The Blessing Boat

Carrying the joy of Nereus

Every year, during the summer months, horse-drawn boats carrying Priests of Nereus, the Monarch of Water, make the long journey along Serukis's waterways.
Every major river has its own Temple of Nereus near where the freshwater meets the saltwater, and each temple has one or two boats to serve it. In every place they stop along the way, the priests give blessings to babies born since their visit the year before and give healing to the sick. They also drop off crucial medical supplies in the more remote villages further up river.
Though they do not have any particular name, they are known colloquially as the Blessing Boats.

The Blessing Boat

Each boat is made entirely from the wood of a single Seruic sentinel pine that was blessed by a Priest of Faolan, the Monarch of Earth, before it was cut down. It is then engraved and lovingly painted in different shades of blue. They consist of a long narrow deck with storage below, and an arched, sheltered area for sleeping.

The Journey

by Luca Bravo

At the beginning of the summer, each boat sets off up their waterway from the temple. The priests stop at each settlement along the way on the nearside of the river or fjord, and continue until the waterway becomes too narrow or to shallow to pass. Then, the priests cross to the other side, and begin making their way back down the opposite bank. On the return journey, they stop at all the settlements on that side of the water.
It can take up to three months for the priests and the Blessing Boats to complete their journey.

by Canal & River Trust

The Equine Priests

Not just any horse is allowed to pull the boats on their journey up and down the Seruic waterways. These horses have been raised in the temples since birth and are reared to be hard-working and mild-mannered.
These horses are themselves considered Priests of Nereus, and undergo many of the same initiations as human priests do. The annual river journey is considered their sacred burden.

by Jez Timms