Lord of the Sun, Master of Vengeance, Pharaoh of the Gods
Greater Deity
Symbol: Hawk’s head in pharaoh’s crown surrounded by a solar circle
Home Plane: Heliopolis
Alignment: Lawful Good
Portfolio: The sun, vengeance, rulership, kings, life
Worshippers: Administrators, judges, nobles, paladins
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG
Domains: Good, Law, Nobility, Retribution, Sun
Favoured Weapon: An ankh (Khopesh)
Horus-Re (hore-us ray) is a confident deity who believes strongly in the Mulhorandi concept of maat (justice, honour, order and righteousness). More than a code of chivalry, maat is the natural state of the universe and all things are expected to conform to it. Only by doing so can the citizens of Mulhorand be at peace with the gods and live a happy life. Horus-Re believes that Mulhorand is eternal, and to promote eternity, one must deny change, so Horus-Re tries to discourage change.
The church of Horus-Re is strictly organized, and the church hierarchy is tightly intertwined with Mulhorand’s governing institutions. Clerics of Horus-Re are precepts (provincial governors and rulers of cities) and administrators; they control vast tracts of land and thousands of slaves. Mulhorand’s most powerful government position after the pharaoh is the vizier, a position traditionally held by the highest-ranking cleric of Horus-Re. Before the Time of Troubles, the clergy of Horus-Re was so busy governing and engaging in political infighting that they had very little time for actual religion. Since the Time of Troubles, the pharaoh of Mulhorand has tried to reorient this highly politicized culture towards greater religious fervour in order to spread the faith and increase the number of Horus-Re’s worshippers in Faerûn. His efforts are meeting with some success, but are somewhat confusing to many Mulhorandi who are, after all, used to living with centuries of little change. These efforts are directed hand-in-hand with efforts to expand Mulhorand’s sphere of influence into Unther and lands that have drifted away since the height of the last empire.
Clerics of Horus-Re pray for their spells at high sun, the most important ceremony of the day, when Horus-Re shines brightly over all Mulhorand. Immediately prior to noon, most of the inhabitants of Mulhorand gather in front of the numerous balconies protruding from the Sun Lord’s temples. The clerics of Horus-Re then deliver a daily sermon known as the Zenith Aspirant. In addition, each sunrise they greet the return of their lord with a set of welcoming prayers known as the Greeting of the Lord. In the evening the clergy of Horus-Re pledge to guard Mulhorand through the night-time hours in a private ceremony known as the Girding of the Guard involving the girding of ceremonial weapons. The most important annual holiday is Midsummer’s Day when all the clerics of Horus-Re gather in his temples to sing his praises. Unlike most of the rest of the year, this is truly a day of religious devotion and to celebrate it almost the entire government of Mulhorand shuts down. Solar eclipses are considered a reaffirmation of Horus-Re’s eternal rulership. Many clerics multi-class as divine champions, divine disciples or paladins.
Horus-Re was once Horus, a hot-headed deity who frequently clashed with Set. After the death of Ra during the Orcgate Wars, Horus became Horus-Re, chief deity of the Mulhorand pantheon. In so doing, Horus-Re has become not unlike Ra in personality, and little remains of the original personality of Horus. Although all the Mulhorandi deities in principle answer to Horus-Re, only Isis, Osiris and Thoth could be truly considered his allies. Ironically, Horus-Re is troubled by the actions of his cousin, Anhur, an aggressive advocate of change and conflict, and usually contradicts or opposes the positions Anhur takes, often ordering his clergy to take active countering measures. Horus-Re’s greatest foe is Set. Lathander, another sun-related deity, has a sympathetic interest in Horus-Re, for he remembers Horus-Re’s old personality, which was much like his own.
Goodness, honour and order are the natural state, and that which leads to evil, treachery and chaos is by rights unnatural and the enemy. Lead Mulhorand by example, and let your deeds speak your intentions. Goodness and harmony come from living within maat rather than fighting it. Laws exist to bring prosperity to those under them. The pharaoh and the church of Horus-Re rule with Horus-Re’s guidance and set laws as guidelines for honourable action within Mulhorand’s tradition. Make no hasty changes or decisions, as their consequences are always suspect and may undermine the steadfast rule of eternity. Protect the weak and avenge all wrongs. Smite traitors with righteous vengeance.
Source: Faiths and Pantheons (Page 143)