Lathander

Lathander, whose title was The Morninglord, was a deity of youth, creativity, dawn, renewal, birth, athletics, spring, self-perfection, and vitality. He favored those who dispelled the undead and blessed those who planted new life. He watched over and protected the juveniles of every species, except those of Evil. Lathander was also the god called upon to bless birth and fertility related ceremonies. In ancient days, some few saw him as the neutral good aspect of Amaunator but the two were considered separate deities again after the Second Sundering. He is now regarded as a significant and independent deity.

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, theoretically confirming the truth of the theory that the two were one and the same. Lathander, however, returned during the events of Second Sundering in 1486 DR, thanks to the effort of his Chosen and prophet Stedd Whitehorn. By the year 1491 DR, Amuauntor and Lathander were once again separate beings.

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.

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 youth, creativity, art, liberty, nature, and culture; promoted betterment of oneself; encouraged reproduction and wise parentage; and strove to bring hope to their followers and others. Many of these followers worked in various creative arts. Some clergy were, in fact, children, the only beings of such age recorded in such positions. 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 would take up the mantle of the lawful neutral Amaunator again, and that the transformation from deity of the morning to sun god was 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 after the Zhents 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: The largest temple in Daggerford, it shared the hill with the ducal castle and was directly supported by the duke.
 * Rhyester's Matins: This major temple in Silverymoon had a ceiling and wall made of glassteel.
 * Song of the Morning: In 1368 DR, there was a major temple to Lathander in Beregost, dominating the town.

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.

Prophets

 * Rhyester of Silverymoon

Favored sayings

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

Appearances

 * Video Games:
 * Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor

Connections
Lathander