Heliod, God of the Sun (Heel-ee-Ed)

"The great hart stood like a statue, its hide painted gold by the dawn. The Champion laid down her weapons and stepped forward within an arm’s length of the beast. The hart, sacred to Heliod and bathed in the god’s own light, bowed to the Champion, marking her as the Chosen of the Sun God."

— The Theriad

The god of burning light and fiery retribution.

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Table of Contents

• Overview
• History
• Holidays
• Planar Encounters
• Temples and Shrines
• Relationships
• Followers

Overview

Heliod represents law, justice, retribution, and the bonds of kinship. Heliod presides over matters of family honor, questions of morality and virtue, speeches, marriages, acts of protective bravery, dawn meals, and self-sacrifice. Heliod's name is often part of legal proceedings, and sacrifices to him are made in times when the greatest aid — or the strictest justice — is needed. The divine symbol for Heliod is his weapon, Khrusor, the Sun Spear. His sacred animal is a Hart.
Heliod radiates with pride and self-assurance. His presence fills the sky with light, blocking mortal access to the dark, starry view of Nyx, and in person he has the same overwhelming aura of awe and brilliance. He is convivial and gregarious, making friends and forming bonds easily, and he sees himself as the ally to all. But others know that Heliod can be fickle in his loyalty. Heliod's greatest ally today might be the target of his retribution tomorrow.

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Heliod, God of the Sun by Jaime Jones

Heliod

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History

THE JEALOUSY OF GODS

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As the world's population grew in number, so too did the theists. Gods grow in power as they are worshiped, and as a result, each god tries to coerce the populous into shared, or single worship. Among the most popular of the gods were Heliod, God of the Sun, and Purphoros, God of the Forge. Heliod's desire for praise and glory place him in conflict with Purphoros, and while neither god could slay the other, they fought savagely. In one of the battles, Purphoros' weapon, a blade infused with chaos that could destroy the night sky itself, fell from the heavens and was taken by a frightened individual known as Elspeth.

GODSEND

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Elspeth hid herself for many years, until she tried to understand the gods by praying to the Sun. Heliod was displeased with her and tried to burn her alive with his rays to acquire her sword, but was prevented from doing so by her own power. Instead, he saw fit to make her his 'champion', and converted the weapon into a spear called Godsend. Heliod's conflict with Purphoros escalated into a war among the pantheon, and Kruphix, God of Horizons announced the Silence, where the gods were forced not to interfere temporarily in mortal affairs until they could sort mess in Nyx, the home of the gods.

BETRAYAL

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A new god was being made, Xenagos, and Heliod was about to sit idly by while a potential threat to his throne was being born. He sent Elspeth to kill him, but when Xenagos achieved his apotheosis, he was quick to blame Elspeth, and attempted to kill her again, but failed. His hatred and jealousy of Elspeth increased, and to make matters worse, he feared she could rise to godhood like Xenagos and threaten his power. So he waited for the right chance, and struck when Elspeth was exhausted after her final battle with Xenagos. He glared his blinding light, taking Godsend away from her and stabbing her with it, taunting her in a final desire to humiliate his own champion as she died. He gave her corpse to Ajani Goldmane, telling him to take her out of Nyx and let her soul be captured by Erebos, God of the Dead, as she had previously agreed with the dark god to exchange her life for that of Daxos, her friend, mentor, and lover. With this, Heliod departed.

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Glimpse the Sun God by Aleksi Briclot

The wrath of a god.

Worshiped by

Azorius Senate
Boros Legion

Mana Alignment

Holy Weapon

Corseque

Divine Symbol

Khrusor, the Sun Spear

Sacred Animal

Hart

Religious Colors

White, Gold, Yellow

Edicts

Light, The Sun, Law, Justice, Retribution, Kinship, Jealousy

Professional Skills

Skills that Priests may teach at major temples and gatherings
Devotion, Exhort, Oratory

Theism

Clerics of Heliod are given access to the powers he offers. Some miracles are restricted to more trusted or higher ranking members of this religion.

Initiate

Absorption
Aegis
Backlash (Fire Shield)
Behold
Elemental Summoning (Fire Elemental)
Endure (Heat)
Heal Wound
Light
Reflection
Sacred Band
Sunbeam

Acolyte

Bless Crops
Clear Skies
Consecrate
Pacify
Sunburst
Sunspear

Priest

Awaken
Excommunicate
Growth
Prismatic Sphere

Commandments

True worshipers of Heliod follow his commandments carefully, with those who ignore or are ignorant of such laws may find themselves praying to deaf ears, or worse.

• Avoid praying to Heliod at night.
• Always keep at least one candle lit during the night.
• Keep travel, and any work during the night at a minimum.
• Eat a large breakfast, a decent lunch, and a small dinner.
• Bathe in Heliod's light for at least 10 minutes.

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"Better to be beneath Heliod’s notice than beneath his heel."

— A worshiper of Erebos

Summer Solstice

The twenty-first day of the sixth month marks the Summer Solstice, and the longest day of the year. Although there are smaller celebrations within the religion that happen on the first clear skied day every month, this holiday is worshiped by nearly everyone, regardless of if they revere Heliod or not. This is also the day that Heliod is at his strongest and most powerful, where he is thought to be hunting his enemies and rivals. The Summer Solstice is a gathering of people and food, celebrated with three days of ceremonious feasting, weddings, and oaths of loyalty.

Planar Encounters

Heliod is one of the gods most often seen dealing with mortal affairs. His lust for praise and approval, but also his jealous vengeance brings him into the mortal plane to speak with his followers, to empower his worshipers, or to smite his enemies. It is said that those worthy of his power are bathed in a brilliant golden light that sends a warmth throughout oneself. His enemies are often stricken down by Heliod's spear from the heavens, piercing their bodies where they suffer scalding burns and painful shocks throughout their body until they die. Heliod may take the form of a Hart to offer guidance and protection of his followers.

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Heliod's Emissary by Sam Burley

Heliod as a Great Hart

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Temples and Shrines

Temples to Heliod often feature stairs up to a rooftop courtyard, enabling sun worship. More extravagant temples have wide open rooftops to let the sun shine into most of the temple. Statues, paintings, and stained glass depict this mighty god in heroic and inspiring ways. These temples are often places where theists go to learn the magical powers of their god, to recharge their magical essence, and to give tribute and worship.

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Chosen by Heliod by Zack Stella

A worshiper of Heliod, praying before battle.

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“Training and studies aid a soldier in meager amounts. The gods do the rest.”

— Brigone, cleric soldier.

Relationships

Heliod has great respect and is friendly with Iroas , as many of their domains align and Heliod appreciates Iroas' valor and bravery in combat.

Heliod has a heated rivalry with Purphoros, each often fighting one another to gain dominion over the world with Purphoros barely losing at the best of times. There is deep mistrust of the other after Purphoros nearly killed Heliod in one of their battles. Clerics cannot have devotion to both of these gods.

Heliod detests Erebos , god the Dead from the moment he was created. This everlasting hatred is cemented especially after Erebos rebelled and nearly killed Heliod. It is impossible for clerics to have devotion to both of these gods, for one cancels out the other. A cleric abandoning either god for the other would be treading dangerous waters as he would gain the ire of the god he left behind, potentially a target for great misfortune.

Athreos is greatly disliked by Heliod. Athreos selfishly held onto power that Heliod, and the other gods, greatly needed. Only after a coup did the gods siphon this power and left Athreos to wither in the Underworld. Distrust of Athreos is furthered by Heliod as Ahtreos asists Erebos in the Underworld. However, there have been no encounters with either god after the coup. Clerics maintaining devotion to both of these gods is possible, but greatly frowned upon.

Heliod is mostly neutral to all of the other gods.

Followers

Heliod is the sun god, literally bringing the light of day to the world, so almost everyone on Ravnica pays at least token acknowledgment to him. Some families have a custom of winking in the direction of the dawn's light first thing in the morning, a gesture of respect to the sun god's luminous eye. The Boros Legion and Azorius Senate are known to sponsor his worship and divinity by offering theists a chance to learn how to harness his power.