I am running a game for some of my friends who have never played before and our Cleric of Pelor asked for church history. Here is what I have so far any feedback would be appreciated as I've hit a snag at the end. The world we play in is called Avok and it was made from the remains of the world from my last game that was destroyed. Below is the church lore I have so far.
To know the story of Pelor is to ask the story of all the world.
Long ago the world that would become Avok was hewn together from the remains of the Old World. The Gods pulled the husks and bones of the World Before the World together and stitched them like cloth into Avok, the World of Now.
But it was a dark world for the gods slept after their great act.
There was no Light and no Law. Fell things lived and thrived in the dark, and the wicked ruled with fear and pain. Until the good people of the world cried out from the dark “Why O’Gods do you not aid us? Why must we suffer in the dark where the wicked thrive?” Their cries were said to have shook the roots of the sky and they awoke Pelor. He looked down on the world and felt great sorrow. Pelor who is Light, Pelor who is Law brought the Sun. He placed his hand to his heartfire and drew forth the flame and hung it in the sky. The First Morning dawned on the land of Avok and the Light burned away the Shadow.
Pelor then spoke, “Good People, long have I slept from the remaking of the world and still am I weary. I bring you the dawn, but I also must bring you dusk. My Light will hold the Dark at bay but it cannot always hang in the sky. My Light will sail the sky but as all things it must set, and in those times the Dark will return. I promise you this one thing, Always The Dawn Will Come.” and then he said no more.
And the Dawn did come.
Long after Pelor hung the Sun in the sky. The people created his church and for a time it was good. As time passed it did as time does and skewed the views of the people. There are many accounts of the story of Rosalyn, and maybe they all hold truth to them. The most common thread these stories hold is that she was a simple and good woman. She helped the sick and destitute and cared for all as she cared for her own children. She married a minor noble and raised children that were hers and his and both and life was good. She thanked Pelor, but as with the day the night will come. The night the fell on her life was of the worst darkness. Her husband fell ill and passed into sleep, then came sickness and with it famine and strife and with that walks death. The raiders slaughtered her children, and bound her in chains and upon her they acted their base desire, yet every morning she thanked Pelor for the dawn.
Stories say that Pelor watched her, wondering if this day would be the day she did not thank him for dawn, yet each day her prayers reached him. Until one day with the rising of the Sun he came to her, she still in chains fell at his feet. He knelt down in the dust of Avok and gently brought her chin up to meet her eyes. And once more Pelor spoke, “You have had great darkness in your life, more so than any. You have known loss and pain unlike all others. Why do you thank me for the Dawn knowing it brings more strife to you?” Unblinking stalwart Rosalyn answered, “For I still have your Light, and the warmth it brings my skin. For I know that while times are darkest now Always The Dawn Will Come.” And Pelor wept, for to him she was as bright as the Sun. He stood before her and said “No more will the Darkness touch your life, always will you feel the Warmth of the Sun.” When he spoke her chains shattered as if melted by great heat. He brought her to her feet and and clad her with Light made into stone. In her hands he placed Fire made of metal and in her heart he placed the Sun itself.
“This I give to you, and in you I place the Law. Go unto the world and be Radiant.”
And she was.
She brought the Law upon the raiders but those that repented she spared and to those she taught the Law. In that place where her home was burned and her children killed she stood and proclaimed that no more will the Darkness hold sway on this land and it was so. The Light shone brighter there and there she and others built The Amber Cathedral. After time the other branches of the church came, there was the Red Flames those that hunted the things of the Darkness. Demons, undead and their masters, as well as more base and wicked beasts. Their leader Gerwin the Red beheld Rosalyn and saw in her the Fire of Pelor and swore to serve. The Dawn Walkers came as they walk the length and breadth of the land bringing the first teachings to all that would have ears to hear it.They too saw the Fire in her and they joined. So did many others. In time the church of the Holy Light was unified under Rosalyn the Radiant, the first paladin of Pelor.
She taught them the Law as it was placed inside her.
I Do not do wrong to the good things of the world.
II Do not abide undead and those that stir them for they are unnatural things
III Do not act without kindness; treat all with mercy
IV Do not fight in anger, and be slow to battle unless the need urgent
V Do not fight unfairly
VI Do no injustice
VII Do all things in Pelors name
After the time for learning was past the Dawn Walkers set out once more to walk the dust of Avok. Now priests and clerics they traveled the land setting up temples and churches. They spread the Law to all that would hear and in time some of the settled down to lead their communities. New pilgrims and those that wished to devote their lives to Pelor made the journey to the Amber Cathedral and some left as Dawn Walkers. The Red Flames stood steadfast in their hunt of the Darkness and those it had touched. Gerwin the Red remained by the side of the Radiant as it was now his place. He taught only those with the strongest conviction the heat of the flame. They became Paladins in time, and clerics versed in war. With their holy fire burning the hottest they set forth to cleanse the world of infection like only fire can.
It was many years before Rosalyn spoke with Pelor again.
That's all I got so far, I don't know if that would be enough but I'd like to add more.
I don’t have anything to add, but I wanted to thank you for this! I have a Cleric of Pelor currently working through the Curse of Strahd & this is helping me understand her better!
I really appreciated this. I think you are doing exceptional.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I am running a game for some of my friends who have never played before and our Cleric of Pelor asked for church history. Here is what I have so far any feedback would be appreciated as I've hit a snag at the end. The world we play in is called Avok and it was made from the remains of the world from my last game that was destroyed. Below is the church lore I have so far.
To know the story of Pelor is to ask the story of all the world.
Long ago the world that would become Avok was hewn together from the remains of the Old World. The Gods pulled the husks and bones of the World Before the World together and stitched them like cloth into Avok, the World of Now.
But it was a dark world for the gods slept after their great act.
There was no Light and no Law. Fell things lived and thrived in the dark, and the wicked ruled with fear and pain. Until the good people of the world cried out from the dark “Why O’Gods do you not aid us? Why must we suffer in the dark where the wicked thrive?” Their cries were said to have shook the roots of the sky and they awoke Pelor. He looked down on the world and felt great sorrow. Pelor who is Light, Pelor who is Law brought the Sun. He placed his hand to his heartfire and drew forth the flame and hung it in the sky. The First Morning dawned on the land of Avok and the Light burned away the Shadow.
Pelor then spoke, “Good People, long have I slept from the remaking of the world and still am I weary. I bring you the dawn, but I also must bring you dusk. My Light will hold the Dark at bay but it cannot always hang in the sky. My Light will sail the sky but as all things it must set, and in those times the Dark will return. I promise you this one thing, Always The Dawn Will Come.” and then he said no more.
And the Dawn did come.
Long after Pelor hung the Sun in the sky. The people created his church and for a time it was good. As time passed it did as time does and skewed the views of the people. There are many accounts of the story of Rosalyn, and maybe they all hold truth to them. The most common thread these stories hold is that she was a simple and good woman. She helped the sick and destitute and cared for all as she cared for her own children. She married a minor noble and raised children that were hers and his and both and life was good. She thanked Pelor, but as with the day the night will come. The night the fell on her life was of the worst darkness. Her husband fell ill and passed into sleep, then came sickness and with it famine and strife and with that walks death. The raiders slaughtered her children, and bound her in chains and upon her they acted their base desire, yet every morning she thanked Pelor for the dawn.
Stories say that Pelor watched her, wondering if this day would be the day she did not thank him for dawn, yet each day her prayers reached him. Until one day with the rising of the Sun he came to her, she still in chains fell at his feet. He knelt down in the dust of Avok and gently brought her chin up to meet her eyes. And once more Pelor spoke, “You have had great darkness in your life, more so than any. You have known loss and pain unlike all others. Why do you thank me for the Dawn knowing it brings more strife to you?” Unblinking stalwart Rosalyn answered, “For I still have your Light, and the warmth it brings my skin. For I know that while times are darkest now Always The Dawn Will Come.” And Pelor wept, for to him she was as bright as the Sun. He stood before her and said “No more will the Darkness touch your life, always will you feel the Warmth of the Sun.” When he spoke her chains shattered as if melted by great heat. He brought her to her feet and and clad her with Light made into stone. In her hands he placed Fire made of metal and in her heart he placed the Sun itself.
“This I give to you, and in you I place the Law. Go unto the world and be Radiant.”
And she was.
She brought the Law upon the raiders but those that repented she spared and to those she taught the Law. In that place where her home was burned and her children killed she stood and proclaimed that no more will the Darkness hold sway on this land and it was so. The Light shone brighter there and there she and others built The Amber Cathedral. After time the other branches of the church came, there was the Red Flames those that hunted the things of the Darkness. Demons, undead and their masters, as well as more base and wicked beasts. Their leader Gerwin the Red beheld Rosalyn and saw in her the Fire of Pelor and swore to serve. The Dawn Walkers came as they walk the length and breadth of the land bringing the first teachings to all that would have ears to hear it.They too saw the Fire in her and they joined. So did many others. In time the church of the Holy Light was unified under Rosalyn the Radiant, the first paladin of Pelor.
She taught them the Law as it was placed inside her.
I Do not do wrong to the good things of the world.
II Do not abide undead and those that stir them for they are unnatural things
III Do not act without kindness; treat all with mercy
IV Do not fight in anger, and be slow to battle unless the need urgent
V Do not fight unfairly
VI Do no injustice
VII Do all things in Pelors name
After the time for learning was past the Dawn Walkers set out once more to walk the dust of Avok. Now priests and clerics they traveled the land setting up temples and churches. They spread the Law to all that would hear and in time some of the settled down to lead their communities. New pilgrims and those that wished to devote their lives to Pelor made the journey to the Amber Cathedral and some left as Dawn Walkers. The Red Flames stood steadfast in their hunt of the Darkness and those it had touched. Gerwin the Red remained by the side of the Radiant as it was now his place. He taught only those with the strongest conviction the heat of the flame. They became Paladins in time, and clerics versed in war. With their holy fire burning the hottest they set forth to cleanse the world of infection like only fire can.
It was many years before Rosalyn spoke with Pelor again.
That's all I got so far, I don't know if that would be enough but I'd like to add more.
I don’t have anything to add, but I wanted to thank you for this! I have a Cleric of Pelor currently working through the Curse of Strahd & this is helping me understand her better!
If it helps any, here's the combined Wiki information on Pelor.
I really appreciated this. I think you are doing exceptional.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Pelor is Evil
This is fantastic! I'm writing my own oath of devotion and I'm using some of these passages. Thank you for this
Truely it is enlightening...
*Sha-gravis *Fjörn Bhrünt *Leif Aulderoot *Saltstrider *Eron Colborn