God of the Sun

The god of the Sun is the twin brother of the goddess of the Moon. It was his union with the goddess of Love that brought forth all life on Gaia and sparked insane jealousy between the goddesses of Love and the Moon.
He is a virile and boisterous god, the source of life and energy in the world. Many legends are told of his liaisons with beautiful women and the heroic children he sires with them. He is often worshipped by warriors and other "manly" men as the exemplar of masculinity, but their eagerness often needs to be tempered by the goddess of Love's compassionate understanding - followers of the sun-god are generous to a fault, but often do not realize what they freely offer may not always be for the best.
He is worshipped in the sun-soaked desert lands of Khemri where he is depicted as having the head of a hawk and is closely associated with gold and the ruling pharaoh (king). He is also widely worshipped in the more temperate and northern land of Almaria (where the sun is less-frequently seen, and so is of great importance as the source of life via successful agriculture and harvest). He is depicted as a mighty warrior, massively muscular and in the prime of life, with flowing blonde hair and golden skin, and possessed of extreme sexual potency.
As a powerful warrior, extremely charismatic and a champion of those who fight alone, he is popular among gladiators and others who fight for entertainment. His chapels are commonly found attached to arenas and colosseums including the one in the capital of Etrusca. This chapel is now home to the Fireheart Cult.

Temples & Priests of the Sun

Temples of the god of the Sun are oriented east-west, with worship focused towards the rising or setting sun, or the sun at its zenith at local noon. The commonest design is a stepped pyramid with plazas to the east and west - the central platform is used by the priests, who greet or say farewell to sun as it rises or sets. The people gather in the appropriate plaza (on the eastern side of the pyramid at dawn, the west at dusk) so they are bathed with the rays of the sun. For a noontime ceremony, the people gather on the steps of the pyramid.
Priests wear a lot of gold - a sacred metal - and wear white clothing. High priests may paint their bodies with gold paint and wear very few clothes. The practice of "sunbathing" - of lying in the fierce sun for long periods - is common. This browns and even burns the skin, turning it red and damaging it so it peels off, and in extreme cases dehydration and overheating occurs which causes sickness and delirium. However, in this delirium priests may experience visions sent by their god.

Religions

• Fireheart Cult