Sol

Symbolic depiction of Sol

Sol is Hireath’s sun, created by the god Ignacio. Its creation heralded the first dawn, and is the god’s proudest creation.

Sol rises in the west, and sets in the east.

Sol is also known as the lonely day star.

## Mythology

In the beginning, five stars, five slivers of light, huddled together in the darkness.

Alone, they were limited.

Together, mere thought could gain form.

And so came the first day, the day Sol was born.

It is said that the gods first worked in darkness, a darkness lit only by their own forms as they sped across the Starscape and mortal plains with equal ease, creating as they went.

A touch, a thought, a word - a world that matched the beauty within their hearts and hopes was swiftly formed.

But it was dark, and it was cold.

In a spark of inspiration, Ignacio painted the sky with flame; and the flame had form and it had a name.

Sol.

The sun.

The painted flame, the great burning ring, gave the creation of other gods warmth, life and color.

She rose in vibrant veils from the west, bathing his continent in golden sunray and magnificent bronze.

It was the first dawn.

Ignacio charted the path of his dear creation across Alya’s sky, tracing her trail as she went.

Come evening, she set across the eastern horizon, plunging beneath the edge of the world in a painted nightgown of burgundy and lilac and tangerine.

And it was the first dusk.

## Sol in Herd Culture

   Aodhians love the sun, and consider sunbathing an essential part of good health. Spending time outside is important, and anyone who seems adverse to spending time in the sun is considered at least somewhat strange. Sol is also an extremely favored subject in art - poems and songs have been written about her beauty and good qualities, and countless statues and paintings depict the sun. Sun symbolism is drenched through many, if not most, of Aodh’s most beloved art pieces, and may even be mirrored in architecture.

War Forged appreciate the sun for its warmth; more sun means longer growing seasons, and that means more food. While they don’t share Aodh’s reverence for the sun, they certainly love it for its usefulness and life giving properties; the first warm days after winter are met with excitement each year. Sol sometimes finds its way into carvings and tapestries, but usually only as a part of a larger artwork (ie: a farming scene).

Sol never held much importance for Breim, as their lives were mostly lived underground; farming towns saw similar usefulness to the fiery orb as the Forged, but the sun was never revered. Now pushed topside, the previously underground-dwelling Breimians tend to favor Alya’s moons, preferring a nocturnal lifestyle that requires minimal time under the harsh sunrays to which they are unaccustomed.

Serorans revere the moons and stars above the sun; although Sol is necessary, it can also be harsh, and no one knows that harshness like the Serorans do. Long, hot summers lead more than a few to curse Ignacio’s flaming sky star under their breaths.

Talori do not associate Sol with her creator, and their negative feelings towards Ignacio do not extend to the sun. The sun is considered good for growth, and to an extent health as well. The Talori especially enjoy the magnificent colors provided by the sunsets and sunrises against Cascade’s glittering ocean.

Vagabonds, varied as they are, hardly have cohesive lore about the sun. Some Hedgewitches and charlatans find insight in tracking her trail as if she were a star; others simply ignore the mundane day star. There is a Vagabond saying, however: “An honest traveler loves the sun”, referring to the fact that those with nefarious intent tend to travel by night, when they and their deeds are hidden by the darkness.

## Trivia

* Hireath experiences solar eclipses, just as our world, and they can be similarly charted from the movements of the moons and the sun. However, godly intervention may cause uncharted eclipses, after which rotation resumes as if nothing happened.
	+ The first uncharted solar eclipse happened 5th of January 1702, and could be seen all across Hireath.
* Sol’s usual color is the same as our sun; a pale yellow. The sun will sometimes burn orange or red if Ignacio feels like it.
	+ Technically Ignacio *could* make the sun any color but he chooses not to.