Pantheon: Larethian
Star of Arvandor; Defender of the Folk; Battledancer
Larethian embodies the highest ideals of elvenkind, and he is the patron of most aesthetic endeavors, including art, magic, music, poetry, and warfare. He is venerated by all the Fair Folk, except the drow and those who have turned to Lolth and other dark powers. Larethian is especially popular with elf and half-elf mages, musicians, and poets. When need be, he works as a powerful war deity with his longsword Sahandrian (which is made from a star).
Clerical details
Weapon: Longsword
Worshipers, Clergy & Temples
Priests of Larethian are expected to serve actively in the defense and artistic development of communities and to work to mediate disputes. In service to the Protector, many Larethianish priests serve in the armed forces of their homeland, defending territories from relentless expansion and training their fellows in combat skills and magic. Others work closely with elven artisans and craftsmen instructing them in the skills they need to create works of wondrous beauty, as well as using their own creative talents in similar pursuits.
Finally, members of Larethian's priesthood are often called upon to act as diplomats and arbitrators between the all the various communities and organizations. While few priests of the Star of Arvandor actually serve as rulers or councilors, many work behind the scenes to ensure the smooth functioning of government.
Vestments
Ceremonial vestments consist of azure robes made of gossamer and embroidered with silver quarter moons. Silver circlets engraved with the Protector's symbol are worn on the brow. The holy symbol of the faith is a silver or mithral lunate pendant worn on an slender chain hung from the neck.
When adventuring, Larethian's priests generally favor sky blue cloaks, elven chain mail, long swords, and long bows in conscious imitation of their divine patron. Clerics, restricted to bludgeoning weapons, favor clubs, slings, staff slings, and staves, although maces and flails are employed as well. Leather, studded leather armor, or elven chain mail is favored in situations requiring stealth, in addition to elven cloaks and boots, whereas elven chain mail or elven plate mail are favored in situations requiring direct melee combat.
Hierarchy
Novices of Larethian are known as the Faerna. Full priests of the Protector are known as the Faernsuora. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by Larethianish priests are Aegisess (Protector), Adoness (Peacekeeper), Kerynsuoress (Holy Warrior), Ivae'ess (Lightbringer), Avae'ess (Joy-bringer), Syolkiir (Wildstar), Lateu'suoress (Crescent-Moon blessed), Araegisess (Great Protector), Aradoness (Great Peacekeeper), and Ark-erynsuoress (Great Holy Warrior). High-ranking priests have unique individual titles but are collectively known as the Larethiira (Blessings of Larethian). Specialty priests are known as Feywardens.
Temples
Larethian is venerated in rocky areas of natural beauty, always with a special place for viewing the moon and stars. Temples of the Protector are rare, however, since the elves are individualistic when it comes to his worship. Shrines are more common, but they are little more than clearings with a good view of the sky. His temples are shaped from great natural geological formations, including shallow caves entered from above, natural amphitheaters, and great rock spires. Trees and other plants are woven into such edifices, resulting in great natural cathedrals woven of stone and plants.
Rituals
Prayer times for his clerics are at night, preferably when the moon is highest in the sky.
Festivals
Larethian's faithful celebrate a great number of holy days, most of which are tied to astronomical events and occur only once every few years (such as Shieldmeet) or decades. Of particular import, once per lunar month, when the crescent moon softly illuminates the night sky, Larethian's faithful gather in moonlit glades to celebrate the gifts of their deity in a festival known as Lateu'quor, the Forest Communion of the Crescent Moon. Devotees of the Protector offer up their praises through music, song, dance, and the offering up of their most beautiful creations. It is said that true works of art are sometimes brought up to Arvandor so as to be appreciated by the spirits of those elves who dwell among the Seldarine; those that are not "uplifted" are kept within Larethian's shrines and temples so that all folk of Azgaarnoth may wonder at the fruits of Larethian's greatest gift：creativity.
On rare occasions such revels spontaneously unleash a glorious magical ceremony whose results are guided only by the Creator of the Elves. Sometimes the landscape is reshaped, and the site is thereafter considered sacred to the Protector. At other times, the communal magic coalesces into an item--usually a sword, long bow, set of cloak and boots, suit of elven mail, or musical instrument--of unearthly beauty. Such items are then enchanted by Larethian's senior-most priests and are thereafter considered holy relics of the faith.
Orders
Larethian is the divine patron of many knightly orders, many of which claim to trace their heritage and membership hack to the Time of Flowers, during the days of the Eldar. Such orders are typically composed largely of crusaders, warriors, and wizards (particularly fighter/mages), but their composition has varied widely over the millennia.
Notable orders in ages past have included the Knights of the Golden Wyrm, the Blade of Sahandrian, the Fey Staghorns, and the Swords of the Seldarine. In Liria, the Wings of Yathaghera, the Knights of the Alicorn, the Weavers of Bladesong, and the Vassals of the Reverend Ones are all pledged to support the Protector in the defense of the continent. Few orders have remained in Al'Uma or Yithia, but of those that remain, the Swords of Evereska are the most notable, having adopted the Yithi nation as their new home and pledging unwavering defense of that nation.
Dogma
The song of joy and the dance of freedom shall ever soar on the wings of those who dare take flight. Guard against the slow death of stultifying sameness by seeking out new experiences and new ways. Ward against those who seek only to destroy in their inability to create and commune with the natural and mystical world. Be ever vigilant in force of arms and might of magic against any return of the banished darkness, and also be strong in heart against the corruption from within which allowed the Spider Queen to foment the chaos and evil of the Crown Wars.