The Morninglord

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The Symbol of the Morninglord
The Symbol of the Morninglord, redrawn by Radaghast Kary

In the outlander land of Faerun (of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting), the Morninglord is an alias for the sun god Lathander. However, the Morninglord known in the Land of Mists is somewhat different. He is venerated by the Cult of the Morninglord[1], a mostly Barovian faith that originated with visions of a Faerunian outlander named Martyn Pelkar[2], known commonly as Martyn the Mad.[1] He believed he was saved from vampires by the Morninglord, whom forced them to spare the boy. (In fact, this was simply Jander Sunstar whom insisted Strahd and his cronies not kill the boy, but Jander's gold elf countenance made Martyn confuse him with Lathander Morninglord).[2] Nonetheless, the Morninglord's faith in the Demiplane of Dread grants divine spells as any other true religion does, though whether the real Lathander grants these spells is hazy at best thanks to the Unspoken Pact.

the Morninglord is known as a warm deity of eternal optimism and hope in the face of even the darkest circumstances. He asks his flock but to extend common good will to each other and to never let hope fade away.[3] Like the Faerunian Lathander, the Morninglord is said to be the foe of all undead, or so goes the Midnight Clarion. However, afflicted lycanthropes are to be shown mercy.[1] The Morninglord is not a lawful deity; he does not trust the law of humanity to serve justice. According to the doctrine of his faithful, it is there actions or simply fate that will deliver the punishment that all evildoers will inevitably receive in the end.[4]


As usually depicted, the Morninglord is a being with elven features and bathed or even made in or of light.[1] His hair is composed of fire, and his skin is gold.[5] Blood covers his mouth, which his faithful conclude represents the presence of darkness in even the brightest of hearts and light within even the darkest of hearts.[1]

Some of his followers hold a vision that he will someday descend upon the land and rid them of all the pain and evil of the world.[3][5]

References