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Erdhon, god of the Sun
Erdhon is the brilliant god of the sun, who
brings light and hope to the world. He ascends the paths of
the sky every day in his fiery golden ship and by night travels
through the numberless caverns under Theeurth, bringing dismay and
terror to the foul creatures who dwell therein.
Like his sister Selene, he is the product of
the forced union between the now-dead goddess of fire, Shorral and
the god of tyranny and hate, Malbor. When imprisoned by
Malbor, Erdhon was forced to dwell amongst his father's most vile
creations, the undead. Of all the gods, only Agaleus matches
Erdhon's hatred for these abominations.
Associations
Erdhon is widely worshiped by both civilized
and primitive peoples, and goes by hundreds of different
names. He is best loved by humans and halflings, for the
elves love his sister Selene better, and the dwarves and gnomes
see him only seldom (however, the dwarves revere him for his
battles with the unclean things beneath the earth, and know him as
Ulgarradin, the Cavern-Shaker).
Erdhon is the god most closely associated
with the Conorrian empire. His mortal son was Aumerides, who
became the first Conorrian emperor, Vasil. He was and is
widely worshiped in the empire, and is still popular wherever that
empire once held sway.
Alignment
Erdhon is lawful good.
Representations
Erdhon is most often represented by a golden disk with many
radiating rays of light. On martial equipment, these rays
are often replaced with spears. In many older paintings or
drawings, he is represented by a golden ship. Among animals,
Erdhon is most closely associated with the hawk, while among
mystical creatures, he identified with the phoenix.
Purpose
Erdhon was born of the rape
of Shorral by Malbor, and his father intended him to be his
lieutenant. Though he was rescued by his foster-father
Thandor as a result of the Second
War of the Gods, Erdhon was hardened by his time with his own,
evil father. He is filled with the fires of his mother, but
they burn with an intense desire to see Malbor overthrown, and all
his works come to nothing.
His fiery passage through the sky is a constant reminder to the
things of evil that the gods are watching, and that the day of
reckoning shall come.
Servants
Erdhon has many servants that serve him, and
is said to have fathered many mortal children.
Nantalima, the Golden Mariner -
Once a great mortal mariner and follower of Roldein, god of the
sea, Nantalima was chosen by Erdhon to pilot Edaverot,
his burning golden ship. Now immortal, Nantalima knows the
paths of the sky and those of the deepest caverns better than
anyone, man or god.
Urael, the Herald of the Dawn -
The celestial Urael is Erdhon's messenger. He can be seen,
a bright star in the winter sky just before the rising of the
sun, and in the summer sky just after its setting. On the rare
occasions that Erdhon sends a messenger to the mortal realms, it
is often Urael, who appears as a beautiful mortal with
shimmering bronze skin and two sets of snow-white wings.
THE CHURCH - The Chapterhouses
of Erdhon
Church Description
The Temples of Erdhon are to be found in
every city and in most large towns. Smaller towns or
villages are unlikely to have more than a shrine to the god,
usually within the local Great Church.
The Temples themselves usually involve many
windows, to let in the light of the holy sun. More rural
temples, or those found in dwarf-holds may simply have a single,
high window to allow a shaft of sunlight onto the altar.
Those in large cities may well have elaborate stained-glass
windows to adorn the light of the sun as it enters the temple.
Worshipers often sacrifice to Erdhon upon
beginning some important project, since he is seen as the lord of
beginnings, and of new possibilities.
Church Structure
The Church has three distinct orders: The
Kaladenes, the Ammanites, and the Templars. The Kaladene
order is the largest, and comprise the active priests of
Erdhon. All adventuring priests of Erdhon are from the
Kaladene Order. The Ammanites are commonly known as The
Sleepless Ones. They are a secretive monastic order who
chant throughout the night all over Theeurth, believing that their
prayers strengthen and encourage the god during his nightly forays
into the dark underworld.
The Templars are the holy warriors of
Erdhon. Once part of the Kaladene Order, they have been a
separate order for nearly nine hundred years, though they are
still close to their Kaladene brethren.
Each order has a structured hierarchy based
on regional divisions. The Kaladene Order has chapterhouses
in each major city or large town, which hold sway over smaller
shrines or temples in the surrounding countryside. Each
chapter is presided over by a Secundus. Large regions
are ruled over by a high priest known as a Prime. The
whole church is presided over by the Pontifex, whose seat
is the Great Spire in Echoriath.
Doctrine
Vigilance - Be watchful.
Evil creeps in wherever the watchman sleeps. And of all
evil, the undead are the worst, always and everywhere to be
opposed.
Prominence - Be seen to do good works
by the people, the great and the small alike. As Erdhon mounts the
sky to bring his light to all the corners of the world, so must
you act as a beacon to the world.
Humility - Pride must be burned away,
leaving only the pure fire of the spirit. Just as Erdhon
leaves the sky to his sister at night, and allows the world to see
the stars, monuments to his mother, so must you know that your
place is not always at the center of events. Allow others to
shine.
Holy Days
The Winter Solstice - This the
holiest night of the Erdhonite year. It is on this night
that that the god of the sun spends the longest time beneath the
earth, and thus faces his greatest dangers. All Erdhonites
spend the day fasting, and the night in prayer. Then, when
the sun rises again, there is feasting to celebrate the victory of
the god and the children are given small presents.
The Summer Solstice - A much
more relaxed and social affair than the Winter Solstice, the day
of the Summer Solstice is a time for picnics, races, fairs and
weddings. It is a traditional day for footraces, to emulate
the swiftness of Erdhon's ship Edaverot. The winner
of the race is usually given a crown of laurel leaves.
Preferred Weapon
The preferred weapon of the Erdhonite orders is the
spear.
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