Pelor (pay-lore)

Pelor, deity of the sun, is depicted as an older man in white, with wild hair and a beard of shining gold. Pelor is the creator of many good things, a supporter of those in need, and an adversary of all that is evil. He is the most commonly worshiped deity among ordinary humans, and his priests are well received wherever they go. Pelor has not only appeared as an older man but also a mighty warrior wearing a white cloak over an intricate golden plate armor. Where a head would be, instead, there is a burning star. An almost featureless male head burns within the corona.

Personality

Though widely revered as a peaceful and gentle deity who alleviates suffering, Pelor also has more martial aspects. He brings his wrath to bear on darkness and evil, and he invigorates and heals those who champion the cause of good. Pelor teaches that the energy of life originates from the sun. This light brings strength to the weak and health to the injured, while destroying darkness and evil. He urges his followers to challenge the forces of corruption aggressively, but also to remember that just as staring at the sun can cause blindness of the eyes, relentless attention to the destruction of negative forces can blind the heart to the true essentials of life: kindness, mercy, and compassion.

Worshipers

Many of Pelor's worshipers are humans and he is a popular deity, greatly beloved by the common folk. The most loyal of Pelor's followers are the good people who want to ease suffering and bring warmth and light to the desperate. The common people praise the benevolence and mercy of Pelor. Needy, homeless, sick and infirm know that they can always count on the priests of Pelor to feed, house and care for them. Its faith is very popular in agricultural communities which essentially worship Pelor's solar aspect.
All those willing to embrace Pelor's message are welcome. He has emissaries that look for "Good-but-unaligned" souls to convert at the last minute to his side rather than having them become lost as ghosts or mortared into Sigil.
Among Pelor's portfolio is that of a healing deity, and members of his clergy devote a large part of their time and energy to feeding the hungry and caring for the sick, especially among the poorest. His clergy is therefore extremely popular with those who were not favored by life.
Pelor's clergy heal the sick, bless crops, help the needy, and destroy evil and the undead. They are caring and nurturing, with backbones of steel. The Pelorian priesthood attracts many naive youths to his service, but training is rigorous enough to send many of them back to their farms. Pelor's elite priests are called Radiant Servants.
Unlike most members of the Pantheon who are not counted among the Nature deities, Pelor is served by a small number of druids, who behave in ways similar to his clerics, but with a greater emphasis on the care of plants and animals. They usually associate themselves with settlements rather than living as hermits, aiding the community with their hands, spells, and animal companions wherever they can. They are considered to have priest status within the Pelorian church, though they have a separate hierarchy.
In summary, clerics are generally peaceful, friendly, and have an iron will. They are mainly healers and protectors, but they do not hesitate to take up arms when necessary. They use their powers to care for, feed and help those in need, and they develop all the talents necessary to protect their flock. They are free to venture into distant lands, using their powers to heal their allies and help them fight Evil and Darkness. Clerics don't preach, but lead by example—the kindness they show and the inner strength they exude lead people to convert to their faith.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Mythology

In the Old Tales, Pelor is one of the gods that fought against the Primordials during the First War. He acted as one of the leaders, who rallied the gods and led them to victory. In fact, it was he who struck down the Queen of the Primordials, ending the War. After the defeat of the Titans, he was chosen by the others to lead the Pantheon. It was Pelor who hung the sun in the sky and he had a heavy hand in the shaping of the world. Pelor loved the Spring brought by his sister-in-law, the Autumn brought by Yondalla and the Winter brought by Nerull. He desired the verdant beauty of the world last longer, so Pelor created the Summer.

Parables

Parable of the Hungry Man: This myth tells of a man who was driven to crime out of a combination of desperate poverty and foolish pride. His community forgave him and fed and clothed him when his perfidy was discovered.
Gift of Eternal Light: This is an epic saga of an ancient kingdom threatened upon by mortal, demonic, and undead evil. Though sorely tested by their foes, the people of the kingdom had their morale restored each morning at the sight of the rising sun. In a climactic battle, the sun's rays helped defeat the demons and undead, and the Pelorians were victorious. An interesting detail is that this myth claims the sun's rays are the spirits of the righteous, a claim that no other Pelorian texts makes.
Punishment of the Undead: This myth tells of the origin of vampires, said to have been cursed by Pelor after turning from his light to the pursuit of evil magic. The myth suggests that Pelor would forgive them, if only they would ask.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Among the known gods Pelor is closely allied with Chauntea. Pelor is friendly to good-aligned nonhuman deities such as Corellon Larethian, Moradin, and Garl Glittergold, and is especially friendly to those with an agricultural or solar aspect, as Yondalla has. Pelor opposes all evil deities and his followers avoid neutral deities with teachings counter to Pelor's. Pelor particularly loathes Vecna, Lolth, and Morgion.

Divine Classification

Greater deity

Religions
Archorian pantheon
Alignment
Neutral good
Honorary & Occupational Titles
The Sun Father
The Sun God
The Sun Lord
The Shining One
Domains
Light, life, nature, twilight
Portfolio
Sun, light, healing