Heliod, God of the Sun

Heliod is the sun god, bringing the light of day to the world, so almost everyone on Theros 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. Heliod's devoted worshipers are mainly humans and Lagonna Band centaurs, who worship Heliod on the first clear-skied morning of every month, although some Leonin are said to still worship him. Temples to Heliod often feature stairs up to a rooftop courtyard, enabling sun worship. The largest holiday aligned with Heliod is the summer solstice, celebrated with three days of ceremonious feasting, weddings, and oaths of loyalty. As sunlight casts out darkness, Heliod’s justice casts out chaos and lawlessness. Heliod represents the 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.

Champions of Heliod

Champions of Heliod are typically either exemplars of light, law, and truth or conflicted heroes motivated by revenge and sworn vows. Most can’t imagine serving those they consider lesser gods.

Heliod’s Favor

Heliod seeks out champions in the mortal world because he believes that a great champion reflects well on him. The ruler of the gods, as he imagines himself, should have champions who represent the best of mortals. That said, the reason for his initial interest in a champion isn’t always obvious. What made the sun god turn his attention to you? What sets you apart from the masses of people who offer him prayers and sacrifice? What made him think you would be a good champion? The Heliod’s Favor table offers a handful of suggestions.

d6	Circumstance
1	You were born at noon on the summer solstice—perhaps even in the midst of Heliod’s great feast.
2	One of your parents is also a champion of Heliod.
3	You once rescued a pegasus that was trapped in a net, demonstrating your courage and your respect for this sacred creature.
4	You proved your mettle in a dramatic contest of strength, charisma, or a similar quality.
5	Calling on Heliod to witness you, you swore an oath to end some great evil.
6	You have no idea why Heliod showed interest in you, and you might sometimes wish he hadn’t.

Heliod can be a fickle god, but once you have devoted yourself to him as a champion, he will not desert you—as long as you remain faithful and your actions continue to reflect well on him.

Devotion to Heliod

Following Heliod means devoting yourself to the cause of law and justice. In fact, champions of Heliod are sometimes more constant in their pursuit of those ideals than the god himself, who can be emotional and short-tempered. As a follower of Heliod, consider the ideals on the Heliod’s Ideals table as alternatives to those suggested for your background.

d4	Ideal
1	Devotion. My devotion to my god is more important to me than what he stands for.
2	Honor. I behave nobly and always keep my promises.
3	Protection. I face the horrors of the darkness so the common people don’t have to.
4	Enforcement. Those who violate the laws that hold civilization together must be punished.
5	Justice. The purpose of law is to establish fair and equitable relationships among people and gods.
6	Kinship. It’s essential to preserve the bonds of family—my own family first, and others after.

Approval

Heliod's approval of you increases when you expand the god’s influence in the world in a concrete way through acts such as these:

Carrying out punishment on a fugitive from justice
Exacting vengeance for a significant wrong done to you
Defending a polis from attacking monsters
Building or restoring a temple to Heliod

Heliod's approval decreases if you diminish his influence in the world, contradict his ideals, or make him look ridiculous or ineffectual through acts such as these: