Cult of Besmara
Besmara’s followers are greedy folk. While some take to the seas in search of adventure or for the joy of exploration, most such folk gravitate to more benign gods, so Besmara’s flock consists mainly of those who lust for treasure above all else. Such followers covet the belongings of others—whether actual riches, property, titles, fame, or lovers—and think it’s fair for them to take what they want. Most are chaotic and love their personal freedoms. Her followers hate staying in place day after day, and are usually content to spend only a few days carousing in town before setting sail again. Like Besmara, her followers enjoy strife more than peace—when two nations are squabbling, Besmarans can plunder both and blame the attacks on the victims’ rivals.
The Pirate Queen’s followers have many superstitions about good luck (cats, figureheads with open eyes, pouring alcohol on a deck), bad luck (whistling on deck), and evil spirits (wearing gold jewelry wards them off) in addition to other traditions and beliefs. They say those who oppose Besmara feel seasick on the water and hungover on land.
There are no formalized rituals common to all churches, but services are generally upbeat, with singing, bootstomping, dancing, and the lighting of incense or matches (particularly slow-burning matches and fuses). Burials are one of the few somber occasions, marked by a short prayer and either burial at sea (with the body weighted down with a chain, cannonball, or heavy-but-inexpensive treasure) or burning a rowboat or raft bearing the corpse.
Besmara has few priests, for pirates are more superstitious than religious, but she counts among her followers anyone who has made a desperate prayer to her when facing death on the sea or given tribute to gain her favor. Nearly all of Besmara’s followers are pirates or pirates by another name. The rest are, along with a few intelligent sea monsters, folks who profit from strifesuch as war profiteers, dog fighters, and similar low-class individuals—officials in “pirate towns,” pirates’ spouses, and prostitutes whose clientele comprises mainly pirates. While such folk may rarely or never set foot on pirate ships, they indirectly profit from successful piracy, and pray to Besmara that their favorite buccaneers return with plenty of coins to spend. Some Besmaran hookers and rent boys consider themselves “sacred prostitutes” of the goddess, though this devotion often consists of little more than a “pirate queen” costume and roleplayed seduction (antics at which the goddess laughs). Male prostitutes among the faithful are often referred to as matelots (a term also sometimes given to the male spouse of a pirate).
As is befitting a chaotic pirate goddess, the church has no official stance on marriage, offspring, or raising children. Some pirates never marry, some have many spouses, and some have children, which they may choose to acknowledge or train. Very few in the faith embrace celibacy, save those with an obvious disfiguring condition or venereal affliction.
Far more common than temples are shrines to the goddess. In port towns, these shrines may be merely nooks between buildings with a pirate flag and a carving of Besmara or an old ship’s figurehead. These shrines usually have a cup or a place to hold a stick of incense or a match.
When a petitioner pours rum or grog into a shrine’s cup, it trickles out of a hole in the bottom or through a channel in the figurine’s arm so it appears the goddess is drinking the offered beverage. A priest living on a ship usually owns a portable shrine that doubles as an altar, and may store it in her quarters or display it on the deck where suddenly pious pirates can mutter a prayer mid-battle.
Most priests are practical folk rather than zealots, using their magic to gain advantages on the water. This is not to say that a typical priest’s belief isn’t sincere, but there is a marked difference between the crazed devotion of a Lamashtan cleric or the noble serenity of an Iomedaean paladin and the utilitarian faith of a Besmaran priest. As long as the goddess is respected and gets her fair share of tribute, she is content with little more than lip service, and her priests know this. By using her magic to gain wealth, power, and fame, they serve her interests and demonstrate her greatness.
Like lay worshipers, Besmara’s priests are either pirates or folk whose business directly relies on piracy. Their personalities run the gamut from dashing privateers to rapacious murderers, and some in the middle may play both roles as the mood or pay suits them.
They bless pirates and ships, heal crews, act as go-betweens for those looking for work or workers, guard pirate ships, chase off or bind sea monsters, and ever strive to profit from their activities. Most priests consider it undignified to abandon fallen allies to be eaten by a sea monster—after all, crewmates depend on each other, and a sailor cannot pay the priest for healing if he perishesunless doing so would save other crew members from an early death. Priests of Besmara are usually skilled at Heal and Profession (sailor).
Most have ranks in Acrobatics, Appraise, and Intimidate. Canny followers also have ranks in Diplomacy, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nature). Priests don’t have any set routine, though most follow the normal cycle of activity on ship. Daily prayers are short and to the point.
Besmara’s holy symbol in most seas is a skull and crossbones on a black or red field, though Ulfen pirates often instead use a Viking helm with crossed swords behind it. Nearly all of Besmara’s priests are clerics or rangers, with a few bards and druids, though every few decades an antipaladin champions her more destructive aspects.
Most adventuring followers of Besmara are pirates in some sense or another, and indeed work in an even wider variety of roles than her priests do. Most know how to seize a ripe opportunity for quick profit or glory and the value of being able to get away when a retreat is wise. Besmara blesses both righteous privateers battling the Chelish navy and murderous buccaneers who give no quarter to defeated opponents—much like the war god Gorum, her interest is in the conflict, not the consequences of its resolution. Her followers have been known to stir up trouble by sailing aggressively (or even attacking) while using a temperamental nation’s colors or falsely claiming to be “legitimate privateers” as they attack in peacetime.
The Pirate Queen’s followers have many superstitions about good luck (cats, figureheads with open eyes, pouring alcohol on a deck), bad luck (whistling on deck), and evil spirits (wearing gold jewelry wards them off) in addition to other traditions and beliefs. They say those who oppose Besmara feel seasick on the water and hungover on land.
There are no formalized rituals common to all churches, but services are generally upbeat, with singing, bootstomping, dancing, and the lighting of incense or matches (particularly slow-burning matches and fuses). Burials are one of the few somber occasions, marked by a short prayer and either burial at sea (with the body weighted down with a chain, cannonball, or heavy-but-inexpensive treasure) or burning a rowboat or raft bearing the corpse.
Besmara has few priests, for pirates are more superstitious than religious, but she counts among her followers anyone who has made a desperate prayer to her when facing death on the sea or given tribute to gain her favor. Nearly all of Besmara’s followers are pirates or pirates by another name. The rest are, along with a few intelligent sea monsters, folks who profit from strifesuch as war profiteers, dog fighters, and similar low-class individuals—officials in “pirate towns,” pirates’ spouses, and prostitutes whose clientele comprises mainly pirates. While such folk may rarely or never set foot on pirate ships, they indirectly profit from successful piracy, and pray to Besmara that their favorite buccaneers return with plenty of coins to spend. Some Besmaran hookers and rent boys consider themselves “sacred prostitutes” of the goddess, though this devotion often consists of little more than a “pirate queen” costume and roleplayed seduction (antics at which the goddess laughs). Male prostitutes among the faithful are often referred to as matelots (a term also sometimes given to the male spouse of a pirate).
As is befitting a chaotic pirate goddess, the church has no official stance on marriage, offspring, or raising children. Some pirates never marry, some have many spouses, and some have children, which they may choose to acknowledge or train. Very few in the faith embrace celibacy, save those with an obvious disfiguring condition or venereal affliction.
Temples & Shrines
Given Besmara’s small priesthood, there are few with the time and interest to build temples to her. Most of her temples are repurposed buildings or shipwrecked hulls, some of which are half-submerged. A public temple always displays a jolly roger flag, and its priest fences goods and sells healing potions, local nautical charts, and hideout tips. In places where piracy is frowned upon, these temples have a public purpose (such as selling rope or barrels), and knowledge of their true nature is shared among pirates by word of mouth.Far more common than temples are shrines to the goddess. In port towns, these shrines may be merely nooks between buildings with a pirate flag and a carving of Besmara or an old ship’s figurehead. These shrines usually have a cup or a place to hold a stick of incense or a match.
When a petitioner pours rum or grog into a shrine’s cup, it trickles out of a hole in the bottom or through a channel in the figurine’s arm so it appears the goddess is drinking the offered beverage. A priest living on a ship usually owns a portable shrine that doubles as an altar, and may store it in her quarters or display it on the deck where suddenly pious pirates can mutter a prayer mid-battle.
Clothing
Besmara’s priests wear clothing that is functional on the high seas, yet that is also distinctive enough to help opponents recognize them and hence build their reputations as buccaneers. As a result, their wardrobes vary widely. However, most try to incorporate some sort of visually distinctive element, such as billowing blackand-white pantaloons or ruffled blouses.A Priest’s Role
There is essentially no hierarchy within Besmara’s church—each priest crafts his or her own title and recognizes no authority other than the goddess. Priests don’t report to anyone, though they may defer to a mentor if they lack a good reason not to do so. Rarely does a particular ship have more than one priest on board, and in those cases they are often rivals. Every few years, a charismatic priest-captain may unite other like-minded priests under his or her banner, creating an armada with the leading priest as the admiral, but this is rare.Most priests are practical folk rather than zealots, using their magic to gain advantages on the water. This is not to say that a typical priest’s belief isn’t sincere, but there is a marked difference between the crazed devotion of a Lamashtan cleric or the noble serenity of an Iomedaean paladin and the utilitarian faith of a Besmaran priest. As long as the goddess is respected and gets her fair share of tribute, she is content with little more than lip service, and her priests know this. By using her magic to gain wealth, power, and fame, they serve her interests and demonstrate her greatness.
Like lay worshipers, Besmara’s priests are either pirates or folk whose business directly relies on piracy. Their personalities run the gamut from dashing privateers to rapacious murderers, and some in the middle may play both roles as the mood or pay suits them.
They bless pirates and ships, heal crews, act as go-betweens for those looking for work or workers, guard pirate ships, chase off or bind sea monsters, and ever strive to profit from their activities. Most priests consider it undignified to abandon fallen allies to be eaten by a sea monster—after all, crewmates depend on each other, and a sailor cannot pay the priest for healing if he perishesunless doing so would save other crew members from an early death. Priests of Besmara are usually skilled at Heal and Profession (sailor).
Most have ranks in Acrobatics, Appraise, and Intimidate. Canny followers also have ranks in Diplomacy, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nature). Priests don’t have any set routine, though most follow the normal cycle of activity on ship. Daily prayers are short and to the point.
Besmara’s holy symbol in most seas is a skull and crossbones on a black or red field, though Ulfen pirates often instead use a Viking helm with crossed swords behind it. Nearly all of Besmara’s priests are clerics or rangers, with a few bards and druids, though every few decades an antipaladin champions her more destructive aspects.
Adventurers
Devout adventurers serve Besmara by keeping the high seas unpredictable enough for the Pirate Queen to attract plenty of worshipers and see many exciting adventures. They often seek out lone naval vessels or other official ships to plunder; such victories can quickly build a devout adventurer’s reputation as a brave buccaneer. The devout also take pains to learn whatever they can about their patron deity’s sea monsters—just in case.Most adventuring followers of Besmara are pirates in some sense or another, and indeed work in an even wider variety of roles than her priests do. Most know how to seize a ripe opportunity for quick profit or glory and the value of being able to get away when a retreat is wise. Besmara blesses both righteous privateers battling the Chelish navy and murderous buccaneers who give no quarter to defeated opponents—much like the war god Gorum, her interest is in the conflict, not the consequences of its resolution. Her followers have been known to stir up trouble by sailing aggressively (or even attacking) while using a temperamental nation’s colors or falsely claiming to be “legitimate privateers” as they attack in peacetime.
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