Jal Brûlant

Jal Brûlant is a Loa who is worshipped in the domain of Raba in the Wartorn Cluster. It belongs to the Loa ap Mache.

In the mythology of Raba, Jal Brûlant used to be a fiery Loa that acted in an absolutely deranged manner, drinking heavily, dancing wildly, brawling with any other Loa it encountered and exciting its followers during celebrations to the point of madness. It seemed to delight in driving people to acts of violence and hedonism, teaching them that nothing mattered, and so they should do what delighted them.

That all ended when one fateful morning, all the artwork of Jal Brûlant changed. From a dancing, leaping figure of crimson flame, the Loa's images were transformed to a figure that looked like a charred corpse, seated upon a gravestone. The figure had two dreadful wounds; a gaping hole in its right flank that oozed blood; a gaping hole in its chest that showed the heart had been ripped out and was replaced with a crimson rose. Written upon the gravestone were the words "Someone mattered. But she is gone."

From a figure of nihilistic hedonism, Jal Brûlant has become a Loa of sorrow, grief and contemplation. It offers no comfort or answers to those who suffer, but does give them a chance to distance themselves from their pain through a trance-sleep so deep that it might almost be a coma. This does not mean the spirit has become softer or more gentle; it only shows its version of care to those who suffer. Several times, Voodan who attempted to re-kindle the flame of their patron by holding the ribald celebrations of yesteryear have come to gruesome ends, having caught fire mid-ritual, with no water capable of dousing them. The fortunate ones burned to death; the truly unfortunate had to linger for days or even months before they finally died of their injuries.

Rather than being celebrated and called upon for boons, most people prefer to appease the Loa. It may offer respite to those who are suffering, but it is clearly unbalanced and dangerous to all others. There are quite a few Voodan who would like to know who the mysterious 'special someone' is, whose loss has hurt their patron so, and hope to bring them back together.

Appearance

As mentioned above, Jal Brûlant is depicted as a flame-charred corpse with two hideous wounds. In its images, it is shown sitting cross-legged on a gravestone, its hands cupped protectively around the rose that blooms where its heart used to be. Its eyes are typically lowered in quiet contemplation. Rare images where the Loa is looking up show that they are filled with the fire of an insane rage.

Statistics

• Alignment: Chaotic Evil
• Domains: Death, Destruction, Fire
• Schools: Conjuration, Evocation, Necromancy

Inspiration

Jal Brûlant was inspired by the Dark One of the Divided States.