“ The Sun lord is a gentle and peaceful deity, and those who follow him help the sick and protect those in need." - a luminous pastor to his congregation
Pelor is an ancient deity, who represents the energy of the sun and all the powers that brings life to the world: warming the day, nourishing plants, comforting the cold and sick, and banishing darkness. Although he is not an embodiment of the sun itself, he steers the sun on its course through the sky, directing its energy to where it is needed and protecting it from forces that would try to divert or snuff it. As the helmsman of the brightest object in the sky, Pelor is known by all the beings that walk the surface of the world and feared by those that hide beneath it. He is a mighty god who administers to others with a gentle hand. He is unabashed in belief in the cause of good and is indifferent to the squabbles between law and chaos as long as good prevails.
Long established as a god of peace and aid, the destruction caused by recent mortal wars on Oerth has convinced Pelor to take a more proactive role by bringing his wrathful light and holy servants (e.g. Mayaheine) to bear against those who succour evil and darkness. His new perspective has brought many new worshipers to his faith. The idea of a peaceful healer god who goes to war only when he must, is very appealing to soldiers attempting to find their way after long conflicts.
Origin
This is an excerpt from the ‘Chronicles of Oronir’, describing the creation of the world:
When the lord of time, Lendor, brought Beory's dying song across the multiverse, it reached the Blessed Fields of Elysium. Pelor, the great sun lord, heard the song and his powerful radiance banished Tharizdun just far enough for him to bring life back to the dying Beory. Since then, he has not left this world and many cultures pray to him, evil humanoid out of fear.
The Shining one, also known as Sol by the early Oeridians, and who named the Solnor Ocean for him, belongs to the Early Flan pantheon. Paylor fathered three children from the union with Beory: Berei, Rao and Allithur. His brother Nerull was shown the way to the small realm that Beory created, through the beguiling whispers of Tharizdun. With such connections to this realm, it is understandable that Pelor is here to stay.
Appearance
The Radiant Lord is depicted draped in robes of purest white, shimmering with the warm embrace of a thousand suns. His countenance is one of serene benevolence, framed by cascading locks of burnished gold that seem to catch and reflect the eternal light that surrounds him. His eyes are twin orbs of molten gold holding within them the depths of the cosmos and the boundless expanse of the heavens. Yet, they also harbour a gentle kindness, a compassion that reaches out to all who seek solace in his divine presence.
The most striking of all is the aura that surrounds Pelor, bathing all in his presence in a comforting glow.
Relations with other Faiths
Pelor is very friendly with practically every good, aligned entity and quite a few neutral ones as well for that matter, particularly if they have a sun, healing, protection or agricultural aspect. Faiths he is definitely glad to work with are: his daughter Berei – goddess of agriculture, Hieroneous – God of protection and justice, Cuthbert – god of common sense, Pholtus – a god of light, and Tritherion – the god of freedom. The Sunfather has the strongest ties to the church of Mayaheine, his protégé and demigoddess of Protection, Justice, and Valour, followed closely by his son Rao – God of peace and reason).
Pelor opposes all evil faiths such as Incabulos – god of plagues and famine and his brother Nerull - god of darkness and death, and avoids neutral ones with goals that counter his teachings. However, the radiant father, stands eternally guard against the dark entity that is Tharizdun, Pelor's faith has actively spread far and wide with temples in all corners of the world, for he knows Tharizdun will rear its ugly head again.
Teachings
The Sunfather is the Sun god, but his teachings encompasses three tenets: Healing, Light and Strength.
Pelor is a god of healing.
He imparts teachings that emphasize the sacredness of life and the duty to alleviate suffering. He commands his faithful to be generous with their time and energy, feeding the hungry and healing the sick even if the recipient is in utter poverty and cannot pay for the service. Healing should go to those who need it and that tending the sick and hungry is a good and noble cause.
Furthermore, Pelor teaches that healing is not solely the domain of clerics or divine magic but is accessible to all who are willing to lend a helping hand. Whether through the application of medicinal herbs, the offering of comforting words, or the provision of practical aid, Pelor's followers are encouraged to embrace opportunities to bring healing to the world around them. This belief makes the church very popular with the underprivileged of the world.
Pelor is a god of light.
In truth, any light on Oerth is in some way a reflection or recreation of the sun's power, therefore representing Pelor. He teaches that light is not merely physical illumination, but a metaphor for spiritual enlightenment and goodness as well. He exhorts his followers to serve as beacons of hope and warmth in a world often shrouded in darkness. His teachings emphasize the importance of spreading light in all its forms, whether through acts of charity, forgiveness, or selfless service to others. He teaches that by embracing the light within oneself and sharing it with others, one can dispel the shadows of ignorance, fear, and despair that threaten to engulf the world. The faithful come together in times of actual or spiritual darkness to find comfort in the light, whether a candle, lantern, or campfire. Oddly, most of Pelor's faithful ignore moonlight as an aspect of their god. Whether this deliberate avoidance is merely custom or the result of an arrangement between Pelor and Pholtus is unknown.
Pelor is a god of Strength.
The Shining one's strength is a spiritual strength, the power of will and hope, the need to combat evil in the face of insurmountable odds because it is the right thing to do. Backed by this strength, his devout clerics willingly sacrifice their lives to defend others for the greater good. Old women take up arms to protect their grandchildren with a spark of this strength. Young clerics march into certain doom, assured by their faith that good will prevail. This strength can manifest itself in physical ways, but usually it is an invisible steel that strengthens the spirit against the weights that evil and darkness place upon it.
While his faithful see the need for going out and actively campaigning against the darkness, they understand it is possible to swing too far in that direction and ignore those at home who need help. Such blind devotion to a cause can do more harm than good (as the too-common fanatics of Pholtus prove). When evil is not knocking at their doors, Pelor's faithful are content to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and heal the sick, knowing good begets good more quickly than does destroying evil.
This is not to say his church avoids fighting evil, only that his clergy are unlikely to sponsor a war or crusade when so many needy folk suffer at home.
Symbol
The holy symbol of today's faith in Pelor features a stylized radiant sun encircled by a halo, with smaller rays emanating from it. In more ancient cultures, the symbol consists of a radiant sun with a young or mature face at its center. The sun's rays extend outward in a dynamic, swirling pattern, emphasizing the energy and power of light. The face within the sun is serene and wise.
Regardless of which symbol is used, it always represents Pelor's aspect as a benevolent god of light and warmth, bringing illumination, healing, and life to the world.
In addition to the imagery of the sun, Pelor's church incorporates the holy symbol on shields to further emphasize Pelor's role as a deity of protection, watching over his followers and guiding them toward goodness and compassion.
Places of worship
Because his faith is openly practiced, well-accepted, and provides services for the masses, most of Pelor's temples are in settled areas where priests can easily minister to the people who live nearby. His clerics see little point to building temples in far off places where they can't actively help anyone, so remote sites of significance to the church are usually just small shrines , sometimes with a hermit living nearby to tend to it and speak to pilgrims. The church is a centre of spirituality and a place where all good folk will find sanctuary. Their most important value is to protect those that are unable to protect themselves, be they wealthy or poor, and the church will go out of their way to help. The city cathedrals and remote temples are therefor always sturdy and often fortified. The tall structure are beacons in the landscape and have large, stained glass, windows, large courtyard and are strong enough to protect the community during calamities.
Places of worship are clean but often in need of repair as The Order invests their resources into the community instead of the state of the church. All structures have an orphanage, soup kitchen and hospital wing where they spend their time and energy to feed the hungry and heal the sick. Remarkably, besides the grand hall of worship, there is only a small section left for The Sun Father’s followers. A donation may be asked but if the recipient is in utter poverty, then their services are free of charge. This selflessness has made them very popular with the underprivileged of the world.
Services to Pelor are straightforward and involve singing hymns, communal prayer, and the dispensing of alms to the needy. Those doing penance for the church normally give aid to others, sponsor or participate in the building of public works that benefit the community, such as fountains of clean water, or solicit the wealthy for funds to help the poor and homeless. Donations of food and clothing are also welcome, and because of this many poor in major cities under Pelor's protection are remarkably well-dressed wearing cast-offs from the fashionable elite.
Pelor's realm is the Fortress of the Sun in Elysium. The citadel itself is located in the center of a white and yellow city called, the Bright City. Surrounding this Metropolis are orchards, vineyards, and farmland for miles on end. It's said the sun here warms the hearts of the good and illuminates the secret acts of evil. Those who have been faithful throughout their mortal lives may reside here in peace and tranquillity as a city dweller or outside on the fields of plenty.
Divine Intercession
Anathema
Create undead
Deny redemption
Fail to strike down evil
Fail to help the weak
Beliefs
True goodness comes from charity and persistence to protect the week, freedom without evil will come from this.
True strength is spiritual strength, willpower and hope are what will hold the insurmountable evil at bay.
True evil and corruption is deserving of our wrath, but Zealousness can blind one to compassion.
Goals:
Stand ever vigilant, armed, against the darkness of evil
Burn away undead from the dark they are hiding in
Bring healing and comfort to the people who need it most
Aphorisms
The everyday sayings and adages of the faithful tell a great deal about their beliefs and morals.
All light comes from Pelor
Whether referring to actual light or a metaphor for spiritual power and goodness, the church teaches that Pelor is the source of everything positive in the world: warmth, affection, mercy, life, and light. Although other deities might focus on one or more of these aspects, they teach only a fraction of the true source. This helps Pelor's worshippers to be tolerant of other good religions - after all, they're just serving a part of Pelor.
The dawn brings new light
This phrase is often spoken to invite blessings upon a good turn in life, which might be as momentous as the birth of a child, or as small as an especially satisfying meal. As a litany, it reassures the faithful that each new day is another chance from Pelor (Sarenrae) to do better, and a promise that circumstances will improve (if perhaps only in the afterlife).
A starving man is not a wise man
This phrase sums up the church's philosophy of giving to the needy - a man with an empty belly might choose to do something foolish or evil just to survive - something he would never do if he were well-fed and content. This phrase is spoken hundreds of times on Midsummer's Day as the priesthood hands out cups of soup, loaves of bread, and mugs of fresh water.
Bring strength to the weak; destroy those with dark and evil hearts.
For many generations this phrase contained only the first part, the key element of the faith. It is only in recent years that the latter was added to show Pelor's change of heart. It shows that the old ways are still the most important, as it is listed first, but the new teaching is valid and significant. Pelor's focus is on the first part and he uses the followers of Mayaheine to enact on the second part.
For the sun and the fury
Most worshippers only see this battle cry painted or carved on the cornerstones of temples, where it is meant to scare off unrepentant evil. In battle, this phrase is uttered to invoke Pelor's power against evil, especially fiends and undead, to evoke holy fire.
Divine relics
Ronnam's Icon
Named for the Pelorian priest who, although apprenticed to a smith, had little talent for that craft and joined Pelor's clergy. Ronnam took to the priesthood like he was born for it and helped build several temples, including the main Pelorian temple in the City of Greyhawk. Always friendly and humble, he made his own holy symbol and displayed it proudly at all times despite its obvious flaws - a subtle rebuke to those who pursued only beauty, and a reminder that Pelor's light is even in ugly things. He gave the icon to one of his students when he died, and it has since passed through many hands.
The icon is a crudely-made bronze holy symbol of Pelor on an unexceptional gold chain. Originally, the sun-face had twenty rays, but today only twelve remain. It counts as a divine focus for any worshipper of Pelor.
Ajira’s Rod
is a steel-headed heavy mace, with a haft made of pale white wood wrapped in golden thread. A small symbol of Pelor is etched onto one flat place on the head and inlaid with gold. The bottom of the haft is also marked with a seal of Pelor.
It was created for a legendary Pelorian paladin centuries ago. He travelled the land ministering to the needy and destroying undead, whenever he encountered them. Stories tell of him absorbing the plague from an entire town into his own body to stop an outbreak, using his own blood to kill a vampire lord, and how each dawn his face shined like the sun itself. After he died, some of his bones were placed in the weapon’s hollow hilt, and it is now a relic of the faith, protecting and regenerating the wielder as well as a bane to all undead.
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