Page 34 - D&D - Player's Handbook

proper afterlife. Kelemvor's priests teach that those who and even give birth when possible, to provide the baby
revere the gods according to the rites of their religion good fortune.
have done t,heir proper service and will be offered the The faithful of Lathander embrace the founding of
afterlife they seek. new communities and the growth of civilization, as long
The faithful of Kelemvor provide people with peaceful as that civilization gives everyone the potential to suc-
transitions into the care of the Lord of the Dead. They ceed. They despise the undead, seeing them as both a
help the dying put their affairs in order, and they offici- corruption of the natural order and a disavowal of new
ate at funeral rites for those who can't afford the lavish beginnings, because undead cling to their old existence
ceremonies of their faith. The tenets of Kelemvor's rather than moving on.
faithful compel them to forestall or prevent untimely
deaths whenever possible. Different sects and worship- LEI RA
ers define "untimely" in different ways. One group might The Lady of the Mists, Mistshadow, the Lady of
concentrate on stopping the spread of disease, another
Deception
on the prevention of murder, and yet another on elimi-
Leira has worn many masks, and more than once has
nating the scourge of the undead. In fact, all the faithful
been thought to be dead or to be another deity alto-
of Kelemvor despise the undead and work to some
gether. Perhaps such a reputation is only natural for the
degree to eliminate them, for undead of any sort are
goddess of illusion and deception. Her faithful agree
seen as an abomination of the natural order. This belief
that whatever the "truth" might be, their Lady takes
obviously puts Kelemvor's faithful at odds with necro-
great delight in the confusion sown by her various incar-
mancers, priests of Myrkul, and others who promote the
nations. Even the faithful of Cyric once taught that their
creation of the undead, and it also causes conflict from
god killed Leira, but now they espouse the strange idea
unexpected sources. For instance, priests of Kelemvor
routinely destroy any writings about the creation of the that somehow she is his daughter.
Leira isn't viewed as malicious or as a trickster but is
undead that they find-an act that offends those who
seen as enigmatic, quiet, and retiring. She is credited
value knowledge for its own sake, such as the faithful of
with inventing Ruathlek, the language of illusionists and
Oghma and Deneir. And there also exist undead that ar-
the spoken tongue of Nimbral.
en't evil, such as the baelnorn, which the elves consider
The faithful of Leira seem to be scarce, although it
holy. Kelemvor's devotees seek the end of such beings
regardless of that fact. is difficult to know this for certain, because those who
favor her rarely make their inclinations known. Leira
LATHAN DER is the patron of illusionists and liars. She receives little
regular worship except from illusionists, who pray to the
The Morninglord, Inspiration's Dawn, the Rose-and- Mistshadow for potency in their magic, and con artists,
Gold God for whom she is a kind of champion. Most people pray to
Lathander is the god of the spring, birth, and renewal, a her when they hope to keep something secret, or placate
deity of conception, vitality, youth, renewal, and self-per- her with a prayer before making an important decision
fection. He is god not of the sun but of the dawn, which when they fear being deceived. Some folk perform a
represents the start of a new day filled with potential. swirling motion with a finger behind their backs when
Lathander is a god of beginnings. People commonly telling a lie as a way of beseeching her for aid.
offer a prayer to him before undertaking any journey or Her priests wear vestments of white and mist-gray,
endeavor. Lathander's name is invoked to seal alliances and their faces are covered by smooth, featureless
and christen new ventures or companies. As a result, masks. Only in Nimbral do temples to Leira exist, and
the god is very popular among the merchant classes, shrines dedicated to her found across the continent are
and the church has benefited accordingly. usually disguised as-other kinds of sites, marked with
The rising sun is his symbol, and his colors are the signs that only the faithful would recognize.
rose, gold, and violet of the dawn. Lathander's temples
and shrines host a wide range of functions both munic-
ipal and personal. At such places folk get married in
dawn ceremonies, announce the start of civic projects,

SYMBOL OF LATHAN D ER

SYMBOL OF LEIRA
CHAPTER 1 I WELCOME TO THE REALMS