Canonfire! - Gods of the Flanaess: Pelor

PELOR

Domains: Sun, Light, Strength, Healing

Home Plane: The Tri-Paradises

Alignment: Neutral and good

Alignment of Clergy: Lawful and good, neutral and good, or chaotic and good

Alignment of Worshippers: People of all alignments can be found worshipping Pelor. Pelor is mostly worshipped by humans, elves, and halflings, as well as the many types of fairy-folk such as the buckawn, the brownies, and the pixies.

History and Relationships: Pelor has always existed in harmony with the Oerth. If Beory, the Oerth Mother, is the giver of life, Pelor is its nurturer and protector. Beory encompasses the feminine values of nurturing, compassion and gentleness, Pelor embodies the masculine values of devotion, sacrifice and courage. Pelor and Beory were the first gods to oppose the actions of the Dark Lord, the first to struggle in the Age of Night and bring other gods to aid them against Dread Tharizdun.

Church writings and the tales of some Flan elders claim that in ancient days Pelor was worshipped by all races, even the orcs, goblins and other humanoids who turned to evil, but that many of them came into the worship of other gods and forgot the sun and the Oerth that gave rise to them. Such is the way of the world, and Pelor does not truly begrudge other gods for this, given that many of them had parts to play in sealing away the Dark Lord once and for all.

Pelor’s worship was retained by many Flan nations, and was later reintroduced to many of the Oeridian and Sueloise cultures that entered the Flanaess after the Great Migrations. At the same time, he continues to be revered by the elves and other fey folk of the forests, meadows and mountains, accepted by the gods of those races as one of their own.

Pelor’s major allies include gods such as Beory, Titania, Celestian, the Oeridian wind gods, the elemental lords Akadi, Kossuth, Grumbar and Istishia, Ulaa, Segojan Oerthcaller, Baravan Wildwanderer, Dumathoin, Jascar, Jormay, Obad-Hai, Ehlonna, Procan, Incabulos, Nerull, Corellon Larethian, Sehanine Moonbow, and any other god who contributes to the natural order of the world, whether good or evil.

Pelor’s only true enemy consists of the Dark Lord, although he detests Pyremius, Erythnul, the lords of the lower planes, Syrul, Beltar, the gods of the humanoids, Vecna, Ralishaz and other similar gods for their perverse morals and the mayhem they spread among the peoples of the Oerth. He also dislikes Pholtus, Trithereon, St. Cuthbert, Zilchus, Xerbo, Osprem, and other mercantile or militant gods for what he sees as their sowing discord among people with rigid beliefs, or for promoting greed and exploitation between humans in mercantile competition.

Teachings: Pelor’s clergy teaches that the sun provides its blessings to all that live upon the Oerth, as the light he gives makes it possible for life to flourish even in the deepest reaches of the Oerth. To that end, they stress the virtues of charity, compassion, sacrifice and loyalty. However, they also accept that the world is not perfect, and that bearing arms against evil is sometimes necessary and justified to prevent suffering and to repair the damage wrought by evil.

It is the duty of parents to nurture their children and provide them with what they need to flourish and develop, following the example Pelor provides for his mortal charges on Oerth. Children, in turn, should remember and be grateful for what their parents do for them, and be prepared to defend their parents if necessary. The importance of this relationship between parent and child is strongly emphasized, as Pelorians view it as an imitation of the compact made between the Oerth and the sun to care for and protect the mortals that cross the Oerth.

Many Pelorians believe that it is a sin to rigidly enforce one set of ideals or beliefs on the world. They state that Pelor shines on all equally and so long as people obey the most basic principles of civilized behavior, they should be able to live as they see fit in their societies. These chaotic branches of the faith are inclined to rebel against more orthodox factions of the Pelorian church, although the faith of Pelor is noted for avoiding the bitter internecine conflicts that plague many faiths of even good alignment.

Interaction with Outsiders: The faith of Pelor is respected and revered across the Flanaess, with only Iuz, Blackmoor, the Horned Society, Stonehold, the Pale, and the Ice, Frost and Snow Barbarians either outlawing the faith or simply not acknowledging it either among its rulers or the people of its society. Temples to Pelor can be found across the Flanaess, in places ranging from Rel Astra to Greyhawk, from Rookroost to Istivin, from Tringlee to Leukish, from Loftwick to Kalstrand, from Nevond Nevnend to Irongate.

In communities and countries across the Flanaess, Pelor has at least small followings, if not organized congregations. The Pelorian clergy is less involved in politics than it is in organizing schools, feeding the homeless, tending to the sick, performing marriages, counseling troubled souls, and performing blessings and exorcisms for those in need. When they do take to the streets to preach, it is usually to solicit donations to continue their work, rather than to convert the listeners to their points of view. In some cities, such as Greyhawk, the guilds of thieves and assassins often have many members who were helped as children by the clergy of Pelor, and ruthlessly punish anyone who harms or molests a Pelorian. The Pelorians, of course, have no idea that this happens.

Atheists, agnostics, and others who do not revere the gods often come to the Pelorians when they need healing or other sorts of assistance, as Pelorians will accept one and all who need their aid, demanding only a donation in return for their work. Needless to say, such kindness should not be abused-even Pelorians are not inclined to help someone who has too loudly and for too long insulted their beliefs. However, as many peasants and other lower-class folk are simply too busy trying to make ends meet to properly revere the gods, they will often find Pelorians accept them with no complaints, only gentle smiles and healing hands.

Variant Sects: Some Pelorians harshly criticize what they view as their brethren’s concern mainly with repairing the damage wrought by evil, caring little about the causes of the problems in the first place. Believing that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, they state that mainstream Pelorians are in fact allowing more suffering to happen by not acting to fight against evil when it first poses a threat. These Pelorians are usually to be found in martial countries such as Sterich, the Yeomanry, the Principality of Ulek, Furyondy, and Nyrond.

Other sects claim that it is impossible to battle all the evil that goes on in the world, and that the sun is in any case a nurturer and not a destroyer or warrior. They believe that one should make the best of the situation possible, and concentrate on healing and helping those who are in need. Many of these clerics, as could be expected, come from corrupt or evil places such as the Aerdy states, the Pomarj, the Bandit Kingdoms, Greyhawk, the Wild Coast, or Dyvers.

Adventuring Clergy: Pelorian clergy who adventure tend to do so for personal reasons, either to spread the word of their god, to gain funds for the church, or to fulfill something missing in their lives by helping souls in need. Official church doctrine does not openly endorse adventurers, it accepts that the sun shines on many different peoples and places, and that all must find their paths in life.

Adventuring clergy may wear any armor they wish, although using edged weapons to shed blood is frowned on by all sects of the faith and blunt weapons, particularly the heavy mace in the shape of a stylized sun, are favored instead. The fighting of evil is always encouraged, but most sects agree that healing and rebuilding should take priority over destroying the enemy once and for all.

Pelor does not actively encourage his clerics to seek out converts, but adventuring clergy should where possible encourage people to turn to Pelor in times of need, telling them of his succor to those who revere him. The poor, crippled and sick should at all times be fed and treated regardless of their faith, and clerics are expected to give half the treasure they gain to temples that work to help the poor, regardless of any rifts between sects of the faith. It is well known among all branches of the faith that Pelor punishes those of his followers who allow their personal grudges to get in the way of helping the faithful and the needy.

Pelorian clergy who adventure tend to do so for personal reasons, either to spread the word of their god, to gain funds for the church, or to fulfill something missing in their lives by helping souls in need. Official church doctrine does not openly endorse adventurers, it accepts that the sun shines on many different peoples and places, and that all must find their paths in life.

Some Pelorians harshly criticize what they view as their brethren’s concern mainly with repairing the damage wrought by evil, caring little about the causes of the problems in the first place. Believing that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, they state that mainstream Pelorians are in fact allowing more suffering to happen by not acting to fight against evil when it first poses a threat. These Pelorians are usually to be found in martial countries such as Sterich, the Yeomanry, the Principality of Ulek, Furyondy, and Nyrond.

The faith of Pelor is respected and revered across the Flanaess, with only Iuz, Blackmoor, the Horned Society, Stonehold, the Pale, and the Ice, Frost and Snow Barbarians either outlawing the faith or simply not acknowledging it either among its rulers or the people of its society. Temples to Pelor can be found across the Flanaess, in places ranging from Rel Astra to Greyhawk, from Rookroost to Istivin, from Tringlee to Leukish, from Loftwick to Kalstrand, from Nevond Nevnend to Irongate.

Pelor’s clergy teaches that the sun provides its blessings to all that live upon the Oerth, as the light he gives makes it possible for life to flourish even in the deepest reaches of the Oerth. To that end, they stress the virtues of charity, compassion, sacrifice and loyalty. However, they also accept that the world is not perfect, and that bearing arms against evil is sometimes necessary and justified to prevent suffering and to repair the damage wrought by evil.

Pelor has always existed in harmony with the Oerth. If Beory, the Oerth Mother, is the giver of life, Pelor is its nurturer and protector. Beory encompasses the feminine values of nurturing, compassion and gentleness, Pelor embodies the masculine values of devotion, sacrifice and courage. Pelor and Beory were the first gods to oppose the actions of the Dark Lord, the first to struggle in the Age of Night and bring other gods to aid them against Dread Tharizdun.

People of all alignments can be found worshipping Pelor. Pelor is mostly worshipped by humans, elves, and halflings, as well as the many types of fairy-folk such as the buckawn, the brownies, and the pixies. Pelor has always existed in harmony with the Oerth. If Beory, the Oerth Mother, is the giver of life, Pelor is its nurturer and protector. Beory encompasses the feminine values of nurturing, compassion and gentleness, Pelor embodies the masculine values of devotion, sacrifice and courage. Pelor and Beory were the first gods to oppose the actions of the Dark Lord, the first to struggle in the Age of Night and bring other gods to aid them against Dread Tharizdun.

Lawful and good, neutral and good, or chaotic and goodPeople of all alignments can be found worshipping Pelor. Pelor is mostly worshipped by humans, elves, and halflings, as well as the many types of fairy-folk such as the buckawn, the brownies, and the pixies. Pelor has always existed in harmony with the Oerth. If Beory, the Oerth Mother, is the giver of life, Pelor is its nurturer and protector. Beory encompasses the feminine values of nurturing, compassion and gentleness, Pelor embodies the masculine values of devotion, sacrifice and courage. Pelor and Beory were the first gods to oppose the actions of the Dark Lord, the first to struggle in the Age of Night and bring other gods to aid them against Dread Tharizdun.