Monavolarianism

> *"Despite their insistence that 'the Great Whale provides', it is the people who give to this unseen, transient being, even at great personal risk." - The Machinist's Companion in the World, Vol 4.*
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Monavolarianism is the faith of the sailors and pirates that began along the coasts of the Wruksee and Tradeseas. The followers of this religion pray and give tribute to Monavolar, more commonly referred to as the Great Whale. The religion is more popular among the northern areas of the world, most notably the state religion of Pyt and Skesta, and has a few stone temples in remote, coastal locations. Priests of Monavolar are considered to be sacred travellers and to kill or wound one is a grave insult to the Great Whale which brings calamity to the perpetrator. Deepwhales are extended a similar protection; as a result of their similarity to the Great Whale.

## The Tale of Monavolar

Monavolar is the Great Whale, the one true god of all sailors. It is said by the priests in their oral traditions that the deity that rose from a slumber in the deep, cold sea to calm a storm that threatened the world. As the storms subsided the people that remained saw a vast whale on the shore. The whale said that he had stopped the storm by plugging its centre and swallowing it, but had burped and been blown onto the shore as a result. It asked the people to push it back into the sea. In return the whale offered protection to all sailors forever, as long as it was left alone in the sea. The people refused and the whale sighed. A second great storm threw itself against the world, drowning a great many of those that had refused the whale's offer. After a short gathering the people came together to return the beast to the water, carrying it aloft to the water and laying it in the sea. The beast took a vast intake of breath, swallowing the storm once more and then swimming out to the deeper water. As the whale left it said one final thing: "I am Monavolar, the God of the world. I shall guard your travels as long as you respect me. Render yourself blind to me and I will destroy you. I ask only for a fish of your catch to keep me on my way; in return, I shall keep you on yours."

To this day, the tale of Monavolar is a cautionary one. The Great Whale gives and takes away and its good graces are only ever rented. Priests have not suggested with any seriousness that Monavolar is of either gender, indeed the Great Whale is *above* gender.

## Monavolarian Priests

The priests of the Great Whale are travellers. Very few temples are permanent, and most of them are ships. Shrines to the Great Whale are usually made on a temporary basis from the corpses of Deepwhales that wash ashore, or from bones kept in storage for use on days of significance.

Priests can be rented to travel with merchants, or spirited away by pirates to act as safeguards against the wrath of Monavolar. They are relatively laid back about such a predicament due to the superstitious nature of marine travellers in general, and any monetary donations are used to help poor or vulnerable people, a work they see to be the manifestation of alleviating a storm.

In contrast to Jantu priests, those following Monavolar do not actively attempt to convert others to their religion. Sailors are usually superstitious enough to either already be Monavolarians or willingly convert after a short period at sea, suggesting that appeasing the Great Whale often results in fair travels.