Church of Lucetius
Roleplaying Notes
If Barasios is the rigid god of contracts and ironclad business, Lucetius is the god of haggling over deals before making them, handshake agreements, negotiation, and clever dealings. Lucetius values those who can succeed through negotiation, finding business deals where everyone feels like they won (FEELS being the operative word…he also admires those who can get a better deal, and not have the other party realize it.) His temples, gatherings of the Bishops, and even the elections to Grand Master or one of the three Masters, should all be informal affairs. Even achieving those positions of church leadership do not really impart significant authority beyond an impressive title, and some status in the church; rather, it is viewed more as an indicator of what the Master or Grand Master has already achieved, and shown themselves to be capable of in service of their god. Just being a Master does not mean you have the unquestioned authority to command obedience…it means that you shouldn’t even HAVE to issue an order, because you have so many other, better ways of convincing others to do what you want them to do.Mythology & Lore
Legendary Items and Weapons Associated with Lucetius
There are three major artifacts in the worship of Lucetius.The Conch Shell of the Far Depths
This looks to most observers to be an ordinary conch shell that operates as a Trident of Fish Command. But if this artifact finds its way into the hands of a true follower of Lucetius, it is said that in times of great extremity, it can be used to command every creature in the ocean, without limit or restriction. If it is used for selfish or unworthy reasons, however, the wielder will find themselves marked for destruction by every beast beneath the waves, and will be hunted without mercy. (Like…SUPER selfish reasons…Lucetius sees no reason to deny his followers the opportunity to earn a decent profit if they are working to save his oceans - it’s really only fair.)Lucetius’s Lockbox
This artifact also appears to be an unassuming truck or chest, with a broken lock that will not open, no matter what. But if someone can find Lucetius’s Key, they can open the chest…and inside is said to be everything Lucetius and his followers ever gained through trade, as well as any and all treasure ever lost to the sea. Someone must pick three things to find at the top of the chest, and the key disappears once the chest is opened. The chest remains, but one must re-locate the key, which is immune to most divination magics. Often, it is just sold off, since there has never been a reputable report that the same person has been able to open the Lockbox more than once. A clever person once said ‘the Key of Lucetius’ as one of the three things he wanted to find in the chest after it disappeared when he opened the Lockbox. It is said Lucetius appreciated his shameless audacity, and let him find the key again. But when he tried the same trick a second time, the key appeared, but he vanished. Someone immediately used the key to open the chest, and right at the top of the treasure inside was an ancient, algae-covered skeleton that had clearly been underwater for ages…that just so happened to have the signet ring of the previous keyholder. Few people try the fool Lucetius with that trick again.The Shining Coin of the Heart’s Desire
Said to be the only treasure never to appear in the Lockbox, this coin, unlike the other two items on the list, looks like a fantastic work of art. A gleaming circle of platinum, gold, and mithril, this large coin, about two and a half inches across, seems to shimmer and gleam in the light, and draws the eyes.- If someone flashes, flips, or otherwise fidgets with the coin during a negotiation, they will learn exactly what the other person’s minimum price is to get what the coin’s user wants, even if it would take their deepest, darkest desires to give up what the wielder wants to buy.
- If the wielder of the coin can meet that price, their target must resist a Wisdom save of 22 or immediately acquiesce to the buyer’s offer. Often, if their deepest, darkest desire is at stake, the Wisdom save might be unnecessary, if the target does not want to resist the effect in the first place, and wants whatever price the wielder offers.
- Since the coin must be displayed openly at least briefly for the magic to work (the deeper the desire, the longer it must be displayed) people who sometimes wield the coin, and ask for something too dear, find that the price of the obscure, or deeply personal, purchase CAN be ‘that coin.’
Tenets of Faith
The Duties of The Clerics of Lucetius
Lucetius’s clerics don’t have strictly established ‘duties,’ per se…their blessings, counsel, and wisdom is sought in matters related to trade, ocean travel, etc. His clerics tend to protect the oceans from those who would befoul them, obstruct commerce, and help those who work in his portfolio. They can also be called to oversee trade deals, and hold both parties accountable to their agreements. Additionally, there are very few strict rules his clerics must follow, but in general, they are expected to:- Respect the sea and its creatures, and take actions against the forces that would ruin and despoil them.
- Encourage trade, and take swift action against any who would obstruct or forbid it in any way.
- Never stay in one place for more than a season. Like a wave, one must depart from the shore for a time to truly appreciate the opportunity to return to it once more.
Forbidden to Lucetius
Those who follow Lucetius really only have two prohibitions: they must never despoil the ocean, and they must never do anything that halts free trade. Even the more religious pirates tend to phrase their demands to merchant ships to hand over their cargo as business transactions: “Good news - in exchange for all the silk in your hold, we swear by Lucetius your ship won’t sink in the next hour!” In fact, some savvy merchants have turned such situations to their favor, either striking a long-term deal with those pirates for protection for their shipping routes, or twisted the situation back in their favor. (“Well, we just entered into your ‘no sinking’ agreement, so if you let us keep half our cargo, we won’t set fire to our own ship, so your word to Lucetius don’t break!”) There is only one exception to his feelings on free trade: whaling. Whales are sacred in his church, and many of his followers believe that whales are both as intelligent as people, and also fellow worshippers of Lucetius. Any whalers who run across one of Lucetius’s followers better be superior sailors to them…which is, unfortunately for the whalers, very rare.Sacred to Lucetius
The church says that prayers offered by the red light of sunset over water fly to Lucetius’s ears the fastest. They also believe exploring a new shore, sailing to a new land, or finding a new commodity to bring to a port all bring one closer to Lucetius. All of Lucetius’s most sacred rites are performed at or over (or under!) salt water. Also, if one survives a typhoon in a ship over open water, the church believes that to be Lucetius singling such people out for great deeds in the future. Also, as whales are sacred to Lucetius and his followers, anyone who helps any cetacean in distress is viewed as blessed by the god and his followers.Typical Offerings
Lucetius is one of the few gods and goddesses who doesn’t couch his favored offering in obscure terms, and tends to think like a teenager opening a birthday card from their grandparents - he really only cares about the cash. Gifts of money, pearls, valuable resources, etc., all please Lucetius (and his priests, of course.) Along a less mercenary bent, he also appreciates rare and beautiful shells, especially ones one had to work hard to acquire, perhaps swimming deep beneath the waves, or offering a shell in the south of Castille that is only found in the North of Vesten.Worship
Major Areas of Worship
Most major Europan ports, especially in the Valor, Veluthe, and Sapphire Seas, and the Gleaming Water.Holidays
Ironically, most of Lucetius’s high holy days are found in the winter where there is often the least sailing: winter, usually because that is the season they are most likely to hunker down in one place to ride out the colder months. The Winter Solstice is often a major feastday for followers of Lucetius, where he encourages them to not hoard the fruits of their labor, instead throwing lavish parties full of wine, singing, and dancing.Common Sayings and Blessings
Lucetius’s followers tend to, unsurprising, lean heavily into nautical wisdom when counseling others.- “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
- “The cure for anything is saltwater - sweat, tears, or the sea.”
- “The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.”
Priesthood
Head of the Church
The head of Lucetius’s church is called the Grand Master of the Scales. The current Grand Master is the triton Dholgos Sagorsath. He is relatively new to the position, and is still finding his feet, and often has to negotiate, cajole, or manipulate the other three Masters and the Council of Bishops to follow his plans. The temple in Novandria is known as the Siren's WaystopRanks within the Church
Lucetius is not an overly strict god, and values fluidity and change above all else, so there is only a loose hierarchy.Masters
Master of Waves - oversees sailors and the oceansMaster of Coin - oversees trade
Master of Storms - oversees the wild and unpredictable, and helps those afflicted by storms, tsunamis, and floods
Council of Bishops
Any cleric who oversees a temple, or traveling troupe of Lucetius’s followers, can claim the title of ‘Bishop,’ and any Bishop who can make it to a gathering of the Masters can vote in Council Business. The three Masters and Grand Master are elected democratically, and can hold the position indefinitely, unless two-thirds of Bishops present at a Council call for a new election. The Grand Master of the Scales only achieves his or her position by being able to appeal to a broad section of his church, and call upon allies for aid in a wide variety of circumstances. There may be no standing navy in Lucetius’s church, but those who organize in an attempt to act against the church’s interests tend to find themselves facing a wide variety of calamities, from economic misfortune, to attacks on their interests by pirates, and anything in between. The Church also has plenty of money to hire mercenaries, or to appeal to the more practical followers of their patron’s father, Caelus. As ports are often the epicenters of trade, and overlap with the ocean, most of Lucetius’s temples can be found there. The Masters all travel extensively, meeting once a season, and the location of their meetings vary, sometimes even taking place on ships, or even under the sea.Clothing
Like their god, his clerics tend to resemble seafarers. Even the clerics who lean more into the worship of Lucetius as the god of commerce still tend to have at least a touch of ‘beach bum’ about them, while others who embrace the wilder nature of Lucetius can be all but indistinguishable from pirates. The only consistent mark of clerics of Lucetius tend to be his holy symbol, the colors teal and gold, although patterns vary wildly region to region, and their tendency to carry symbols of their devotion to him - the more piratical wield falchions, the traders carry pearls, the explorers wear necklaces of shark teeth, and almost every single one of them can sail.Membership Restrictions
None whatsoever. As long as they are content to go where the sea takes them, have a penchant for resolving their problems through cunning and eloquence before resorting to other measures, and are not adverse to making a little coin now and again, Lucetius does not place boundaries on his children.Typical Types of Followers
Largely free spirits, free market capitalists, sailors, merchants, etc. Every sailor prays to Lucetius for calm seas and fair winds, and any merchant embarking on a new venture, especially when shipping over water, tends to make an offering at one of Lucetius’s shrines first.Political Influence & Intrigue
Interaction with Society
Lucetius’s clerics will offer travelers safe passage across the seas (in exchange for a rigorously haggled price, of course!) They will also mediate business deals, and bless or enforce business deals, from handshake deals to full elaborate contracts, for a healthy negotiated commission. (If someone doesn’t want to appeal to Barasios - many think that by not going to the god of punishment, they might find more leniency if they renege. They’re wrong, of course, Lucetius just tends to be more creative in his penalties.) In addition to protecting the oceans for people, they are actually equally committed to protecting people from the calamities of the oceans. They warn coastal communities of oncoming storms, rescue trapped or shipwrecked sailors, and help communities wracked by storms or floods, all without pay…up front. Those helped by the clerics of Lucetius have it carefully explained to them that they are now in Lucetius’s debt, and they will be called upon in the future to repay that debt threefold. Those rescued in this manner tend to try and rescue others in similar straits, seeing that as one way to pay down their debt owed.Ceremonies Performed
Lucetius and his followers tend not to be big believers in high ritual, so their ceremonies tend to be informal. The business deals they oversee are more likely to be made in a dockside bar, and cemented by a handshake, and a drink or seven. Followers of Lucetius always say a prayer to him before setting sail, and toss a coin into the sea (new acolytes to the local temple usually find one of their first duties/hazing to be diving into the depths of the local port to find this gold and bring it back to the temple.) Sailors who see a pod of whales at sea, or dolphins following them, will toss them food (if applicable - dolphins can be fed fish, but few sailors have handfuls of krill on-hand for the larger whales) and ask the whales to carry their prayers to Lucetius’s ears. The followers of Lucetius see sharks as the judgment of Lucetius made flesh, and believe that those who have not wronged their god have nothing to fear from these ocean predators. Many devotees of Lucetius amaze outsiders with their willingness to swim and interact with sharks. If a priest seeks to curse someone, they will drop their own blood in the water, and say a prayer of vengeance to Lucetius, asking him to transform their offered blood into the blood of their enemies, so the sharks will know their foes’ scent, and hunt them down if they are ever foolish enough to enter the ocean.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Leader
Notable Members