Devotes of Deep Sashelas
Those in the city of Nya Aiqua collectively worship Deep Sashelas, the elvish god of the sea. There are several temples throughout the city, each dedicated to a different aspect of the sea.
At the north end of the city, there is a temple dedicated to the flora of the sea. It is flanked by 2 of the most extravagant gardens in Nya Aiqua. Here the plant life within the ocean is celebrated. Many come to this temple in order to harvest food from the gardens or to plant new underwater flora.
To the west, there is a temple dedicated to the fauna of the sea, particularly dolphins. All life within the sea is worshiped, prey and predator alike. Even the less pleasant creatures, such as parasites and abomonations, are celebrated for their uniqueness.
To the east of the city, there is a temple dedicated to ocean currents. How water flows is a considerable part of the religion, as water currents control how life can flourish underwater. It also controls how creatures such as themselves can travel from place to place throughout the ocean.
To the south, there is a temple dedicated to the sand, shells, and other minerals that make up the bottom floor of the ocean. Even that which makes up the base of the city is worshiped by the followers of Deep Sashelas. This is one of the most heavily decorated of the temples, covered in various underwater gems and shells. As such, it is also protected heavily by members of the royal guard.
The final temple dedicated to Deep Sashelas himself lies in the center of the city. It is the largest and most heavily decorated of any of the temples. This temple is the home of the tribute to Deep Sashelas, a small token carved in his image. This is discussed further in the general overview of the town.
Each temple has a dedicated priest who guards any artifacts within and converts newcomers to the religion. They are always happy to teach aspects of the religion to anyone willing to learn. The temple to the north also has a gardener who tends to the flora surrounding the temple.
Most citizens of the city will travel to each temple throughout the week, saving the center temple for the final day. They consider it crucial to their continued life in the sea as a thriving community. However, there is no penalty should citizens not visit the temples, as they can also perform their own worship at home.
Each priest holds a service for their temple on a certain day of the week. The northern temple holds services on Monday, the western on Tuesday, the eastern on Wednesday, the southern on Thursday, and the central temple holds continued services through the entire weekend. This is so that any who cannot attend one day may attend another day. The only service that citizens are expected to attend are those at the central church.
Those who do not attend services for the central church are not punished, though they are scrutinized by other townsfolk. It is considered rude to not attend.
Outsiders are highly encouraged to join services, even without becoming a member of the religion. It is considered rude to not attend, especially for the main service in the center of town.
Structure
Highest Rank to Lowest Rank
His Royal Highness, the Ruler of Nya Aiqua
Her Royal Highness, the Queen of Nya Aiqua
High Priest/Priestess
Acolyte
Temple Treasurers
Temple Guards (provided by the members of the Royal Guard)
Temple Caretakers (gardeners, maintenance workers, cleaners, etc)
Culture
All those within this religion are dedicated to the protection and worship of everything in the ocean. They are generally a gentle people, though if their livelihood is threatened or if harm is being done to the ocean, they will fight back. They believe in fairness, justice, hope, and peace. A common saying is that "the water connects us all, and we must do what we can to protect that bond." "Water is in everything, so one of us is all of us." Connection and bonds are a major aspect of this religion.
Familial ties are heavily celebrated as well. "We are as closely connected by blood as we are by water." Families often stay together for as long as feasibly possible. Those who are born within Nya Aiqua rarely leave the city. Those that do leave often only do so to spread the word of Deep Sashelas and return frequently.
Public Agenda
Those within Nya Aiqua strive to bring unity to the Feywild, starting with other underwater civilizations. That is why they opened their borders to more creatures than just sea elves. However, some citizens can still be cold to those outside of their race due to personal biases.
Assets
Valuable materials, such as rare gemstones and shells, are often collected for display in various temples. Rare plants are also gathered from far reaches of the ocean for display in the local gardens. All are protected and treasured by the citizens of the town.
Many Dolphin Delighters (available in the Monsters of the Multiverse book) are kept as cherished pets or trusted steeds within the city as well. However, only the wealthy are able to afford such prestigious pets. The western temple takes pride in the dolphins that they take into the city.
The Idol of Deep Sashelas is the greatest of the religion's assets.
Gold and silver are often shared with the temples in order to maintain and improve them.
Mythology & Lore
It is said that Deep Sashelas himself created the first life within the sea. He encouraged the growth of both plants and animals long before the arrival of sentient life. Eventually, He created species in His image in order to spread love, unity, and togetherness in his name.
Cosmological Views
All are connected by the water that fuels them, no matter how big or small. We are all one and must join in unity.
Tenets of Faith
1. All are one in the eyes of Deep Sashelas and will always be.
2. All are worthy of love and respect.
3. Plants and animals are just as important, as we are made by the same hand.
That on land owes its life to that in the sea.
Ethics
Unnecessary harm to any animal or plant life within the ocean, especially within the city of Nya Aiqua, is considered a grievous sin. You should only kill or harvest what you need to in order to survive. As such, overfishing/hunting/overharvesting are looked down upon as pious acts.
Familiar mistreatment is a sin worthy of imprisonment. Should a family member be abused, the abuser is quickly locked away and the family put into protective care.
The mistreatment of children is especially looked down upon in Nya Aiqua. All children are watched after closely not only by their parents but by other members of the community as well.
Worshiping another oceanic god is heavily frowned upon, though is not illegal. This is particularly true for evil aligned oceanic gods.
Worship
Any member of the religion will either worship from home or attend services at the various temples surrounding the town each day of the week. During the weekend, it is expected that citizens will attend a service at the central temple to give their love to their God. On most days, this service will be run by one of the various Priests/Priestesses. However, on special occassions, such as religious holidays, His Royal Highness will run the services himself.
Priesthood
The current priests were once elite members of the Royal Guard who proved their dedication to the religion. They have completed some form of Royal quest in order to spread the word of Deep Sashelas to further corners of the Feywild. As such, they have been trusted with leading one of the five temples in Nya Aiqua.
The King himself leads the central temple and had trained his eldest child to take over control of the temple. However, when that child left Nya Aiqua, it was reported that the child had died; instead, Alanis Valdi is meant to one day take the reigns of the temple and lead the religion.
Granted Divine Powers
While not the case, it is believed that the ability to talk with oceanic animals was given by Deep Sashelas to members of the religion. However, this is just an innate ability of Sea Elves and many other oceanic creatures.
His Royal Highness and his Queen were blessed with exceptional healing abilities as well as the ability to manipulate water. The High Priests/Priestesses were blessed with similar fortunes.
Sects
There is one separate sect of the Devotees that believes that some races are considered lesser. Anything outside of the elvish race is considered lower than them. However, this is a rather small sect.
"We are but drops in His great creation"
Gold pieces and silver pieces are exchanged regularly, though rare minerals and gemstones have also been used as a form of currency.
His and Her Royal Highness are resposible for creating laws.
The High Priests/Priestesses often carry out the rulings of the governing forces.
The Royal Guard enforces the law and keeps citizens in check.
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