Pelor (PAY-lore)

The Great Source, The Mighty Healer, The Radiant Force, The Sun Father, The Shining One

Sun, Light, Strength, Healing

Greater God of Elysium, Neutral Good

Aliases: None
Domain Name: Elysium/Amoria/Lightʹs Blessing
Origin: Flan
Superior: None
Allies: All good deities (except Pholtus), especially Mayaheine, Zodal, Joramy, Rao, and Kord
Enemies: All evil deities, especially Tharizdun, Nerull, Incabulos, and Iuz. Also Pyremius, Wee Jas, Xan Yae, and Pholtus
Symbol: Golden face of a bearded man with sapphire eyes
Worshipper's Alignment: Any good

Pelor is the Great God of the Sun (sun, light, strength, healing) and source of what is good in all things. His symbol is the golden face of a bearded man with sapphire eyes. Those who wish to relieve suffering, or bring warmth and light to the despondent, worship him.
Pelor is a powerful deity whose caring attitude towards all creatures, especially the poor and deprived, has earned him the title of The Great Source. Pelorʹs goodness shines through the darkness and brings life and warmth to those in need. Pelorʹs charity is unmatched by any other deity in the multiverse as he will aid any creature in need. He is highly regarded by the other healing powers in the multiverse and gets along well with Ishtar (greater goddess of love and war) and Mishakal (greater goddess of healing, beauty, life, fertility, knowledge) on Elysium.
With deities that have a following on Oerth, Pelor “respects” Kordʹs (greater god of athletics, sport, brawling, strength, courage) strength and courage in his battles against evil. Pelor is not jealous in sharing this aspect with another Oerth power because he realizes that there is strength in numbers. Pelor also respects Joramyʹs (lesser goddess of fire, volcanoes, wrath, anger, quarrels) power over fire and how she uses it to burn evildoers and bring light into the dark areas of Oerth where the sun can never reach. He also finds a kindred spirit in Zodal (lesser god of mercy, hope, benevolence), because they both try to help the less fortunate. On occasion these two gods will work together to help the greater good. This is especially easy since Zodal also has his realm on Elysium’s first layer as well.
Pelorʹs largest concern is towards those deities and their servants that employ darkness or try to destroy life. He has a particular hatred for undead of all kinds and attempts to seek them out and destroy them.
The Sun Father’s greatest enemy is Nerull (greater god of death, darkness, murder, underworld) because he represents the opposite of everything Pelor stands for and finds good in the multiverse. Incabulos (greater god of plagues, sickness, famine, nightmares, drought, disasters) is also greatly despised because he brings sickness and famine to the people, which Pelor tries to cure. The Lord of Pestilence’s alliance with The Reaper is also another reason for Pelorʹs repugnance towards these two abominations of evil.
Tharizdun (greater god of eternal darkness, decay, entropy, malign knowledge, insanity) is considered an enemy as well, but since his imprisonment, Pelor has not had to worry too much about him. But Pelor does take an active role in making sure that Tharizdun stays where he is right now. The multiverse is a much better place with The Destroyer out of the way. Wee Jas (greater goddess of magic, death, vanity, law) is the least loathed of all the evil powers of Oerth, but because she controls undead forces, Pelor counts her as an enemy as well. Pyremius (lesser god of fire, poison, murder) is detested because of his carefree attitude towards life, something Pelor cannot stand. Xan Yaeʹs (lesser goddess of twilight, shadows, stealth, mental power) power over twilight and shadows annoys Pelor as well. This is a corruption of his gift of sunlight and he is irritated by such a use of his power. Iuz (demigod of deceit, pain, oppression, evil) has recently been added to Pelorʹs list of enemies. All these evil deities are considered perversions and Pelor does everything within his power to see them fall.
Pelor also has an ongoing feud with Pholtus of the Blinding Light (lesser god of light, resolution, law, order, inflexibility, sun, moons). Because of Pholtusʹs unyielding ways, he has made it an issue to challenge Pelor for the title of sun god of Oerth and will not back down. This rivalry has not turned into an all-out battle, but time could spark this into a larger conflict.
Pelorʹs realm is known as Lightʹs Blessing and can be found on Amoria, the first layer of Elysium. A perpetually cloudless sky allows constant sunlight to bathe this huge realm of rolling hills, meadows and woodlands. The bright sun is always in the noon position making it warmer in this realm than the rest of Elysium. It appears from the plant and wildlife that high summer is always in season. Many people believe that they are on Krigilla, the first layer of the Beastlands, and not Elysium until they see the tamed nature of the land. A section of the River Oceanus branches off from the main body of the river and flows through this realm. The branch eventually loops back to the River Oceanus and cuts the realm into sections. These sections comprise mainly agricultural endeavors by the people that live in the realm. The banks of the river are dotted with small villages of petitioners and planar followers of The Shining One. These planar followers include: assimon of all types, many guardinals and a few quasars, humans, elves, halflings and assimar as well as good aligned flying creatures.The constant light of the realm has rejuvenating properties in it. Any time a creature helps another in need, the light that bathes this realm will heal the charitable individual for 1d8 points.
Pelor spends his time flying on a great ki‐rin,accompanied by a flight of eagles, searching out those in need. The petitioners of this realm will aid any traveler that passes through. They will see to the medical attention of any creature that has goodness in their hearts. Everyone is expected to help their neighbors as well as strangers in times of need or crisis.

The Church

Clergy: Clerics (70%), Specialty Priests (30%)
Alignment: Any good
Turn Undead: Yes, at priest level +1
Command Undead: No

All priests of Pelor receive the healing and religion proficiencies free of charge. They are required to learn herbalism and cooking but receive no penalties due to class. Clerics and specialty priests can turn undead as if they were 1 level higher. The clergy of Pelor is made up primarily of humans with a few elves, half‐elves, and halflings rounding out the church.
Pelorʹs clerisy is probably one of the most widespread throughout all the Flanaess. A temple or shrine to the Great Source can be found in every city, town, village or port of the non‐evil nations of the Flanaess. A token shrine or temple can be found in the ʺreligiousʺ districts of the larger cities, but most temples are usually found in the poorer sections. This is where the priests spend most of their time and resources and the temples are usually the center point for impoverished areas. Pelorʹs priests are best known for their work with the poor and sick. The priests travel around the countryside and city ghettos bringing food, healing and aid to those that require it. The common people consider the priests as saviors of the downtrodden and less fortunate.
Temples are usually stone or wooden structures painted bright yellow with a wooden roof that can be opened up to allow natural sunlight to enter during the day. If this is not possible, large reflectors are used to bring sunlight into the interior of the temple, where they are bounced into a polished metal ceiling, giving the illusion of bright daylight inside the temple. The interior walls are also painted with the same bright yellow color as the exterior, brightening the atmosphere of the temples. The altar is always made from polished metal that glows in the sunlight. The only lavish aspect of the church is a stained glass window behind the altar that depicts the Mighty Healer in full glory. Special sets of reflectors are placed so that sunlight is always shining through the stained glass window and reflecting off of the altar.
Natural shires can be found in many places throughout the Flanaess, especially near poor villages. These shrines are always found in open areas where sunlight is plentiful. The shrines are identified by the stone altar that is covered with a yellow cloth and a polished metallic plate or bowl on the top. A cleric or follower of Pelor usually watches over the shrine to ask for contributions to the poor. Those that donate are given a blessing and if a cleric is present, the donator is healed of any ailment that the priest is able to remedy, as long as they are not evil.
Clerics are responsible for the upkeep of the temples and shrines. During these trying times, there are only a token number of clerics to be found in the ʺreligiousʺ district temples because most are in the soup kitchens, orphanages, and makeshift hospitals. The few that remain go door to door amongst the richer sections of cities, towns, and villages to ask for alms for the poor. The clerics are also known to stand near the busier sections of town and take-up collections for the poor. When not asking for alms, the priests remain quiet, kindly people, but will always carry a weapon of some type. In these difficult times, people are known to take advantage of the priests and attempt to rob them of their charity money.
Specialty priests are responsible for traveling outside the ʺnormalʺ areas and helping the needy, sick, and poor in the many diverse areas of the Flanaess. The specialty priests usually concentrate their efforts in hard-to-reach or far away locations where the need may be great. During the Wars, these priests spent most of their time on the front lines helping those that were wounded in battle or forced to flee their homes. Because of the constant danger, many priests did not survive their valiant efforts to comfort the wounded and sick. These specialty priests are not only selfless but have an inner strength that never allows them to give up. When most other people are abandoning a situation, these priests remain in the thick of it to help those in great need.
The clergy is ordered by the following titles, representing the different intensities of light that push back the darkness of evil and ignorance as the priest progresses along the path to greater enlightenment, charitable heart, and a stronger will. Titles are broken into four categories. Novices (0‐Level) of Pelor are called Wicks. Priests of 1st to 5th level are known as Glows. The proper way of addressing the priest is ʺGlowing Brother or Sister (name here)ʺ. Priests of 6th to 10th level are known as Beams {ʺBeaming Brother or Sister (name here)ʺ}. Priests of 11th to 13th level are known as Luminous Healer {Luminous Healer (name here)}. And a priest of 14th level or higher is referred to as Mighty Sun {Mighty Sun (name here)}. The head of the clergy is whoever happens to be the highest level priest in the church. They are known as the ʺHis (or Her) Prismatic Radiance, the Mighty Healing Father (or Mother) of Light and Goodness.

Dogma

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. Do not be afraid to challenge the forces of corruption, but 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.
Shine brightly so that evil may be pushed away from your radiant strength. The light of purpose shall save thee. Give everything you have to the poor, infirm, starving, and homeless as an example of selflessness. No good deed goes without reward. Only through the light of day can all be seen as it truly should be. Bring this warming light to those that feel left in the cold.

Day‐to‐day activities

Help the poor, heal the sick, feed the hungry, collect alms from the rich to give to the less fortunate. The priests run homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and hospitals. Their major duties are to comfort the sick and bring the light of truth to those around them. Priest lead by example, and the goodness and inner strength they show is what brings new members to the faith. This is how they preach, by doing good deeds and celebrating the warming light of Pelor.

Important Ceremonies/Holy Days

Services to Pelor involve hymn singing, communal prayer, and the dispensing of alms to the needy (and the collection of alms from the well‐to‐do). The 1st of Readying is the Festival of St. Bane. This day has particular significance because of Pelorʹs hatred for the undead, and as a token, all attempts to turn undead are made at +1. Priests usually go to areas of known hauntings and attempt to remove the evil blight.
The 4th of Richfest (Midsummer Day) is the holiest day of the year. Being the longest sun-filled day of the year, clerics of Pelor celebrate by renewing their vows and indoctrinating new members into the Church of the Great Source.
The 7th of Readyʹreat is the Festival of Hope. This day is set aside for the priests to hear the petitions of common people and the plights that they suffer. Priests are dispatched to help these poor people in their time of need and specialty priests take on quests to route out evil or undead.

Major Centers of Worship

Temples and shrines can be found in the poor sections of every city, town, village and port in non‐evil lands of the Flanaess. The larger the city, the greater the presence but there is a fair representation in most areas of Oerth. Being the sun god, Pelor is worshiped most often on days that offer clear skies.

Affiliated Orders

The Brothers and Sisters of Mercy (affiliated with priests of Zodal) run the soup kitchens and orphanages in the established towns and villages. This group is made up of rogues, priests, and followers interested in helping the less fortunate.
The Order of Healers run the hospitals in these towns as well, but they also venture forth into the countryside to aid the sick. This group is primarily made up of specialty priests and followers proficient in healing. They are the most recognized part of the Church of Pelor.
The Knights of Mighty Light consists of specialty priests, fighters, paladins, and rogues. This is a relatively new organization in the church of Pelor. This group has two missions: destroy evil and undead wherever it hides and protect the Order of Healers. The Knights have pledged themselves to protect the Healers as they seek out wounded on the battlefields or wherever they may go. Their second mission is to destroy evil everywhere. Since Iuz has created a large force of undead to serve in his army, the Knights have made it their duty to locate these forces and bring the burning light of Pelor upon these unholy creations. Members of the Knights are quite extreme in their views and have no tolerance for those that deal with undead or wish to harm innocent people with darkness and evil.
Note: There is no conflict with paladins serving a neutral good deity who is committed to destroying evil and undead.
[Note: There is probably an order of Hospitallers associated with this faith as well]

Priestly Vestments

All clerics wear yellow robes, with gold trim for specialty priests. Glows have a golden orb emblazed over their hearts, Beams have a golden orb with 4 rays shooting forth in the direction of the major compass points, Luminous Healers have a single open hand holding a golden orb and Mighty Sunʹs have a single clenched fist inside in a golden orb. The head of the church wears a multi‐colored set of robes and a shiny golden helm during official ceremonies and yellow robes with multi-colored trimming at all other times. A pair of open hands inside a golden orb with eight multi‐colored rays shooting off in the direction of the major compass points is emblazed over the heart on the robes of the head of the church.

Adventuring Garb

Golden chain mail or yellow dyed leather armor are preferred by the more militant followers. Robes, cloaks, and regular clothes are preferred by the followers most interested in healing. Carrying a shield is optional, but it will have a great sun emblazoned upon it. The most important aspect of any non‐priestly attire is that there must always be yellow in the outfit. It doesnʹt matter if it is a hat, scarf, or shoes but the priest must wear a yellow article of clothing that is easily seen by casual observation.

Specialty Priests (Illuminators)

Requirements: Strength 14, Wisdom 14
Prime Requisite: Strength, Wisdom
Alignment: Neutral Good
Weapons: flail, mace, morningstar, staff, staff‐sling
Armor: Leather or chain
Major Spheres: All, Charm, Creation, Elemental (Air), Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Protection, Sun
Minor Spheres: Divination, Elemental (Fire), Summoning, Wards
Magical Items: As priests (wand of illumination)
Required Proficiencies: Herbalism, Cooking
Bonus Proficiencies: Healing, Religion

Granted Powers

• At 1st level, all healing spells do at least median healing (5 hp for Cure Light Wounds, 9 hp for Cure Serious Wounds, 16 hp for Cure Critical Wounds, Heal cures all but 1‐2 hp priests gain a +2 to saves vs. all ʺevilʺ necromantic spells (i.e.: Spectral Hand, Vampiric Touch, Contagion, Enervation, Finger of Death, etc. and all priests are considered to be one level higher when attempting to turn undead
• At 3rd level, the priest can automatically cast continual light a number of times equal to their level without losing or sacrificing a slot for any memorized spells
• At 5th level, the priest automatically saves vs. spells that deprives them of sight (darkness, blindness, etc.)
• At 7th level, the priest can cast Strength on themselves (1/day)
• At 9th level, the priest can cast Fly on hemselves (1/day)
• At 10th level, the priest is allowed a saving throw to escape level loss (energy drain) from an undead. Priests must make a straight save vs. breath weapon (no magical plusses) to avoid the level drain (melee damage is still incurred regardless of save)
• At 12th level, the priest can cast Fire Shield on themselves (1/day)
• At 14th level, the priest can cast Prismatic Spray (1/week)

Pelor's Spells

Fourth Level

Vigor

Fifth Level

Sun Strike

Seventh Level

Glow of Life

[Adapted from Pelor The Radiant Force by Paul M. Rokuskie in Oerth Journal #16 and the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]