Amaunator

Amaunator, known as the Yellow God, Keeper of the Eternal Sun, or Light of Law, is a nearly forgotten deity of the sun, law, time, and order. Once a major god in the ancient Netherese empire, his worship has dwindled by the 14th century DR, but pockets of devotees and lingering lore keep his name alive. Amaunator’s story is one of faded glory, rigid legalism, and a complex relationship with Lathander, the Morninglord, whose rise has overshadowed him.

Overview of Amaunator

• Alignment: Lawful Neutral
• Portfolio: Sun, law, time, order, bureaucracy
• Domains: Law, Nobility, Sun, Time
• Symbol: A golden sun with a stern human face in its center, often surrounded by a ring of legal scales or a calendar wheel
• Worshipers: Bureaucrats, judges, nobles, sun-worshipers, remnant Netherese descendants, lawful scholars
• Favored Weapon: Scepter (treated as a light mace, often called the Scepter of the Eternal Sun)

Nature and Personality

• Stern and Legalistic: Amaunator is a god of unyielding order, embodying the sun as a symbol of unchanging cycles, precise timekeeping, and rigid law. Unlike Lathander’s vibrant optimism, Amaunator’s light is cold and impartial, demanding adherence to contracts, hierarchies, and schedules.
• Impartial Judge: He is a divine bureaucrat, valuing structure over compassion. His followers see him as the ultimate arbiter of justice, ensuring that laws and agreements are upheld, no matter the cost.
• Temporal Authority: Amaunator governs time’s relentless march, from the daily rising of the sun to the turning of seasons and centuries. His priests often act as chroniclers, calendar-keepers, and enforcers of deadlines.
• Faded Glory: By 1372 DR, Amaunator is a shadow of his former self, his divine power weakened by the fall of Netheril and the rise of Lathander. Some believe he is dead or diminished, yet his lingering influence suggests he may yet endure.
• Appearance: Amaunator is depicted as a stern, golden-robed figure with a radiant, sun-like halo, holding a scepter and a tome of laws. His face is often severe, with glowing eyes that pierce deception. Statues show him enthroned, surrounded by solar motifs and scales of justice.

History and Lore

• Ancient Origins: Amaunator was born in the early days of creation, alongside primal deities like Chauntea and Selûne, when the sun’s light first illuminated Toril. He became the patron of law and order, shaping the cycles of time and the sun’s predictable path.
• Netherese Patron: Amaunator’s greatest worship was in ancient Netheril (circa -3859 to -339 DR), where he was the chief deity of the Low Netherese (commoners and bureaucrats). His temples, like the Fields of the Sun in Anauria, enforced strict legal codes and solar rituals. The High Netherese, obsessed with arcane magic, largely ignored him, favoring gods like Jergal.
• Decline: Amaunator’s faith waned after Netheril’s fall in -339 DR, caused by Karsus’s folly. His rigid dogma alienated worshipers, who turned to Lathander’s more hopeful message of renewal. By 1372 DR, many believe Amaunator perished, though his church insists he persists in a weakened state.
• Lathander Connection: A controversial theory, whispered in scholarly circles, suggests Amaunator and Lathander are the same deity, with Lathander as a revitalized aspect of the Yellow God. The churches of both gods vehemently deny this, and no definitive proof exists in 1372 DR. Amaunator’s lawful neutrality clashes with Lathander’s neutral good optimism, but their shared sun imagery fuels speculation.
• Recent Stirrings: The return of the Shadovar (Netherese descendants) in 1372 DR has sparked renewed interest in Amaunator, as some shade enclaves honor him alongside Shar. This alarms his traditional priests, who oppose the Shadow Weave’s corruption.

The Church of Amaunator

• Status in 1372 DR: Amaunator’s church is a shadow of its Netherese grandeur, reduced to scattered shrines and small congregations. It survives in regions with Netherese ruins (e.g., Anauria, Asram, Hlondath) and lawful societies like Cormyr, Sembia, and Chessenta.
• Structure:
• Led by a High Jurist, a cleric who claims to channel Amaunator’s will, based in the Temple of the Sun in Ithmong (Chessenta), one of the few remaining major shrines.
• Regional Sunlords oversee smaller parishes, often in noble courts or bureaucratic centers like Suzail or Selgaunt.
• Priests are ranked as Solars (senior clerics), Judicators (mid-level enforcers), and Acolytes of the Hour (novices).
• Clergy:
• Priests, called Sunmasters, are bureaucrats and judges, clad in golden robes with solar motifs. They wield divine magic to enforce contracts, dispel lies, and banish darkness.
• They maintain meticulous records of time, laws, and genealogies, serving as advisors to nobles and magistrates.
• Many are trained in the Time domain, using spells to manipulate schedules or predict solar events.
• Temples:
• Amaunator’s shrines are austere, built to capture sunlight through precise architectural designs. They feature golden altars, sundials, and legal codices.
• Notable sites include the Sunken Sun Temple in Anauria’s ruins (guarded by undead and sought by adventurers) and the Court of the Sun in Ithmong, a bureaucratic hub.
• Rituals:
• Worship centers on solar events, especially the Solstice of Order (Midsummer), when priests renew contracts and judge disputes under the noon sun.
• Daily prayers occur at sunrise, noon, and sunset, with chants invoking Amaunator’s eternal light. Offerings include gold, legal documents, or sundials.
• The Rite of the Unbroken Oath binds worshipers to uphold a contract, with divine curses for breakers.

Followers

• Composition:
• Bureaucrats and Judges: Scribes, magistrates, and clerks revere Amaunator for his orderly laws, especially in Sembia and Chessenta.
• Nobles: Lawful aristocrats, like those in Cormyr’s courts, honor him to legitimize their rule.
• Scholars and Chroniclers: Historians and calendar-keepers study his temporal aspect, preserving Netherese lore.
• Netherese Descendants: Survivors in Anauria or the Anauroch desert cling to Amaunator’s memory, though some now follow Shar.
• Sun-Worshipers: Rural folk in the Heartlands, unaware of his decline, offer prayers for bountiful harvests.
• Paladins and Militants:
• Amaunator’s paladins are rare but formidable, serving as Knights of the Eternal Sun, a small order enforcing his laws. They wear golden armor with sunburst shields and wield scepters that glow with solar light.
• These knights hunt oathbreakers, undead, and Shadow Weave users, viewing Shar’s nihilism as a perversion of order.
• Cultural Impact:
• Amaunator’s influence is subtle, embedded in legal traditions and solar festivals. In Chessenta, his priests mediate trade disputes, while in Cormyr, they advise the crown on ancient laws.
• His faith is strongest in regions with Netherese heritage, but even there, Lathander’s temples overshadow his shrines.

Practices and Dogma

• Core Tenets:
• Uphold law and order, honoring contracts and hierarchies.
• Respect time’s cycles, from daily routines to cosmic eras.
• Shine light on deception, punishing oathbreakers and chaos.
• Preserve Amaunator’s legacy, restoring his worship to glory.
• Daily Life:
• Followers adhere to strict schedules, rising at dawn to pray and recording their deeds in ledgers.
• They enforce legal agreements, mediate disputes, and maintain sundials or calendars in communities.
• Priests often serve as notaries or court advisors, ensuring laws align with Amaunator’s will.
• Symbols:
• The golden sun with a stern face appears on amulets, banners, and seals, often paired with scales or clocks.
• Followers wear yellow or gold, and priests carry scepters as symbols of authority.

Relationships

• Allies:
• Tyr: Amaunator shares Tyr’s love of justice and law, and their priesthoods occasionally cooperate in courts like those in Procampur.
• Nobles and Rulers: Lawful monarchs, like Cormyr’s Obarskyrs, respect Amaunator’s divine sanction of authority.
• Enemies:
• Shar: Amaunator despises Shar’s Shadow Weave and nihilistic schemes, viewing her as a chaotic force that undermines order. His knights target Sharran cults, especially in 1372 DR, as the Shadovar’s return stirs conflict.
• Cyric and Talos: Their chaos and destruction offend Amaunator’s structured worldview.
• Lathander: While not an enemy, Amaunator’s church resents Lathander’s dominance, blaming him for stealing worshipers. The rivalry is subtle, with Amaunator’s priests dismissing Lathander as a “lesser upstart.”
• Ambiguous Ties:
• The Shadovar complicate Amaunator’s legacy. Some honor him as a Netherese god, but their Shadow Weave allegiance aligns them with Shar, creating tension with traditional Amaunatorites.