Tlehar

Tlehar

(Deity)

Titles

Sun Goddess of Dawn
Lioness Goddess
The Rising Sun

Alignment

Neutral good

Areas of Concern

Iron, love, rebirth

Worshipers

Bright Lions

Edicts

Give yourself fully to everything you attempt, always maintain hope that tomorrow will be a better day, treasure every gift you are given by those who matter to you

Anathema

Lose your motivation to your regrets, spread despair, treat a loved one poorly

Follower Alignments (2E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (2E)

Cities, healing, passion, sun
Alternate: Change, creation, vigil, zeal

Favored Weapon

Morningstar

Symbol

Arch of rays

Source: The Mwangi Expanse, pg(s). 141

Tlehar, Sun Goddess of Dawn and Lioness Goddess of iron, love, and rebirth, is one of the Old Sun Gods of Mzali. For close to a century, worship of the Rising Sun and her fellow Lion Gods had all but disappeared from memory due to the efforts of Walkena, the tyrannical God King. It is only by the efforts of the Bright Lions, revolutionaries opposed to Walkena's rule, that Tlehar has once more returned to the people of Mzali. She holds Sihar's rebels especially close to her heart for this reason, as they gave hope to her people when she could not.

History

Even before Walkena retook the throne of Mzali, worship of the Old Sun Gods had been in steady decline as many of their teachings had been ingrained into the daily practices of the people. After the Child-God's rise, Walkena's priests scoured the city of any temples and idols dedicated to other deities, revising history to suit Walkena's tastes and destroying what could not be appropriated to his regime. Along with Luhar and Chohar, Tlehar's name was forgotten from public memory. The only remaining traces of their teachings survived within hidden chambers that were spared from Walkena's purge. Yet, Tlehar did not despair, for the hope she represented could always be seen in the sun of the rising dawn.

Recently, knowledge of the Old Sun Gods have been returned to the people of Mzali due to the efforts of the Bright Lions, a revolutionary group that seeks to subvert Walkena's iron-fisted rule of Mzali. It is the hope of the leader of the freedom fighters, Sihar, that worship of the Lion Gods spreads to other lands so that, even if the Bright Lions are ultimately destroyed in their struggle against the Child-God, the memory of these deities would live on.

Relationships

Tlehar is considered to be more protective and less strict than Chohar, the Lion God of justice. However she is not lax about her mercy, and holds an iron will to punish those who hurt the ones they claim to love.

Like the other Sun Gods, Tlehar opposes Walkena and his oppressive rule over Mzali. The Sun Goddess of Dawn is closely tied to the refuge and safekeeping of those affected by the Child God's ire, granting her protection to any who seek peace in a sea of terror. She hopes that one day, a new dawn will rise where the people of Mzali no longer awake to fear and uncertainty.

Appearance

Tlehar is most often depicted with a human body with golden skin, with the head of a gray-furred, black-eyed lioness. Tlehar is typically depicted standing to the left of Chohar, opposite to her sister-goddess Luhar, with a hand extended in welcome and the other wielding an iron morningstar.

Church

During Walkena's century-long regime, no place of worship existed for Tlehar within the ancient temple-city of Mzali. Every trace of the Lion Goddess was destroyed by the priests of the Child God's faith, leaving only doctored renditions of the Old Sun Gods' lessons and forgotten remnants sequestered beneath the city in hidden chambers. As the Bright Lions contest the Mzali tyrant's rule, they have spread word of Tlehar and her fellow Lion Gods to the city's residents as part of their methods for sowing discontent towards their oppressive overlord.

Worshipers and clergy

In the past, Tlehar was often prayed to by midwives and nurses for the health of newborns under their care. Those who are beginning to identify with a new gender or sexuality may also call for Tlehar's protection and guidance, as the Lion Goddess of Dawn watches over every birth and new beginning. Her domain is also invoked by those fleeing from unsafe homes and danger, with her followers informing their willingness to help and fight by wearing discrete iron charms.