The Pirate's Temple

## Overview

It worships a collection of Immortals related to war and adventure on the high seas. It gives its highest reverence to Sinbad and to Protius (The Old Man of the Sea), the former ruling over ships and sailing, the later over the ocean upon which you sail. Valerias, Asterius, and Calitha also are patrons of the church. While not an official part of church theology, Brissard also draws power from the church due to its endorsement of slavery and empowers those who most strongly defend the institution. Ahmanni, Crakkak, Diulanna, Korotiku, Minroth, Djaea and Halav are all enemies of the Pirate's Temple for various reasons. And the People's Temple really hates it.

The worship ceremonies of the Pirate's Temple are intended to bring fortune in exploration, trading, and war and to appease the wrath of the elements. Ironically, the Temple does have a year end ceremony where it makes sacrifices to those Immortals most opposed to it, in an effort to buy off their wrath. But each of the twelve monthly ceremonies (first day of the month) are intended to please the patrons of the Church.

The Pirate's Temple teaches its followers that fortune favors the bold and that it is better to act than to lose an opportunity by too much caution or debate. It also strongly emphasizes freedom. The free man submits to no hereditary authority, but only to those he chooses, who must prove their worthiness. Cooperation is important, but only if you have a voice in determining what the group does.  Those of higher skill have more voice, so you may need to work your way up. But you can; any group that doesn't allow a man to rise in rank isn't worth belonging to. Be bold, smart, and strong, and you will prosper. Be kind to your friends and relatives; those from outside Ierendi, on the other hand, don't necessarily deserve consideration, ESPECIALLY not Thyatians.

## Effects of Slavery

The introduction of slavery created a theological crisis for the Pirate's Temple. Some of its members continue to oppose any form of slavery as immoral, but most have been too tempted by easy wealth to fight it. Those who preach against slavery are a repressed minority; the bulk of Pirate's Temple theologians have come to argue that the least useful must be slaves so that those of higher skill and talent can be truly free, that slaves cannot take care of themselves, and so the men of skill and talent must take care of them and make them work for their own good. Many are still somewhat squeamish about slavery, and in general, they only discourse on this topic if they have to, though repeated confrontation with People's Temple preachers have caused a large number of priests to further harden their hearts. This is a major place of conflict in Ierendi society; positions on this are likely to change, depending on the future road which Ierendi ultimately follows.

## End of the World & Afterlife

The Pirate's Temple has no particular eschatology (death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind); they worry more about the here and now and what cool things you may get to do soon. There may be cosmic cycles or whatever, but it's unlikely the world will end in this lifetime. Those who best exercise their freedom may be chosen by the Immortals to join them, and those who at least tried will go to dwell with them. Those who allowed their freedom to be taken away will fall into the hands of the Fiends. But they had it coming, so don't cry for them.

## Mechanical

In 5e terms, the Pirate's Temple has these domains: Cities, Tempest, Trickery, and War. Their holy weapon is the cutlass (use Scimitar stats.)

The hard-core defenders of Slavery are now empowered by Brissard. Their domains are Death, Life, and War.