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Ancient is the Sea God Yarris, some say older than the other deities of the Pantheon, though the Mother Church regards this as t he talk of heretics. Some say that Yarris rules the oceans, while others site Holy Scripture that alludes to Yarris being the ocean itself, with every drop, every fish, every frothing white cap but an extension of His being.

Yarris is normally seen as a deity one prays to in the hopes of averting disaster rather than for the granting of desires. Sailors say that Yarris only grants one of two things: safe passage through His realm or a one-way trip down to the bottom of the ocean where the unlucky sailor is conscripted to man one of the many doomed ships that sail under the dead full moon of Aperio.

Like the other gods, Yarris has His benevolent aspects such as the Calmer of Storms, the Master of the Flood Plains, specifically to the farmers who till near the Corvus River, and the Lord of the Placid Oceans. His darker aspects include that of the Uncaring Ruler of the Ocean, the Black Hand of the Tempest, oddly enough represented as a female aspect, Admiral of the Damned Fleet and lastly a heretical aspect not recognized by the Mother Church that led to the Yarric Heresy, the Lord of the Ancient Deep.

Holy Symbol: Yarris’ holy symbol is a cresting wave

Position within the Pantheon: Brother to Illiir and Neroth though some see him as outside the pantheon as a ancient god of the ocean

Favored Weapon: Trident, “The Scepter of Yarris”

Animal: Dolphin

Color: Blue-green

Appearance: Yarris appears as a muscular, middle-aged man with a foaming beard. At sea, he has appeared as an animate waterspout.

Sphere of Influence

Anywhere that the land meets the ocean, one will find temples and shrines to the Sea Lord. Given Yarris’ connection to the val’Ossan family, a stronghold of one will invariably find the other in great numbers. As such, the Royal Milandisian duchy of Naeraanth and the Coryani province of Salantis have the greatest number of worshippers of the Master of the Oceans. Other major mainstays of worship include the coastal cities of Plexus and Savona and numerous shrines to Yarris can be found in the archipelagoes that form the Pirate Isles.

While humanity claims to be the chosen of the Gods, and thus by extension, Yarris, the Master of the Waves is unique in that an aquatic non-human species also pay Him homage. While talk of this is idle gossip at best and heresy at worst, many do believe that the val’Ossan family knows of these creatures and even join in their ceremonies.



Temple

Temples to Yarris are normally situated on the very coast or upon riverbanks or the shoreline of the larger lakes that dot the Known Lands. These temples, usually built in granite and punctuated with precious multi-colored coral and pearls, are horseshoe in shape, with the mouth of the structure facing the ocean or body of water whenever possible. The tides play an important role in the ceremonies performed, with the congregation entering the water and even submerging themselves briefly.

It is rumored that magnificent temples to Yarris exist below the waves. Tales from drunken sailors and shipwreck survivors plucked from the middle of the oceans all claim to have seen brilliant lights and numerous beings hundreds of feet below the surface. One sailor brought back evidence in the form of a coral statuette snatched from around the neck of a Sea Devil that sought to drag him under for sacrifice.



Role of the Priest

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Mankind believes itself to be the dominant species upon the planet and the top of the food chain. The priests of Yarris know that this is not so upon the ocean. To humanity, the seas are truly a dangerous and alien place where only the bravest or the most fool hardy tread without worry. When they set off on a voyage upon Yarris’ Belly, they do so at His whim.

It is here that the priests of Yarris intercede upon humanity’s behalf. The priesthood feels it is their sacred duty to safeguard mankind in this foreign environment from its predators and the seas capricious nature itself.

The clergy is aware of the existence of sentient undersea creatures, which are inimical to man and would just as soon devour him than to converse with him. The priests try and shelter their charges from these beings and act as man’s protectors when all else fails.

Along with their brothers in the Order of the Sea Lords, the priesthood of Yarris is also in search for the lost Pearls of Yarris, given to mankind at the dawn of the Imperium and subsequently lost in the intervening centuries. This quest takes them to places one would normally not expect to see priests of a Sea God, such as mountain peaks, deserts, underground and in the great cities that dot the continent.


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