Lathander

**Lathander** (pronounced *lah-THAN-der*), also known as **The Morning Lord**, is the deity of creativity, dawn, renewal, birth, athletics, spring, self-perfection, vitality and youth. He is also the god called upon to bless birth and fertility related ceremonies. Lathander's favored weapon is the heavy mace, "**Dawnspeaker**". His holy symbol is a sunrise made of pink, red, yellow and green gems.

He is one of the two deities principally worshipped within Barovia, along with the Night Mother. Common belief in Barovia used to maintain that he was dominant in Barovia between dawn and dusk, however the plight of Barovia's people has led to skepticism in this belief.

An article on lawful good alignments that interviewed Anna remarks: "Evelyn is devoted to Lathander, the Morning Lord, who blesses fertility ceremonies and stands for renewal and youth. Lathander has a whole mythos (thankfully for lawful good characters, *D&D*has lots of lore for inspiration) in which he loves Chauntea, the goddess of the agriculture, and despises the Cult of the Dragon, an evil organization founded by a necromancy-worshipping wizard".[1]

## **Domains**

Good, Nobility, Protection, Renewal, Strength and Sun.

## **Dogma**

"*Strive always to aid, to foster new hope, new ideas, and new prosperity for all humankind and its allies. It is a sacred duty to foster new growth, nurture growing things, and work for rebirth and renewal. Perfect yourself, and be fertile in mind and in body. Wherever you go, plant seeds of hope, new ideas, and plans for a rosy future in the minds of all. Watch each sunrise. Consider the consequences of your actions so that your least effort may bring the greatest and best reward. Avoid negativity, for from death comes life, and there is always another morning to turn a setback into a success. Place more importance in activities that help others than in strict adherence to rules, rituals, and the dictates of your seniors."*

## **Favored sayings**

* *"From death, life."*
* *"There is always another dawn."*
* *"In the dawn, beauty reigns, and the way is clearer."*

## **Relation to Amaunator**

Per Sister Incensia, followers of the *Heresy of the Three-Faced Sun*believe that Lathander is the reincarnation of an older god, Amaunator, who was worshiped by the Netherilic people as a god of the sun and the constancy of bureaucracy.[2] Strix's history check gave her insight that Amaunator 'died' because his followers were frustrated by the bureaucracy of his church and stopped worshiping him, and that his corpse is now floating in the Astral Plane. Incensia said that the Netheril Empire fell at that time, at which point Lathander appeared as the new god of the dawn and rebirth. However, it is heresy in current church teachings to believe that Amaunator is separate from Lathander (which challenges the latter's legitimacy), and that he will return and take back the mantle of the sun god, choosing two other gods to take over the morning and dusk.

**Zaress** was the previous "Dawn Lord" running the church of Lathander, until she died of old age and her soul met Evelyn's in the soulmonger and Celestial Plane. Her chosen replacement was **Telastin Aderagon**, a drow who converted to Lathander's worship when she saw the beauty of the light on the surface world, although it cost her her sight.[3] However, **Father Luke Sunbright**, Evelyn's old mentor who ran the church at Daggerford, challenged that decision and made a bid to run the church at the Spires in Waterdeep. Sunbright was a believer in *the Heresy* and tried to use the church's funds to improve the grandeur of the Spires for Amaunator's return. He was murdered with the drow poison *sun death* in an attempt to cast suspicion on Telastin. Telastin herself suspects it was the work of **Father Andrew Morn**, a priest who claims to be a descendant of the famous adventurer Randal Morn, and who along with Diath, was the last to see Sunbright alive. **Jarlaxle** later admitted to poisoning Father Sunbright to prevent *the Heresy* from taking over Lathander's church.

## **Known followers**

* Evelyn
* Father Donavich
* Doru (pre-vampire spawn)
* Lydia Petrovna
* van Richten
* Zaress
* Sister Incensia
* Telastin Aderagon
* Saint Andraal
* Saint Markovia

## References

[1] How To Redeem D&D's Worst Alignment, Which Is Obviously Lawful Good. Kotaku.com.

[2] DCA Episode 106

[3] DCA Episode 118.