House of Dawn's Redemption

The religious symbol of Sarenrae.

The House of Dawn's Redemption is the most prominent temple of Sarenrae in Taldor. It is located in Oppara and rivals the splendor of Oppara's other religious landmark, the ancient Basilica of the Last Man. The House of Dawn's Redemption symbolizes the resurrection of Sarenrae's faith within Taldor, where worship of Dawnflower was outlawed for a time.

The temple's high priestess is Dawnmother Zenaida Tandleos.

Description

The House of Dawn's Redemption stands in the heart of Oppara's Grandbridge district. Its Qadiran architecture is an exotic counterpoint to the traditional Taldan style that dominates the capital. Twelve rose-gold domes sparkle in the sunlight above the stout whitewashed wall that surrounds the temple. The wall encloses a grand tiled courtyard lined with countless blue ceramic tiles. Two minarets tower above the courtyard and its fountains. Thousands of blue tiles adorn every inch of the temple's interior walls.

History

Grand Prince Stavian I outlawed the worship of Sarenrae in Taldor in 4528 AR. Within months, nearly every Sarenite temple in Taldor was destroyed in what came to be known as the Great Purge. But Sarenrae's Taldan devotees, carefully hidden within the general populace, still gathered and secretly disseminated the Dawnflower's gospel and tenets. With each passing decade, Sarenrae's church grew, and eventually Taldor's politics changed. To atone for the injustices of the Great Purge, the city of Oppara returned to the church the same plot of land where Sarenrae's original temple once stood. Over the next decade the new cathedral was rebuilt atop the ashes of the old razed temple.

References

Paizo published a major article about the House of Dawn's Redemption, including a map, in Inner Sea Temples.