BRCS:Chapter four/Gods and religion/Haelyn

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Greater God
Lawmaker, Lord of Noble War
Aliases: Haelyn (Anuire, Brechtür, Vosgaard), Halaïa (Khinasi), Holn (Rjurik)
Symbol: Silver sword over a golden sunburst
Alignment: LG
Portfolio: Courage, justice, chivalry, rulership, war
Domains: Good, Justice, Law, Nobility, War
Favored Weapon: Greatsword or bastard sword

Haelyn (HAY-lynn) is the lord of justice, chivalry and righteous war - and the patron of the Anuirean people. He is the paragon of kings and paladins, and is worshiped throughout Cerilia by those seeking order through law. In his role as lord of justice, Haelyn is stern, but tempers his judgments with mercy. He represents the rule of law as the means by which a society is run. Prior to his ascension, Haelyn was the high paladin of Anduiras and the chosen commander of the forces gathered against Azrai.

The church of Haelyn is considered the most powerful church in Cerilia and its teachings have spread to every human-dominated region. In the fifteen centuries since Deismaar, the church has split in several different schisms. Each of the sects differs slightly in their beliefs and activities, but all provide spiritual guidance for the people who look to them for inspiration. At every temple, priests conduct morning ceremonies that praise the glory of Haelyn and call for his divine wisdom in the day to come. Superstition holds that if a morning ever comes that the bells of Haelyn's churches are silent, then the day will be without dawn and the world's descent into shadow will begin. All clergy, regardless of rank, spend an hour of each day in labor for the good of the community.

Priests of Haelyn pray for their spells at dawn. The most important ceremony of the year is Haelyn's Festival, which occurs on the day of the summer solstice. The night of the summer solstice, called the Night of Fire because of the shower of falling stars that occurs each year, is the culmination of the festival. Worshippers of Haelyn refer to the 22nd of Deismir as Godsday (also the Day of Ascent) and commemorate the battle of Deismaar and Haelyn's ascension. Haelyn's gospel, the Book of Laws, appeared in the first temple of Haelyn on the 6th of Pasiphiel the following year, where it remains to this day. The church of Haelyn now celebrates that day as the Day of Holy Justice. Other holidays vary from temple to temple. Haeyln's clerics commonly multiclass as paladins; they are not subject to normal advancement restriction on their ability to advance as cleric/paladins.

Dogma: See justice done, with both compassion and zeal. It is the duty of the strong to protect the weak and uphold the sacred feudal social order. Make war when justice demands it, but never for an unjust reason. Study warfare and serve in the armies that oppose evil and injustice. To rule or judge is not a privilege, it is a most holy responsibility and the heaviest of burdens, for your acts touch the lives of your subjects. Should lordship fall to you, work diligently to see that you rule fairly and justly. Stand by your oaths to your liege, your subjects, and your neighbors; the word of a ruler is the coin by which nation's earn peace.

Allies: Our wife, Nesirie, is our surest ally. We are her shields and we shall allow no harm to befall her. Our son, Cuiraécen, is poised on the edge of a sword, between glory and duty. We must strive to guide him towards just and well-considered action that faithfully discharges his duty rather than rash forays in the pursuit of personal glory.

Foes: The brute, Belinik enjoys strife, suffering, and wanton destruction, as do all vermin who pledge themselves to him. We are reluctant to make war; Belinik takes delight in blood and savagery. Kriesha's cold heart offers naught but despair and death. She plots continuously to raise the wicked over the righteous and her efforts must be opposed at every turn. Eloéle is a spoiled child that defies our edicts and seeks to bend righteous ideals to ill ends. Given opportunity, she would gladly attempt to unravel the feudal order for puerile thrill. She poses as great a threat as Kriesha, for she schemes without purposes and her plots often wreak their ill effects long before they are discovered.

Others: Avani guards the knowledge that empowers progress. She strives in the cause of justice, but must be gently reminded that knowledge alone does not shield the defenseless from evil. Erik values the natural order, yet this sometimes leads him into conflict with the flowering of civilization. Try to respect him, even when he is difficult to understand. Laerme brings great joy to all, but we must be on guard lest pleasure distract us from our sacred duties. Ruornil guards against the evils of shadow and the misuse of arcane forces, in which cause we are allied. Nevertheless, his obsession with dangerous knowledge often blinds him to the need for timely action and to be counted on to aid significantly in most conflicts. Sera seeks profit without consequence. She is happy to acquire position, power, and wealth, but ignores the obligations that such power carries. Short-sighted, she does not think of her place in the sacred order, only the personal profit in her actions.