Order of Aster

Lathander , the Morninglord, is the god of dawn, renewal, youth, vitality, and creativity. His paladins are radiant champions of hope and goodness, embodying his ideals of new beginnings and opposition to darkness. The primary order of Lathander’s paladins is the Order of the Aster, a prestigious and widespread knightly order dedicated to spreading light, protecting the faithful, and combating evil, particularly the forces of Shar.

Paladins of Lathander

• Role and Purpose: Lathander’s paladins are holy warriors who serve as beacons of hope in a world plagued by despair and corruption. They strive to inspire others through heroic deeds, defend the weak, and promote renewal, whether by fostering new communities, supporting artists, or destroying agents of darkness.
• Alignment and Code: As paladins, they are lawful good, adhering to a strict code that emphasizes:
• Upholding Lathander’s dogma of optimism, renewal, and self-perfection.
• Protecting the innocent and fostering hope in the face of despair.
• Opposing evil, especially Shar’s followers, whose nihilism threatens Lathander’s vision.
• Pursuing personal growth and encouraging others to embrace new beginnings.
• Characteristics: These paladins are charismatic, youthful in spirit, and often physically vibrant, reflecting Lathander’s association with vitality. They are known for their radiant armor, often polished to a golden or rosy sheen, and their inspiring presence in battle or diplomacy.
• Patronage: Most paladins of Lathander are members of the Order of the Aster, though some serve independently or in smaller regional orders, always aligned with the Morninglord’s temples.

The Order of the Aster

• Overview: The Order of the Aster is the foremost knightly order of Lathander’s church, a militant arm dedicated to defending the faith and advancing its goals. Named for the aster flower, which blooms vibrantly at dawn, the order symbolizes beauty, resilience, and the triumph of light over darkness.
• Founding and History: The order’s origins are ancient, tied to Lathander’s early worship in human lands like Cormyr and the Dalelands. By 1372 DR, it is a well-established institution with a presence across Faerûn, particularly in cities with major Lathanderite temples, such as Waterdeep, Suzail, and Hillsfar.
• Mission: The Order of the Aster seeks to:
• Protect Lathander’s temples, clergy, and worshipers from threats, especially Sharran cults.
• Spread hope by aiding communities, supporting new ventures, and combating despair.
• Wage war against evil, particularly undead, fiends, and Shar’s followers, whose Shadow Weave and nihilistic schemes are anathema to Lathander.
• Inspire others through heroic example, encouraging acts of creativity, charity, and renewal.

Structure and Organization

• Hierarchy:
• High Dawnlord/Dawnlady: The supreme leader of the order, typically a high-ranking paladin or cleric based in a major temple like the Spire of the Morning in Waterdeep. They coordinate the order’s activities across Faerûn.
• Dawnmasters: Senior paladins who oversee regional chapters, each tied to a prominent temple. They assign missions and mentor younger knights.
• Knights of the Aster: The rank-and-file paladins, divided into:
• Dawn Knights: Veteran paladins who lead missions or train novices.
• Morningblades: Newly inducted paladins, eager to prove their worth.
• Squires and Aspirants: Non-paladin warriors or initiates training to join the order, often serving as support in temples or on missions.
• Allies: The order works closely with Lathander’s clergy (Dawnbringers), who provide divine magic and guidance. It also collaborates with other good-aligned groups, such as the Harpers (who share Lathander’s hatred of Shar) and knights of Ilmater or Torm.
• Size and Reach: The Order of the Aster numbers in the hundreds, with chapters in major cities and smaller outposts in rural areas. Its influence is strongest in human lands like Cormyr, Sembia, and the Dalelands but extends to elven and halfling communities as well.

Membership and Training

• Recruitment: The order seeks idealistic, lawful good individuals with a passion for Lathander’s ideals. Many are young warriors inspired by tales of heroism, though some are former adventurers or nobles seeking redemption. Candidates must demonstrate faith, courage, and a commitment to renewal.
• Training: Aspirants undergo rigorous training in Lathanderite temples, combining martial discipline, divine lore, and spiritual growth. They learn:
• Combat skills, focusing on the mace (Lathander’s favored weapon) and mounted warfare.
• Lathander’s dogma, emphasizing optimism and opposition to despair.
• Tactics against undead and Shadow Weave users, including recognizing Shar’s influence.
• Initiation: Becoming a Knight of the Aster involves a dawn ceremony where the candidate vows to serve Lathander, often under a blazing sunrise. They receive a blessed amulet bearing Lathander’s sunrise symbol and are anointed with holy oils.

Practices and Duties

• Daily Life:
• Paladins rise at dawn for prayers, greeting the sunrise with hymns or meditation.
• They train in athletics, honing their vitality, and engage in acts of charity, such as aiding farmers or mentoring youths.
• Many serve as mediators or protectors in communities, fostering hope through diplomacy or heroic deeds.
• Missions:
• Defensive Duties: Guarding temples or holy sites, such as the Morninglory in Suzail, from Sharran assassins or undead.
• Crusades: Leading expeditions against Shar’s cults, such as infiltrating a hidden Sharran cell in Calimport or battling the Shadovar of Returned Netheril, who wield the Shadow Weave.
• Community Aid: Supporting new settlements, blessing fields, or protecting artisans, aligning with Lathander’s renewal aspect.
• Relic Recovery: Seeking artifacts like the Dawnstone, a radiant gem said to channel Lathander’s light, often stolen by Sharrans.
• Rituals and Symbols:
• The order’s emblem is a golden aster flower overlaid with Lathander’s sunrise symbol, worn on cloaks or shields.
• Major festivals, like Midsummer Morning, involve public displays of valor, such as tournaments or radiant spellcasting, to inspire the masses.
• Paladins often carry dawnrods, maces enchanted with light-based magic, as symbols of their authority.

Equipment and Appearance

• Armor and Weapons: Knights of the Aster wear polished plate armor, often gilded or enameled in gold, pink, or crimson to evoke the dawn. Their shields bear the sunrise symbol, and they favor maces, which may glow faintly with divine light.
• Mounts: Many paladins ride celestial or blessed horses, trained for battle and adorned with sunrise-themed barding. Senior knights might summon celestial mounts via divine magic.
• Relics: The order guards artifacts like the Sunblade of Lathander, a radiant longsword, or the Dawnstar, a gem that enhances light-based spells.

Notable Conflicts and Enemies

• Shar and the Shadow Weave: The Order of the Aster is a primary foe of Shar’s church, actively hunting Sharran cults and shadow adepts. In 1372 DR, they are particularly concerned with the Shadovar, whose Shadow Weave magic threatens Faerûn’s balance.
• Undead and Fiends: Paladins target necromancers, liches, and fiendish cults, viewing them as perversions of Lathander’s life-affirming dogma.
• Regional Threats: In the Dalelands, they protect against Zhentarim incursions; in Cormyr, they aid the Purple Dragons against Sembian plots; and in Waterdeep, they guard against lurking Sharran schemes.

Notable Members and Locations

• High Dawnlord Jastus Tremblehorn: A revered leader in Waterdeep’s Spire of the Morning, known for his radiant charisma and victories against Sharran assassins (circa 1372 DR).
• Dawnmaster Arren Karmos: A paladin in Suzail who uncovered a Sharran plot to poison Cormyr’s court, earning Lathander’s favor.
• Key Sites:
• Spire of the Morning (Waterdeep): The order’s largest chapter, a radiant fortress where paladins train and plan crusades.
• Morninglory (Suzail): A Cormyrean temple with a strong Aster contingent, protecting the realm’s heart.
• Temple of the Morning (Daggerford): A smaller outpost where paladins patrol the Sword Coast.

Thematic Significance

Lathander’s paladins, through the Order of the Aster, embody the Morninglord’s vision of hope triumphing over despair. They are Faerûn’s dawn-bringers, charging into darkness with radiant maces and unyielding optimism. However, their zeal can make them inflexible, and their prominence draws the ire of Shar’s secretive followers, setting the stage for dramatic conflicts. In the 1370s DR, as the Shadovar’s shadow looms and Sharran cults fester, the Order of the Aster stands as a vital bulwark of light.