Sarenrae
Let the healing light of the sun burn out the darkness within you. Let your inner light be a guide for others, and a searing flame against unrepentant evil. —The Birth of Light and Truth
The Dawnflower, the Cleansing Light, the Warrior of Fire
Sarenrae is one of the most popular deities on Golarion, and followers of many other faiths respect her power, dedication, and generosity. Once a powerful angel known as an empyreal lord, Sarenrae led the heavenly hosts in the charge against the Rough Beast, Rovagug, and it was she who dealt him the great blow that led to his chaining. Now a goddess in her own right, Sarenrae is kind and loving, a figure of light, guidance, and healing, and has great patience with those who choose to be blind but may one day see. Yet for all her compassion, Sarenrae is also a powerful force against evil, and strikes down the irredeemable without mercy. Her faith is ancient; it first became popular among Keleshite humans, then spread to the Garundi in ancient Osirion and into other human and nonhuman civilizations as well.
Eons ago, Sarenrae was an angel guiding the energies of the sun and battling evil beings that sought to plunge the newborn world of Golarion and its sister planets into eternal darkness. Other angels lent her their support and turned to her for leadership in these battles, and eventually gods joined them as she grew in power to become one of the mighty empyreal lords. Sarenrae was the first to stand against Rovagug’s attempts to unmake Golarion, and she faced the Rough Beast personally when the other forces of creation were engaged with his hideous spawn. The exact circumstances of the battle are a mystery to mortals, but it is believed that her willingness to sacrifice herself for the good of all inspired her flagging comrades to new hope and courage, and elevated her from one of the greatest angels to a full goddess. With this influx of power, she smote Rovagug and hurled his broken body deep into the earth. As the gods healed the planet’s scars and intelligent life appeared on its surface, mortals turned their eyes upward to thank the life-giving sun, and her faith took root among primitive peoples.
Sarenrae is a goddess of boundless love and exquisite kindness, a caring friend, mother, sister, and protector of all in need. She delights in healing the sick, lifting up the fallen, and shining a guiding light into the darkest hearts and lands. She brushes off insults and deflects attacks, patiently trying to convince those who perceive her as an enemy that their belief is false. For all her patience and gentleness, however, she is no victim: if it becomes clear that her efforts are wasted, she responds to violence and predations upon the innocent with cleansing fire and scorching light. She dislikes cruelty, lies, needless suffering, and thoughtless destruction. Ancient and timeless, she stands fearlessly against the full tide of darkness, promising that the dawn will always come, and with it, hope, truth, and kindness will triumph.
Religious art depicts the sun goddess as a woman with bronze skin and hair of dancing flame; in some cases this flame trails behind her for a dozen or more yards. One of her hands offers the light of the sun, while the other wields a scimitar against those who would spread darkness, hatred, and pain. The church does not teach that Sarenrae is the sun itself; rather, she is its guardian and conduit for its power, and while fanciful art may show her face in place of the sun, the mainstream faithful recognize the difference between the star and the goddess.
The Dawnflower’s faith is a broad one, and the majority of her worshipers are everyday folk who recognize the power of the sun, take comfort in the idea of a deity’s love and compassion, and believe strongly in both redemption and righteous action. Her faith attracts those with kind hearts who are nevertheless willing to harden them when kindness is a dangerous weakness. The faith makes few demands of its everyday adherents beyond these tenets, and its clergy are usually seen as valiant protectors and enlightened teachers.
Sarenrae indicates her favor with sightings of doves, rays of dawn or dusk sunlight that last far longer than they should, the discovery of yellow stones or gems, or the sudden soothing of aches and pains. Her displeasure is most often made apparent through unexplained sunburns or periods of blindness that can last anywhere from only a few moments for minor transgressions to a lifetime for mortal sins.
Sarenrae’s faithful try to mirror her open-armed generosity of spirit and compassion. They teach that redemption is rarely a swift process, and those who would worship her must learn to hold their tempers and patiently guide others to the path of righteousness. They deny only the followers of Rovagug the open hand of friendship, for to embrace the nihilism of complete destruction is to reject the opportunity for salvation.
Bryla: Appearing as a wheel of burning sunlight, this energetic and friendly angel watches over good folk, pilgrims, children, and cats, and relishes the opportunity for conversation. She usually manifests as a neutral good Large half-celestial fire elemental with a fly speed of 50 feet and perfect maneuverability, though she can shrink herself down to Tiny size to appear as a halo behind the head of the priest who summoned her. When negotiating payment for her services, she prefers sparkling gems, carved figurines of lions and other lion-shaped items, and hot pastries.
Charlabu: This golden-haired hound archon prefers to take the form of a friendly dog when interacting with mortals, and has been known to masquerade as a regular dog to look after people in need (though his alignment spoils the ruse for those who can detect such things).
Mystmorning: Religious scholars debate whether Mystmorning is a celestial unicorn in the shape of a blade or a blade with the powers of a celestial unicorn. She always appears as a fine sword or scimitar, inlaid with rose gold markings and set with two gray gems on the pommel. She rarely speaks and prefers to take a passive role as a weapon in the hands of a hero.
Sunlord Thalachos: This angelic being serves as Sarenrae’s herald. Before the Age of Lost Omens, he often delivered prophecies on behalf of Sarenrae, and several stories in The Birth of Light and Truth were penned by oracles whom he personally escorted through Sarenrae’s realm. Now he appears at auspicious births, and the goddess of the sun has tasked him with standing orders to guard her realm against fiendish—particularly infernal—incursions, stop any who would attempt to free Rovagug from his prison, and defend against those who would tamper with the sun itself. Some chapters of Sarenrae’s faith claim that Thalachos is reborn every day. Certainly he has died in battle and appeared unharmed at a later time, though there is insufficient evidence to answer whether he actually rises again at the dawn. Some sects call him Saint Thalachos and explain that he was the first human priest of Sarenrae, though again there is no historical evidence for this claim and the angel has never said he was ever anything other than an angel.
Eons ago, Sarenrae was an angel guiding the energies of the sun and battling evil beings that sought to plunge the newborn world of Golarion and its sister planets into eternal darkness. Other angels lent her their support and turned to her for leadership in these battles, and eventually gods joined them as she grew in power to become one of the mighty empyreal lords. Sarenrae was the first to stand against Rovagug’s attempts to unmake Golarion, and she faced the Rough Beast personally when the other forces of creation were engaged with his hideous spawn. The exact circumstances of the battle are a mystery to mortals, but it is believed that her willingness to sacrifice herself for the good of all inspired her flagging comrades to new hope and courage, and elevated her from one of the greatest angels to a full goddess. With this influx of power, she smote Rovagug and hurled his broken body deep into the earth. As the gods healed the planet’s scars and intelligent life appeared on its surface, mortals turned their eyes upward to thank the life-giving sun, and her faith took root among primitive peoples.
Sarenrae is a goddess of boundless love and exquisite kindness, a caring friend, mother, sister, and protector of all in need. She delights in healing the sick, lifting up the fallen, and shining a guiding light into the darkest hearts and lands. She brushes off insults and deflects attacks, patiently trying to convince those who perceive her as an enemy that their belief is false. For all her patience and gentleness, however, she is no victim: if it becomes clear that her efforts are wasted, she responds to violence and predations upon the innocent with cleansing fire and scorching light. She dislikes cruelty, lies, needless suffering, and thoughtless destruction. Ancient and timeless, she stands fearlessly against the full tide of darkness, promising that the dawn will always come, and with it, hope, truth, and kindness will triumph.
Religious art depicts the sun goddess as a woman with bronze skin and hair of dancing flame; in some cases this flame trails behind her for a dozen or more yards. One of her hands offers the light of the sun, while the other wields a scimitar against those who would spread darkness, hatred, and pain. The church does not teach that Sarenrae is the sun itself; rather, she is its guardian and conduit for its power, and while fanciful art may show her face in place of the sun, the mainstream faithful recognize the difference between the star and the goddess.
The Dawnflower’s faith is a broad one, and the majority of her worshipers are everyday folk who recognize the power of the sun, take comfort in the idea of a deity’s love and compassion, and believe strongly in both redemption and righteous action. Her faith attracts those with kind hearts who are nevertheless willing to harden them when kindness is a dangerous weakness. The faith makes few demands of its everyday adherents beyond these tenets, and its clergy are usually seen as valiant protectors and enlightened teachers.
Sarenrae indicates her favor with sightings of doves, rays of dawn or dusk sunlight that last far longer than they should, the discovery of yellow stones or gems, or the sudden soothing of aches and pains. Her displeasure is most often made apparent through unexplained sunburns or periods of blindness that can last anywhere from only a few moments for minor transgressions to a lifetime for mortal sins.
Relations with Other Religions
The goddess is warm and welcoming toward all nonevil deities. She is also gracious to most of the evil ones, hoping to convince them to turn to the light, and none of them doubt that she honestly wants their redemption—and even their friendship, whether or not they reciprocate that feeling. Though it is rare for either of them to speak of it, her rivalry with Asmodeus is passionate, and goes far deeper than their constant battle for mortals’ souls. The Dawnflower restrains her disgust for Urgathoa’s actions in the interest of trying to find a way to help the other goddess become whole again. Only Rovagug and his mindless destruction are exempt from Sarenrae’s generosity of spirit— she still remembers the sting of his attacks as she battled to imprison him ages ago. Once an empyreal lord herself, she often lends the others support in their causes, and in some lands, empyreal lords are worshiped as saints of the Dawnflower’s church, though Sarenrae herself makes no such claims.Sarenrae’s faithful try to mirror her open-armed generosity of spirit and compassion. They teach that redemption is rarely a swift process, and those who would worship her must learn to hold their tempers and patiently guide others to the path of righteousness. They deny only the followers of Rovagug the open hand of friendship, for to embrace the nihilism of complete destruction is to reject the opportunity for salvation.
Planar Allies
In addition to Sarenrae’s servitor race, the yhohms, the following creatures are well-known supernatural servitors of the Dawnflower, and are suitable for conjuring with planar ally or similar spells. Most straddle the line between holy warriors and bringers of divine mercy.Bryla: Appearing as a wheel of burning sunlight, this energetic and friendly angel watches over good folk, pilgrims, children, and cats, and relishes the opportunity for conversation. She usually manifests as a neutral good Large half-celestial fire elemental with a fly speed of 50 feet and perfect maneuverability, though she can shrink herself down to Tiny size to appear as a halo behind the head of the priest who summoned her. When negotiating payment for her services, she prefers sparkling gems, carved figurines of lions and other lion-shaped items, and hot pastries.
Charlabu: This golden-haired hound archon prefers to take the form of a friendly dog when interacting with mortals, and has been known to masquerade as a regular dog to look after people in need (though his alignment spoils the ruse for those who can detect such things).
Mystmorning: Religious scholars debate whether Mystmorning is a celestial unicorn in the shape of a blade or a blade with the powers of a celestial unicorn. She always appears as a fine sword or scimitar, inlaid with rose gold markings and set with two gray gems on the pommel. She rarely speaks and prefers to take a passive role as a weapon in the hands of a hero.
Sunlord Thalachos: This angelic being serves as Sarenrae’s herald. Before the Age of Lost Omens, he often delivered prophecies on behalf of Sarenrae, and several stories in The Birth of Light and Truth were penned by oracles whom he personally escorted through Sarenrae’s realm. Now he appears at auspicious births, and the goddess of the sun has tasked him with standing orders to guard her realm against fiendish—particularly infernal—incursions, stop any who would attempt to free Rovagug from his prison, and defend against those who would tamper with the sun itself. Some chapters of Sarenrae’s faith claim that Thalachos is reborn every day. Certainly he has died in battle and appeared unharmed at a later time, though there is insufficient evidence to answer whether he actually rises again at the dawn. Some sects call him Saint Thalachos and explain that he was the first human priest of Sarenrae, though again there is no historical evidence for this claim and the angel has never said he was ever anything other than an angel.
Symbol
Edicts
destroy the Spawn of Rovagug, protect allies, provide aid to the sick and wounded, seek and allow redemption
Anathema
create undead, lie, deny a repentant creature an opportunity for redemption, fail to strike down evil
Areas of Concern
healing, honesty, redemption, and the sun
Allies
Cayden Cailean, Desna, Iomedae, Shelyn
Temples
cathedrals, churches, infirmaries, standing stones
Worshippers
healers, mediators, philanthropists, the redeemed
Sacred Animal
dove
Sacred Colors
blue and gold
Favored Weapon
scimitar
Domains
fire, healing, sun, truth
Alternate Domains
repose
Divine Ability
Constitution or Wisdom
Divine Font
heal
Divine Skill
Medicine
Divine Classification
God
Religions
Realm
Church/Cult
Siblings
Children
Ruled Locations
Aphorisms
Sarenites commonly swear by Sarenrae to promise honesty, because she is believed to curse those who lie after doing so. They also use these aphorisms.The dawn brings new light: This phrase is often spoken to invite blessings upon a good turn in life, which might be as momentous as the birth of a child, or as small as an especially satisfying meal. As a litany, it reassures the faithful that each new day is another chance from Sarenrae to do better, and a promise that circumstances will improve (if perhaps only in the afterlife).
For the sun and the fury: Most worshippers only see this battle cry painted or carved on the cornerstones of Sarenite temples, where it is meant to scare off unrepentant evil. In battle, Sarenites utter this phrase to invoke her power against evil (especially fiends and undead) and to evoke holy fire.
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.
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