The Invincible
Intermediate Deity
Symbol: Fist holding a lightning bolt
Home Plane: Celestia
Alignment: Lawful Good
Portfolio: Valour, chivalry, justice, honour, war, daring
Worshippers: Paladins, fighters, monks, judges, constables
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG
Domains: Glory, Good, Inquisition, Law, War
Favoured Weapon: “Justicebringer” (Longsword)
Relics: Helm of the purple plume, sword of virtue beyond reproach
The deity of valour, Heironeous (high-roe-nee-us), appears as a tall human male with coppery skin, auburn hair and amber eyes. He wears a suit of exquisite chain mail and carries a longsword. He wages war against evil of all sorts, especially his half-brother and nemesis, Hextor.
Heironeous expects his followers to uphold the highest ideals of chivalry and justice and to treat adversity as a challenge to be met and overcome, just as evil should be overcome. The world is a dangerous place where those who fight for justice and who protect the weak and the innocent face a never-ending series of challenges. He exhorts his followers to act honourably at all times, and to uphold the virtues of justice and chivalry with deeds, not just words. Those who face danger with certainty and calm will prevail against evil, Heironeous advises.
The religious hierarchy of Heironeous is organized like a military order. It has a clear chain of command, lines of supply and well-stocked armouries.
Clerics of Heironeous fight against worshippers of Hextor whenever they can and spend the rest of their time protecting the civilized lands from the threats of evil. Older clerics work as judges, strategists and military instructors. The church as a whole is very militant, always championing some cause or embarking on a crusade against evil or injustice. Though some find their high ideals and intense devotion to their cause a little intimidating, the church of Heironeous is widely admired. This admiration comes mostly because the followers of Heironeous battle genuine evils, usually with little thought of monetary reward. “Glory is the reward for defeating evil, while virtue is the reward for upholding the tenets of Heironeous”, say the clerics.
Heironeous’s clerics also oppose clerics of Hextor wherever and whenever they can.
Temples to Heironeous always have a slightly militaristic look to them. In unsettled areas, they double as fortresses. Even in settled or urban areas they usually contain open, grassy courtyards where soldiers can train.
Many of Heironeous’s clerics begin their training as pages to a cleric or paladin of Heironeous, absorbing the code of chivalry as they see it lived before their very eyes. Pages that show promise become squires, then full-fledged clerics.
The traditional chivalric quests are the bread and butter of a follower of Heironeous. They joust against the mysterious Black Knight, rescue the princess from the dragon, and lead the vanguard of a shining army of good.
Many of Heironeous’s teachings are collected in a series of numbered analects, which worshippers are fond of quoting: “The 34th Analect states, ‘Never die easy; strive always for a valorous end.’”.
A typical temple to Heironeous looks like a fortified castle. Most feature a large, grassy area where knights can joust and soldiers can drill. Most temples provide healing and other spellcasting for those fighting the forces of evil.
###Rites
Heironeous’s followers are eager to recognize bravery, chivalry and other battlefield virtues in a ceremony that culminates in a medal or other decoration given from the clergy to a warrior — sometimes posthumously.
A solar is Heironeous’s herald. Allies are hound archons, trumpet archons and hound archon heroes.
Source: Deities and Demigods (Page 72), Complete Divine (Page 112)