Pyremius is the Suel god of Assassins, Fire, Poison, and Murder. Pyremius was once a demigod of poison and murder, but he poisoned Ranet, the Suel goddess of fire, and assumed her portfolio. He is now the patron of assassins. He is friendly with fiends; jermlaine worship him, as do many nonhuman tribes. He keeps other gods at arm's length, except for Syrul, a fellow patron of the Scarlet Brotherhood.
Pyremius is very popular in the lands ruled by the Scarlet Brotherhood, as well as among assassins and pyromaniacs. He is also worshipped by jermlaine, firenewts, and grimlocks.
Clerics tend to prey upon each other, and smarter ones sometimes leave a temple to find their own order of the church. Pyremius' clerics watch other people for weaknesses or openings in their defenses. They expose themselves to great heat to test their strength, plot against those who hold things they want, build superior forges, and explore exotic locations to find rare plants and other substances from which poisons can be made. Assassins can be hired at their temples; turnover among the clerics is high because of internal feuds.
Clerics of Pyremius are never granted spells related to cold. Many clergy members are assassins.
Vestments
Clerics wear orange silk with red silk over that, slitted to reveal the inner layer. Male and female clerics both shave their heads. They wear brass bracers in imitation of their deity.
Hierarchy
The lowest-ranking priests are known as deathseekers. Yhose higher up in the hierarchy are known as vipers, and those who rule them all are called firelords. Many elect not to use these titles, however, knowing they will only incite jealousy from their murderous inferiors.
Temples
Temples of Pyremius are made of mortared stone, volcanic stone if possible. Red and orange shapes are enameled into the walls and glazed to reflect the lights. Dark alcoves and chambers fuel a visitor's sense of paranoia.
The largest center of Pyremius' faithful is Hesuel Ilshar, the capital of the empire of the Scarlet Brotherhood.
Rituals
The faithful of Pyremius meet during hot, dry days when wildfires are common. They meet at the sites of wildfires and pray to their fickle god. Sacrifices of slaves and prisoners are conducted at the beginning of winter, spring, and low summer. Victims are poisoned, stabbed, and burnt alive.
The world will perish in fire. Anything that threatens you must be burned, and those who would keep you from doing this must be killed. The greatest enemy must sleep sometime. Those who fall to such tactics deserve their fate, and those who exploit these weaknesses are the most crafty of all.
Pyremius is depicted as a hideous human with a bald, jermlaine-like head. He wears large bracers of brass. He wields a sword, the Red Light of Hades, and a whip called the Viper of Hades.
Pyremius speaks through open flames, and occasionally causes them to assume his visage.
Pyremius's closest allies are the goddess Syrul and the Oinoloth Mydianchlarus. He is distrustful of all other gods; he remembers how he betrayed Ranet, the previous Suel deity of fire, and doesn't wish for the same thing to happen to him. Geshtai particularly loathes him.
