Pelor - Goddess of the Harvest, Autumn, and Fields

Pelor is the undisputed Goddess of the harvest season and the fields in which they are sown. She is the goddess of agriculture: sowing and reaping, seeding and harvest, breeding and butchery, shearing and weaving. In this aspect she is a rural deity rarely prayed to behind the walls of a city except by kitchen gardeners and the cooks who prepare the food. But Pelor is also the Great Mother, a goddess of crib, hearth, and home. And as such she is welcomed into all homes at mealtimes and at the birth of children, and folk give her thanks whenever they experience the pleasure of settling by a fire and feeling safe and loved. Her purview is Autumn, during the change of seasons and during the harvest.
Pelor’s faith is one of nurturing and growth. Agricultural aphorisms and farming parables dot her teachings. Growing and reaping, the eternal cycle, is a common theme in the faith. Destruction for its own sake, or leveling without rebuilding, is anathema to her. Temples of Pelor maintain a great body of lore about farming and cultivation. Her priests work closely with communities in rural areas, and they are willing to roll up their sleeves and dig their hands into the dirt. Her symbol is that of a sheaf of grain on an autumn colored leaf.

Depiction

Pelor appears to mortals as a motherly figure with hair made of ordered rows of leaves that shroud her eyes from view, with a cloak made of autumn leaves. She is always shown in art seated on her throne, which is formed from a tangle of grape vines growing out of a collection of jugs and amphorae that surround her. An elaborately carved wooden canopy extends above her, and a giant sable—her faithful companion—curls around the base of the throne at her feet. In one hand, she holds a harvester’s scythe. Her symbol is that of a copper disk with stylized sun on it.

Commandments of Pelor

• Nurture and teach, do not destroy wantonly

• Help relieve the suffering of the innocent.

• Patience in all thing, life is a cycle

Champions of Pelor

Alignment: Usually neutral, often good
Common Classes: Cleric, fighter, paladin, ranger
Suggested Cleric Domains: Life, Nature, Peace
Common Backgrounds: Acolyte, folk hero, guild artisan, soldier, urchin
Most champions of Pelor are advocates of community and family. They typically form tight-knit squads or surrogate families and take care of their people.