Connects to: 00.09, 06.03, 17.07, 17.07.01, 29.03,
29.13, 29.14.07, 29.14.47, 46.10 and 50.30.
The King in Splendor, the Sword that Slays the Night, also worshipped as the Lion in Splendour, is a sun god. He is usually portrayed as a muscular man with an eyeless lion head, a whip grasped in one hand and a manacle chained to the other. However, in his most ancient temples he is sometimes portrayed as a snake with a lion‘s head and gems in the place of eyes. He promises his faithful a day that never ends, when all things that creep in darkness will be rooted out and when the fields will never be fallow.
While popular across the waters, the King in Splendor has few followers in these lands. But those few followers are uncommonly devout. In his temples and in the homes of the faithful, an opening is always left in the ceiling for the light of noon to pour down through, in order to be a reminder of the blessings of the King and of the need to perform the Threefold Rite.
The Lost Lighthouse was once maintained by the “lion priests” of the King in Splendor but due to the actions of Nikos Farver, this is no longer the case (46.10).
Connections:
- The hole that lets the noonlight in to the Sundial Inn was surely built by a devotee of the King in Splendour, possibly Pork Pie Stannev (25.04#The King in Splendor)
- Armand of the Axe is a current priest of the King in Splendor but he is somewhat inconvenienced with spider monkey lycanthropism at the moment (29.13).
- The lighthouse at Salt Point (00.09) is another former Lion Priest holding.
- Disciples of this religion celebrate the Lion‘s Day (17.07.01).
- For a Lion Priest prophesy of the end times see 06.03.
- The Golden Realm is a center of worship of the King in Splendor (29.14.47).
- Teodo, a great iron lion that has been looted from the Golden Realm by gnolls, is holy to the King in Splendor (50.30).
- Saklas
- The Lion’s Day is particularly holy to his followers.
- The Testament of Weneslas Stannev describes the King in his dual role as the Lion, leaving the sky during the night to face temptation.
- The Stannevs sing the Chant of Morning about the Lion’s descent into the earth.
- A snake in the Traitors’ Pit has gems for eyes, which is how the King is sometimes depicted.
Hooks:
- What is the Threefold Rite?
- Anything of interest about the cult of the King in Splendor?