Saeno

Saenism

Saenism is a non-theistic religion that is built around beliefs of sustainability and protecting the environment. They used to live unified in an archipelago known as Saeno, which translates to Home. Long ago it was destroyed. Many disagree as to what happened but Saeno no longer exists. The Saenian people now sail the seas, some searching for a new home, some using their skill and trade to make better lives for themselves with no real home. And some are trying to stop others from harming the earth that gives us life.

Doctrines

Many or all of the doctrines are not adopted by all Saenians. The culture is unified by Saeno and the preservation of what it meant, but there is little consensus on what that explicitly means. Any doctrines listed here may be followed by one or thousands of people.

Destruction of Saeno

There are three central beliefs of how Saeno was lost to us. Many other stories exist, but these are the three most commonly told.

• The sea swallowed Saeno. The weight of our buildings and growing population became too much for the land to bear. We sent all of our knowledge, belongings and many of our family members to the bottom of our ocean because our hubris outgrew our home.
• During our expansions one of the support pillars pierced the heart of Saeno. Without their support our buildings tore the land apart. As it came crumbling down around us you could hear the dying screams of Saeno. Their beauty lost to the empty depths of the ocean.
• The transmogrification of the land tainted it. The island wasn't intended for farming or industrialization. It would rather die than live for a purpose it was not meant to. The earth left our island, leaving us with no home. It had no thought of us, same as we had no thought for it.

Sacred Texts and Artifacts

Most pieces of literature would be considered sacred under a core belief of knowledge and learning. However, texts containing instructions or depictions of engineering works would be considered sacred and free for all to view and learn from.

Acts of Worship

As with all things Saenian, there is no one right way to do something. The culture believes in unity through individualism.

However, as a rite of passage or important step in the journey of life many complete a pilgrimage to the location of the lost Saeno. Following the stars and learning to use them for guidance, a crew sails to the empty spot in the sea where Saeno once was. There, one would find breaching whales and other marine life. Hidden just under the surface is a bioluminescent reef filled with all sorts of life. A sign that Saeno may be gone, but life moves on. We lost the privilege of living here, now others thrive off the worlds blessing. Many take from this experience the desire to find a location with equal power and mysticism, a location that will welcome us again and we will not fail to protect it.

Festivals

The Ocean’s Calling

On the anniversary of the day Saeno sank into the ocean most Saenians evacuated from the land. All sailors are to beach themselves on an open spot on the coast. Should the land give way as it did on Saeno, then we must be ready to save as many people as possible. To set sail once again, learn from our mistakes and live in harmony with our new home.

The Lost Pilgrimage

Regardless of where Saenians live, on land or at sea, it is expected of them to learn to sail a ship and make a pilgrimage to the site of where Saeno was. In some cases those who have not yet made the pilgrimages lead their ship there by charting the stars and rigging the sails. In some traditions, adolescents are given command of a sloop or ketch and expected to sail the ship to Saeno and experience the journey themselves, with no help from others. The site of Saeno has a coral reef only a hundred feet or so below the surface, just barely visible at night when its bioluminescense is the strongest. Many whales and other marine mammals breach at the surface here making the site feel very powerful in its role in the ecosystem. It represents what was lost and how even after complete destruction, there is still beauty that must be protected.

History

With the homeland of Saeno swallowed by the sea, the people of the culture took off in ships and caravans of families. They soon arrived at Tel Rialis, and migrated to the polytheistic region along the southern coast.

Throughout Tel Rialis, the Saenians were often characterized as tradesmen. With their rapidly growing technological advancements and large fleets of ships, the people of Saeno conducted the large majority of traded goods between major cities of Tel Rialis.

In a short time, the followers of the Al Kuliya descended from the mountains from which they resided. As they witnessed the economy of Tel Rialis flourish due to the help of the Saenians, the Al Kulyian people took it upon themselves to create a partnership between them and the nomads. With this new and improved transportation system of trade, the Seanians continue to further develop the trading system of Tel Rialis as they gain trade ambassador access to the Al Kuliyan kingdoms.

Language

Saeno's language is unique as it is the only known form of sign language in Tel Rialis. An ancient language with odd and quizzical grammar and rules, this sign language is not known to many, even within the Saeno community. Due to the nature of their rarity, the data and information on this language are sparse and difficult to find. However, it is said that anyone who is lucky enough to catch a glimpse and observe this language is blessed with something akin to a dazzling performance of hands and facial expressions.

Denominations

Built off of the three main ideologies of how Saeno was lost to the ocean, there are three main identifications Saenians are grouped into by outsiders. Most Saenians wouldn’t follow this notion of sub-groups within their culture. They identify themselves by their practices and upbringing, such as which ships they work on or what they believe must be done to either find or build a new Saeno.

Taenes

Those referred to by this term hold values close to the belief that the hubris of our people destroyed Saeno. That our engineering expanded faster than our observation of the world around us and we destroyed it before we realized what happened. These people exist equally on land and at sea. They live and work at sea, but try to use their work to influence the development of other civilizations in hopes to save the land they live on.

Sidanes

The people grouped into this term coexist well with the other cultures and religions. They are primarily the traders and practitioners of artifice. They are the most religious of all the Saenians. They primarily believe that if there was a god to worship, it died when Saeno did. Some believe that Saeno itself was their god.

Adohnes

This term refers to Saenians that live almost exclusively at sea and practice pirateering. The term applies mostly to those that believe any influence on the land can taint it. That the ecosystem is too fragile for our cavalier intervention. They elect to live at sea and impede the destructive progress of other civilizations when necessary.

Society/Hierarchy

There is little to no social hierarchy between the common people of Saenism, rather, those in positions of power were people among the crew of ships. Being a part of the crew already gave them a step up when it came to cultural status, but the head of the crew such as captains had the most influence and respect among the Saenians.

Ship Class Hierarchy

There were many types of vessels developed during the history of the Saenians. Each vessel can be placed into one of two classes. Astar Class or the Tanyth Class. Astar Class vessels are combat oriented ships. Built for battle with other ships or for besieging civilizations on land. Tanyth Class vessels are utility based ships and primarily used for transport. They tend to be slimmer and faster to outpace any military vessels.

Astar Class Vessels

Sloop

Astar Class Sloops could be operated by a crew of 10-30. They held approximately six cannons, three on each side. Astar Sloops are highly maneuverable and when crewed well they could challenge ships several sizes larger than them.

Ketch

Astar Class Ketches could be operated by 30-50 crew members. They are efficient vessels for combat. Astar Ketches usually have 12 cannons, six on each side. These ships are very versatile and can be crewed expertly, or very poorly. Their size sometimes makes crews inefficient because the cannons are far away from the stock rooms, but the ship isn’t big enough to have two access points to the brig without sacrificing necessary deck space. Astar Ketches are easy to build and provide excellent training challenges for learning to sail. These are the most common ships found around Tel Rialis.

Caravel

Astar Class Caravels could be operated by crews of 20-50. They are smaller military class vessels designed for their speed. They usually have six cannons, three on each side. Caravels can easily be identified however by the line gun on the bow. These are a type of ballista that are used to fire on ships they are chasing. Flaming arrows are usually loaded to try and burn the sails of enemy ships to slow them down. The line guns are designed to fire arrows with ropes to grapple onto ships and lock the ships together for commandeering.

Brigantine

Astar Class Brigantines need 50-60 crew members to be operated. Brigantines require a lot of work and upkeep to man. They have rowing ports in the brig which allow them to be extremely maneuverable. They are exclusively used for ship to ship combat because they are otherwise too costly to be worth it. They have 20 cannons on the ship, 10 on each side, six on the top deck and four below deck.

Galleon

Astar Class Galleons can be operated by a crew of 60-70. Galleons are formidable ships used for many different purposes. Astar Class Galleons are difficult to sink and can survive broadside attacks that would be fatal for most other ships. They are a necessary part of any fleet with merit. They usually have 28 cannons, 14 on each side, seven on the top deck and seven below deck. Some of the more well known Astar Galleons sailing around Tel Rialis have line guns installed on the deck.

Frigate

Astar Class Frigates are known for sinking ships with ease. They need 50-80 crew members to sail. They have a variable crew force because they can be utilized in several different ways. Frigates are built with hull integrity in mind and Astar class ones are built with a wedge under the bow. This massively reduces the maneuverability of the ship, but it allows it to ram other ships with minimal damage. There are usually 24 cannons on these ships, 12 on each side, six above deck and six below deck. Astar class Frigates always have two line guns in the center of the ship on each side of the top deck. They also utilize grapeshots in the cannons in tandem with the flaming bolts in the line guns to leave enemy vessels dead in the water. Crews are of variable size since the main tactic of Astar Frigates are boarding other ships and engaging in hand to hand combat.

Man O’ War

Astar Class Man O’ Wars live up to their name. They are among the most dangerous ships sailing around the coast of Tel Rialis. They are designed to be highly versatile to counter any attack an enemy may try to execute. It can require as many as 80 crew members for a Man O’ War to even leave port. Their size allows them to comfortably support a crew of as many as 150. There are not many Man O War ships sailing around Tel Rialis as they are very expensive to build. Those that are built are given to captains and commanders of great renown and the ships are well known and avoided at all costs. Astar Class Man O’ Wars can support up to 40 cannons, 20 cannons on each side, four on the top deck, 10 on the mid deck, and eight in the lower deck. The abundant space on the top deck makes them difficult to overtake. The amount of supplies they can hold allows them to fight in naval battles for hours, non-stop. Given the size and stability of these ships they can support several cannons on the bow that help slow or sink ships trying to flee from them.

Tanyth Class Vessels

Sloop

Tanyth class Sloops are the most common ships in the seas around Tel Rialis. These utility vessels are fast and cut through choppy ocean waves with ease. They are primarily used as pony ships to deliver messages. Their slim design ensures they are very fast but are highly susceptible of capsizing in rough storms.

Ketch

Tanyth class Ketches are also incredibly common ships. They’re easy to build and easy to crew. They only require 12 people minimum and can support up to 30. They’re perfect for trading as there is a lot of storage space in the hull if the ship isn’t overmanned. Tanyth class Ketches usually have 4 cannons on board, two on each side on the top deck to defend themselves if pirates attempt to be boarded for their goods.

Brigantine

Tanyth class Brigantines are formidable ships. Brigantines are built for combat which is counter-intuitive to the Tanyth class. However, these ships are perfect for transport ships. Whether the goods are people or goods they are hard to sink for their maneuverability. Tanyth class Briganties usually only need a crew of 40 to sail. However, most ships have a crew of 50 to be able to fully man the cannons and rowing ports if they are attacked. Much like Astar class Brigantines these have 20 cannons on the ship, 10 on each side, six on the top deck and four below deck.

Patache

Pataches are almost always built as Tanyth class ships.They require a crew of 35 minimum which is large for ships of their size. They are long ships with a low hull. Patches are utilized for exploration and maneuvering through shallow waters close to the coast. They are difficult to maneuver and need a larger than average crew as well as an experienced captain. They are highly susceptible to storms and are usually not brought out very far into the ocean. They can be fitted with cannons to fire at things at the shore and most have them as a precaution but these ships are not built with naval combat in mind. It is much more common to have line guns equipped with many different types of shots to be more versatile.

Barque

Tanyth Class Barques are steadfast work ships. They are fairly recent developments of ship design and only employed by the Saenians as they are the masters of the sea. Barques have a new type of sail rigging that allows them to be large ships with a relatively small crew. They have 3 masts rigged with square sails as well as fore and aft sails. They can support a crew of up to 75 while only requiring about 30 to man properly. Given this they are fast, maneuverable, and formidable in combat. They are utilized as ponies, merchant vessels, and capable combat ships. They are marked as Tanyth class because of their dynamic utility, any barque that is combat capable is almost always used to other things as well due to its versatility. Their design allows for up to 18 cannons, nine on each side, four on the top deck and five below deck. Some designs have rowing ports below deck for added maneuverability at the cost of space for cannons, crew members, or supplies.

Galleon

Tanyth class Galleons are indomitable utility ships. They are hard to sink and easy to crew. These ships are massive and have lots of space for crew or supplies. They need about 50 people to be manned and can support up to 100 depending on how much deck space is used for supplies. They are able to stay out at sea for over a year without needing to re-supply anywhere. These ships are used primarily as mobile homes for Saenians who travel the world searching for a new Saeno.

Saenea

Saenea is a a massive ship equal to the length of 4 large ships, approximately 800 feet long at the top deck. Six masts line the top deck to provide as much manuvereability as possible. Saenea was constructed at sea and it has never docked at any ports. Some claim that it does not exist. Saenea acts as a home and refuge for Saenians who have not found a place to call home. Almost one thousand people live on Saenea at any given time and about two dozen ships are moored to Saenea. Even without any ships tied to it Saenea is incredibly difficult to manuever. Many ships are tied to Saenea simply as a means of protecting it from those who might wish to attack for any reason. A dozen line guns can be found on the deck but they have never once been fired. The Saenians have strong claim over the seas and Saenea is in very little danger as a Saenian of any belief or denomoination would never attack this replacement for Saeno.

Criticism

Nothing. Obviously they’re perfect and everyone loves them. #Winning

Type

Religious, Organised Religion