Phoenix Sol

Phoenix Sol is a primal solar deity, said to reside in a palace in the Sun that is its eternal egg. It is the light that nourishes life and bleaches bones. The flame that casts shadows, and by which mortals contrast one against the other. The Firebrand does not favor life over death but counts both as equally important domains, as you could not have one without the other. Life must end; death must nourish new life. To do otherwise would be to corrupt the natural order of the universe, and this Phoenix Sol and their followers cannot abide.   Patronage: Their devouts include those who study or use the stars and night sky such as astronomers and sailors (who are often superstition enough to offer prayers to all 12 of the Pact before a voyage), monks of the Radiant Soul who claim their powers derive from Phoenix Sol, hunters who stalk the supernatural that pervert the natural order, and those who see the Sun as the ultimate symbol of strength. Those who worship the circular nature of the deity and seek reincarnation as the ultimate expression of the cycle are universally the most fervently devout, as they fear any perceived lack of faith may condemn them to Hadyn’s care in the afterlife as opposed to that of Phoenix Sol. On the opposite end of the spectrum of worship while they might not consider themselves primarily devouts of Phoenix Sol, there are some devouts who might offer prayers almost as often, such as astrologists and farmers who are devoted to Amber-in-Green, hospitallers and midwives who are devoted to Ohsan’a, and those who prepare and keep the dead who are devoted to Hadyn.   Worship: Their devouts keep sunrise and sunset as holy times of day that represent the transition of death to life and vice versa. Quiet prayers may be offered at either time of any type, but typically worshipers ask for strength or health just before the Sun fully rises over the horizon, and give thanks for their day and now respite as the Sun dips once again. If capable, a devout may search out a point of notable height for prayer so that they might be closer to the Sun; some of the most prominent temples or monasteries to Phoenix Sol, such as the Pyre Nest in the crown of the Thundersnow Peaks, are built on the tallest mountaintops. When a loved one dies, devouts might cremate the body and mark tears of ash on their cheeks from the remains. Some of the ashes will be kept to mark the forehead of the newly birthed descendants of the dead to signify the renewal of life after death, and the majority of ashes will be sealed in an urn to be kept by the family or spread in a favored location of the deceased. Additionally, Laymen who generally worship the entire pantheon will almost always light candles in their home or nearby temples for recently passed loved ones; the richer the more extravagant. Sky lanterns are a popular choice of remembrance for actual devouts, the paper screens decorated with elaborate prayers to Phoenix Sol to receive the dead into their good graces. For those devouts who are overly wealthy or must show off no matter the occasion, and also live in an area with an elemental leyline, enchanted floating lanterns are attuned to the leylines to rise higher and burn brighter with an aurora similar to airships.