The Lantern King

The Laughing Lie, Arch-Fey

For more information on all Arch-Fey, see: Arch-Fey

The Lantern King is one of the Arch-Fey, a divine fey creature of tremendous power said to be able to reshape the very fabric of Faerûn on a whim. He is known for his capacity as a trickster god mixing caprice and mischief in god-like capacity within a realm already full of such practice. His sense of humor is vast, both in its breadth and its potential for harm, and his pranks, even well-intentioned ones, are not always pleasant or convenient. However, those that have spent a long time in his presence note that behind the Lantern King's mischief is a cunning, cosmic-level schemer influencing numerous major events across the Great Beyond.

Physical Description

The Lantern King resembles a foot-wide ball of golden light surrounded by a circlet made out of glyphs. When expressing a point or emotion, he often changes colour. Because of this resemblance, he is sometimes suspected to be the progenitor of will-o'-wisps or the original model for lantern archons, but the fey lord derisively laughs off such claims. He speaks in a booming, merry baritone which is the only indicator of his gender. The Lantern King is also capable of taking the forms of other creatures, including other Arch-Fey, to cause mischief.

Divine Realm

The Lantern King has no permanent abode. He wanders freely through the fields and forests of Faerûn, bending reality and changing lives wherever he goes, and is often blamed when a traveller is led astray. He is particularly fond of the Witchmarket, a caravan that travels across Faerûn and into the Material Plane.

Tenets of Faith

• Play pranks upon the gullible, and seek new jokes to spread laughter.


• Bring mischief wherever you tread.


• Leave lit lanterns for the Lantern King where none would expect to find them.

Worshipers

The Lantern King cares little for worshipers but is willing to provide power to them whenever he feels like doing so. "To meet the King" is a Faerûn expression meaning "finding oneself subject to strange fortune", and seekers of the Lantern King rarely return the same.

Contacts & Relations

Arch-Fey

The other Arch-Fey cautiously respect the Lantern King, as even they are not immune to his pranks, particularly Ragadahn and the Lost Prince, whom he considers too serious. He is mysteriously friendly with Ng, and respects Shyka, who has seen all of his schemes and is hard to fool.

Divine Traits

General Information

Alternative Name(s)
The Laughing Lie
Progenitor of Will-o'-Wisps

Alignment
Chaotic Neutral

Pantheon
Lesser Idol - Arch-Fey

Areas of Concern
Laughter, mischief, transformation

Favored Weapon
Dagger

Sacred Animal(s)
Firefly

Sacred Color(s)
Black, gold

Symbol
Golden lantern containing colored lights

Worshipers
Pranksters, seekers of fortune

Plane
Faerûn - Unknown

Pathfinder 1e

Domains
Charm, Chaos, Madness, Trickery

Subdomains
Deception, Love, Lust, Thievery

Pathfinder 2e

Domains
Change, Delirium, Passion, Trickery

Alternate Domains
None

Divine Ability
Intelligence or Charisma

Divine Font
Harm or Heal

Divine Skill
Deception

Cleric Spells
1st: Illusory Disguise
2nd: Hideous Laughter
6th: Baleful Polymorph