Pelor, The Dawnwarden

## Pelor

"The Golden Dawn"

Pelor is the dawn that banishes the long night and the light that shines defiantly against the consuming darkness. Pelor is the divine embodiment of hope, vigilance, protection, and righteous cause. His long watch, which has continued since his ascension, is as bright and enduring as the sun's itself. When his sight falls upon powerful evil beings working to disrupt the balance of the world, his blinding retribution is inescapable. Pelor is the patron of wardens, of those dedicate themselves to protecting the innocent; such as lightkeepers, knights, watchmen, and guards.

## Description

### Appearance

Pelor is most often depicted as a divine warrior clad in immaculate golden plate armour emblazoned with celestial runes and sun iconography. Upon his head sits a crowned great helm and floating upon his brow is a halo of radiant gold. Those brave or foolhardy enough to attempt to gaze into the Helm of Pelor may expect to find a face but instead, meet eyes with a supernova. It is said only the pure of heart may look upon the true face of Pelor and keep their sight. Upon his back, also clad in armour, are the remnants of the wings he once bore as an angel, cut away in rebellion against the cruelty of He Who Was. Since Pelor's ascension to godhood, these remnants have been revitalised as bursting from them now are burning wings of purest sunfire.

### **Personality**

Pelor is described as stern, direct, and singularly focused. He is a being of few words, preferring to communicate with his chosen prophets and champions through dreams, visions, or through angelic messengers. Pelor has always been depicted on the front line as a being who refuses to put others in harm's way before himself. Pelor advocates equally for the protection of the innocent and the punishment of the wicked.

### **Weapon**

Pelor wields a long-bladed lance named Helios, which roughly translates to "*Hell's End*" in Celestial. This lance has sundered swaths of dark beings during Pelor's long vigil against the great evils of the cosmos. Despite appearing to be made of the same celestial gold as Pelor's armour, Helios is not actually a physical item. It is in fact a radiant fragment of the Sun itself that Pelor can call down from the heavens and shape to his will.

## Worship

### **The Peloric Church**

*Main Article:* The Peloric Church

*The Peloric Church*, also known as *The Church of Pelor*, *Church of the Golden Dawn* or simply *The* *Golden Church* is the name of the religion dedicated to the worship of Pelor and his Tenets. It is the state religion of Philidor and one of the most prevalent religions throughout Dallian. The Church has many teachings relating to how one should live their life within the Light of Pelor but also states that Pelor welcomes all good-hearted folk to his fold.

### **Orders & Sects**

Many knight orders and ranger conclaves dedicate themselves to Pelor and his Tenets. Most function as arms of The Peloric Church or at the very least usually class themselves as allies of it. However, due to the openness in which the Tenets can be interpreted and the silence of Pelor himself a number of sects have arisen. These wayward orders interpret the Tenets uniquely and sometimes even hold antithetical beliefs to the majority of the faith.

* **The Knights Templar:** (*aka The Templars, The Knights of The Temple, The Knights of Sol Omon*). Sworn swords of the Crown of Clisson, the Knights Templar are a high-ranking order in the military of Philidor. They are the assigned custodians of Sol Omon and serve as protectors of the realm.
* **Order of Secunda:** A religious, scholarly, and militaristic branch of The Elturgard of Elturel. They are dedicated to the study, understanding, and protection of The Secondsun.
* **The Lamplighters:** Founded in Hockenheim, Eberhard. The Lamplighters are an order of dwarven knights dedicated to the purpose of bringing light to the darkest corners of The Underdark.

### **Temples & Holy Sites**

* **Notre Lumiere de Clisson:** The grand cathedral of Clisson and seat of the Solar, the head of the Peloric Church. It is often referred to as just *Notre Lumiere* as *Notre Lumi* in casual conversation.
* **Sol Omon:** Often known simply as *The Temple* or very occasionally as *Sunhaven*, Sol Omon is an ancient watchtower built long before the land it resides within was known as Philidor. The Temple serves as equal parts chantry, citadel, and lighthouse, and is the seat of the Knights Templar. The origins of the name Sol Omon are thought to trace back to the first humans and roughly translates to "haven of the sun". A thriving town has grown around The Temple over the centuries which has come to be known as Pelor's Light.
* **Seat of Secunda:** A cathedral in Elturel that was built beneath The Secunda. Its careful design allows Secunda to be viewed from anywhere within the cathedral. It is the centre of operations for the Order of Secunda.
* **The Sunforge:** A temple, bastion, and forge located high up in the mountains of Eberhard, in the city of Hockenheim. It is from this temple that The Lamplighters work and operate. It is here that dawnblades and dawnhammers were first created.
* **The Gatespire:** A beautiful spire-like monument and traveller's chapel dedicated to Pelor and Sehanine and to the peaceful relations between the elves of Hibernia and the humans of Philidor. It is located in the central square of Rosablanca, halfway along the Whiterose Bridge.
* **Arcenciel Hall:** A grand building which serves as both a temple and town hall in Goldenfields. It is the largest of the many West Philidorian temples jointly dedicated to Pelor and Melora. It is renowned for its beautiful stained glass windows which are said to hold every colour of the rainbow.