Church of Sarenrae
During the Age of Enthronement, missionaries from the Padishah Empire of Kelesh, where worship of Sarenrae is the state religion, began spreading her faith into the Inner Sea region, where it quickly took root. Today, the church of Sarenrae is common across the region, with good communication between temples and amiable relationships with most non-oppressive governments. The church is strongest in Absalom, Katapesh, Osirion, Qadira, Taldor, and Thuvia, in which great gold-adorned open-air temples rise tall and white into the skies, though the church’s emphasis on kindness, healing, joy, and redemption makes it popular across the continents, and shrines to the Dawnflower dot countrysides in most nations. The desert flavor imbued by the church’s Keleshite origins remains noticeable in larger and more traditional temples, though smaller and more rural congregations often let regional traditions and aesthetics shape their worship and their conception of the goddess.
Services are joyous events incorporating singing and dancing, accompanied by upbeat music; they always take place outside and during daylight hours. The church is very supportive of marriage, and a wedding in a temple is always cause for celebration. There is no stigma attached to divorce, and the delight over a second or third marriage is just as heartfelt as for a person’s first. Worshippers in many regions reconsecrate their vows every 10 years. For Sarenrae’s congregations, faith is not merely a theory, but an active force that underpins their actions; they try to see things in her light, which reveals the hope and potential for goodness in the people they encounter. Sarenrae encourages her faithful to speak out and take stands for what’s right—a practice that leads many to characterize Sarenites as fiery zealots. In truth, however, the other half of Sarenrae’s teachings—that one should always seek first to understand and redeem foes rather than immediately write them off—means that while Sarenites may be passionate and outspoken, their finely honed sense of right and wrong is tempered by compassion.
As tribal nomads say, “There are no second chances in the desert,” and the Cult of the Dawnflower has taken this moral to heart. These hard-edged priests offer mercy once and only once to their opponents, and if refused, they are ruthless in battle, ignoring offers to parley or surrender, and unafraid to judge neutral opponents as if they were black-hearted evildoers. This severe stance only applies to enemies of the faith and sinful folk—among their friends, family, and other respectable members of the community, members of the Cult of the Dawnflower are kind, generous, and forgiving.
In a large part, the Cult of the Dawnflower has risen out of a close alliance between elements of the Qadiran government and certain temple leaders. Members of the cult believe Taldor is in need of a cleansing with blade and fire, and continuing border tensions with Taldor are often exacerbated by members of the Cult of the Dawnflower. Never one to turn their back on a good deity, the nation of Taldor supports a number of temples devoted to Sarenrae.
While the Cult of the Dawnflower tends to fall much closer to neutral than neutral good, its spellcasters are never actually evil, as Sarenrae revokes her gifts from those who commit evil acts. Along with its relative bloodthirstiness, the Cult of the Dawnflower differs ethically from the larger church in that it tolerates slavery, as long as the slaves are not mistreated; free folk can sell themselves into slavery for a span of years to pay off debts or provide for their families, and some habitual criminals are sentenced to a term of slavery to pay their debt to society.
Sunflowers and other plants with large golden flowers surround many of Sarenrae’s sanctuaries. In poorer communities, these sunflowers’ seeds are often eaten, either whole or as a nutritious paste, or are dried and ground into flour to make bread. Believing in charity and supporting the community, churches often bake small loaves of filling, nutritious bread marked with an ankh on top, known as “Dawnflower bread,” to distribute to the needy.
Sarenrae has many shrines, typically a single stone marker with a sun-ankh, though trios of carved standing stones may mark the summer and winter solstices. Shrines may have niches for candles or small handwritten prayers, and visiting pilgrims typically scatter sunflowers or seeds at the base. In hotter lands, the stone might be part of a small shelter or have an overhang to create a bit of shade for weary travelers.
Sarenrae’s acceptance of all who strive toward virtue attracts a diverse clergy: clerics, inquisitors, rangers, sun-druids, paladins, monks, and bards are common, as are any spellcasters or warriors who wield magic to defeat evil, bring light and hope to the beleaguered, and aid the sick, poor, and downtrodden. Her paladins tend to be adventure-seekers, many of them searching out downtrodden innocents to defend or questing as penance for past failures or perceived flaws. Sarenrae’s status as an angel who ascended to full godhood makes her church an attractive choice for those with celestial heritage, and clergy so blessed are often a source of pride for their congregations. The church’s message of redemption for all also makes it a compelling choice for those struggling to remain virtuous despite fiendish blood. Whatever their origins and skills, those priests who devote their lives to Sarenrae’s service rarely seem to sunburn, even if they have fair complexions, and they tend to tolerate heat easily, even if they hail from cold climates.
Sarenrae’s clergy are devoted to serving their communities, administering to their flocks with a gentle hand and wise words. They provide healing and counsel to those who need it, listen to the confessions of those who wish to bare the wounds of their souls to Sarenrae’s healing light, expose injustice where they find it, arbitrate disputes, and rehabilitate criminals. They promote law and order as long as these benefit everyone, but are not afraid to help organize communities against unjust rulers. Priests view casual cruelty or thoughtlessness as genuinely harmful, and if they accidentally engage in one of these behaviors themselves, they seek out the wronged person and attempt to obtain his forgiveness. They understand that goodness takes practice, and regular daily acts of kindness and virtue aid one in building the moral strength to do what is right when one’s goodness is challenged in more serious ways.
Such kindness vanishes, however, when the church is stirred to action against an evil that cannot be redeemed. At such times, Sarenrae’s priests become dervishes, dancing among foes while their scimitars mete out final justice, and even lay worshippers may take up arms. Swordplay, particularly with the scimitar, is considered an art form among Sarenrae’s priests, and martial-minded priests train rigorously in its intricacies. The church sometimes uses spells like lesser geas and mark of justice to help guide malcontents toward goodness; while they don’t wish to take away free will, they aren’t averse to providing extra encouragement to help others choose the correct path. Most non-adventuring priests live on donations from their congregations. Nobles and wealthy merchants sometimes sponsor or hire priests as healers and peacekeepers. By tradition, most priests will not refuse someone in need of healing even if the person cannot pay, but they are quick to assess who urgently needs medical attention and who will recover naturally, which prevents most exploitation and allows priests to focus their magic on those who really need it.
The Dawnflower’s church allows its priests a great deal of mobility between temples—a legacy of its early popularity among the nomadic tribes. This practice helps diffuse pressure from personal feuds, as one priest can relocate to another temple until tempers cool. The head of a particular temple is called the Dawnfather or Dawnmother; members of the temple are expected to follow the decisions of the leader, though normally he or she encourages input from junior members.
A priest normally wakes around dawn and salutes the rising sun with a prayer to her goddess. A quick meal follows, as does a short period of introspective prayer, no longer than an hour, after which the priest goes about her work. Priests pause to pray for a few minutes when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky and again shortly before sundown— priests who cannot see the sun, such as those in a dungeon or cave, estimate the appropriate time for these prayers.
Followers of Sarenrae may engage in relatively peaceful pursuits such as tending the sick, arbitrating disputes, and rehabilitating criminals, or they might hunt down abominations and bring justice to any unrepentant evildoers. Whatever drives them, the end result should be bringing the light—or sword—of Sarenrae to hearts that have been dark for too long.
Services are joyous events incorporating singing and dancing, accompanied by upbeat music; they always take place outside and during daylight hours. The church is very supportive of marriage, and a wedding in a temple is always cause for celebration. There is no stigma attached to divorce, and the delight over a second or third marriage is just as heartfelt as for a person’s first. Worshippers in many regions reconsecrate their vows every 10 years. For Sarenrae’s congregations, faith is not merely a theory, but an active force that underpins their actions; they try to see things in her light, which reveals the hope and potential for goodness in the people they encounter. Sarenrae encourages her faithful to speak out and take stands for what’s right—a practice that leads many to characterize Sarenites as fiery zealots. In truth, however, the other half of Sarenrae’s teachings—that one should always seek first to understand and redeem foes rather than immediately write them off—means that while Sarenites may be passionate and outspoken, their finely honed sense of right and wrong is tempered by compassion.
The Cult of the Dawnflower
As might be expected in a religion that teaches its followers to speak out and take action, not all Sarenites agree on her teachings, or even get along. The most prominent example of this is in Qadira, where a militant sect known as the Cult of the Dawnflower has risen to become the dominant faith.As tribal nomads say, “There are no second chances in the desert,” and the Cult of the Dawnflower has taken this moral to heart. These hard-edged priests offer mercy once and only once to their opponents, and if refused, they are ruthless in battle, ignoring offers to parley or surrender, and unafraid to judge neutral opponents as if they were black-hearted evildoers. This severe stance only applies to enemies of the faith and sinful folk—among their friends, family, and other respectable members of the community, members of the Cult of the Dawnflower are kind, generous, and forgiving.
In a large part, the Cult of the Dawnflower has risen out of a close alliance between elements of the Qadiran government and certain temple leaders. Members of the cult believe Taldor is in need of a cleansing with blade and fire, and continuing border tensions with Taldor are often exacerbated by members of the Cult of the Dawnflower. Never one to turn their back on a good deity, the nation of Taldor supports a number of temples devoted to Sarenrae.
While the Cult of the Dawnflower tends to fall much closer to neutral than neutral good, its spellcasters are never actually evil, as Sarenrae revokes her gifts from those who commit evil acts. Along with its relative bloodthirstiness, the Cult of the Dawnflower differs ethically from the larger church in that it tolerates slavery, as long as the slaves are not mistreated; free folk can sell themselves into slavery for a span of years to pay off debts or provide for their families, and some habitual criminals are sentenced to a term of slavery to pay their debt to society.
Temples & Shrines
Temples are open to the sky, though larger temples may be enclosed buildings surrounding an open central courtyard where worship is held. Most hang large brass or gold mirrors on high points to reflect more sunlight toward the altar, though they are carefully positioned so as not to blind worshippers. Sun motifs are common decorations, as are white or metallic wings and images of doves. Most temples have a sundial, and gold decorations are often set against light blue silk hangings that evoke sunny skies.Sunflowers and other plants with large golden flowers surround many of Sarenrae’s sanctuaries. In poorer communities, these sunflowers’ seeds are often eaten, either whole or as a nutritious paste, or are dried and ground into flour to make bread. Believing in charity and supporting the community, churches often bake small loaves of filling, nutritious bread marked with an ankh on top, known as “Dawnflower bread,” to distribute to the needy.
Sarenrae has many shrines, typically a single stone marker with a sun-ankh, though trios of carved standing stones may mark the summer and winter solstices. Shrines may have niches for candles or small handwritten prayers, and visiting pilgrims typically scatter sunflowers or seeds at the base. In hotter lands, the stone might be part of a small shelter or have an overhang to create a bit of shade for weary travelers.
Clothing
The Keleshite robes of desert dervishes have become synonymous with the faith in many worshippers’ minds, as have sunburst symbols and the colors of white, red, sky blue, and gold. The devout often wear ankhs or stylized doves, and even in cold northern climes far from the deserts of Osirion and Qadira, they may carry scimitars in homage to the Dawnflower. Scimitars inlaid with gold sunbursts or golden gems are common ceremonial implements. Rose gold (a mix of copper and gold) is popular among the faithful, because its color reminds them of the dawn’s light, and gold earrings and other piercings are common.A Priest’s Role
Sarenrae’s faith is one of kindness, healing, honesty, peace, and forgiveness. Her clergy believe wholeheartedly in redemption, and are patient and compassionate in attempting to persuade evildoers to mend their ways. Hers is not a passive faith; the Dawnflower’s servants teach that goodness is more than simply not doing harm. They see no point in punishment for its own sake—loving kindness and acceptance draw the lost back to the path of goodness far more effectively than threats or pain—but they do not confuse patience with allowing evil to work its will unopposed. Force may be a last resort for a priest of the Dawnflower, but when she draws her scimitar, her justice will be swift, implacable, and complete. Those who wage war in Sarenrae’s name attempt to ensure that it is as clean as they can make it, and that it ends as quickly as possible.Sarenrae’s acceptance of all who strive toward virtue attracts a diverse clergy: clerics, inquisitors, rangers, sun-druids, paladins, monks, and bards are common, as are any spellcasters or warriors who wield magic to defeat evil, bring light and hope to the beleaguered, and aid the sick, poor, and downtrodden. Her paladins tend to be adventure-seekers, many of them searching out downtrodden innocents to defend or questing as penance for past failures or perceived flaws. Sarenrae’s status as an angel who ascended to full godhood makes her church an attractive choice for those with celestial heritage, and clergy so blessed are often a source of pride for their congregations. The church’s message of redemption for all also makes it a compelling choice for those struggling to remain virtuous despite fiendish blood. Whatever their origins and skills, those priests who devote their lives to Sarenrae’s service rarely seem to sunburn, even if they have fair complexions, and they tend to tolerate heat easily, even if they hail from cold climates.
Sarenrae’s clergy are devoted to serving their communities, administering to their flocks with a gentle hand and wise words. They provide healing and counsel to those who need it, listen to the confessions of those who wish to bare the wounds of their souls to Sarenrae’s healing light, expose injustice where they find it, arbitrate disputes, and rehabilitate criminals. They promote law and order as long as these benefit everyone, but are not afraid to help organize communities against unjust rulers. Priests view casual cruelty or thoughtlessness as genuinely harmful, and if they accidentally engage in one of these behaviors themselves, they seek out the wronged person and attempt to obtain his forgiveness. They understand that goodness takes practice, and regular daily acts of kindness and virtue aid one in building the moral strength to do what is right when one’s goodness is challenged in more serious ways.
Such kindness vanishes, however, when the church is stirred to action against an evil that cannot be redeemed. At such times, Sarenrae’s priests become dervishes, dancing among foes while their scimitars mete out final justice, and even lay worshippers may take up arms. Swordplay, particularly with the scimitar, is considered an art form among Sarenrae’s priests, and martial-minded priests train rigorously in its intricacies. The church sometimes uses spells like lesser geas and mark of justice to help guide malcontents toward goodness; while they don’t wish to take away free will, they aren’t averse to providing extra encouragement to help others choose the correct path. Most non-adventuring priests live on donations from their congregations. Nobles and wealthy merchants sometimes sponsor or hire priests as healers and peacekeepers. By tradition, most priests will not refuse someone in need of healing even if the person cannot pay, but they are quick to assess who urgently needs medical attention and who will recover naturally, which prevents most exploitation and allows priests to focus their magic on those who really need it.
The Dawnflower’s church allows its priests a great deal of mobility between temples—a legacy of its early popularity among the nomadic tribes. This practice helps diffuse pressure from personal feuds, as one priest can relocate to another temple until tempers cool. The head of a particular temple is called the Dawnfather or Dawnmother; members of the temple are expected to follow the decisions of the leader, though normally he or she encourages input from junior members.
A priest normally wakes around dawn and salutes the rising sun with a prayer to her goddess. A quick meal follows, as does a short period of introspective prayer, no longer than an hour, after which the priest goes about her work. Priests pause to pray for a few minutes when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky and again shortly before sundown— priests who cannot see the sun, such as those in a dungeon or cave, estimate the appropriate time for these prayers.
Adventurers
Sarenrae’s faithful are united by their desire to make the world a better place. They believe wholeheartedly in redemption, yet this should not be mistaken for weakness. They are equal parts healers and crusaders, and seek to stand up to evil in all its myriad forms.Followers of Sarenrae may engage in relatively peaceful pursuits such as tending the sick, arbitrating disputes, and rehabilitating criminals, or they might hunt down abominations and bring justice to any unrepentant evildoers. Whatever drives them, the end result should be bringing the light—or sword—of Sarenrae to hearts that have been dark for too long.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Demonym
Sarenite
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Divines
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Sarenrae’s Champion Code
The champions of the Dawnflower are fierce warriors, like their goddess. They provide hope to the weak and support to the righteous. Their tenets include the following adages.- I will protect my allies with my life. They are my light and my strength, as I am their light and their strength. We rise together.
- I will seek out and destroy the spawn of the Rough Beast. If I cannot defeat them, I will give my life trying. If my life would be wasted in the attempt, I will find allies. If any fall because of my inaction, their deaths lie upon my soul, and I will atone for each.
- I am fair to others. I expect nothing for myself but that which I need to survive.
- The best battle is a battle I win. If I die, I can no longer fight. I will fight fairly when the fight is fair, and I will strike quickly and without mercy when it is not.
- I will redeem the ignorant with my words and my actions. If they will not turn toward the light, I will redeem them by the sword.
- I will not abide evil, and will combat it with steel when words are not enough. I do not flinch from my faith, and do not fear embarrassment. My soul cannot be bought for all the stars in the sky.
- I will show the less fortunate the light of the Dawnflower. I will live my life as her mortal blade, shining with the light of truth.
- Each day is another step toward perfection. I will not turn back into the dark.
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