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Cardista, Goddess of the Sea
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Cardista
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Sphere of influence:
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the Sea |
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Colors:
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Blue, green |
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Symbol:
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A lone wave beginning to break |
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Granted powers:
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Cast water breathing twice/day, cast any ocean-affecting spell one spell level sooner than normal |
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Allowed alignments:
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Any chaotic |
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Allowed weapons:
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Dagger, spear, javelin, trident |
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Allowed armor:
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None |
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Other Names:
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Lady of the Sea, Chi-Len-Thol-Ma (Kachiri Islands), Skälmader (Sea Mother) by Vidar, Varuna by Chindari |
Woship of Cardista, goddess of the sea, is generally limited to coastal areas of Antaron. All wise ship captains take the time to make at least token sacrifices, and most voyages are accompanied by something of value being thrown into the sea in order to gain the Lady's favor.
Those whose livlihoods depend on the sea (sailors, fishermen, and the like) tend to view Cardista with a mixture of love and fear, for she can be both a kind and an unforgiving mistress. Those who respect her tend to do well in seagoing ventures, while those who do not, or worse still, abuse the sea and the life there, often find themselves swept away in terrible storms, never to be heard from again.
Cardista rarely takes mortal form, but when she does, it is usually of a raven-haired human female, most often seen walking barefoot in the surf. It is rumored that she also assumes the form of a dolphin, but this is unconfirmed.
Cardista has relatively few clerics, though the ones she has are treated with great respect by seafaring people. It is understood that any cleric of the sea goddess will always receive free passage on any ship, and that their needs will be well-attended.
The church of Cardista has no real organization, and consists mainly of small seaside shrines with a single priest in attendance. These priests often live nomadic lives, sailing to and fro on whatever ships happen to strike their fancy. Sailors, always a superstitious lot, are usually glad to have one of the lady's clerics aboard, as they feel it greatly increases their safety.
Clerics of Cardista pray for their spells at dawn, and prefer to remain within sight of the ocean whenever possible. Sailing on a ship is considered to be a religious experience. Their duties include ensuring that the sea is respected and well-treated by all people. While they tend to remain rather unconcerned with landgoing affairs, priests of the lady will gladly lay down their lives to protect the sea.
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Thanks to t_catt11 for this contribution!
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