Mariners of Shalimyr
The mariners are spiritual leaders to the often wayward, chaotic Shalimyn. In a faith where one’s gut instincts can be either benign or malignant, and most of the faithful heed them regardless, guidance is necessary to avoid allout pandemonium.
These clergy are the undisputed (and only) authority figures in the basins. They perform religious ceremonies, help the faithful interpret Shalimyr’s will, call on Shalimyr’s blessings for outgoing and incoming vessels, and even occasionally ride important vessels to keep them safe from Shalimyr’s rage. All that said, they are not necessary to the faith, and are not seen as conduits between the faithful and Shalimyr; they are only guides and resources for the faithful (if well-respected ones).
The mariners collect the tithes of the faithful, see to the upkeep of the basins, build new basins when called for, and act as the spokespersons of the faith in all secular matters.
This leads to an order with a great deal of wealth, making it more powerful secularly than it is spiritually. Sometimes the mariners from a given basin are completely corrupted by their power and wealth, but should they grow too bold and arrogant, Shalimyr will destroy them spectacularly, so corruption rarely goes beyond petty evils such as undermining or killing political rivals, using the church’s money to promote political programs outside the scope of the Shalimyn faith, or minor abuses of personal authority. Shalimyr has no trouble with this sort of behavior—but mariners who take church money to build themselves enormous mansions might be found soon, in chunks floating in a series of small puddles.
Nearly all the mariners of Shalimyr are chaotic, but their worldviews (apart from chaos) vary radically. The most common alignment for Shalimyn mariners is chaotic neutral.
These mariners believe that the world is in constant flux—anything built today might be torn down by the waters tomorrow. They put no stock in plans for the distant future, and believe instead that one must strive to live only by the edicts of Shalimyr. One must be humble and obey his will—wherever it might lead you. While they usually counsel against casually throwing away one’s life, these mariners are not known for their cautious outlook, and they certainly have no concerns for a community outside the Shalimyn. Instead, they live only to serve Shalimyr and the Shalimyn faithful, and do whatever their hearts tell them is the right way to act accordingly.
Chaotic good mariners extend their concern to those outside of the faith. They believe the virtues of humility and sacrifice are exemplars for all people, so they try to live by them. They preach against the arrogance of those who claim to have the answers to all the great questions, or those who say they know “the way.” They’re rabble-rousers and troublemakers to be sure, but they aim to improve the lot of all people through the abiding beauty of Shalimyr. Often these mariners are adventurers, as the basin shipwrights find them too interested in affairs outside of the Shalimyn.
Such interest is often condemned as pride; accused mariners must leave the community. There are, however, a few basins dominated by chaotic good mariners, and these places are havens to all Shalimyn of a like mind.
Unlike nearly all other churches of the gods of the tree, where evil worshipers have separate cults reviled by the main church, chaotic evil mariners have a place in the basins so long as they don’t act against their fellow Shalimyn. A sort of “activist” offshoot of the basins, chaotic evil mariners believe Shalimyn wills that the arrogant and proud be rooted out. It saddens Shalimyr, their reasoning goes, whenever he must destroy mortals with his waters, because it shows his followers are too weak and cowardly to eliminate the prideful themselves. Chaotic evil mariners take the duty to heart by wreaking havoc.
They might break into the homes of pompous nobles, kill them and their families, and burn their houses down. While the basins routinely deny any knowledge of such activities, many support these works as necessary evils.
Shorehands
Initiate Shalimyn called shorehands almost belong in a caste lower than the rest—below even the meanest drunken sailors. This is because they must forswear sailing or riding on the open sea, which is beloved of all Shalimyn. This sacrifice is thought to be the highest one can make, short of losing one’s life, and is done as a sign of love for Shalimyr and devotion to the Shalimyn. Shorehands are addressed as “brother” or “sister” and introduced by full title. Shorehands serve the rest of the Shalimyn. They are present at births, weddings, and funerals. They stand on the shores and bless their ships at launching, and greet them at their return. Shorehands make regular and elaborate shows of their lack of pride, and constantly give away their possessions, keeping just enough to eat and live. Becoming a shorehand takes a very short time, usually six months. One must be devoted to Shalimyr, have a great love of the sea, swear not to ride on the waters while a shorehand, and learn the various prayers and rites of the Shalimyn. Shorehands can leave their community if they feel Shalimyr calls them to do so, and many wander the world, away from the sea, on great adventures they believe Shalimyr has called them to perform.Shipwrights
In time and with experience, elder shorehands may be released from their vows and go on great journeys by sea to the “heart of the ocean.” What is referred to as the heart of the ocean changes from culture to culture, but it’s usually out in the middle of the nearest sea. Once there, they leap into the water and either emerge moments later, or never surface. Those who emerge are ceremonially cleansed and are hailed as shipwrights, the wisest of the Shalimyn. To avoid confusion with actual shipwrights, these holy men and women are always referred to as Shalimyn shipwrights. They are addressed as “father” or “mother” and introduced by full title. A Shalimyn shipwright maintains the humility they showed as shorehands, or at least they are supposed to, but are treated with reverence by the Shalimyn. If any have a right to be treated nobly, it would be these high representatives of Shalimyr in the world. Common Shalimyn do not speak directly to the shipwrights and must address them through shorehands; this is done to show the humility of the speaker, though it certainly elevates the self-importance of the listener. Shalimyn shipwrights run the basins and there is always at least one shipwright present. Unlike the shorehands, they can sail on the water whenever the need or desire arises. The great Shalimyn shipwright Faroan T’urketh was once asked why the shipwrights are treated with such reverence in a faith that so abhors pride. He explained, “After a lifetime, I have become so used to the ways of humility in the face of Grandfather Ocean, blessed be his name, that they have become second nature. I do not think of the meaning and purpose of humility any longer; I have become so easily humble that there is almost a pride in it. The shipwrights are treated so well, like kings, so they can be reminded of the meaning of pride and the need for its purgation. Humility should never be easy.”
Joining the Mariners
The clergy of Shalimyr, all of whom are clerics with the Tempest or Water Domain are divided into two groups: the young and hot-blooded Shalimyn clerics, and the old and wise ones. If a cleric lives long enough to become an elder in the clergy, it is because Shalimyr loves him.
Parent Organization
Related Myths
