Art by https://www.novaecomic.com/, whose middle grade graphic novel, Haven, is out soon: https://amzn.to/4u9d488.
Hyperion, god of the sun, does not speak to mortals, choosing instead to directly reward faith and devotion with power, namely that of his fire.
His faithful are divided into three orders: inquisitors, knights, and the priesthood.
The priesthood are the largest and gentlest of Hyperion’s devout. They keep his temples, collect offerings from those who donate, and help the poor and sickly where they can. They are best represented by the sun rising, when its light and warmth are most welcome.
The Knights of Hyperion are led by a Knight Commander. They are the sun at noon, highest in the sky and thus held to the highest standards. They are the god’s sword and shield, tasked with rooting evil from the world by fire and blade. They wield his flames and are considered his most devout. However, that power comes with a price, as doubt or any waver in their faith, will cost them the god’s gifts. To prevent this, knights are held to a high standard. They are not to lie. They are not to question, lest they find themselves powerless when they most need Hyperion’s aid.
The inquisitors are the sun at twilight, or perhaps when it sleeps. They do the god’s darker work: rooting out conspiracies and plots against the Hierarch, the head of the faithful. Inquisitors, in the days before the moonless years, would often work with the priests of Phoebe.
Hyperion suffered greatly during the war between the gods and the demons when the gods first came to Aegea. He lost his son, Helios, in battle. Since then, his wife, Thea, has withdrawn from the world. As with many of the gods, she is more myth than force now, though daughters of the goddess of the dawn, servants and agents of Ea, have been known to bring prophecies and Oracles to the most devout.
The Hierarch is chosen by the most prominent among the faithful. Their role is a combination of administrative leader and symbolic intercessor between the faithful and their god. During the war with the demons, the Hierarch acted as a general, commanding the forces of the temple in battle. In recent centuries the Hierarch’s position has become more political, with the Hierarch having a direct role in the appointment of temporal leaders, such as the prince of Versinae. The Hierarch can be selected from any of the orders of the faithful, though the most recent, Logrum, was elevated from among the Inquisitors.
The Silent Paths of Night, book two in the Gods of Night and Day series, is available June 9th, however you read, from Blackstone Publishing.
There is currently a preorder campaign from Books Are Awesome. Orders through the store will be personalized and include character art cards as well as a canvas map scroll. These rewards apply to either the hardcover or paperback, both of which will be available at release.