Sarenrae

Eons ago, Sarenrae was an angel who brought the light of the sun to Golarion and its sister worlds, and with it truth and honesty. She warred with evil beings that sought to plunge the newborn planets into eternal darkness, and emerged victorious—yet some of those who had turned to evil saw their wickedness revealed by Sarenrae’s glory, and in repentance they were forgiven. Sarenrae is kind and loving—a figure of healing, guidance, and light. Yet for all her compassion, Sarenrae is also a powerful force against evil and strikes down the irredeemable without mercy.
Sarenrae is generally seen as the goddess of The Pact Worlds’ sun, which her faithful sometimes call the Dawnflower’s Star in her honor, but she draws power from suns across the universe. She is a deity of boundless love—a caring 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 worlds. Sarenrae brushes off insults but responds to violence and predations upon the innocent with cleansing fire and scorching light. Ancient and timeless, Sarenrae stands fearlessly against the tide of darkness, promising that the dawn will always come, and when it does, hope, kindness, and truth will triumph.
The Dawnflower’s faithful come from all walks of life: everyday folk who rejoice in the light of the sun, take comfort in love and compassion, and believe strongly in redemption and righteous action. Though humans often describe Sarenrae as one of “their” gods, the tradition of sun worship is common in societies that rely on the sun’s light for energy and nourishment, and thus most cultures within the Pact Worlds and beyond have worshiped Sarenrae to a significant extent at some point. After humans, Shirren are perhaps the race most attracted to Sarenrae’s faith and her message of redemption and empathy. Many of her priests are envoys, mystics, solarians, or soldiers—those who espouse peace and kindness until stirred to action by evil that cannot be redeemed. When possible, Sarenrae’s temples are open to the sky, but they always have at least a window or skylight where the faithful can bask in the natural light of the sun.
In the Pact Worlds, the spiritual heart of Sarenrae’s church is within the sun itself, in the Burning Archipelago’s central city of Dawnshore. Many Pact Worlds Sarenites feel an instinctive drive to make pilgrimages to this holy site, even though her faith is often individualistic, with the church serving as an organizing and training force for priests and followers who then wander the galaxy doing the goddess’s work.

Assets

For the last century, the greatest boon to the Sarenite religion has been the discovery of the Burning Archipelago, which provided the ability to visit the Dawnflower’s Star for the first time in history. Before the Age of the Eternal Dawn, the churches of Sarenrae were spread out, and there was little to no association between the various chapters. Now with the Radiant Cathedral as an organizing body, the faithful of the Dawnflower have quadrupled in number over the last century and have concentrated their outreach and spiritual missions.
The Radiant Cathedral is a massive, ancient structure located in the middle of the Burning Archipelago. It serves as a home and a site of worship for thousands of clerics, attendants, and laypeople. It is estimated that nearly five million visitors pass through its doors every standard year. While it serves as the center of the faith of Sarenrae, many of the Radiant Cathedral’s plazas serve as a public meeting spaces for citizens of the bubble-city of Dawnshore. Transplanted to the Burning Archipelago decades ago and cared for as sacred animals by Sarenite priests, hundreds of doves call the Radiant Cathedral’s plazas home. The flocks of birds are a constant draw for tourists and pilgrims.
While nowhere near the same size and scope as the Radiant Cathedral, the Holy Angel of Flame was the largest center of Sarenite worship before the discovery of the Burning Archipelago. Located in the Congregation neighborhood of Absalom Station’s Ring, this church features a large holographic image of the Dawnflower in all her splendor projected near the ceiling to watch over her worshippers. At least once a month, High Cleric Jall Indarnu (NG male Human envoy) takes the pulpit at the Holy Angel of Flame to give a rousing, fervent speech to a packed church that never fails to leave the audience eager to tackle injustice head-on.
High on the peaks of the Sunteeth on Verces's Fullbright, where the sun never stops shining, stands the Basking Monastery. Little more than several stone slabs engraved with the holy symbol of Sarenrae and several small lean-tos, the monastery is difficult to reach and offers a test of both body and spirit to those who visit. Instead of sermons and ceremonies, High Cleric Heirzai (NG female Strix mystic) instructs visitors to simply sit or lie on the sunbaked slabs and contemplate their pasts. Heirazi and her fellow monks believe that by calling forth the darkness within, it can be burnt away by the constant light of the sun. The monks keep a close eye on their visitors, ensuring that no one becomes too sunburned or dies of heat stroke.
Beacon is a small chapel in Pact Port on Eox that was established to help soothe the minds and souls of those who find the moral relativity of the undead planet too much for them. Beacon is open around the clock, and visitors are encouraged to light a candle and spend several minutes in silent prayer. High Cleric Luxotroskin (NG female feychild Gnome mystic) takes her duties seriously, and she and her priests are always ready to counsel any visitors on the verge of doing something violent. Beacon also serves as a medical center for any travelers whose new necrografts cause them distress and a welcoming space for any undead who want to accept the light of Sarenrae.
Though the worship of Damoritosh is the most popular religion within The Veskarium, Vesk are no strangers to the worship of Sarenrae. After all, Vesk-Prime is that systems’ closest planet to the sun. Vesk illustrations of Sarenrae depict her as having a circle of crimson scales around her head and leathery wings similar to those of a dragon. Colloquially known as the Firescale instead of the Dawnflower, this version of Sarenrae embodies the righteousness of honorable combat to the vesk, focusing less on her aspect of healing. There are several shrines to Sarenrae throughout the Veskarium, but Vesk Prime’s largest cathedral to the Firescale stands in the middle of the Vaaranas Desert. Crafted of basalt painted blue and gold, the Church of the Flamewalker is surrounded by half a dozen large mirrors that reflect the sunlight inward, heating the building to an almost unbearable degree.
Pilgrims to the Church of the Flamewalker are expected to march through the surrounding desert on foot. When they reach the cathedral, they are met by High Cleric Darvorinoz Jurapikoshe (NG male vesk solarian), who leads them in extended prayer. A pilgrim seeking atonement or a blessing from Sarenrae must then undergo a ritual wherein their feet are anointed with oil and they must cross over a bed of flaming coals while reciting edicts of the faith. The High Cleric provides healing after the ceremony, even if the petitioner is unable to complete it.
Sarenite temples on other planets are often open-air structures crafted of white and gold marble or durable steel alloys. The style of architecture varies from system to system, but newly constructed temples are often designed to mimic the Radiant Cathedral. They are situated geographically to catch as much sunlight as possible through large stained-glass windows set high in the structures’ ceilings. These churches often strive to be community centers for the local populaces (which tend toward lower socioeconomic sections of cities), providing knowledge and assistance to any who seek asylum within their walls.
Elsewhere in the galaxy, the church of Sarenrae has established solar installations in close orbit around other stars. Known to most as Sarenite stations, these installations are used as places of worship, academies of knowledge, and trading posts in some systems. By harnessing the radioactive power of stars, the space stations also provide refueling services for ships in exchange for small donations to the church or local causes. Additionally, the bounty of the stations’ hydroponic gardens are available to any traveler in need of sustenance.

History

Sarenrae, otherwise known as the Dawnflower, is the neutral good goddess of healing, redemption, and the sun. She was once a powerful angel, leading charges against evil beings and championing the causes of honesty, truth, and light. Her faith is almost as old and as widespread as the stars themselves. She ascended to godhood during an ancient battle with a mighty destructive force. While her courage allowed her to vanquish that entity, she is usually considered a deity of boundless love and compassion, ready to heal the sick and redeem the wicked. Only when evil refuses to accept her mercy does she turn to wrath, striking quickly.
Sarenrae accepts all worshippers who believe strongly in redemption and performing acts of virtue, such as caring for others or providing the necessary resources for others to do so. The Dawnflower is often portrayed as human, with bronze skin and hair of dancing flame, and as such is claimed by many humans as a goddess of their species. Though Sarenrae does have a long, important history on Golarion, she is worshipped by thousands of other societies in the Pact Worlds and beyond. After humans, shirrens are perhaps the most interested in the religion’s messages of redemption, because of their past as part of the mindless, hungering Swarm.
The worship of Sarenrae is thousands of years old and has retained its focus on healing and redemption, despite countless changes in the various mortal realms where her religion flourishes. Sarenite philosophies can be adopted by those of any social standing and all levels of technology. In those rare places with little to no sunlight, the worship of Sarenrae is nearly nonexistent and, conversely, the brighter a star shines upon a world, the greater chance to find the Dawnflower’s devoted.
In the Pact Worlds, Sarenrae is considered the deity of the system’s sun, which is sometimes referred to as the Dawnflower’s Star. Almost 100 years ago, a group of Sarenite priests and scientists in a station dedicated to studying the sun and its connection to the Dawnflower made a startling discovery: a series of impossible structures within the star’s burning plasma tethered to one other with bright lines of energy, and seemingly protected from the flaming seas by magical shielding bubbles. This city immediately attracted the attention of Sarenites within the system.
One such among the faithful was an elven woman who grew up in a Sarenite-run orphanage in the city of Komena on Castrovel. Given the name Imryll Novaheart, she was inducted into the order that ran the orphanage and the attached temple when she came of age, becoming a true and devoted follower of the Dawnflower. The community came to know her as a skilled healer and selflessly generous of spirit, aiding those citizens affected by the fallout of the war that had raged between Lashunta and Formian until only decades before. Shortly after news of the discovery of cities within the sun, Sister Novaheart had a vision of herself walking the streets of one of these bubble-cities and knew Sarenrae was calling her to journey there.
Novaheart traveled to Sunrise Station (which soon become the protector of the gateway into the Burning Archipelago) to speak with priests and scientists there. She soon convinced a few operating on the station that it was Sarenrae’s will that they travel to the bubble-cities. This small group set out together in a starship bound for the Burning Archipelago, first plotting a course toward the largest bubble-city and bolstering the starship’s shields against extreme heat as best they could.
Unfortunately, the vessel couldn’t withstand the high temperature and crushing gravity of the sun and began to fail. After several terrifying moments when it seemed like the explorers had flown to their deaths, a tunnel opened up in the plasma that allowed them to pass safely into the bubble-city that came to be known as Dawnshore. There the crew discovered the megastructure that Sister Novaheart christened the Radiant Cathedral in her now-famous “Speech Under the Prominence,” which was recorded by another priest in the group and broadcast throughout the Pact Worlds (and eventually, beyond).
The speech ignited both a renaissance within the church of Sarenrae and a mass migration to occupy the various bubble-cities of the Burning Archipelago. While Sarenites control access to the mystical tunnel that leads into the sun’s corona, they are fairly permissive, denying entry to only the most suspicious of travelers. The Burning Archipelago is now bustling with people, both worshippers of Sarenrae and not, and it sees hundreds of thousands of tourists and pilgrims yearly. No one is certain who built the structures within each bubble-city and for what purpose. Many of them have been repurposed by their current occupants as storefronts and domiciles, but many more still remain unexplored and unoccupied.
However, the Radiant Cathedral required very little in the way of renovations to make it a center of Sarenite worship, further convincing the faithful that it was made for them by their goddess. It features several open plazas as well as a central spire that reaches up to nearly the top of Dawnshore’s bubble. Windows of unusual glass emblazoned with unknown symbols can be found up and down the spire, and several aeries near the top have been added for the storage and maintenance of the church’s proprietary sunskimmer vessels.
Since its discovery and dedication, the Radiant Cathedral has served as a central point for the Sarenite religion within the Pact Worlds and its allied systems and colonies. The cathedral’s priests dwell on questions of the faith and other spiritual matters, which get disseminated throughout the galaxy, though most local churches of Sarenrae are allowed to make their own daily decisions. Imryll Novaheart, now known as the Grand Cleric and de facto leader of the church, oversees how information is distributed throughout the clergy. However, Novaheart hasn’t stepped outside the Radiant Cathedral since its founding, since she believes she is waiting to receive another vision from Sarenrae that will lead her elsewhere. In recent years, the Grand Cleric has allowed a coterie of high clerics to manage the organization, as she has been content to isolate herself and study the strange symbols in the windows and etched into the metal walls of the cathedral, hoping to translate them and gain insight into Sarenrae’s plans for the future.

Divine Origins

The scriptural basis for the church of Sarenrae remains its original sacred book, The Birth of Truth and Light. Scholarly research on the text continues to this day, scrutinizing the life of the Dawnflower, her deeds, and her motivations. These studies take the form of existential discussions of the allegories presented within the book and examinations of the historical records they represent. As an electronic book, it has been translated into over a thousand different languages and dialects, and it is given away for free on most infospheres.
While the parables and tales contained within The Birth of Light and Truth are still taught in the modern era, much of the book has been edited into a collection of maxims, poems, and popular songs. Known as the Essences of Sarenrae, these writings and meditations encapsulate much of what is expected of the Dawnflower’s faithful. The most popular mantra, “The Edicts of Illumination,” reads: “Shed light, act true, embody good, give charitably, shun intolerance, know patience, expose lies, and redeem evil.” Many of these excerpts are used as modern prayers for Sarenites, serving as a reminder of their goddess’s most important virtues and as a guide for how to live each day.
Beyond the study of ancient texts, modern-day priests and Sarenite computer engineers have crafted a vast electronic database of church records and religious doctrine at the behest of Grand Cleric Novaheart. Anyone can wirelessly access this archive of videos, writings, and historic documents, curated by an AI named PRISM (Primary Repository Intelligent Silicon Mainframe). The two-story-tall PRISM, built from crystalline microprocessors and encased in glass, stands in the center of an area of the Radiant Cathedral called the Refractory. It is illuminated by the sun from below using mirrors that channel and reflect the light into a rainbow of colors that dance throughout the high-ceilinged chamber.
PRISM also edits and broadcasts informative programs on the sun’s infosphere, which include historical lessons, philosophical discussions, scientific discoveries, and well-researched journalism created by followers of the faith. Anyone can watch the feed and any Sarenite can contribute to it; these contributions then get copied and transmitted throughout the Pact Worlds and beyond. While most programs are considered dry or preachy to those outside the faith, PRISM has discovered a few personalities that are now iconic—from Melano DuBussiarch, the star of several historical re-enactments, to the foremost child-friendly sun scholar, Dr. Daystar.

Ethics

Worshippers of Sarenrae come from all walks of life. The church accepts all members who wish to lead virtuous lives, even those who have struggled with morality in the past. A Sarenite is expected to be kind, honest, patient, and moved to swift retribution only when diplomacy has failed. Other than that, specific traditions of worship differ throughout the galaxy, something the church encourages as a whole. A few of the many paths a devotee can follow range from academic to purely artistic pursuits. Still other Sarenites dedicate themselves to bringing the Dawnflower’s light to far corners of the Vast by becoming members of the Stewards or the Dawn Patrol, or honing their skills as traveling adventurers.
While the clergy recommends all Sarenites read the ancient text of The Birth of Light and Truth, many followers base their actions on the modern interpretations of those writings. The average Sarenite extols truth and aims to shield the innocent, all while trying their best to not only listen, but to actually hear and respond to the suffering of their neighbors. While there is no mandate for donations, the faithful are typically extremely charitable, actively seeking new ways to donate their credits and time to worthy causes that have little support.
Duties for sanctioned priests of the church are more defined, though they vary depending on the individuals’ strengths and locations. Those stationed at physical churches work closely with congregants in the surrounding community for the betterment of all. They guide their flock with wise and gentle words, provide healing when it is needed, and grant forgiveness for minor misdeeds to those who request it. When the heads of local branches of the church, known as high clerics, see injustices being done, they put out the call to other devotees of the Dawnflower to mobilize and put an end to the wrongdoing.
Traveling Sarenites, priests, and missionaries are expected to send reports back to the Radiant Cathedral on the well-being of the people they meet. Where poverty is found, the church sends aid; where there is disease, the church sends doctors and mystic healers; and where totalitarian dictators and marauders reign, the church establishes relationships with groups working to overcome those evils and supports such benevolent rebels through nonviolent means when possible (though sometimes eventually aiding them with martial backing). Many Sarenites study journalism as a profession, learning the ethics of relating all sides of a story, and come to understand that the truth is sometimes the most dangerous weapon in their arsenals.
The few old celebrations still observed in the modern church of Sarenrae—including dances that use burning weapons, fireworks, and the exchange of handcrafted gifts—were combined into a month-long festival during the month of Sarenith. In addition, the discovery of the Burning Archipelago is celebrated during a jubilee in Dawnshore known as Radiant’s Founding that includes a large feast shared between residents of the bubble-city and visitors. During this holiday, the streets surrounding the Radiant Cathedral become nearly impassible with the throngs of celebrants, some wearing makeshift angel wings and wreathing themselves in holographic fire.
Besides the brief edicts from the Essences of Sarenrae that are often used as greetings, a Sarenite may also welcome those outside the church with the blessing “May her light guide you,” and make pledges by exclaiming “By her light I swear” and placing a hand over their heart or other vital organ.
The everyday clothes of a Sarenite tend to be flowing and loose-fitting, mostly for comfort in the hot environments that the religion has been most associated with. Such robes, shifts, and skirts also give the wearer a high degree of freedom of movement should it be needed. Those who wish to advertise their faith have sunburst symbols emblazoned on their clothes or wear the angelic ankh that is Sarenrae’s holy symbol around their necks. A Sarenite prepared for adventuring or battle will often have this same symbol etched somewhere on their armor. Blades shaped like scimitars, the Dawnflower’s holy weapon, are popular among Sarenites with martial prowess, especially those with the holy or flaming fusion. In addition, traveling Sarenites ensure that they always carry a potent light source with them, especially if they themselves are unable to see in the dark.
Sarenites typically work well with members of other religions. Their mission of charity and defense of the innocent often calls for alliances with similarly aligned religions, especially the Iomedaens . Sarenites and Desnans sometimes get into friendly debates about the differences between stars and suns, and whose god has the most influence over them. The faiths of Sarenrae and Pharasma are sometimes seen as two sides of the same coin by many religious scholars, and while Sarenites strive to keep people alive, they understand that death shouldn’t be feared or avoided and usually don’t delve into the necromantic activities that are looked down upon by Pharasmins.
However, Sarenites don’t mindlessly clash with those who worship evil deities (or whose very existence some might see as evil, such as undead). Many in the modern church believe these individuals can be redeemed and even brought over to worship Sarenrae. Cultists of The Devourer are often seen as the toughest, but most rewarding, potential converts. Several worshippers of Sarenrae have made it their lives’ goals to seek out such wicked individuals and offer them the chance to change their ways. However, these missionaries try not to force their religion onto others and tend to physically confront evil cultists only when they harm and terrorize the innocent.

Worship

Nearly every advanced culture known to the Pact Worlds practiced a form of sun worship at some point in its history. While not all of these forms are technically religions of Sarenrae, scholars of the church have found several written instances from other civilizations describing the nearby star as a goddess who manifested as a being with blazing wings and a curved blade. The similarities in traditions to these ancient myths have made the work of Sarenite missionaries easier as they ventured forth in the years after the discovery of Drift travel.
Because of this, worship of Sarenrae is extremely diverse, having evolved into a hundred different traditions as the religion spread across the galaxy. Almost all faithful to Sarenrae hold services during the day, when their church or shrine is bathed in full sunlight, though some areas in the Vast hold services at dawn and dusk, symbolizing the birth and death of their system’s home star. Many of these services include studying holy texts, breaking bread in fellowship with new friends, and reading missives from congregants who have traveled to far-off locations. However, there are no set guidelines on personal worship set forth by the church itself.
Many of the Dawnflower’s faithful endeavor to make at least one pilgrimage to the Burning Archipelago during their lifetime, beholding the ancient architectural wonder of the Radiant Cathedral and musing on Sarenrae’s plans for her followers. Sometimes a local congregation will take up a collection to send an old or ailing member of the church who could not otherwise afford to go. Most pilgrims return with a renewed devotion, and their tales of the mystery and beauty of the bubble-cities inspire their friends and families to make the same trip. Even those who live outside of the Pact Worlds are aware of the Radiant Cathedral’s majesty and importance to the faith, thanks to tireless efforts by the church’s effective public relations arm.

NG goddess of healing, redemption, the sun Centers of Worship: Aballon, Absalom Station, The Sun, Verces Symbol: An angel with flaming wings

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

The Dawnflower

Demonym

Sarenite