Pelor

Icon of Pelor

## Description

Pelor is worshipped throughout the grasslands of Laikka, and sporadically throughout other continents as well during the early ages of Phrelle. He rides a mighty ki-rin named Star Thought, summoning eagles and destroying evil with bolts of light. He is depicted as an older man with wild golden hair and beard, dressed in robes of shining white.

## Realm

Pelor resides on the plane of Elysium inside Hestavar, the Bright City, in which his personal residence is the Fortress of the Sun.

## Personality

He is known as the Shining One, and the Sun Father. He is known as the creator of much that is good. His holy symbol is a face in a sun.

## Relationships

A number of Pelor's followers have achieved deity or near-deity status, the most popular being Iomedae, Lesser God of Protection, Justice, Honor and Valor.

Among the other gods, Pelor is allied most closely with Iomedae. Pelor's other allies include Heironeous and Chauntea. Pelor is friendly to good-aligned nonhuman deities such as Corellon Larethian, Moradin, and Garl Glittergold, and is especially friendly to those with an agricultural or solar aspect, as Yondalla has.

Pelor opposes all evil deities and his followers avoid neutral deities with teachings counter to Pelor's. Pelor particularly loathes Vecna, Lolth, and Morgion.

## Worshipers

**Pelor** is a popular deity, greatly beloved by the commonfolk. Although **Pelor**'s church has a few heresies and schisms, the head priests of his powerful temples are in contact with one another and with the religion’s overall leadership. If the secular leaders of one nation place an onerous tax on **Pelor**’s temples, word will spread through **Pelor**’s hierarchy. Other nations might be persuaded by their Pelorians to apply diplomatic pressure to get the tax repealed.

### **Clergy**

**Pelor'**s clergy heal the sick, bless crops, help the needy, and destroy evil and the undead. They are caring and nurturing, with backbones of steel. The Pelorian priesthood attracts many naive youths to his service, but training is rigorous enough to send many of them back to their farms. **Pelor**'s elite priests are called Radiant Servants. **Pelor**'s favored weapon is the mace (heavy or light) and the morningstar. Vestments are typically yellow or gold.

### **Druids**

**Pelor** is served by a small number of druids, who behave in ways similar to his clerics, but with a greater emphasis on the care of plants and animals. They usually associate themselves with settlements rather than living as hermits, aiding the community with their hands, spells, and animal companions wherever they can. They are considered to have priest status within the Pelorian church, though they have a separate hierarchy.

### **Paladins**

Pelorian paladins, known as Crusaders, are rare, having appeared in large numbers only since The War of the Ruby Skies. Pelor's paladins see themselves as the burning light of the sun which scours away darkness and evil and brings strength and comfort to the innocent.

Crusaders believe that laws are helpful, but that they are at best a secondary goal and must be tempered with mercy. Their slogan is Equity for the Meek with Perseverance and Strength.

When not in formal dress, Crusaders favor light-colored tunics, particularly sky blues, pale greens, or grays. Some dress in commoner's clothing, especially when serving as community healers or in disguise. On formal occasions, they wear a black cloak emblazoned with the symbol of the sun. They blend into the darkness, only the shining symbols visible to their foes.

### **Orders**

* Radiant Servants
* The Sun's Crusade

## Temples

Pelor's temples are tall, with large windows; many are stained-glass cathedrals. They are arranged so that the sun shines into most of the rooms during the day, and many feature large courtyards. They tend to be airy and blindingly white. Temple trappings are typically yellow or gold. They are always kept clean. Many Pelorian temples have hospital wings.

#### **Laikka Temples**

* Cortea (Ruins)
* Peloria (High Temple)

## Dogma

Pelorians believe that the life-giving sun is the best cure for all of life’s ills. Justice and freedom are brought about through charity, modesty, and perseverance. **Pelor**'s priests teach that the truly strong don't need to prove their power. Pelorians strive to perform so many good acts that evil has no room in which to exist, though they will fight if necessary. **Pelor** strength is a spiritual strength, opposed to physical strength like Kord. His strength is the power of will and hope, the need to face evil in the face of insurmountable odds. **Pelor** is wrathful against the forces of evil, corruption, and darkness, and is especially opposed to the undead. However, **Pelor** urges his followers to remember that excessive attention to things of evil can blind one to the truly important things: compassion and goodness.

Pelorian dogma has it that the energy and power of life originates in the sun.

## Rites

**Pelor**'s services involve communal prayer, the singing of hymns, and the distribution of alms. Prayers to Pelor are often affirmations in the first person, for example, "I am merciful, just as the Sun of Mercy shines on me." Weddings and rites of passage often take place at the beginning of a new season. Farmers often request a ritual known as the Blessing of the Sun-Kissed Field.

## Scriptures

* In the Sun Father's Hand
* The Light of Pelor

## Relics

* Dawnstars (They were gifts from Pelor to four solars who rescued a paladin from the bowels of Hell.)
* The Shards of the Sun (are described in Pelorian holy texts as "Pelor’s gift,which I carry into darkness—a sun that never sets.")