Vimra of the Thirteenth Flame
A keeper of the eternal fire — and a woman with no ashes left to give.
Mike’s Personal Thoughts
I don’t like star-touched folk in general — too quiet, too shiny, too prone to whisperin’ things like “It was never about the outcome” before walkin’ into a hole in the bloody sky.
But Vimra?
She ain’t like the others.
She’s not floating, not flickering, not hummin’ moon songs into her tea like some memory-blasted dream ghost. She’s anchored. She burns. Slow. Constant. Hot enough that if ya look too close, you’ll feel shame rise up in your gut — like she just saw every lie you ever told and decided not to mention it outta mercy.
She’s the flamekeeper of the Hall of the Guiding Flame, aye. Tends to those weird golden braziers like they’re her only children. Talks to ‘em sometimes. Talks to memories, too. Not hers. Yours. Everyone’s.
And if ya say her name near the Thirteenth Sign? She goes real quiet. Real still. Like the air around her don’t wanna move no more.
So don’t ask her who she loved.
And don’t ask her who she’s waitin’ for.
Because the fire ain’t goin’ out — and neither is she.
Character Overview
Character Type: NPC
Build Type: Roleplay Focused
Build Role: Emotional Compass, Moral Mirror, Lore Trigger
Who She Is (And What’s Still Burnin’)
Vimra is the last known flamekeeper of the Hall of the Guiding Flame — one of the only places in the Conclave that feels warm, in every sense o’ the word. She was once a historian, maybe. A soldier. Or just someone who survived more loss than her soul had space for. The star didn’t take her apart — it just left her burning.
Her eyes are cinders, but her voice is steady. She doesn’t lecture. She remembers. And when she speaks, it’s like your grandmother’s story, your commander’s final orders, and your first heartbreak all wrapped in smoke and comfort.
She tends the flamebraziers daily.
She listens to them.
And they whisper back.
What She Looks Like
Eyes: Amber-gold, glowing faintly even in daylight. Sometimes flicker with distant sparks when she recalls something painful.
Hair: Shorn close on one side, cascading ash-white waves on the other. Never burns, no matter how close to the flame.
Clothing: Long fireproof robes with tattered hems — they weren’t torn by battle, they’re just old. Embroidered with curling runes that shift when you’re not looking.
Aura and Feel:
When she passes by, it’s like standing next to a hearth you forgot was there — suddenly warm, suddenly safe, suddenly aware that safety’s temporary.
Narrative Role & Campaign Function
Vimra isn’t just a flavor NPC. She’s the heartbeat of the Conclave. The soft voice in the star’s machinery. The flicker in the dark sayin’, “Yer still here. Keep goin’.”
Lore Function:
She is the memory-keeper of those who’ve passed the test — or failed it.
Each flame in the Hall she tends is tied to a soul that once walked the Conclave. Not just adventurers. Witnesses. Caretakers. Test subjects. She knows their names. Their regrets. Their final words.
She won’t offer answers. But she might offer a flame to guide the party — if she believes they’re walkin’ into something they ain’t ready for.
And if one of yer players has lost someone in their backstory?
“There’s a flame burnin’ for them. I’ll let it speak if ya’d like to listen.”
Plot Hooks & In-Session Uses:
Flame of Remembrance:
She can offer a player a temporary connection to a fallen NPC or backstory figure. Visions. Whispers. Echoes. (One-use, flavor only — unless the GM wants to twist the knife.)Flame of Burden:
If a character is strugglin’ with guilt or loss, Vimra may offer to hold that emotion in a flame — for a time. While it’s held, they feel lighter. But when they reclaim it? It comes back stronger.Final Trade Option:
If the party nears the end of the Conclave arc, Vimra may offer a final service:“Leave a flame here, if you want to be remembered. It’ll burn, even if yer bones don’t.”
It doesn’t grant power. It doesn’t change fate.
It’s just... a light in the dark. And sometimes, that’s enough.
Don’t Just Warm Yer Hands — Listen to the Fire
👉 Vimra is a quiet powerhouse for emotionally-driven sessions. She doesn’t drive plot — she grounds it. Use her when the party needs reflection, not direction. When they’re feelin’ lost. When they don’t need a sword, just a bit o’ hope.
Explore the Hall of the Guiding Flame
Meet Naelo of the Prism Pact
FAQ
Q: Can she heal the party?
A: Not with spells. But she’ll sit with ya and tell stories ‘til the fear fades. That’s worth more than a potion, if ya ask me.
Q: Can her flames be stolen or snuffed?
A: Not by mortal hands. And if you try — the Hall itself will react. Might just snuff you instead.
Q: Was she tied to the Thirteenth Sign?
A: She won’t say. But she keeps one flame locked in a glass lamp… and it never dims.
A Flame That Doesn’t Flicker
👉 In a campaign about choice, consequence, and the meaning behind yer damn actions — Vimra is yer reminder. That even when the star watches, even when the test is cruel, someone sees ya for more than yer numbers. She ain’t yer judge. She’s yer ember in the storm.
About Mike’s Tavern
Contact
Enter the Conclave
Related Lore Across the Conclave
The Voice Beyond the Star – It has not spoken aloud. Not yet. But it’s been listening since before the sky cracked.
Hall of the Guiding Flame – The place she guards, keeps, and prays to in silence.
Naelo of the Prism Pact – Her strange, starborn shadow. They never speak. They never argue.
Auralyn Starpocket – Once tried to trade with Vimra. Got told, “This flame ain’t for barter.”
Shrine of the Thirteenth Sign – She visits it sometimes. Alone.
Wanderer's Rest – Some say she lit the last campfire there.
Coin of the Lost Patron – Vimra won’t touch it. “Too cold,” she says.
About Mike’s Tavern – She doesn’t care for stories. But she honors the ones worth tellin’.
Contact – Leave a message in the firelight. If she deems it worthy, you’ll know.
Think she’s the villain? She’d agree.
But Vimra’s tryin’ to contain somethin’ far worse than herself. See how her flames burn in Hall of the Gilded Flame, or visit Naelo if you want to watch a zealot fall apart in real time.
