Hyleg, God of the Sun
A stained glass mural depicting the god Hyleg as a suntouched dragon. Artwork by SilveryStormWing.
The sundrakes revere Hyleg, the god of the Sun, as a creator of the Realm itself and a powerful protector of his children. He is the bringer of dawn and devourer of darkness, standing for all that is good and just in the world. Worship of Hyleg is rare outside of their territory, but some other cultures recognize Hyleg alongside their traditional gods.
Hyleg is most often represented as a stylized sun and believed by most to lack a physical form, though in some cases is described as a ‘great golden dragon, with twin-stars for eyes and all aglow with light’.
Hyleg is most often represented as a stylized sun and believed by most to lack a physical form, though in some cases is described as a ‘great golden dragon, with twin-stars for eyes and all aglow with light’.
​Principles of Hyleg
Hyleg is associated heavily with the sun, and is considered to look favourably upon the following traits:
- Beauty; in sundrake culture beauty and goodness are often viewed as being deeply connected. Whether or not this means that all beautiful things are good, or that those who are good of heart are beautiful regardless of their appearance, comes down to individual interpretation.
- Strength; not necessarily in battle; anything from emotional strength, the ability to lift heavy things, in dance, etc.
- Light: be it from fire, sun, stars or even the moon, light is sacred to the sundrakes.
- Civilization; creation of architecture, foundation of cities, advancement of scientific study, etc.
Worship
Hyleg is seen as the father of all life and given great respect in Sundrakes culture. When a dragon dies, no matter their crimes in life, they pass on to the same afterlife as everyone else, similar to the Realm but “better and brighter”. A sundrake’s body must be burned and placed in a translucent vessel made from gemstone or coloured glass in order for them to pass on properly. These vessels are then interred in the city of Memory ever onward. If any step in this burial practice is missed, it is believed that the spirit will not pass on, and instead will wander the Sunflecked Reaches in eternal misery.
Shrines and monuments to Hyleg can be found across the Sundrakes’ territory, typically featuring an effigy of the sun and a inscription asking for the sun god's blessing to be passed on to the dragons who pause to reflect on him there. It is at these locations that worshipers of Hyleg pray for his aid and blessings in life.
Otherwise followers of Hyleg are loose in their beliefs and don’t really mind what members of other cultures believe.
Shrines and monuments to Hyleg can be found across the Sundrakes’ territory, typically featuring an effigy of the sun and a inscription asking for the sun god's blessing to be passed on to the dragons who pause to reflect on him there. It is at these locations that worshipers of Hyleg pray for his aid and blessings in life.
Otherwise followers of Hyleg are loose in their beliefs and don’t really mind what members of other cultures believe.
Celebrations, Festivals & Ceremonies
The First Dawn is a ceremony celebrated by worshippers of Hyleg at the start of every year. There is a special dance performed, starting in the early hours of the morning before the sun rises, that lasts for hours, to thank the sun god for another year. It’s customary to dress up in elaborate costumes, or at least one’s finest clothing.
The Day of Light is a festival that takes place on the longest day of the year. There is feasting, dancing, music and enormous parades. Sundrakes all across the kingdom paint themselves with images of the sun in golden glow-in-the-dark paint. Queen-consort Helia opens up the Grand Palace of the Suns each year and hosts a magnificent gathering with free food, allowing anyone to attend so long as they are dressed up for the occasion. King Tigerlilly usually does not attend.
The Day of Light is a festival that takes place on the longest day of the year. There is feasting, dancing, music and enormous parades. Sundrakes all across the kingdom paint themselves with images of the sun in golden glow-in-the-dark paint. Queen-consort Helia opens up the Grand Palace of the Suns each year and hosts a magnificent gathering with free food, allowing anyone to attend so long as they are dressed up for the occasion. King Tigerlilly usually does not attend.
Scions of the Sun
The Scions are the closest thing that the sundrakes have to a priesthood. They were created in response to the moonviper’s Perigee - the sundrakes thought it would be useful to also have dragons dedicated to the worship and spreading of the belief of Hyleg, although whether or not the modern Scions actually fill that role is a little uncertain.
Today, the Scions are not necessarily even a religious organization; it is not a requirement to be a Sundrake or a believer in Hyleg to join. They focus mostly on supporting the lower classes of the kingdom with food and education, as well as maintaining cultural sites and building new temples. This causes them to clash with the nobility and king often, but their position as Scions provides protection from their anger.
Or at least, it did, before April of 505. After the Scions in the Sunlit city offered sanctuary to a group of fugitives from the crown, delaying the soldiers long enough for them to make their way to the shelter of the sacred City of Memory. When news reached King Tigerlilly of the events at Memory and the Scions sheltering Guile, his reaction was far more extreme than anyone could have anticipated. This would be the last time, he swore to his council, that the Scions would defy the rule of law in his kingdom; they would not get away with this again. He gave his soldiers simple orders; they were to go to the Scions in their homes, temples and other places of refuge and demand they swear allegiance to the King. If they refused then they were enemies of the crown and to be treated as such.
What followed was vicious attacks on the Scions of the Sun that left the rest of the Tyr kingdom confused and alarmed. Those who did not swear fealty to the King were forced to flee for their own safety, as soldiers either attempted to arrest or kill them on the spot.
For the next few weeks, there was a standoff between the King’s men and the refugees sheltering in Memory, eventually ending when King Tigerlilly himself led an attack on the sacred city. Much of the city and the glass urns holding the dead were destroyed in the ensuing battle, but through the efforts of Scion Skoll’s brave defense and a recently-discovered passage away from Memory, the fugitives were able to escape and live another day.
As word of Memory’s ruin and the unrest following it spreads across the kingdom, the Scions have become an even brighter symbol of resistance against King Tigerlilly’s tyranny and many - proper training or not - have taken up the name of Scion in rebellion. Scion Talc, a survivor of Memory, supports these new Scions and does what she can to aid them in undermining his authority. Though bloodied, they are more driven than ever to work against the King.
They once operated a large temple in the Sunlit City which (before recent events) served a variety of purposes:
Today, the Scions are not necessarily even a religious organization; it is not a requirement to be a Sundrake or a believer in Hyleg to join. They focus mostly on supporting the lower classes of the kingdom with food and education, as well as maintaining cultural sites and building new temples. This causes them to clash with the nobility and king often, but their position as Scions provides protection from their anger.
Or at least, it did, before April of 505. After the Scions in the Sunlit city offered sanctuary to a group of fugitives from the crown, delaying the soldiers long enough for them to make their way to the shelter of the sacred City of Memory. When news reached King Tigerlilly of the events at Memory and the Scions sheltering Guile, his reaction was far more extreme than anyone could have anticipated. This would be the last time, he swore to his council, that the Scions would defy the rule of law in his kingdom; they would not get away with this again. He gave his soldiers simple orders; they were to go to the Scions in their homes, temples and other places of refuge and demand they swear allegiance to the King. If they refused then they were enemies of the crown and to be treated as such.
What followed was vicious attacks on the Scions of the Sun that left the rest of the Tyr kingdom confused and alarmed. Those who did not swear fealty to the King were forced to flee for their own safety, as soldiers either attempted to arrest or kill them on the spot.
For the next few weeks, there was a standoff between the King’s men and the refugees sheltering in Memory, eventually ending when King Tigerlilly himself led an attack on the sacred city. Much of the city and the glass urns holding the dead were destroyed in the ensuing battle, but through the efforts of Scion Skoll’s brave defense and a recently-discovered passage away from Memory, the fugitives were able to escape and live another day.
As word of Memory’s ruin and the unrest following it spreads across the kingdom, the Scions have become an even brighter symbol of resistance against King Tigerlilly’s tyranny and many - proper training or not - have taken up the name of Scion in rebellion. Scion Talc, a survivor of Memory, supports these new Scions and does what she can to aid them in undermining his authority. Though bloodied, they are more driven than ever to work against the King.
They once operated a large temple in the Sunlit City which (before recent events) served a variety of purposes:
- An orphanage and refuge for the homeless. Those in need can always find a meal or a spare bed in the temple.
- Training for Scions. Members are trained in dance, fighting, science, farming and architecture.
- A place to study science and architecture. The Scions keep a large library of different books and scrolls from all across the Realm.
- Planning of monuments/shrines to Hyleg.
Suntouched & Shades
Both the Suntouched and Shades have strong associations with Hyleg. Suntouched dragons are believed to have been blessed by Hyleg’s light, and given greater strength and powerful abilities along with his blessing. Shades, on the other hand, are considered cursed, denied Hyleg’s light during a crucial period and doomed to a life without his protection. Some sundrakes even go so far as to believe that Shades will not be permitted to enter the afterlife, although this has never been a formalized part of Hyleg’s worship.
The Scion’s official stance on Shades is very different, perhaps due to them being made up of orphans and social outcasts; Shades are simply seen as dragons who, through circumstances outside of their control, look a little different than most sundrakes. They’re not demons or cursed abominations, just regular dragons.
The Scion’s official stance on Shades is very different, perhaps due to them being made up of orphans and social outcasts; Shades are simply seen as dragons who, through circumstances outside of their control, look a little different than most sundrakes. They’re not demons or cursed abominations, just regular dragons.
Association with Other Gods
It's not uncommon for sundrakes and some moonvipers to believe in both Hyleg and the Moon Sisters; the Sisters are seen as the daughters of the sun, powerful in their own right, and created the moonvipers separate from Hyleg’s initial shaping of the Realm. The sundrakes in the Deep Provinces believe that Hyleg is the enemy of the darkling’s terrifying boogeyman She Who is Nothing, and say wearing candlestone - a glowing rock mined deep underground - will allow him to protect you from her.