Pelor

Titles and monickers: Dawnfather, Twilightmother, The Two Suns, the Shining One, the Twinned Splendour, All-Loving Father and Mother
Areas of concern: Farming, suns, healing, strenght
Followers: Farmers, rangers, healers, serfs
Domains: Light, Life and Nature
Alignment: Neutral Good
Pelor, the Dawnfather stand lord over suns and summer, their vigil encircling the ages as the keeper of time. Lord of agriculture and harbinger of the harvest, their followers commonly include farmers and most common folk. Their priests welcome in lands all over. Supporter of the needy and destroyer of evil, Pelor is often the patron to Paladins and Rangers who follow a similar creed to stand up for the poor and the meek. Pelor is also known for their defeat of an invasion from the Far Realm, when the Coalition of Gods against Tharizdun was taking place, and is revered by those who hunt aberrations. Tapestries of old match early text describing Pelor as a patronly figure in silver and gold armor, their head a beacon of light and fire so bright that a face could rarely be seen within. Many statues in holy places treat the head as a brazier, lit with each dawn and extinguished with the dusk. Yet they are also represented as a a tanned woman bringing healthy crops in one arm, while holding a farming tool (usually a scythe or sickle) in the other, with half of the face transformed into a radiant sun. These two figures are said to represent the two suns, Phoebus and Fusca, and the related two aspects of the god: the Dawnfather and the Twilightmother, a chaser of darkness, and a teacher of autonomy, equally vital and important in Pelor's and their followers' mission to protect the weak, to defy evil, and to promote community, hospitality and mortal life. Their favoured animals are eagles, cats and reptiles who bask in the sun. Pelor's light shines for those who toil in ignominy and squalor, especially if they do so in the fields. For this reason Pelor is especially concerned about those who deny their fellow men the same respect and dignity that is due to any good creature that lives and toils under the Suns.

Territories

The Church of Pelor is present everywhere there is farming and dependency on the Suns' light. For this reason the Church is especially important and present in farmlands and rural communities that rely on any aspects of agricolture, while it is less prominent in cities, especially if large, where its temples and chapels are scattered across the countryside. In Zalia the Church is somewhat eclipsed by that of Sarenrae, as Zalians consider Pelor to be an emissary of Sarenrae rather than a full-fledged god. Despite this, the Church of Pelor is present as an indipendent organization in Zalia too, and otherwise as much respect as any other Church, with some privileges to outweight the perceived indignity of being considered a lesser religion.

Mythology & Lore

Pelor is an ancient deity, having existed for as long each of the Suns has, or possibly even more, if those who claim that he crafted the Suns is to be trusted. Their tales are old and inbedded in folklore. During the Lost Ages, it is said that Pelor ventured to the Far Realm along with other two deities, Shelyn's brother Dou-Bral and an ancient goddess of knowledge. For this reason Pelor did not take part directly in the War against Tharizdun, but stood on boundary of the Far Realm to repeal the monster who came from there to help Tharizun in his effort.
Parable of the Hungry Man: This myth tells of a man who was driven to crime out of a combination of desperate poverty and foolish pride. His community forgave him and fed and clothed him when his perfidy was discovered. The parable teaches how the community is responsible of the attitude of his members, and how even a wounded one can be so strong to heal and recover those who stray from the path of Good.
Punishment of the Undead: This myth tells of the origin of vampires, said to have been cursed by Pelor after turning from his light to the pursuit of evil magic and immortality. The myth suggests that Pelor would forgive them, if only they would ask. The tale speaks also of Pelor's good disposation towards Pharasma, of his protection of mortals from the undead, and of how pride is the greatest sin.
Gift of Eternal Light: This is an epic saga of the ancient Kingdom of Marduk threatened upon by mortal, demonic, and undead evil. The Kingdom of Marduk was a successor to the legendary Draconic Empire, and was consacred to Bahamut, but Pelor had always been a popular deity too. Though sorely tested by their foes, the people of the Kingdom had their morale restored each morning at the sight of the rising sun. In a climactic battle, the sun's rays helped defeat the demons and undead, and the Pelorians were victorious. This myth claims the sun's rays are the spirits of the righteous, a claim that no other Pelorian text makes.
The Light of Pelor is the most common Pelorian holy book, beginning with Pelor's gift of the suns and telling of how Pelor instructed the first mortals. Some turned against his teachings, thus creating evil, and this evil spirit has waxed and waned over time. Some versions portray Pelor as the suns themselves, rather than their creator, and tell of Pelor's attempts to win back those who have strayed from their light. The Light of Pelor only has minor variations in it, and all are considered canonical, despite these small discrepancies. The book is often enchanted to glow with a soft solar radiance when it's closed, and some versions are gilded.
In the Suns' Embrace is a controversial text accepted at present by only a handful of Pelorian temples. It was written about in the year 119 of the Second Cycle by a woman named Tephos, dwelling in the free lands of Terrania. Tephos was not a priest, but she believed herself to be Pelor's chosen representative on Cevasia. Somehow she performed miracles, including curing an entire village of plague, before writing about her beliefs and vanishing in front of her disciples in a flash of golden light. Tephos taught that all property should be held communally, that society should return to a more natural state like that assumed to exist before the spread of civilization, and that clerics were unnecessary; Pelor could intervene directly instead. Most branches of the Pelorian faith consider Tephos to be gifted but delusional.

Tenets of Faith

Be ever vigilant for evil.
Help relieve the suffering of the innocent wherever it exists. Stand up for them and teach to stand up for themselves in the future.
Deliver the light of Pelor where darkness dwells, but never set aside kindness. Remember the Suns shine for everyone.

Worship

Many of Pelor's worshippers are humans, and most of them are the common folk that work the lands. They are not picky though, and all those willing to embrace their message are welcome. Their followers, consisting mostly of farmers and outdoors laborers enjoy contributing their hard work to the good of the community. In great cities, the worship of Pelor and the value of community is weaker than in the local villages that their Church prefers. After Groetus' Appearance, it is said that some of their followers attempted to restore the land with the techniques they taught them. Due to the fallout of the swarm of meteor that crashed on Cevasia, their success was limited, but their dedication to hard work gave fellow survivors the strength they needed to endure those first years of toil in the dark.

Priesthood

Because Pelor's clerics spend a lot of time tending to the sick, blessing crops, and providing for the basic spiritual needs of their communities, they attract a number of earnest, forthright youths who want to make the world a better place. While not unduly harsh, training among the followers of Pelor is rigorous enough to send many well-meaning youths back to their farms and cobbler-shops. The first duty of a devout Pelorian is to serve community, and one can do so by being a farmer or a cobbler. Clerics of Pelor often act as field medics, and always heal the wounded regardless of the side they were fighting for. For this reason, people of every race and origin tend to develop respect and admiration for the service of the Church of Pelor.
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.