Pelor

Pelor, the Dawnfather is the god of the sun, summer, and agriculture, and is generally worshiped by farmers and people who live off the land. He is one of the prime creator gods of Exandria. He planted the Sun Tree in Whitestone. As an NPC, Pelor is played by Matthew Mercer.

Appearance
Pelor wears a white cloak over an intricate golden plate armor. Where a head would be, instead, there is a burning star. An almost featureless male head burns within the corona. When his face was revealed to Vex'ahlia, he had soft cheeks, a hairless head, and bright, warm eyes.

Personality
Pelor comes across as a stern but fair god, telling Vox Machina it is their decision to destroy the eye of Vecna. Although he challenges Vox Machina for asking for his blessing even though none are faithful to him, he seemed pleased when Vex successfully completed her trial.

Background
During the Founding, when the Primordials' destructive forces made it impossible for the gods' newly created races to survive and the Betrayer Gods sided with the Primordials in preferring to wipe out the mortal races and try anew elsewhere, Pelor was one of the Prime Deities who fought to protect the mortals. (By Pike's hurried recollection, Pelor and Melora in particular were responsible for casting away the elementals.) Once the Primordials and Betrayer Gods were defeated and banished to other planes, it was safe for the new races to inhabit Exandria.

During the Age of Arcanum, Vecna's attempt at the Ritual of Seeding was interrupted by the Beacon of Arms, an army under the banner of the Dawnfather. Led by Yos Varda, they successfully defeated Vecna and his forces, though very few members of the army survived.

After Archmage Vespin Chloras broke open the Betrayer Gods' prisons, Pelor and the other Prime Deities aided the citizens of Vasselheim against the Betrayer Gods. They ultimately succeeded, and began preparing for war.

During that war, called the Calamity, Pelor worked with a few other Prime Deities to defeat Torog, the Crawling King. Moradin and Sehanine had built a trap for Torog, and Pelor and Sarenrae drew the Betrayer above ground, where Pelor pierced Torog's body with thousands of lances of sunlight and Sarenrae imprisoned him. Torog was eventually banished to a sliver of the Far Realm bordering the deepest parts of the Underdark, though this was accomplished later, as Sarenrae had been betrayed before the sealing of the Betrayer Gods began.

Towards the end of the Calamity, Ioun baited Tharizdun to her central ziggurat but was nearly destroyed in the process. Pelor's vengeful battle with the Chained Oblivion was so violent it created the valley where the Parchwood Timberlands currently stands, and raised the Alabaster Sierras. Pelor used all of his power to beat down Tharizdun, then chased the defeated Tharizdun to Gatshadow, where the Rites of Prime Banishment were used for the first time: he attached four Prime Trammels to the mad god and banished it to the Abyss. He then returned to the place where Ioun's ziggurat had sunk beneath the earth and planted the seed that would become the Sun Tree.

When the Betrayer Gods were all defeated, Pelor and the other Prime Deities retreated from the Material Plane and created the Divine Gate behind them in the hopes of preventing the Betrayer Gods from crossing over into mortal realms again.



When Vox Machina traveled to Elysium to speak to the Dawnfather, they found themselves in an giant orchard, home to Pelor’s citadel: gold-plated, with many humongous towers and spires that both resemble a military fortress and a large steepled church. After speaking to the Planar entities that guard the citadel, Vox Machina were let in to see Pelor.

Vox Machina told Pelor about Vecna's ambition to ascend to Godhood, Pelor thanked them for the information and opened the doors for them to leave. When they presented Pelor with the eye of Vecna, he offered to destroy it. Once it was destroyed, Vex asked Pelor about the goddess Ioun, as they needed information and power to defeat Vecna. When Keyleth asked for his help, Pelor asked why he should grant one of Vox Machina his blessings, when he had champions across Exandria who had already proven themselves worthy. Initially Keyleth offered to be his champion, but Pelor rejected her as she had no faith in the gods. Vex’ahlia then offered herself for his blessing, which he granted due to her budding faith and connection to Whitestone.

Pelor told Vex that her challenge was to ascend the Tower of Zenith before the hourglasses ran out. When Vex successfully completed the challenge by diving into the fire at the top of the tower, she entered a trance-like state. At the bottom of the tower, Pelor asked the rest of Vox Machina what Vex meant to them. Keyleth answered that Vex gave her her power. Scanlan answered that she had flaws, but that she did everything to protect her family, and was the most perfect of all of them. Grog answered that she taught him and cheered him on. Pike called her a sister. Percy called her his heart and his judgment, and his betrothed. Finally, Vax answered that she is every hope he had; himself, but better. Once they were finished, Vex descended from the tower with the blessing of the Dawnfather.

Pelor then told Vox Machina that it was too late to prevent the ascension of Vecna, and that killing a god was beyond most deities. He explained that to diminish and seal Vecna away forever was the only option, as Pelor once did with the Chained Oblivion, using Prime Trammels. He explained that trammels were created using a sliver of a god’s power, and that Ioun had the design. Ioun had been in hiding since the Calamity, after being wounded by Tharizdun, so Pelor showed them a map of the forest around the Pools of Wittebak, and explained that the key to Ioun’s location was there.

Pelor then gave Vex a bead of divinity, and told her that it would be able to make one Prime Trammel. He told her this was all he could safely do, and encouraged Vox Machina to strike against Vecna soon.

While pursuing Obann, the Mighty Nein found a chamber below the Chantry of the Dawn, an ancient temple to Pelor in Rexxentrum. In the chamber, they find a large obelisk with Celestial runes reading “eternal,” “bound,” “forever,” “at bay,” “left to darkness,” “secret.” There are three thick, gold chains at the top of the obelisk, as this was one of the shackles keeping Tharizdun chained in the Abyss.

Artifacts
The Plate of the Dawnmartyr, also known as the “Beacon of Protection” to the chosen of Pelor. The plate was originally worn by the High Priest of Pelor, Duana, as she fell in the battle of Ghor Dranas. It is a set of brass armor, and when worn its beautiful silver inlays and cut rubies glow. The wearer is immune to fire damage, and when knocked unconscious it releases a blast of healing flame and the wearer regains 1 hit point.

Marquet
The Dawnfather Temple is located in Jrusar's Lantern Spire. It surrounds the Prakash Pyre which burns through the night.

Tal'Dorei
The Zenith is a temple in Whitestone devoted to Pelor. During the Briarwoods' rule, Vedmeyer was tasked to oversee the place, but he left it to ruin. After the reclamation of Whitestone, Zenith was rebuilt. As of 810 PD, about three-quarters of the population of Whitestone worships Pelor.

Pelor is also commonly worshipped in the Cliffkeep Mountains and the Stormcrest Mountains (in particular, Bronbog). However, he has a smaller following in the Bladeshimmer Shoreline region; Emon's Temple District has a relatively small temple to Pelor.

Wildemount
Pelor is one of six deities whose worship is permitted in the Dwendalian Empire.


 * The Chantry of the Dawn, an ancient temple to the Dawnfather on which Rexxentrum was originally founded, now restored into an awe-inspiring cathedral.
 * The Shrine of the Dawn: temple to Pelor in the center of The Signet Wall ward of Zadash.
 * The Sunfall Sanctuary: temple to Pelor in The Crescents ward of Port Damali.

The Sun Tree
During the Calamity, Tharizdun grievously wounded Ioun. Once Tharizdun was defeated, Pelor returned to this spot and planted a single seed in the ground, and from it grew a massive tree, which would become a symbol of protection within the dark forest surrounding it.

Many years later, the de Rolo family found the Sun Tree while traveling through the Alabaster Sierras. They recognized the tree as a blessing from the Dawnfather, and began to build their city around it.

Vex'ahlia
While undertaking the ceremony to become Mistress of the Grey Hunt, Vex meditated at the Sun Tree for a vision from the Dawnfather, who showed her a grey render.

Vex became a Champion of Pelor as part of Vox Machina's quest to defeat Vecna. She completed his challenge and in return was granted a boon to aid in combat. Furthermore, Pelor gave her a bead of divinity, to be used in creating the Divine Trammels that are a part of the ritual to banish Vecna.

Known worshipers

 * Duana: High Priest of Pelor who wore the Plate of the Dawnmartyr when she fell at the Battle of Ghor Dranas in the Calamity.

Campaign One

 * Vex'ahlia
 * Yos Varda: Champion of Pelor, and the leader of the Beacon of Arms.
 * Father Reynal: former cleric of Pelor at The Zenith in Whitestone.

Campaign Two

 * Darrow Allocke: Paladin of Pelor

Holy day
Pelor's holy day is Highsummer, on the 15th of Sydenstar. Feasts on this day are common across Exandria, and the Dwendalian Empire uses it as a day for intensive military recruitment. In Emon, this day kicks off a week of festivities, with gift-giving and feasts.

Trivia

 * Pelor is revered by those who hunt aberrations. Because the drow of Tal'Dorei have long been besieged by aberrations, their deep hatred of those enemies leads some drow adventurers to become paladins of Pelor.