philosophy of the Seven Sacred Pyres, and the Five Sacred Flames. Each flame and pyre serves as a guidepost, a path to be walked towards the ultimate goal of balance and self-actualization.

The Five Sacred Flames are the first focus of the pyrochemancer, for each embodies the qualities of one of the four humours, with the Eternal Flame uniting them all. Each flame shows what to focus on, if a quality is lacking, so the body can be brought back to centre.

The Flame of Life is the sanguine flame, the fire of blood. It shows a path of vitality, of life and energy. The Flame burns optimistically, cheerful and ready to take on any challenge. It is also a flame of liberty, and happiness. If a pyrochemancer is bogged down by hopelessness and mundanity, they need to look towards the Flame of Life, and rekindle their joy in living.

The Flame of Passion is the choleric flame, the fire of yellow bile. The path of passion is not half-hearted or disinterested. It is a path of commitment and devotion, despite whatever trials and travails are thrown one's way. There is no room in a pyrochemancer to be wishy-washy, and if they find themselves so, they must turn their whole heart to all that they do.

The Flame of Knowledge is the melancholic flame, the fire of black bile. This is a path of reason and objectivity. To never be blinded by one's passions or consumed by irrationality, one must focus on the concrete, the observable. This is not a path of questions, but one of seeking answers, digesting all the information available and mastering critical thinking. There is no room for navel-gazing, for the pursuit of knowledge focuses on the real, the confirmable, and the rock solid.

The Flame of Enlightenment is the phlegmatic flame, the fire of the clear serrous fluids. This flame is one of growth, ever seeking to build itself better, stronger, and brighter. It leads pyrochemancers down a path of understanding, for to grow, one must understand themselves, and the world around them, in an intuitive manner. When the world becomes muddled and confused, the pyrochemancer looks to the Flame, clears their mind, and meditates on the mysteries.

The Eternal Flame is unifying flame, the fire of the whole body. All Flames are part of the Eternal Flame, and the Sacred Flames both spring from and feed into the Eternal Flame. So it is with the body. Each aspect - life, passion, knowledge, and enlightenment - burns separately, and must be tended separately. But they all come from the body, are tended through the body, and as part of the body, improve it with their own improvement.

The Seven Sacred Pyres are likewise important for the pyrochemancer, and each burns bright in warning.

The Pyre of the Smouldering Embers, watched over by the sanguine lady Agni, is a pyre of lust, of desire for naught but personal gratification. As marked by the tempered lady, gratification is good, but too much leads to sanguine imbalanance, and lackadaisy.

The Pyre of the Howling Flames, guarded by the choleric lord Ignis, is a pyre of wrath, of hot vengeance against those who have wronged the pyrochemancer. The fire lord by the pyre reminds the Pyromancer to not let these feelings of injustice burn them up, and blind them in a choleric rage.

The Pyre of Ravenous Inferno, watched by the melancholic lord Pyrphoros, is a pyre of gluttony, and the selfish desire to consume and indulge one's self. The fire lord shows that pyrochemancers must abandon selfishness, and turn their focus outwards, or the melancholic imbalance will consume  them.

The Pyre of Blossoming Fires, overseen by the phlegmatic lady Tejas, is a pyre of pride, the negative feelings of superiority and vanity. The tempered lady shows that pride of accomplishment is good, but to not elevate oneself above others for it. An excess of pride leads to phlegmatic imbalance, and feelings of apathy and disinterest towards others.

The Pyre of Avarcious Fire lies between the prideful, and the gluttonous. It is a pyre of greed, and feelings of entitlement and that one deserves everything they wish. There is no temperance for Avarice, and it must be rejected entirely.

The Pyre of Emerald Flames lies between the lustful, and the wrathful. It is a pyre of envy, of desire for that which others have and indignant sadness at the talents of others. No fire lord watches the Emerald Flames, for envy must be rejected entirely.

The Pyre of Banked Embers lies in the centre of the Sacred Pyres, and is a pyre of sloth and indolence. Sloth, of all frailties, gains its centred position for being the only one to drag down all humours at once, sending them into an unhealthy ebb. Again, the lack of a guardian lord shows this, too, cannot be tempered, and must be wholly rejected.

To be a pyrochemancer, and truly be a master of the craft, is to understand the virtues of the Sacred Flames, and the vices of the Pyres. It is to know when to indulge, and when to deny, and how to live a balanced life. And while this is important to being able to properly control the internal demesne, how much more important it is to living a balnced, holistic life of purpose and pleasure.

[ -- Appendix A -- The Four Humours -- ]
SANGUINE
Humour: Blood
Element: Air
Temperament: Hot/Wet
Flame/Lord: Life/Agni
Organ: Heart
Reagent: Incendiary
Quality: Hopeful, vivacious
Flaws: Careless, irresponsible

CHOLERIC
Humour: Yellow Bile
Element: Fire
Temperament: Hot/Dry
Flame: Passion/Ignis
Organ: Liver
Reagent: Pyrrhic
Quality: Strong, ambitious

PHLEGMATIC
Humour: Phlegm
Element: Water
Temperament: Cold/Wet
Flame/Lord: Enlightenment/Tejas
Organ: Brain
Reagent: Opiate
Quality: Calm, insightful
Flaws: Apathetic, slow

MELANCHOLIC
Humour: Black Bile
Element: Earth
Temperament: Cold/Dry
Flame: Knowledge/Pyrphoros
Organ: Spleen
Reagent: Narcotic
Quality: Rational, sombre
Flaws: Depressed, gluttonous

[ -- Appendix B - Glossary of Terms -- ]

Choleric: Having or producing the qualities of yellow bile. Hot and Dry, of fire element. Qv Appendix A.

Demesne: An area to which a Pyromancer has melded their spirit, giving them immense control over fire and heat.

Dyscrasia: An ailment caused by or resulting in an imbalance of humours.

Effluvium: A noxious pyrochemantic secretion used to assault enemies and create explosions and smokes. The result of combining reagents with vapour wastes from humours. pl Effluvia.

Goloths: An ancient death cult devoted to Crazen.

Humour: One of the four bodily fluids responsible for health and wellbeing.

Ignis: One of the body's vital forces, ignited in the heart by the Pneuma and responsible for Inner Heat. Facilitates many bodily processes.

Locus of Control: The focus of power for a particular skill, esp. in relation to the body. Can be either internal or external.

Melancholic: Having or producing the qualities of black bile. Cold and Dry, of earth element. Qv Appendix A.

Phlegmatic: Having or producing the qualities of phlegm. Cold and Wet, of water element. Qv Appendix A.

Pneuma: The Breath of Life, a vital force extracted from air and used to facilitate many bodily processes

Purgative: An alchemical elixer designed to restore humour balances and cure dyscrasias.

Pyrochemantics: An alternate specialization of pyromancy developed to fight the Time Dames after the Eternal Flame was destroyed.

Pyromancy: A specialization of elementalism practiced by the Pyromancers of Gaudiguch, focused on channeling energy from the Plane of Elemental Fire.

Reagent: A pyrochemantic material created by using fire essence instead of Pneuma to subvert bodily processes. The basic building block of all pyrochemantics.

Time Dames: Goloth women who built and used the Wheel of the Goloths to travel through time. Their actions nearly ruined the world, and caused the Seals to break.

Sacred Flame: One of the Five Flames on the Plane of Fire tended by the Pyromancers. Considered guidelines for a balanced life.

Sacred Pyre: One of the Seven Pyres on the Plane of Fire tended by the Pyromancers, and watched over by the Fire Lords. Considered to be lessons on virtue and vice.

Sanguine: Having or producing the qualities of blood. Hot and Wet, of air element. Qv Appendix A.

Vapour: A waste product of the bodily humours once their vital energy is spent, combined with Pneuma to escape through the pores.