"...our lady gives us strength, and the sun above is her might upon us. Sol is an incarnation of this light that gives us life. It grows our crops, it turns our skies blue, and it kills our enemies. We are the people of the desert- and yet, she gives us strength to carry on, under her scorching gaze. The Sun is not against us, my friends. Let every sunburn and drop of sweat remind you that without her light, there would be nothing but darkness and sunless dunes to swallow us whole. Be proud of these sands, for they are our home and they give us strength."
—A sermon given by a sun priestess.
The Church of the Black Sun is a religious institution that follows Solism and the goddess Sol Sultana. They have prophesied her eventual return to life, and spread her influence across the Kav’orra Desert and beyond. While they are not Ashtadharmic, they do not reject the other gods, only claiming that Sol too is one of them. Their influence has been growing as of late, and many have criticized them for being an apocalyptic cult pretending to be a legitimate institution.
They have two major temples in the modern day, their original stronghold in the Km’mala Peaks called Glawar Parbat as well as the ruins of the Labyrinthian Tower in Dibayad that was given to them. From these bases, they have spread their influence across the western Kav’orra, and have begun to spread their ideals to Ammba and Kasaaq as well via their missionaries. Their growing influence is a sign of Sol being slowly accepted into the Ashtadharmic pantheon, as they find themselves as legitimate religious advisors within royal courts.
While most outsiders do not give them much mind, the sun-worshiping church secretly gets away with many dark dealings. They take in orphans and buy children from peasants to add to their ranks, all the while brainwashing them into believing their ideals. Children who come of age and inductees have to go through a trial called the ‘Blinding’, in which they are led into a dark room within the mountain stronghold. A window is opened that concentrates the power of the sun into the room which they then realize is locked from the outside. While most only get burns, some are forever blinded by the ordeal, while others claim to see visions in the fire and become seers.Â
Eclipses, as in the titular Black Suns, are the holiest of days for the church. The moon called Lunaa blocking out Sorya in the sky is arguably their weakest day, but also the moment they feel the most connected to Sol’s rays and imprisonment. They conduct holy rites to weaken the seals on her prison, hoping to one day free her entirely. In recent years they have taken on a philosophy of trying to understand the truth of the cosmos that the rest of Aeterism rejects.
The Church of the Black Sun aims to legitimize Sol Sultana as a major goddess within the divine pantheon. They try to remove the connotation of them being a cult, funding infrastructure and helping the poor wherever they go. They seek to infiltrate positions of power as well as advisory positions to all major rulers within the Kav’orra and beyond to further their own interests.Â
By far their most important goal is the revival and freedom of Sol Sultana. They seek out any ways possible to free their goddess from her shackles, even if it means ending the world as we know it.
The Church is deeply embedded into the culture of southwestern Kav’orra, and have a long standing relationship with House Vokiro of Dibayad who have become pious solists. The church was given the ruins of the Labyrinthian Tower, the former seat of House Dabull and one of the wonders of the world. Over the past decades, they have helped fund the rebuilding of the once-legendary city of Dibayad as well as the tower, which is now their second biggest temple.
Priests and priestesses of Sol have also found themselves in legitimate advisory positions in the courts of House Kawar, House Rethi, House Mathii, and even House Zaaba. While these other rulers have not converted to solism, they listen to the advice the sun priests give them. On the contrary, the church has been entirely rejected by House Anganba and House Aylarov, and have little to no influence in their respective zones of control so far.
Priests and paladins belonging to the Church of the Black Sun travel across the desert proselytizing and spreading the word of Sol Sultana. Some treat them with the same respect given to ashtadharmic priests, while others call them cultists. Sun priests are well known for their orange robes that shine under sunlight, and the sun paladins are known for their iconic red longswords.
Characters belonging to the church use the following background:
Ability Scores: Choose any +2; choose any other +1
Origin Feat: Sun Worshiper
Skill Proficiencies: Your choice of two of the following: Arcana, History, or Religion
Tool Proficiency: Calligrapher's Supplies
Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Holy Symbol, Robe, Calligrapher’s Supplies, Longsword, Lamp, Pouch, 17 GP; or (B) 50 GP
You are, or were, a member of the Church of the Black Sun who worship Sol Sultana with a cultish fervor. You are recognized as an acolyte of the Sun wherever you go, signified by your holy symbol and orange robes. If you are a former member of the church, you are harder to spot as one if you do not have the faction’s tattoo.
Sun Worshiper (Background Origin Feat). As someone who has learned the rites and rituals of the Black Sun, you gain the following features:
You always have the Identify spell prepared. You can cast it once without a spell slot, and you regain the ability to cast it in that way when you finish a Long Rest. Instead of a pearl, you can use a flame as the material component instead.
Once per turn as a Reaction, when you take Fire or Radiant damage, you reduce the total damage taken by 1d8 + your Proficiency Bonus.
The known members are:
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