The Faith of Light

Rooted in the blazing desert oasis of Hacuito, the Faith of Light worships Felotl, the god of sun and life, whose eternal light guides the faithful through both prosperity and hardship. Known for its rigid hierarchy and elevated sense of purpose, the Faith views itself as the ultimate path to purity, positioning its followers as beacons to guide others out of shadow. Core tenets of humility and charity intertwine with a reverence for light as the sole source of goodness, though some sects interpret Felotl’s teachings with intensity bordering on zealotry. With traditions ranging from rituals of personal purification to grand festivals celebrating the return of the sun, the Faith of Light is both a source of pride and a formidable cultural force within the sun-drenched city of Hacuito.

Structure

The Faith of Light’s structure is a strict and hierarchical system with numerous levels, each representing degrees of enlightenment under Felotl’s divine light. At the top stands the Zenith of Radiance, a figure akin to a pope, believed to channel Felotl's will directly. Below the Zenith is the Sunward Council, an elite advisory body embodying distinct virtues, followed by the Radiant Ascendants who manage regional temples and the Illumined Custodians who oversee local worship. Priests and priestesses form the next tier, serving as the direct link to the masses, known as the Luminous Faithful, who aspire to ascend in devotion and understanding. This layered hierarchy reinforces the faith's emphasis on purity, control, and progression toward enlightenment.
The Zenith of Radiance (Equivalent to a "Pope")

• Role and Reverence: The Zenith of Radiance is the ultimate authority within the Faith, regarded as the purest embodiment of Felotl's light. Their word is considered divine, and they are believed to receive direct guidance from Felotl himself.
• Responsibilities: They issue edicts, interpret divine messages, and oversee the Sunward Council. The Zenith of Radiance appears only on special occasions, adding to the mystery and reverence surrounding them.

The Sunward Council

• Composition and Duties: Composed of the most devout and powerful clergy, the council members each embody a distinct aspect of light, such as Purity, Wisdom, or Vigilance. They act as direct advisors to the Zenith of Radiance and are responsible for shaping doctrine, managing faith-based law, and guiding the Faith’s interpretation of bringing others into the light.
• Authority: Council members often have near-autonomous authority within their domains and oversee all tiers below them.

The Radiant Ascendants

• Role: This tier includes high priests and priestesses chosen from various regions to lead prominent temples. They are tasked with enforcing the council’s decrees, guiding lower clergy, and interpreting the Radiant Scrolls, the Faith’s sacred texts.
• Responsibilities: The Ascendants regularly interact with the public, deliver sermons, and are considered accessible to the faithful. They also lead important ceremonies and serve as intermediaries for the council.

The Illumined Custodians

• Role: Custodians are senior priests who oversee local temples and community affairs, ensuring that Felotl’s teachings reach followers across the land. They are selected based on their loyalty and strict adherence to the faith’s principles.
• Duties: Custodians administer temples, lead regional ceremonies, and supervise the daily operations of worship spaces. They also report directly to the Ascendants, creating a line of accountability.

Priests and Priestesses of Light

• Role: These are the faith’s primary servants, leading daily rituals, offering counsel, and guiding followers in their devotion to Felotl. They serve as the most direct point of contact for the masses.
• Responsibilities: Priests and priestesses teach lesser followers about the virtues of light, conduct initiation ceremonies, and provide guidance for penitents, all while reporting to Custodians.

The Luminous Faithful (General Followers)

• Role: Ordinary followers, or Luminous Faithful, are encouraged to attend rituals and are expected to adhere to the teachings of Felotl. They engage in charitable acts and community service as a form of bringing others into the light.
• Expectation: While they do not hold official positions, followers aspire to grow closer to the light and may progress through the ranks based on piety, donations, or influence.

Culture

The Faith of Light’s culture and core beliefs are built on a foundation of perceived purity, moral superiority, and structured enlightenment, with Felotl as the ultimate embodiment of virtue, illuminating the faithful toward a path of righteousness.
Core Values
Light as Purity and Life

• Divine Purity: Followers view light as the source of all life and virtue, positioning themselves as inherently more pure and worthy than others. Darkness is seen as synonymous with ignorance, vice, and suffering, which justifies the faith’s mission to enlighten others.
• Felotl’s Guidance: Felotl, as the God of Light, is revered not just for providing literal light but as the font of truth, goodness, and order. Followers believe that aligning themselves with Felotl makes them agents of his perfection and purity.

Chances given, not gambles

• Divine Chances and Tests, Not Recklessness: While rumors suggest Felotl has a penchant for gambling, the Faith reframes this by teaching that Felotl gives people chances and tests to prove their worth, rather than taking risks for personal gain. This belief positions Felotl as merciful, offering opportunities to overcome one’s darkness through possible great risk for reward.
• Rumors and Denial: Outsiders often question this doctrine, viewing Felotl’s “chances” as a veiled recklessness or personal indulgence. The Faith vehemently denies such claims, framing any risks as part of a divine design to encourage growth and enlightenment.

Bringing Others into the Light

• Enlightenment as Duty: The Faith holds that those outside its teachings are lesser and must be enlightened, positioning charitable acts as a form of benevolent condescension. Followers help others as a way to showcase their own purity and magnanimity, believing they are guiding others out of darkness.
• Moral Superiority: Helping others is seen less as humility and more as a responsibility of the elevated. It reinforces the Faith’s culture of self-assured virtue, with followers viewing themselves as models for a better way of life.

Hierarchy as the Path to Enlightenment

• Strict Structure and Progression: Each level of the faith’s structure signifies closeness to Felotl’s light, with every step in rank seen as a step toward ultimate truth and purity. Those who hold higher positions are believed to possess greater enlightenment, reinforcing the Faith’s rigid, almost caste-like system.
• Tiered Enlightenment: The structure implies that only by moving up in the faith’s hierarchy can one truly “ascend” and reach the highest degree of devotion. It emphasizes that enlightenment isn’t freely available; it’s earned through proven loyalty, devotion, and purity

Public Agenda

Public Charity
Charity events and community service are grand, public affairs where priests, custodians, and even the Sunward Council members demonstrate their generosity. These events often double as propaganda, reinforcing the Faith’s sense of moral superiority. While these acts may genuinely aid those in need, they are also performative, serving to display the Faith’s elevated status and Felotl’s mercy. Even followers in lower tiers participate, as it is seen as essential to their own progression.

Mythology & Lore

As the story goes, Felotl saw that his light could bring forth life, and so he molded the first beings from rays of sunlight, infusing them with purity and purpose. These beings became known as the Children of Dawn, wise and radiant figures who roamed the world, teaching early tribes to honor the light and avoid the shadows. The Children of Dawn are said to be Felotl’s first prophets, forebears to the Zenith of Radiance and other leaders of the faith.
The Faith’s teachings about darkness are rooted in the myth of Krorone’s Descent. Krorone, Felotl’s counterpart, began as a being of twilight—a balance between light and dark. At first, Krorone was content to coexist with Felotl, balancing the world with gentle dusk and dawn. However, Krorone grew envious of Felotl’s worshippers and longed to eclipse her brother’s light entirely. Fueled by this jealousy, Krorone began to corrupt the balance, spreading darkness across the land. Krorone’s actions led to the first Great Eclipse, a time of chaos when she shielded Felotl’s light, plunging the world into despair and confusion. Felotl and Krorone clashed in the heavens, and after a long struggle, Felotl’s light finally banished Krorone to the edge of existence. Yet Krorone continues to lurk, attempting to re-enter the world through shadows and eclipses, his influence manifesting in the fears, doubts, and selfishness of mortals.

Divine Origins

According to doctrine, Felotl revealed himself during the Eternal Dawn, a mythic age when the first rays of divine light pierced the heavens, illuminating the desert region of Hacuito. In this time of legends, Felotl was believed to have defeated primordial forces of darkness, chaos, and ignorance, reshaping the world in his light. This victory established the symbolic tie between Felotl and the sun, as well as his association with purity and enlightenment. While historical records lack concrete evidence of the Eternal Dawn, ancient monuments and inscriptions throughout Hacuito are cited by followers as proof of Felotl’s early influence. Some scholars speculate these artifacts predate the faith and may have belonged to an older, sun-worshipping civilization, absorbed and adapted by early followers of Felotl.
The Faith of Light began as a loose alliance of tribes, led by a prophetic figure called Lunom the Radiant, who is said to have received visions from Felotl. These visions directed him to unite the desert tribes under a single faith and to carry the message of Felotl’s light beyond Hacuito’s sands. Lunom's followers formed the First Congregation, a council tasked with spreading the light and enforcing strict moral codes. They laid down the first laws of the Faith, establishing initial rituals and teachings that would later develop into the hierarchical structure known today. The First Congregation is remembered as the foundation of the faith’s teachings and the original bearers of the virtues now symbolized by the Sunward Council.
As the Faith of Light grew in influence, the need for centralized leadership became apparent. This period, known as the Era of Consolidation, saw the rise of the Zenith of Radiance, a position believed to be divinely appointed to carry Felotl’s purest will. The Zenith was seen as Felotl’s earthly representative, granting them nearly absolute authority over the faith. The first Zenith, Ilara the Sunbringer, brought unity to the various sects and factions that had begun to emerge, ensuring uniformity in beliefs and practices. Under Ilara’s leadership, the Sunward Council was formalized to advise the Zenith and oversee different virtues of light. This rigid structure brought stability and consistency to the Faith of Light, ensuring its teachings were followed uniformly across Hacuito and beyond.
During the Faith’s peak, the faith launched a series of expeditions, often called the Golden Crusades, aimed at expanding Felotl’s light to surrounding regions. The Faith saw itself as divinely obligated to “elevate” others, bringing them out of “darkness” and into “illumination.” These crusades were both spiritual and military, enforcing the faith in regions through a combination of preaching and conquest. While these campaigns brought many new followers, they also created lasting resentment among those who resisted, deepening divisions with other cultures and beliefs. It was during this time one of the most significant events--the Great Eclipse--occurred during which Felotl’s light was obscured by the celestial body Krorone, plunging Hacuito into darkness. Without their guiding sun, the people of Hacuito faced hardship and uncertainty. It was in this vulnerable state that a neighboring tribe of Orcs launched an invasion, aiming to seize the city’s precious resources. The people of Hacuito endured long days of battle under the darkened sky, yet their unshaken devotion to Felotl empowered the city’s priests and warriors to defend their home. The Golden Crusades stagnated soon after this and eventually halted to rebuild and reforge what territories had been expanded to and to ward off any followers of the dark goddess Krorone. The eclipse had ran its course and although the Golden Crusade had stopped the faithful soon came to believe that the eclipse was the will of the dark goddess Krorone that had blatantly attacked their god causing a deep rift between the two opposing faiths that has yet to fully heal. 
Today, the Faith of Light remains a significant force, both in Hacuito and in the territories touched by its Golden Crusades. Its influence is seen in grand temples, sun-drenched rituals, and the disciplined lives of its followers. Despite its complex history and the whispers that surround Felotl’s character, the Faith of Light endures as a pillar of order, unity, and, to its followers

Tenets of Faith

Walk in Radiance

• Followers are called to “walk in radiance,” meaning they must live lives of transparency, honesty, and moral purity. They are taught to avoid both literal and metaphorical shadows, which are seen as gateways to darkness, ignorance, and corruption. To “walk in radiance” means to always act in ways that honor Felotl’s light, upholding truth and enlightenment over deceit and ignorance.

Guide the Lesser into Light

• The Faith holds that it is the duty of Felotl’s chosen to lead others out of darkness and into enlightenment, seeing those who are not followers as “lesser” beings who need guidance. This tenet has fostered a sense of duty among believers to “elevate” others, sometimes resulting in a condescending attitude towards outsiders. Followers believe that through Felotl’s light, they hold the path to virtue, and it is their responsibility to show others the way, whether they are willing or not.

Illuminate Through Sacrifice

• The Faith of Light values self-sacrifice as a way of showing devotion to Felotl and as an act of purification. Devotees are taught that sacrifices made in Felotl’s name bring spiritual clarity and elevate the soul. This might range from small acts of charity to grand gestures of devotion, including renouncing personal desires and comforts to serve others and spread Felotl’s light.

Defend the Light Against Shadows

• According to this tenet, darkness is both an external and internal threat that must be confronted. Followers are charged with keeping their hearts free from jealousy, pride, and other “shadows” that can eclipse Felotl’s light within them. On a broader scale, this tenet justifies the faith’s protection of Hacuito and its territories, especially against those viewed as agents of darkness, whether they be outsiders or entities like Krorone, the primordial being of shadow.

Embody Virtues of Light

• Followers are urged to cultivate the core virtues believed to reflect Felotl’s essence: mercy, justice, wisdom, patience, purity, courage, and loyalty. These virtues are seen as reflections of Felotl’s light in the mortal world, and devotees strive to embody them in daily life. Believers are often reminded of Ilara the Sunbringer’s Seven Trials, which are used as moral lessons illustrating how each virtue can be tested and strengthened.

Accept Felotl’s Chances

• Emphasizing Felotl’s desire to offer chances, this tenet encourages followers to accept challenging situations as opportunities for growth. Devotees are expected to seize these chances with faith, viewing them not as risks or gambles but as divine opportunities to prove their dedication to Felotl. Those who succeed are said to have “stepped into greater light,” while those who fail are seen as having drifted into shadow, losing a piece of their own radiance.

Worship

Sunrise Prayer (The First Light)

• Each day begins with a ritual of gratitude known as The First Light. At dawn, followers gather facing the east, where the sun rises over the desert, and offer prayers of thanks for another day of Felotl’s light. During this prayer, devotees recite personal affirmations and chant praises, committing themselves to walk in radiance. This ritual is performed in temples or small household shrines and emphasizes starting each day with purity and purpose.

Gathering of Radiance (Weekly Ceremony) 

• Each week, the faithful attend the Gathering of Radiance at a local temple, where priests and Dawnwardens deliver sermons and lead communal prayers. This gathering allows followers to publicly affirm their faith and renew their commitment as a collective. A key part of the Gathering is the Testament of Shadows, a ritual during which worshippers confess minor transgressions or impure thoughts to symbolically cleanse their hearts. This practice reinforces the faithful’s need to constantly purge shadows from within.

Followers of Felotl frequently wear sun symbols as jewelry or woven into clothing to express their faith. Common emblems include gold or bronze sunbursts, which symbolize the light of Felotl and serve as a reminder to live in purity. Additionally, homes and temples often have mirrored surfaces or golden decor, intended to amplify natural light as a tribute to Felotl.

Priesthood

Those who feel drawn to Felotl’s service voluntarily pledge themselves to the faith’s service, guided by their local priests. Initiates undergo foundational training in the teachings of Felotl, including study of holy texts, moral virtues, and lessons on purity. During this phase, initiates are closely monitored to assess their commitment to Felotl and their potential to embody his light. 
After a period of basic instruction, initiates must complete the Trials of Virtue. These trials are a test of their resilience, moral strength, and commitment to the tenets of the faith. Each trial reflects a core virtue, such as mercy, justice, or courage, and often involves tasks that challenge both the mind and spirit. Completing the Trials of Virtue marks an initiate as Light-Touched—those who have shown they are worthy to begin a deeper journey within the faith.
Once an initiate is Light-Touched, they undergo a ritual known as the Cleansing of Shadows. This purification ceremony symbolically removes all “darkness” within them, representing their complete commitment to walking in Felotl’s light. It is both a symbolic and literal sacrifice, where the Light-Touched give up any remaining ties to their former lives and publicly affirm their dedication to Felotl’s path. This step signifies their rebirth as a Novice of Radiance, the first formal title within the Faith.
Novices of Radiance serve under more experienced priests, studying advanced theology, learning sacred rites, and serving the people of Hacuito in daily rituals. They engage in acts of charity, preaching, and study to deepen their understanding of Felotl’s ways. This phase lasts several years, during which novices must demonstrate a profound understanding of the faith and the tenets. At the end of this period, each novice faces a personal trial called the Trial of Purity to prove their worthiness for priesthood.
Those who pass the Trial of Purity take the Lightbearer’s Oath, marking their initiation into priesthood. Priests, known as Lightbearers, are entrusted with leading services, interpreting sacred texts, and offering guidance to followers. They are also assigned specific responsibilities, such as overseeing a temple or leading a festival ceremony. Some Lightbearers may be tasked with seeking out “lost” individuals and “guiding them to the light,” particularly in rural areas.

Sects

The Purists of Flame also known as the Burned Ones, interprets Felotl’s teachings on purity literally, seeing darkness and shadow as evils that must be cleansed, even violently. The Purists believe that those who deviate from Felotl’s path are tainted and must be purified—often through harsh trials or, in extreme cases, public punishment. They perform Burning Ceremonies, where supposed heretics, including followers accused of sin or doubt, endure symbolic burnings by fire or sunlight exposure to expel the “darkness” within. The Purists of Flame are feared and avoided by other followers, yet they remain protected by a handful of influential clergy members who view their methods as a necessary evil to ensure the faith’s purity.
A rigid, fanatical sect that holds Felotl’s light as the only true source of divinity, the Eyes of Eternal Light consider other gods and religions to be false or “shadow-born.” They believe that by eliminating these “false lights,” they are purging corruption and impurity from the world. This sect pursues an aggressive stance toward outsiders, sometimes raiding or sabotaging temples of other gods and “converting” worshippers through force if necessary. The Eyes of Eternal Light are highly secretive, but their influence has been reported across Hacuito’s borders, leading to strained relations with neighboring communities. Even the Faith of Light’s main church condemns their actions, fearing the reputation damage they bring, yet this sect’s fanaticism is rarely punished due to their claimed “successes” in quelling potential threats.
Taking Felotl’s supposed gambling nature as a sacred symbol, the Blessed of Fortune believe that chance is a divine test, and they adopt a philosophy that life’s outcomes are governed by Felotl’s will, often gambling to “read” his intentions. The Blessed of Fortune interpret Chances of Felotl as events with predetermined outcomes that, if understood properly, reveal insights into Felotl’s plan. Followers of this sect engage in ritualized gambling, often risking vast amounts of wealth or even lives, believing that those blessed by Felotl will naturally succeed while the unworthy will fail. This sect is controversial and sometimes outright condemned, yet some wealthy elites within Hacuito secretly follow the Blessed’s practices, lured by the idea that divine favor can be “seen” through risk and reward.

“In the radiance of Felotl, we rise above shadow and doubt, for only those who walk in the light know the true path. To bring others into the light is our burden, our blessing, and our proof of worth.”

Deities

• Felotl God of Light