The Faith of Lumenor, the Lord of Light

Overview

Lumenor, the King of the Gods, is the divine embodiment of the sun's light, warmth, and righteous fury. His influence bathes the world each dawn, pushing back the darkness both literal and moral. Revered as the supreme lawgiver and guardian of life, Lumenor stands as a bastion of justice, compassion, and unyielding resolve against the forces of evil. His faith is dominant among humanity, though many other races also revere him for his strength and moral clarity.

Symbol - The Sunburst Halo

Description: A radiant, symmetrical sunburst with 12 or 16 golden rays, encircling a central disc of white-gold light. In some depictions, the center contains a single open eye or an unflickering flame.
Meaning: Represents Lumenor as the eternal source of light, order, and divine clarity. The rays symbolize the celestial harmony he brings to the world and the holy principles of illumination (kept in hidden scripture).
Usage: Carved above temple doors, worn as pendants, painted behind high clerics during sermons, or sewn onto vestments in gold thread.

Theology

Lumenor’s dominion includes the radiant forces of Life, the purifying brilliance of Light, the enduring strength of Hope, and the righteous might of War. While other deities may govern agriculture or fertility more directly, Lumenor’s light is believed to empower all growth. His eldest divine daughter, Viresca, tends to the aspect of Agriculture under his watchful eye while his Youngest Daughter, Meliora, tends over the sick and those in need.
His core belief is simple yet profound: Evil must be destroyed—not reasoned with. Redemption is rare and difficult in his creed, and mercy is reserved for the weak and innocent, never for the wicked.

Clergy and Organization

The House of Light

Lumenor’s clergy, known as the House of Light, functions as both a religious and civic force. Temples of Lumenor serve as hospitals, granaries, schools, and courts. The clergy preaches compassion, charity, and virtue—but maintains an iron stance on sin and evil. Charity is given freely, but judgment is swift and unflinching.

The Solarium Divinitatis

An autonomous religious-militant state based in the Shamsiya Caliphate, the Solarium acts as the political and spiritual heart of Lumenor's faith. It is governed by the High Solarch, a position combining theocratic leadership and military command.

The Monastery of Sol Ascendant

It is considered the most sacred retreat of Lumenor’s clergy outside the capital sanctum. Located on a sun-drenched plateau high above the Wintertail, it is both austere and radiant.

The Solar Host

The militant arm of the faith, the Solar Host, is one of the most powerful armies in existence. Composed largely of Clerics and Paladins, they are the sword that complements the House's shield. Known for decisive action and zero tolerance for evil, the Host is both feared and revered.

Subfaction: The Legion of the Solar Storm

An elite fighting force composed of battle-hardened warriors and celestial allies, this Legion is often sent into the most cursed or morally ambiguous warzones. Their reputation is one of purity through annihilation—making no distinction between corrupted lands and those tainted by neutrality. In their zeal, they sometimes walk a line that even other faithful fear to tread.

Festivals and Holy Days

Dawnfire Festival – Celebrated on the Spring Equinox, it marks the triumph of light over darkness. Fires are lit in every village square and blessings are offered to new ventures.
The Cleansing Sun – A weeklong observance during midsummer where temples hold trials for accused evildoers and public penance is encouraged.
Solstice of the Host – On the longest day of the year, the Solar Host holds grand parades and drills, renewing their oath to protect the innocent.

Mythology & Lore

The Trial of the Three Shadows

Long ago, Lumenor summoned three mortals—one brave, one clever, and one devout—to walk through a cursed valley where the sun never rose. Each was tasked with finding and naming the evil that festered there. The brave man fought shadows blindly, slaying even the innocent, he came out the other end bathed in blood but oblivious to the true evil that dwelled in the land. The clever woman bargained with the dark, thinking to outwit it. Through trickery and and mischief she managed to gain an advantage, and bound the dark to her bidding, however the land bore no fruits and no animals dared cross it, soon enough she needed the dark to feed or else she be starved. She came out the other end a slave to what she once thought she could master. The devout peasant walked forward singing the Dawn Hymn, unwavering. Not once did his steps falter and not once did his voice crack. He preached the word of Light and shone light unto to the dark going unnoticed in the shadows. He never came out the other end, for he needed not do so. The sun did once again shine upon the face of that once-cursed valley and it was there the First Stone of the Solarium Divinitatis was set.
Only the devout man’s light touched the truth: the valley was cursed not by a monster, but by the silence of those who knew and did nothing. Lumenor wept for the brave and the clever, and crowned the devout as his Dawnsworn.
Moral: Do not let action or intellect blind your faith. Evil thrives where good people say nothing.

The Black Feather of Durnhollow

In the village of Durnhollow, a boy found a beautiful feather black as obsidian. He wore it in his cap, though he knew it came from a crow that feasted on the dead. In time, his words turned bitter, his hands greedy. He grew rich while others withered. When questioned by the House of Light, he laughed and called it superstition. On Solcryst, the sun failed to rise over Durnhollow. The faithful burned the feather on the altar. The light returned—but the boy had turned to stone.
His statue now guards the road, weeping tar.
Moral: Small indulgences can darken the soul. Ignoring corruption invites judgment.

The Saint Who Burned Her Name

A noblewoman known only as “She of Ashes” once came before the House of Light. Covered in soot and barbs, she confessed to unspeakable sins committed under her family’s banner. She asked no absolution—only to serve. She burned her name from all records and became a healer in the Emberfast monastery. Under the wing of Meliora's brilliance, she assisted women with the birth of life, healed the wounded and guided those in need. She gave all her belongings to the poor and worked the fields when the sun was blazing. She served for long and was loved by all. Her heart burst in light decades later as she healed a plague victim and her fire cleansed the land of malady for all the days to come.
Her ashes were said to glow for nine days.
Moral: Redemption lies not in erasing sin, but in bearing it silently and doing good.

Cosmological Views

Lumenor's followers believe the world was once part of the first flame. Wholly engulfed in a permanent state of holy radiance and purity. This state is commonly referred to as the "Prima Pleroma" or the first sun. All the gods hold shards of the first flame, with the most Important shard, representative of the flame's true nature and purity possessed by Lumenor himself. Thus the Lord of light sought the flame's true nature of existence. During his pilgrimage he came to know the corruptive powers of sin and the influence of the abyss and waged eternal war against them. The Solars, beings of pure light joined his Endeavor, indicative of the Lord's absolute clarity of heart and mind. During his wars, the influence of the abyss consumed his wife, Maelvorna and her Sister Malirem. Woebegone but ever vigilant and pure, Lumenor armed himself and waged war against them in his most powerful of forms utterly annihilating both.
"—Thus we must purge sin even in our household for the Lord of Light once did. Us, his children are expected to act with the same steadfastness and righteousness as he once did in our time of greatest need."

—Codex Luminis

After the War, Sol Invictus, in his time of greatest darkness retreated into himself, fasting and meditating over his imperfections. Through a journey of self discovery, asceticism and abstinence, Lumenor discovered the true nature of the Flame, became master of the Sun and the supreme ruler of everything holy and returned to the Material World as king of Gods. He crafted the Golden Covenant, from which the Mortal Race is allowed to thrive. He granted mortals his eternal love through chance at redemption and mastery over fate. As such, all gods are disallowed to directly intervene with mortal affairs, least they not permit mortals from plucking their own strings of faith and reaching immortality through contact with the true flame.
—"All shall long in ecstasy for the purity of one."

—Codex Luminis

Eschatology: The Final Convergence

At the end of time, Lumenor is prophesied to return in his Solar Form, an aspect so radiant that the world itself will melt away, leaving only souls of light. The faithful will ascend, joining Lumenor as rays in his eternal being—a single, infinite sun beyond the veil of creation. This is known as the coming of the second sun, the Final Convergence or the Secunda Pleroma, and it is the ultimate reward: no more flesh, no more sin, only unity and peace.

Key Prophetic Lines from the Codex Luminis:

“When the final night falls and the heavens split, the faithful shall burn—but not in pain. They shall become flame, and flame shall become Light, and Light shall become One.”

Tenets of Faith

The faithful of Lumenor live by the following sacred commandments, known collectively as The Seven Rays of the Dawn:

1. Uphold the Light. Act with honor, honesty, and purity of heart.


2. Stand Against Evil. Evil tolerated is evil empowered. Do not turn away.


3. Protect the Innocent. The weak and sick are to be defended and healed.


4. Labor with Purpose. Idleness breeds decay. All must contribute under the sun.


5. Embrace Courage. Fear is natural. Cowardice is betrayal.


6. Wage Just War. Let war only be waged in the name of righteousness.


7. Burn the Darkness. Root out corruption wherever it hides—even within.

Sins against Lumenor are taken seriously, particularly:

• Cowardice: A betrayal of faith and purpose.


• Sloth: A refusal to honor one’s place in creation.


• Indifference: Turning a blind eye to evil is complicity.

Ethics

Lumenor's Faith is extremely widespread and influences society in a multitude of ways. There's a plethora of motifs and societal reverberations where the faith of Light is predominant. Most prominent of which are:

• Judgment is swift and moralistic—infidelity or dishonor can lead to excommunication or public penance.


• Art tends to depict mortification alongside radiance—wounds bleeding golden light, or figures with cracked, glowing skin.


• Marriage is sacred but a trial—often considered a crucible to purge selfishness and worldly desire.


• Death rituals may involve cremation with prayers of purification so the soul may rise unburdened.

Holy orders such as the Order of the Searing Light dedicate themselves entirely to lives of penance, bearing scars as badges of humility.

Worship

Lumenor’s faith touches every aspect of life in nations under his sun. Architecture is dominated by high towers and golden domes to "catch the dawn," while law and justice are often overseen by clerics. Marriages, births, and funerals are conducted under his light, each ceremony beginning with the phrase: “By the Radiance of the Dawn…”
Art depicts Lumenor as a tall, armored figure of radiant light with a flaming sword and sunburst halo, often stepping forth from the horizon itself.

Ascetisism and Sin

While Lumenor’s outer faith is marked by radiant hope, benevolence, and justice, the inner path of his most devout followers is one of asceticism, strict moral discipline, and ritual suffering.

The Flesh as Flaw

In deeper theological writings—especially within the Dawn Canticles—it is believed that flesh is the consequence of separation from the Light. The material world, though necessary for now, is a prison of temptation and decay. Sin is not merely action—it is the condition of embodiment. Life is seen as a trial to purify the soul in preparation for the Final Convergence, when all faithful shall be reunited in Lumenor’s eternal radiance.

Core Beliefs:

• The body is flawed and yearns for comfort, lust, indulgence—all seeds of sin.


• Every righteous act must be weighed against the inherent corruption of flesh.


• True liberation can only be achieved through transcendence into light.

This belief fuels a quiet tension within the faith: between the outer mercy shown to the weak and the inner severity expected of the righteous.

Acts of Purification

The most devoted followers—often monks, zealots, or ascetic clerics—practice a variety of rites designed to purge sin from their being and bring them closer to divine light.

Common Practices:

Self-Flagellation: Whipping of the back or arms in rhythm with dawn prayers to "scourge the shadow from the flesh."
Fasting: Not only during holy days but often for extended periods, with some drinking only sunblessed water for weeks.
Vigil Watching: Standing or kneeling in place throughout the night to “hold vigil against the encroaching dark.”
Sun-Scarring: Branding or burning the flesh with solar symbols (especially the sunburst) as marks of penitence or divine favor.
Vows of Purity: Lifelong celibacy and abstinence from intoxicants, luxury, or even emotional indulgence.
Such acts are never forced on the common faithful—but they are deeply respected, and many who suffer greatly or seek penance will voluntarily walk these paths.

Clerical Code of Purity

The clergy of the House of Light adheres to a strict moral code called the Lumen Discipline, often referred to as "The Rule of the Unshaded Soul." It forbids:

• Infidelity or Lust — Passion is sacred only when channeled into the creation of life or divine union.


• Lies, even minor ones — Truth is a shard of the eternal light. Deceit dims it.


• Greed and Avarice — The hoarding of wealth is seen as spiritual theft.


• Idleness of thought or body — Laziness is the soul's decay.

Clerics who break these vows are often subject to internal tribunal, where punishments may include demotion, public penance, or forced pilgrimage to dangerous lands to seek redemption through holy acts.

Priesthood

Priests of Lumenor's Clergy are either member of the House of Light, or ascetics in one of the faith's monasteries. Such ascetics don't interact much with the outside world and are scarcely contacted be it not for matters of wisdom or importance. Either way, the clergy is expected to serve the Dawnfather in certain ways and is held to a rigorous standard. Daily Practices are detailed below.

Daily Monastic Schedule (The “Solar Rule”)

Dawn (Hour of Purity):
Rite of the First Flame – Monks face the sun, chant the Litany of the Ascending Light, and expose their bare skin to the rising sun regardless of weather, symbolizing vulnerability before truth. Many flagellants use this hour to whip themselves in rhythmic harmony.
Morning (Hour of Labor):
Work in silence. Monks engage in manual labor—tending crops, copying scriptures, forging sunsteel tools. Flesh earns its redemption through toil.
Midday (Hour of Radiance):
Feast of Heat – the only meal of the day. Always vegetarian, often sparse. Served in total silence as hymns play.
Afternoon (Hour of Teaching):
Clerics teach or debate theology. Monks memorize verses, practice blessings, or provide healing to pilgrims.
Evening (Hour of Shadows):
Cleansing Confession – Monks gather, confess minor moral failings aloud, then submit to symbolic torments or purification baths of solar salts.
Nightfall (Hour of Dimming):
No light allowed. The monks retreat to bare stone cells and sleep in darkness—believed to strengthen their resolve to resist it.

Monastic Tenets (The Three Fires):

• Burn the Body – through suffering, sanctify the flesh.


• Burn the Lie – through honesty, excise all falsehood.


• Burn the Shadow – through vigilance, do not let evil root.

Holy Days & Sacred Weeks

Solcryst – The Day of Unyielding Light

Date: Mid-summer solstice.
Rituals:

• Mass burnings of black cloths and effigies of sin.


• Knights of the Solar Host publicly reaffirm oaths of loyalty.


• Fire dances and choral hymns sung across mountaintops.

Symbolism: Marks the zenith of Lumenor's light over the world; evil hides least.

Emberwake – The Week of Penitence

Date: Late winter, when days begin to lengthen.
Practices:

• The faithful walk barefoot, fast, and wear ash on their faces.


• Confessions are made publicly; communities weep together.


• Penitents perform “Ashfall Ceremonies,” placing burning coals in their hands until the first blister, then extinguishing them in blessed snow.

Symbolism: The beginning of renewal, where light slowly burns away the last grip of darkness.

Dawnsworn Oathday

Date: Every third month, on the first sunrise of the new moon.
Rituals:

• New clerics, paladins, and penitents swear their first oaths.


• Failed initiates are expelled in symbolic marches into shadow.


• Swordpoint blessings are given by Solar Host captains.

Sects

The Faith of Lumenor is unified under the central authority of the House of Light, which represents the mainline doctrine of the radiant god. Within this greater whole, however, reside two deeply revered and distinct sects: the The Sect of Viresca and the The Sect of Meliora. Though both sects operate with unique rites, festivals, and ritual calendars, their clergy remain integral members of the House of Light. Each sect embodies a vital aspect of Lumenor’s divine legacy—agriculture and growth through Viresca, healing and the hearth through Meliora—and together, they form an inseparable and essential part of the greater faith.
Beyond the gentle devotions of Viresca and Meliora, there exists a far more solemn and fearsome sect within Lumenor’s faith— The Order of Searing Light. This austere order of monastic clerics, paladins, and unwavering devotees serves Lumenor through a sacred and harrowing ritual known as the Rite of Transcendent Wounding. In this rite, followers willingly offer parts of their bodies in sacrifice. If deemed worthy, these wounds are not merely endured—they are transformed. The God’s divine radiance replaces what was lost, and the faithful are reborn as Luminaries: living saints and bearers of Lumenor’s undiluted glory. The Order inspires awe and dread alike, for Luminaries wield a purity so absolute it borders on perilous. Though feared by many, the House of Light holds this sect in the highest regard, recognizing that the blessings of Lumenor often demand a soul strong enough to walk through fire.

Relationship Between the Major Sects and the Central Faith of Lumenor

The Sects of Viresca and Meliora
Both Viresca and Meliora are seen not just as daughters of Lumenor, but as embodiments of his benevolence—the side of Light that nurtures, rather than judges. Their worship is always connected to his, but localized, intimate, and focused on preservation rather than purity.
In many temples of Lumenor, their shrines are located in niches or annexes near the sanctuary flame, with separate ritual calendars but shared festivals. Some believe that Meliora and Viresca’s prayers rise first to Lumenor’s ears, softening his decrees with love and memory.
The Order of Searing Light
Though the Order of Searing Light walks a path cloaked in solemnity and sacrifice, it remains a vital and honored limb of Lumenor’s central faith. While their practices—especially the harrowing Rite of Transcendent Wounding—may unsettle common worshippers, the House of Light acknowledges the Order’s devotion as the purest form of veneration. The Luminaries, saints forged in pain and divine radiance, serve as living testaments to the god’s unrelenting brilliance. Many within the broader clergy speak of the Order with reverence laced with caution, for while they embody Lumenor’s glory, they also remind the faithful that divine light does not always come gently. The relationship between the House and the Order is thus one of mutual necessity: the former provides structure and guidance, while the latter safeguards the sacred flame that lies beyond comfort, in realms where only the worthy dare to tread.

Schisms and Heresies

While Lumenor’s faith is united, fringe cults have emerged:

The Eclipse Sect

Worship the "necessary evil" of shadow, believing balance must be maintained. Deemed heretical and hunted. Some embrace only parts of the Eclipse Sect's teachings and apply their ideals when it comes to Judgement and mercy. The House of Light does not necessarily condemn all who might express some form of Sympathy to the Sect but believers and especially the Clergy of Lumenor know better than to express such ideas of amity with heretics.

Ashen Sun Sect

Former Solar Host members who believe even the innocent may be sacrificed for the greater good. Viewed as extremists and rogue zealots. The Solarium Divinitatis concluded that this sect's teachings are not Heretic and therefore allowed its existence. It now has a small number of Followers within the House of Light and a much greater number within the Solar Host. Most of Legion of the Solar Storm is either affiliated or associated with the Ashen Sun sect.

The Doctrine of the Black Sun

Name: The Umbrafervents (or "Black Sun Faithful") Primarily rooted in the Gilded Plains, especially within the Duchy of House Umbrallys—a noble family known for extreme views and a violent history of xenophobia cloaked in divine rhetoric.

Core Beliefs:

The Sun is Black: The light of Lumenor is pure—but to the unworthy, it appears dark. The Umbrafervents claim they see the true light, hidden in blackness, incomprehensible to lesser races and diluted bloodlines.
Only Humans Bear the Spark of Lumenor: Dwarves, elves, beastfolk, and other kin are called *“the lightless”—*their souls "born in eclipse," incapable of redemption.
Selective Redemption Among Humans: Even among humanity, only the “sunborn”—those with golden or pale skin, specific phenotypes, or proven ancestral devotion—are considered salvageable.
The Burning Crusade Prophecy: The world will end in a great fire. Only the faithful who survive the Burning Trials will merge into Lumenor’s light. Others will be fuel.

Practices:

Sunbrand Initiations: Young followers are branded with a black sun over their hearts. Many willingly blind their left eye in imitation of the "Sun-that-blinds."
Bloodlit Masses: Sacrifices of non-human prisoners during solstice rituals, claiming the black flame of the sun demands payment.
The Crucible Wars: Armed bands, sanctioned by House Umbrallys, conduct ethnic and racial purges under divine pretense.

Schism with Mainstream Faith

The House of Light formally excommunicated all Umbrafervents. The Solar Host has besieged their strongholds on multiple occasions, but the Duchy’s political influence and military might often shield them.
The Umbrafervents claim mainstream followers are "Sunblind"—led by weaklings who worship a diluted, feminized version of Lumenor.

Cultural Commentary & Theological Analysis

• The House of Light views the Umbrafervents as a corruption spawned by pride—an ironic mockery of Lumenor’s radiance. Their obsession with race and bloodline is considered idolatry of the self, rather than worship of the divine.


• Moderate theologians speculate the Black Sun cult represents the Shadow of Lumenor’s flame—not in opposition, but in warning. Every light casts a shadow, and fanaticism is the shadow of zeal.


• Some scholars argue that the Umbrafervents are politically useful: when diplomacy fails, the Solar Host sometimes “redirects” their extremism to known evil enclaves, letting them act as blunt instruments.

In Light, We Rise.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Demonym

Lumenorians

Leader Title

High Solarch

Deities

• Lumenor, The Lord of Light