Church of Pelor

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The Church of Pelor is the common name for the vast and expansive clergy of the god of the sun, Pelor.

History

For as long as history has been recorded or drawn on cave walls or stone tablets, people around the world have revered the sun. The sun has always been viewed by humans as the primary source of life, giving heat and light to the land and enabling plants to grow and rivers to run. Seasons have always been a part of the world, and people soon connected the travels of the sun across the sky with the changing of the seasons. Naturally, it seemed logical to regard this thing as the dominant force in the universe.

The worship of Pelor as a personified god came later. Even so, He has been worshipped so long that the Pelorites can trace their lineage through virtually every period in recorded history, with their origins lost in the veils of time.

The most recent incarnation of Pelor worshippers is known as the Pelorite Order, formed after the Great Shift. They built their Sanctuary in the sun-drenched southern region of Salinor with the intention of being the dedicated "core" of Pelorites, providing guidance to the children of the Shining One around the world. They have since then grown in numbers, as have the rest of Pelor's congregation.

Mysticism

Pelorites regard the sun as the most important object in the world. Without its light and heat, life would not exist. The land would consist only of cold darkness. The sun also has an invigorating effect on people. Its rays soak through the body, helping heal sickness and bringing color and hue to the flesh.

The sun also brings spiritual benefits. Its golden light gives courage and joy to adventurers and common folk alike, and its rays lend color and vibrance to all things, inspiring artists and muses to create wondrous works of beauty.

All experience times in which their souls are tested. The kindness of the heart gives strength to the spirit, enabling one to withstand this temporary darkness. Spiritual peace, like the light of the sun after a cold and starless night, will always come again in a glorious dawn.

Thusly, Pelorites welcome the Sun each day with morning prayer. The particulars of each ritual differ from region to region, but they are always done facing the sun as it rises.

However, Pelorites point out that just as staring at the sun can blind a person, so can over-sentimental thinking of Pelor's ideals blind one to the evils of the real world. It takes more than mere thought to change (some disagree), and going out, facing evil, and bringing Pelor's love to others is the greatest gift one can hope to give. And, like a well-worked body after a good day of labor in the fields, the spirit itself is strengthened and made more capable of handling the duties ahead.

Organization

The worshippers of Pelor have no set heirarchy, at least not to the same level as Heironeous. His priests come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. From a well-dressed bishop presiding of a major-city cathedral, to an aged, simple-robed adept serving his small town, to a wandering evangelist who readily turns combat arenas and taverns into halls of worship, the priests of Pelor are extremely difficult to generalize.

All have one thing in common, though: their first thought is the giving of kindness and the protection of those who they have taken in as their "flock". Everything else is just details, and one will just as often find a priest enjoying a feast as studying up legal tomes over a hunk of stale bread.

The closest thing Pelor has to an organized church, however, is the Pelorite Order. Of all the orders and groups who ally themselves with Pelor, they are the richest and best-armed. They are also the most particular about following the rituals of Pelor, often to a tee. They see it as their duty to ensure His worship remains pure, a job which is not as trying as it sounds. Given Pelor's somewhat lenient attitude regarding ethics, the Pelorites' duties consist less of punishing rulebreakers than seeking out and eliminating the taint of evil.

Strength of character is key for the Pelorite Order, and among their numbers are easily the most capable of Pelor's servants. They scour the land for the finest and most courageous of His servants, usually giving them the option to join after their valor and goodness has been proven.

The Pelorite Order selflessly gives other Pelor worshippers aide in the form of money, material goods, and military might. Monetary resources usually come from donations from both the rich and poor, and Pelorites make it a point to given back to the community in spades and never take anything for granted.

Design and Motifs

In general, priests of the Shining One favor the wearing of white, yellow, gold, and silver. Sky-blue is another common color. These colors also adorn the decorations in their sanctuaries. For more work or combat-intensive wear, earthtones and greys with gold, yellow and white accents are more the norm.

The architecture of sanctuaries varies as widely as the cultures in which they occur, but they are always round and have a large window or main door facing East in order to greet the rising sun.

They are usually build in sunny areas surrounded by open fields, preferably on high hilltops where they can be seen for miles around and get as much sunlight as possible throughout the day. They are usually built out of limestone or sandstone, to make them even more visible and serve as a beacon of hope for those who see them. For the Pelorite Order, sanctuaries are built "...so they are visible from a league away on a moonless night." The more elaborate ones usually have a shining sphere or sunburst made out of gold, brass, or gold-leafed wood at their tiptop.

The sanctuaries are constructed in a light and airy fashion, enabling maximum light to flow in. Sunlight is considered cleansing, similar to a fresh wind blowing stale air away. Thusly, doors are left open whenever possible. Skylights and rose windows are common. Smaller windows never have shades or shutters, and any curtains are made of pale cloth to soften (but not block) light for those sensitive to it, such as the sick or elderly.

However, since one is as likely to see a sanctuary of Pelor in either a backwater hamlet or a bustling metropolis, many sanctuaries and their clergy are of humble means, and often double-duty (a sanctuary may also be a feasting hall and the village priest may also be a corn farmer). In some areas a simple shrine, statue, or even a well-kept stone platform or flower garden suffice.

The Shining One seems to care little for extravagancies or particulars. At the very least, He cares much less about these than about the faith and good deeds of his congregation.

Personnel

The church of Pelor is difficult to codify as far as its manpower. Given that Pelor is unquestionably the most-worshipped God in Human lands (and, presumably, the entire world), His clergy is no doubt equally sizeable.

The Pelorite Order alone counts over nine-hundred devoted members amongst its clergy. Given that most of Pelor's servants are not actually in the Order, though, the total count for all of Pelor's clergy is likely over triple that.

However, because Pelorites do not levy taxes or hold much official power, they do not have the monetary might of the Temple of Heironeous and other, more lawful churches. Therefore, they often call to them for aide when further military force is needed in the cause of fighting evil.

Servants of Pelor are usually Adepts, Clerics, Paladins, and Bards. People of all stripes readily give their lives in service to Him, though, and often one will find a priest of Pelor who, without the time, luxury, or training to devote herself full-time, spreads His love to her community through faith and force of personality alone.

Congregation