Cathedral of the Silver Flame

The Cathedral rests atop the highest tier of the city, an indomitable bastion and source of great inspiration for the Silver Flame worshipers who call the city home. The Cathedral has white alabaster walls supported by massive flying buttresses and fitted with dozens of tall, stained glass windows set in ornate, wrought iron frames.

The interior of the Cathedral, with its silver inlaid black marble floors and pillars, seems a perfect marriage of majesty and decadence. Deep within the Cathedral, beyond heavy doorways and well-armed warforged guards, sits the Chamber of the Flame. The Flame itself rises from a fiery pool at the center of a brilliant circular mosaic of floor tiles.

In addition to housing a veritable swarm of clerics and paladins, the Cathedral is home to the offices of the cardinals and the private chambers of the Keeper of the Flame, Jaela Daran. Anyone lucky enough to be granted access might stumble upon Jaela in the halls, for she paces them often, murmuring quietly to herself. Of course, wherever Jaela goes, so too goes her ferocious pet and guardian, Skaravojen.

A gray stone causeway connects the Cathedral to the tall spires of Thalingard.

Source: Five Nations

Flamekeep is built around the Cathedral of the Silver  Flame, which is the tallest building in the city and visible from just about anywhere within its urban sprawl. The current building features silver-inlaid black marble, flying buttresses, and stained-glass windows. The primary sanctuary is large enough to contain thousands of supplicants, although even this is far too few for any meaningful part of the city to regularly attend services in the cathedral. Deep within the structure lies the Chamber of the Flame, where the Keeper can commune directly with the spirit of Tira.

This magnificent structure has gone through many renovations since a temple was first constructed by Maliah Sharavaci. Tour guides for the building like to point to the few pieces that remain of that original temple as bits of trivia for pilgrims. The largest expansion came under then-Princess Joliana, who in conjunction with Keeper Valiron Silverthorn rebuilt what was a modest temple into the monumental structure it is today. 

Source: Cultures of Thrane

No matter where one stands in Flamekeep, the Cathedral of the Silver Flame is in view. Situated at the highest point of the city, the massive cathedral sports alabaster walls and flying buttresses fitted with brilliant stained glass windows depicting religious and historical scenes. Icons, angelic beings, and gargoyles decorate the exterior.

Inside, the walls are black marble inlaid with silver patterns, testifying to the church’s wealth and power. The nave can hold thousands at a time, with pews spreading out among the supporting pillars, each of the four transepts, and balconies hanging just below the clerestory. A raised area before the presbytery can hold a choir of one thousand children, each selected for his or her ringing voice.

Beyond the presbytery, behind two enormous wooden doors, is the Chamber of the Flame. This place is where the holy light of the Silver Flame burns and where the Keeper of the Flame comes to commune with the Voice of the Flame upon the mosaic encircling the fiery pool.

The cathedral also has cloisters in the rock below. Labyrinthine passages lead to cells where highranking priests attending the cathedral live, pray, and reflect on their devotion. The lower levels also contain the offices of the Council of Cardinals, a garrison for the church’s divine warriors, and the Keeper of the Flame’s personal apartments.

Source: Eberron Campaign Guide