Helianthea

Overview

Helianthea is a strange fey; perhaps an achievement for a population that is at minimum very strange already. People describe her as bright, happy, as caring as an aunt or grandmother or as familiar as a sister -- yet, still as mysterious as any other fairy tale.
She is an unaffiliated fey with passing ties to the Summer Court by way of distant famiial relations, though her unique heritage and upbringing has caused her to only recognize this relationship on very, very rare occasions. She has an unusually strong tie to the material plane of Aeyvis, and often spends more Aeyvis sun cycles on that side of the planar divide than in her regular home (though, due to the distorted passing of time in the Scintillate, she could spent months there between trips). While visiting she will often make several stops througout the world, mostly regions of the world experiencing summer, or other desert / tropical regions with plenty of sun and warm temperatures. She does not appear to be restrained to emerging from the Altwood, as many of her peers do; in fact, she often appears to avoid such forests and instead appear in deserts, islands, or even city regions if it is warm enough.
Her powers are generally themed around sunlight, warmth, and positive emotions, though her specific powers seem to fluctuate as much as her mood, and this malleable nature extends to those she has offered powers to. Though at first glance it would appear that she offers pacts solely out of the goodness of her own heart, or to entertain herself, that's not quite the case -- she seems to thrive off of the generation of strong emotions, preferably happy and positive ones though any that are suitable intensive can be useful to her. Rather than formal pacts with contracts like her fellow archfey seem to utilize her agreements are looser in nature, often on a piece-by-piece basis with shiny trinkets that she crafts in her Scinillate workshop. Her patronage comes in many forms but often is initiated by her finding someone that interests her on the material plane, rather than a material plane citizen seeking out an archfey in the feywild as it usually goes.
Unlike most archfey, certain people in Helianthea's "patronage" on occasion exhibit powers similar to paladins of holy orders, including healing powers and divine retribution, despite never swearing an official oath to anything of celestial nature. It is believed that the strength of their emotions and their convictions is enough to substitute for an honor bound oath; there are also speculations that the other side of Helia's unknown parentage lies with Sorres , the god of trickery and interpretations.

Sunflower

Though just as secretive and wily as any other fey it is easy enough to notice where she has been, by a bloom of bright sunflowers in the area regardless of the climate or season. In the desert country of Garza their existence is especially popular as an urban legend, common enough for the rumor to spread but fleeting enough to never quite prove its existence. Flower symbolism would seem strange in a rough-and-tumble region such as Achar'ii, self-proclaimed "Land of the Savages", but it has been made popular by several well-known gladiators in Scarhaven Arena, the crown jewel of Garza and a source of pride for beastfolk wanting to embrace their heritage. On occasion other famous media figures have been seen bearing the sunflower symbol, though whether they truly are backed by Helianthea or simply see it as a cultural symbol and a fashion fad is hard to gauge by public appearance alone.
The Order of the Searing Sun, a sect of Oen worshippers originating in the deserts of Achar'ii, express criticism on the sunflower symbolism and its heretical nature of acting as a "false idol", a subsituttion for the true sun above. Few people listen to this negative reception, as the mostly-human group finds little traction in the beastfolk region of Achar'ii, but at times they will preach in public areas to dissuade use of the symbol. In order to keep relationships good with neighboring religious countries the Order of the Searing Sun is tolerated, if only to show that the people of Achar'ii can worship "acceptable" deities and not their own representative demigods.
Without the influence of Helianthea the common sunflower is native to the more temperate regions of Izera, and often bloom naturally in the summer in the fields. Many of the cities here including Sehlen, Varsing and Alcoeur attract a lot of visitors by their flower festivals in the summer, within which sunflowers are always displayed prominently.