Laianath, the Gravetender

"Death is not evil. Death is necessary. The dead will always outnumber the living; I am their shepherd."

Goddess of night, winter, time, and death, Laianath is regarded as the coldest but perhaps most essential of all of the Children of Yamma. It is she who judges all, and she serves as the arbiter of the threads of fate. As the Titan and god of death, Laianath is regarded as the loneliest of the Children, for she regards all things through the lenses of the inevitable, unstopping march of time, the winter of all years, and the death of all things.
While other gods represent the natural states of chaos and change, the Gravetender represents the deepest truth of reality: death. All things fade, ashes to ashes and dust to dust. It's not a matter of if, it's only a matter of when. She is the patron saint of the dead and those who tend to them, ensuring the rightful ferrying of the departed to their places of rest. Her followers work tirelessly to prevent the defilement of the restful dead, and hunt the undead the most vehemently out of all followers of the Ten.
Her most devoted followers pursue the eradication of all undead. They hunt them without remorse or pity for they are sure in their divine pursuance. These endless quests are collectively known as the Peacebringer Crusades, and those who partake in them know their work is never done, but every slain undead is a soul and body released from agony.

Depictions, Symbols, and Names

Laianath is most often depicted as a dark-skinned woman in black, sleeveless and hooded robes, with a black metal mask of blank expression obscuring her face. Iconography of the Gravetender tend to include winter, graveyards, or a sky of stars. In Imperial cultures, a great scythe features prominently as well.
Laianath's symbol is known as the Gravebound Eye, an intricate design of a black and blue eye looking down. While the intricacies of the symbol may decrease in more rural temples or the like, the eye is always featured. An open, dark blue eye is the symbol of Laianath, for her Gravebound Eye watches all souls and ensures their rightful afterlife.
Laianath is known by many names. Laianath, the Gravetender, Mother Death, Mother of Winter, Mistress of Death, Night Mother, and the Fated Reaper are the most common.
In Aasveig, Laianath is not known by any name or likeness other than Andlát-dødher (Death-mother), and she is feared greatly. To die and go to her is to fail to earn a place next to your Aasveigan god, from the Maor peoples' perspective.

Ancient Home

Laianath had a great citadel in the heart of Laithna named Winter's Heart, where she and her divine assistants once arbitrated the countless souls leaving Emaxus. Now, the only activity in the fortress is the endless blizzards that rip past its great towers.

Worship Distribution

Laianath is likely second only to Yamma in worship. In the wake of the Reckoning, the few remaining cultures became close to death, and many societies today are still very death-conscious. If your waking life could end at any moment, why not ensure your sleeping death will be peaceful?
Few are the mortals who do not at least acknowledge Laianath. While there are some cultures that do not necessarily know of her by name (Aasveig being the chief example of this), all fear and/or respect her. While she may not have a temple in every village, every cemetary has her Gravebound Eye watching over it, lest the dead become restless and evil find sanctuary in their bones.

Champions of Laianath

Champions of Laianath are chosen during times of great strife, death, and/or a resurgence of undead and other disruptions to the cycle of life and death. These champions are known as Gravebinders. One has existed during the Age of Rebirth, but there are otherwise few records of previous Gravebinders.

• Ego was a tiefling out of Thouw Pren who joined the Auric Exemplars a few years into the Fragmented War. He was a talented cleric of Laianath even before he was named Gravebinder, and afterwards he became one of Ralla Kindguard's most valued and trusted companions. He fell in the final battle against Krathum, the Defiler.

Divine Domains

Laianath is the goddess of night, winter, time, and death. Clerics serving Laianath typically fall within the Grave, Night, and Order domains, while Paladins swear Oaths of Devotion, Redemption, Sacrament, and the Grave.

COMMANDMENTS OF LAIANATH

• Death is natural. Fear not the end.
• As day gives way to night and summer, to winter, so too must life give way to death. Do not fight the cycle.
• Make the most of your life, for it is limited and should not be extended.

Laianath's Holy Symbol

Methods of Worship

Laianath has two primary methods of worship: daily prayers and funeral rites. While only her devoted acknowledge the former, all who die hope for the latter to be seen on their body.
Daily prayers to Laianath typically involve a personal shrine or altar to the Gravetender, and the burning of some leaves or grass to bring death close. With the veil between life and death brought to bare, prayers, incantations, and other offerings may be employed.
Funeral rites to Laianath can be as simple as a prayer over a grave or body to ensure the spirit's safe travel to its afterlife or as elaborate as a funeral procession involving multiple partitioners and true clerics of Laianath. The only true necessity of a proper funeral rite is an inscription of the Gravebound Eye. Whether it's a single, engraved stone being placed over a mass grave at a battlefield, or an beautifully sculpted eye on a mausoleum, the presence of the Gravebound Eye is meant to first draw Laianath's attention to the dead and then watch over their bodies after the spirit has left.

Holy Day

Laianath's holy day is called the Eve of Winter and takes place on the Winter Solstice: Traeliorn 4, Estilian. Regarded as macabre by some, Eve of Winter is a celebration of the coming end of the year and birth of winter, a night of remembrance for the dead, and a solemn appreciation that all things end. Though some cities and cultures take a more party-like approach to the holiday, most of Laianath's clergy and many cultures take the day as a calm and somber one with friends and family, eating with and appreciating one another on the grounds that they could leave at any time.

Titan and God

Because Laianath is both a Titan and a god, she has total control over Death alongside the power given by Divinity. For more information on Laianath as a Titan, see The Elemental Pantheon.

Ancient Foes and Allies

To believe in Laianath is to hate the undead. Anything that defiles the peace of death is an evil of the highest degree, and must be eradicated in all its forms. Many followers of Laianath even disagree with resurrection, believing that it's a transgression against the cycle of life and death.
Laianath hated Laaelum and her Veil, for Laianath is the goddess of time and Laaelum taught mortals chronomancy, among so many other things. To be able to manipulate time is an ultimate perversion of Laianath's will, and her followers are vigilant against Laaelum's dark magics, alongside many of the other Children of Yamma and their followers.
Laianath had no real friends among the Children, but all were her allies. She is, without a doubt, the most essential of the Children of Yamma, so when Laianath called, all answered. While the same zealousness may not be present still today, there are few good or even self-serving mortals who don't want Laianath's folk on their side.

Laianath's Pathfinder 2e Stat Block

Laianath

The Gravetender

Goddess of night, winter, time, and death; Titan of Death; she/her

Divinity

• Realm Laithna
• Allies All of the Ten (mostly)
• Enemies The Obsidian Lords; occasionally all of the Ten
• Divine Attribute Wisdom

Religion

Edicts protect the cycle of life and death, respect the dead, strive against those who threaten the flow of souls

Anathemas raise the dead (including resurrection, save the most dire circumstances), tamper with time, defile the dead or souls

Symbol the Gravebound Eye

Temples crypts, temples, and Restbringer keeps

Sacred Colors black and blue

Holy Days Eve of Winter (celebration of the coming winter and end of the year, remembrance of the dead), Day of Laianath's Rebirth (day of remembrance and rededication)

The Faithful

Cleric Spells 1st: penumbral shroud, 2nd: darkness or rimeslick, 3rd: deep sight, 4th: vision of death, 5th: howling blizzard, 6th: blanket of stars, 7th: frigid flurry, 8th: arctic rift or summon Irii, 9th: power word kill, 10th: revival

Divine Font heal

Divine Sanctification must choose holy

Divine Skill Undead Lore or Religion

Domains Cold, Darkness, Death, Decay, Sorrow, Soul, Vigil, Zeal

Favored Weapon Fauchard