Heliana

Goddess of Sun and Authority

Domains: Light, Order
Weapons: Spear, Javelin; Radiant, Fire
Symbol: A laurel wreath embracing a stylized sun, with a diamond shaped ruby at the basal center of the wreath; the constellation Phoenix
Dominion: The Sun, Light, Fire, Day, Beginnings, Light, Vigilance, Hierarchy, Duty, Hospitality, Noblesse Oblige, Continuity, Oaths, Punishment, Vengeance, Birds, Flowers, Rulers
Heliana is goddess of light, watchfulness, social order, and retribution. She guides the stable course of the sun across the sky, so that every corner of the world may know its life-giving light and warmth. Her actions shine as boldly as the sun itself, and she strives to give guidance to the world, so that all may act in accord with her vision of what is good, right, and best for all peoples. She keeps stern vigil over all the daylit world, and exhorts others to also join in watchful guard against evil and chaos, so that it cannot gain a foothold in decent civilized society. She also upholds the mystical power that oaths and vows hold in the world of Iroa to bind those pledged to them, from the lowliest of mortals to the mightest of gods, and would have all contracts and agreements bound by such oaths if it were possible.
Sacred hospitality is Heliana's most important ideal, and she envisions it as a golden rule to underlie all others and to guide the conduct of mortals and immortals on every scale of society and the spirit world. This she holds true whether writ small in a host's duty to provide for a guest and that guest's duty to be gracious and helpful to their host, or adapted and writ large to guide a whole civilization. As such, she believes in a leader's duty to protect and truly lead and provide for their people, and the duty of the led to fulfill their lot in life and do their jobs loyally so that society can function. A guest who violates their host's trust, or vice versa, is guilty of far worse than mere theft and must be abhorred; a people who reject just rule and cavort in sin must be put in their place, while a leader who abuses their people and carelessly wastes their lives and resources to no noble end must be cast down.
Heliana metes out punishment and vengeance in this life for wrongdoing. Those who harbor or sympathize with a criminal are tarred with the same stain of guilt as the criminal themselves, and so entire groups may draw Heliana's wrath for the actions of one among their number. In extreme cases, like the fall of Ostyrian, Heliana has meted out devastating retribution with her blazing solar spear upon an entire polis or civilization for the crimes of their leaders, for if the leaders conduct great outrages against the gods and the people do not rise up to depose them then the people must be held accountable as well.

Heliana's Tenets

Heliana holds that all peoples and deities have an inborn and natural duty to each other, as well to fulfill the role to which they have been fated. Order, not chaos, is the natural state of things, and the ideal to which all peoples and all natural forces will gravitate over time. Dutifully lead, teach and protect those who are beneath you, and faithfully adhere to and guide those who are above you in turn. Trust in the better nature of others to want what is right and follow the rules, but be vigilant lest your good nature be taken advantage of, and do not let yourself be anyone's fool. Let no slight against you and yours go unanswered, and answer an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, so that those who do wrong do not become emboldened by success to take worse and worse actions against those without the capacity to defend themselves.

Heliana's Relationships

Firmly convinced in the unimpeachable rightness of her ideals, as well as in her own surpassing potency as the most powerful of her peers with the most important of all the divine responsibilities, Heliana truly believes that she knows what is best for everyone. She already had a tendency to assert herself and insert herself into situations that involve the other gods even when Polemares was alive and king of the gods, but now that he is gone, Heliana believes it only natural that she should rule the pantheon. This is enhanced by Heliana having served as Polemares's "general" or "champion" in the Titanomachy, where the gods overthrew their weakened predecessors.
Katabis and Persereka, as the overseers of death and justice, are a frustration to Heliana, who sees them as "bleeding hearts" and wishes they would focus more on enforcing the laws of the land as well, not merely moral codes of conduct. However, she respects them for being firm and true to their ideals, many of which she agrees with... they just need a firm hand guiding them to make the correct decisions.
Paideia is said to be Heliana's daughter, and Mytrah her mother, and they all have a close relationship. Heliana's light secures the bounty of Mytrah's crops, which provide for Paideia's towns and cities, whose inhabitants live their lives according to Heliana's order and tend Mytrah's crops, in a symbiotic cycle.
Oneiste is said to be Heliana's sister, and as goddess of the night and stars is as different from daylit Heliana as can be. Heliana loves her "strange" sister however, and provides the holy firelight with which Oneiste is said to light the starry lamps of the dark heavens. Heliana has benefitted by the demise of Polemares, and is quick to defend Oneiste for her seeming failure in keeping daemons out of reality which allowed this deicide to come to pass. Despite so benefitting, however, she has a tense relationship with Embrys, agent of that deicide, as he is a force of change and revolution in opposition to Heliana's ideals of order, stability, and tidy top-down rule.

Worshipping Heliana

As goddess of light and the sun, Heliana receives the worship of farmers hoping for enough sun but not too much for their crops, of those who hunt the undead, and of everyone from generals and planners to sailors hoping for clear skies. As goddess of duty and vigilance, Heliana is prayed to by those whose lives or livelihoods were saved by a watchful eye, by leaders thankful for or defending their position, and by soldiers and sentries in addition to one or more of the Three Faces of War. As goddess of punishment and vengeance, Heliana is beseeched not only by those who have been wronged, but also for mercy by those upon suspicion has fallen unfairly.

Hareneti

In Nubir, Heliana is known as Hareneti. She was the grand vizier and high priestess of the Yahre-Nesyt, the legendary Court of Sun and Moon, and in this role served as the lawgiver and mediator between mortals and Eternals. She tamed the light of the Titans that burned the heavens and contained it, shaping it into a sun capable of guiding and bringing order to the world instead of scorching it to a dead cinder, and in so doing provided the means by which the God-Pharaoh could lead the Eternals in their great work of putting down the Titans and bringing new order to the world. In the wake of of the God-Pharaoh's death at the hands of Apephos, Hareneti is now believed to have ascended to fill his role and quell chaos in the universe through control of the court as God-Pharess.

Heliana's Champions

Suggested Classes: Cleric, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Sorcerer
Suggested Backgrounds: Acolyte, Athlete, Knight, Noble, Soldier
Many champions of Heliana are from high-born families, but this is hardly universally true - just as many are called to the cause due to a desire to protect those around them, or to seek vengeance upon or bring justice to wrongdoers. Her champions are expected to respect and obey their leaders and adhere to lawful authority, as well to in turn give respect and fair leadership back to those beneath themselves. Unflinching bravery in the face of grim odds is likewise usually expected, for though you may die in this life, there is life after death and every facet of your honor will be judged; besides, the gods walk with those who are true to themselves, their god and their shared ideals, and what may seem a daunting challenge on its face more often turns out to be naught but a divine test of one's mettle and will. However, Heliana does not demand foolhardy suicide, for a champion cannot serve their goddess, their community or their leaders if they are dead, and swallowing one's pride to protect others can be more noble than dying for it.

Heliana's Favor

What brought Heliana's path together with yours? You may roll or choose on the table below for ideas, or develop an idea of your own with the GM.
d6 / Circumstance

1. You were born at noon on the summer solstice, perhaps even during the feast of Heliana.
2. You are a scion of a ruling clan back home, and expected to support Heliana as from her flows the right to rule.
3. You rescued a sacred bird caught in a trap, and the song it sang as it flew away ignited a light inside you.
4. You proved your mettle in a contest of ability against a dishonorable foe and decisively exposed and defeated the cheater.
5. Calling on Heliana to witness you, you swore an oath to achieve a mighty deed or end a force of chaos.
6. You enacted vengeance for a great wrong in a manner everyone recognized as just.

Earning and Losing Piety

You increase your piety score with Heliana when you expand or shore up her influence in a concrete way, including but not limited to:

• Uncovering a dark plot due to your vigilance and ability to connect the dots
• Helping see vengeance done against someone thought untouchable
• Strengthening the power and reach of noble or civil authority in a place where it falters
• Building or restoring a monument to the greatness of Heliana or a famed ruler

Your piety score to Heliana decreases if you diminish Heliana's influence in the world, contradict her ideals, or make her look ridiculous or ineffectual through acts such as these:

• Breaking an explicit promise or oath
• Disrespecting an established ruler or civil government
• Completely failing those who rely on you or are under your command
• Putting others at risk through your own cowardice

As a champion of unusual standing in the world, you receive benefits as your piety score rises. If you are a cleric or paladin of Heliana, you start with a piety to Heliana of 3.

Initiate (Piety 3+)

You gain Inspiration when you honor sacred hospitality or see vengeance carried out against a wrongdoer, or you perform an act that gains you piety. You also have advantage on rolls to know about Heliana, her servants, and her works, and you know (the DM warns you) before you commit to an act that would displease Heliana.

Devotee (Piety 10+)

As a devotee of Heliana's mysteries, you walk in the light and expect others to as well. You learn either the light cantrip or the word of radiance cantrip (choose one), and learn either the command spell or the hellish rebuke spell (choose one). Choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma to be your casting modifier for these spells. You can use the cantrip at will, and the spell a number of times per day equal to your casting modifier. If you are a spellcaster, treat the cantrip and spell as bonus spells known of your class that are always prepared.

Votary (Piety 20+)

Heliana's blessing makes you accustomed to both authority and the blazing light of the sun. You have advantage on saving throws against being blinded, and you are resistant to radiant damage. You also instantly recognize who among a group is an authority figure, and authority figures who do not already have an opinion of you due to your specific deeds or reputation instinctively have a more favorable initial reaction to you by one step.

Disciple (Piety 40+)

Heliana bestows upon you the secret of Heliana's Vengeance. Once per round when a creature has caused harm to you within the last day, you can gain advantage on an attack roll or ability check against that creature, or give that creature disadvantage on a saving throw against a spell or ability you use against them. Once you use this ability against a given target, you can’t affect that target again for 24 hours. You can use this ability a number of times equal to the higher of your Strength or Charisma modifier (minimum 1), and regain all uses after a long rest.

Champion (Piety 60+)

Heliana's surpassing favor allows you to stand proud in the sun's bright power and channel her vengeance. You are immune to radiant damage and to being blinded. Additionally, your disciple ability can be used in response to harm done to you at any point in the past, and only successful uses count; if the attack, spell, or check you modify fails anyway, it doesn’t spend a use of Heliana's Vengeance and the 24 hour target immunity doesn’t start.
Additionally, increase your Strength or Charisma score by 2, and also increase your maximum for that score by 2.