Lathander

Lathander (pronounced lah-THAN-der ), whose title is The Morninglord, was the neutral good aspect of Amaunator, worshiped in earlier days as a deity of creativity, dawn, renewal, birth, athletics, spring, self-perfection, vitality and youth. He favored those who dispelled the undead and blessed those who planted new life. Lathander was also the god called upon to bless birth and fertility related ceremonies.

Worshipers
Novices in the Lathanderian faith were called the Awakened while clerics were known as Dawnbringers. The full priests took a new name in his service when they were ready to signify that Lathander personally recognized and accepted them. This new name could either be used instead of their old name or simply used only when addressing other Dawnbringers and when in solitary prayer. Other titles included (in ascending order): Dawngreeter, Dawnlord, High Dawnlord and Dawnmaster while an elite cleric was referred to as a Morninglord. All followers were required to be of neutral to good alignment.

All of Lathander's clergy respected art, liberty, nature and culture, promoted betterment of oneself and strived to bring hope to their followers and others. Many of these followers worked in various creative arts. They were intolerant of evil, especially undead and inaction that caused evil to prosper. Most ceremonies of Lathander were held at dawn and actions and contracts agreed to at sunrise were said to be blessed by him. Funerals, among his followers, were held at dusk, and followed by a wake that lasted until dawn.

Some followers of Lathander insisted that he was in fact the reincarnation of Amaunator, the Netherese god of the sun. Others took this heresy further, claiming that he will take up the mantle of the lawful neutral Amaunator again, and that the transformation from deity of the morning to sun god is imminent.

Temples

 * Eveningstar : In 1372 DR, there was a large temple located in Eveningstar.
 * Lathander's Light : In Dagger Falls, the temple of Lathander there was rebuilt in 1372 DR. Since the Zhent burnt it down during their occupation of Daggerdale.
 * Spires of the Morning : A grand temple to Lathander in Waterdeep at the northern spur of Mount Waterdeep.
 * Morninglow Tower : Largest temple in Daggerford. Shared the hill with the ducal castle and was directly supported by the duke.

Orders

 * Order of the Aster : A small restricted order of paladins and fighters sponsored by the church of Lathander.
 * Order of the Sun Soul : A monastic brotherhood with links to Sune and Selûne as well.

Favored sayings

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



Relationships
Lathander and Chauntea had been romantically connected for centuries, and saw each other as kindred spirits. His allies included Gond, Tymora, Tyr, Torm, Ilmater, Sune, Selûne, Oghma, Kelemvor, and Mielikki. His foes were Cyric, Talos, and Shar. Helm held a great deal of resentment for Lathander, as the latter indirectly caused the death of Helm's lover, Murdane.

History
Lathander was the central figure in the Dawn Cataclysm, an ill-fated attempt by the Morninglord to reshape the Faerûnian pantheon in his own image. Several deities were killed in the events that followed, including the goddess Murdane, a death for which Helm never forgave Lathander. The Morninglord believed that his efforts went so wrong because of the interference of agents of Shar, and secretly began working on a second attempt at reforming the pantheon.

In 916 DR, Lathander, enraged with the unchanging, tyrannical, undead-centric philosophy of the Cult of the Dragon, sent an avatar to Cormanthyr to personally do battle with Sammaster during a harper raid. He destroyed Sammaster but was wounded in the battle.

In 1345 DR, Lathander's worshipers, along with those of Selûne, Shar and Tempus were involved in religious unrest, culminating in the Night of Temple Fires.

At some point between the Time of Troubles and the end of the Spellplague, Lathander disappeared and was replaced by the resurrected Amaunator, presumably confirming the truth of the theory that the two were one and the same. Moreover, the formerly-lawful neutral Amaunator had apparently inherited the goodness of Lathander, as he was now lawful good.

Dogma
"''Strive always to aid, to foster new hope, new ideas, and new prosperity for all humankind and its allies. Perfect thyself, and guard ever against pride, for it is a sacred duty to foster new growth, nurture growing things, and work for rebirth and renewal. Be fertile in mind and in body. Consider always the consequences of thine actions so that the least effort may bring the greatest and best reward. Wherever you go, sow seeds of plants, tend the growing things you find, and plant seeds of hope, new ideas, and plans for a rosy future in the minds of all. Whenever possible, see each dawn."

Dogma (Faiths and Pantheons)
''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 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.''