Lathander
Overview Although Lathander is among Realmspace's oldest deities, he nonetheless retains all the boundless optimism of youth. He is the god of spring, birth, and renewal, personifying conception, vitality, youth, and self-perfection.
Overview
Although Lathander is among Realmspace's oldest deities, he nonetheless retains all the boundless optimism of youth. He is the god of spring, birth, and renewal, personifying conception, vitality, youth, and self-perfection. He is the god, not of the sun, but of the dawn, which represents the start of a brand new day filled with potential. He is the god of new beginnings.
Lathander has a reputation for being overly enthusiastic, slightly vain, and given to excess, all flaws very common among the young. He is also eternally optimistic and doggedly perseverant. Ever willing to pass over the failures of today for the victories of tomorrow, Lathander preaches a doctrine of proactive good works and a constant reevaluation of traditions and social mores. He also advocates the destruction of all undead, which he views as a vile corruption that mocks creation and true life.
Description
Lathander appears as a golden-skinned, athletic young man of exceeding beauty. He carries himself proudly, wearing noble robes featuring all the colours of the dawn, or the finest golden plate armour if he believes matters will turn violent.
Holy symbol
Lathander's symbol is either a road leading into a sunrise; or a sunrise made of rose, red and yellow gems; or a disc of rosy pink hue.
Favored weapon
Lathander wields a mace known as Dawnspeaker. Lathander's priests can select either a light or heavy mace as their favored weapon.
Realm
World Tree cosmology
In the World Tree cosmology of Realmspace, Lathander resides within his realm, known as Morninglory, which is located on the outer plane known as the House of Nature, which he shares with his fellow deities, Chauntea, Silvanus, Eldath, Mielikki, Shiallia, Nobanion, and Ubtao. The House of Nature is a vast wilderness, with no buildings or industry to spoil its pure, natural beauty. No divine palaces or carved halls rise above the trees or delve beneath the mountains. Morninglory, Lathander's realm, is tinted with the colours of dawn - rubies, crimsons, scarlets, yellows, and pinks. At the heart of the realm is a small lake bordered by a meadow and a stand of tall trees. Sleep spells and similar effects do not function within this realm, and those who rest here find themselves refreshed in half the usual time.
Great Wheel cosmology
In the Great Wheel cosmology, Lathander resides within his realm, known as Morninglory, which is located on Eronia, the second of the Blessed Fields of Elysium. Morninglory is a realm of pink-hued skies, rosy clouds, and the dreams and hopes of a new day.
Worship
People commonly offer a prayer to Lathander before embarking on a new journey, entering a contract, or start a new political or romantic relationship. As a result, he is very popular among the merchant classes, and the church has benefited accordingly. The faithful of Lathander embrace the founding of new communities and the growth of civilization, as long as that civilization gives everyone the potential to succeed. They despise the undead, seeing them as both a corruption of the natural order and a disavowal of new beginnings, because undead cling to their old existence rather than moving on.
In Spelljammer
Lathander is a member of the Faerûnian pantheon and as such is considered native to Realmspace. Priests of Lathander receive their spells as normal throughout Realmspace, whether they're in wildspace or on another planet. However, if they leave Realmspace, they can only receive mid-to-high level spells once they return.
Appendix
External Links
- Lathander article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Lathander article at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from 2nd edition AD&D.