Lord of The Voyage

The Traveler

THE DEITY

Name(s): THE TRAVELER, BRIGHT EYES, THE NIMBLE NAVIGATOR, THE VOYAGER, LORD OF THE VOYAGE

Spheres of Influence: Bright Eyes is the deity of travel and stars.

Alignment: Neutral Good

Spells Returned: One hour after Dusk

Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff

Appearance: The Traveler appears as an old, bald man with tan skin, faded robes and worn sandals. He carries a weathered oaken staff.

THE CHURCH

Worship: Small shrines to the Traveler exist along major roadways. A temple to the Voyager can often be found inside a local merchant’s guild. Major seaports have a temple dedicated to the Voyager.

Due to the nature of the faith’s teachings, regular worship is rare. Worshippers are encouraged to get out of the temple and walk around. Conversely, each worship service brings new faces, as pilgrims from all over stop in and visit the local temple. Services discuss weather, local laws and other aspects that might affect people walking or riding through the area.

Holy Symbol: The holy symbol of the Traveler is a shooting star on a black background.

Holy Days: The first day of spring is called the Journey’s First Step, and marks the beginning of friendlier travel weather.

Worshippers give each other small gifts, usually a pair of shoes or a walking-staff. Clerics lead a brief walk, usually a mile or so, around the town or city, attempting to see things in a new light or point out something new.

Holy Colors: Yellow, black and silver.

Holy Animal: A pigeon.

Raiment: Clerics of the Temple of the Stars tend to have their synodal vestments constructed of durable material well suited to traveling. The Journeymen are particularly choosy regarding their boots or shoes, as they must be comfortable on long, walking treks.

Advancement: Due to the church’s interest in traveling and adventuring, advancement within the church occurs by gaining experience or conversion of followers during one’s travels.

Journeymen do not gain magic items, stipends, or followers as they advance in rank. Instead, at each rank at which the Journeyman would receive a magic item, follower, or stipend increase he instead gains bonus skill points equal to his Intelligence modifier. These skill points can only be spent on languages or Knowledge (local) skills.

Questers can always find a safe path. Their training gives them a +2 circumstance bonus to Spot and Survival checks. Their clerical training gives them a +1 bonus per rank to all Knowledge (geography) checks.

A Worlder must have traveled at least 10,000 miles on foot or mount. A Worlder treats difficult terrain as normal terrain, suffering no movement penalties to overland movement through forest, mountains, or other trackless regions.

A High Worlder must have traveled at least 50,000 miles, with at least 10,000 of that at sea. There are multiple High Worlders within the faith at any one time, and each enjoys the benefits due to that rank. Matters of faith and doctrine are reached at rare and brief councils of the High Worlders, convened at Zhanehmish. The most traveled High Worlder wields the greatest influence over the calling of such councils and the resulting rulings, but all High Worlders who attend theoretically have an equal voice in the process. A High Worlder can cast plane shift once per day with a caster level equal to his divine spellcaster level.

Sacrifices: Four pieces of gold, four small gems, or four pieces of coral. These are thrown in the four directions of the compass. These sacrifices are made as needed during travels and are required at least once per season.

Friends and Allies:

We of the Watchers: “They understand that they gain wisdom through travel and movement. Good companions on any trip.”

The Face of the Free: “They want freedom for all, the freedom to travel and the freedom to be.”

The Assembly of Light: “Light is important to all travelers. The Dark Watch is useful wherever you are.”

The Thunderer’s Temple: “Weather is of great importance to any traveler. The Thunderer deserves respect for his control over it.”

Foes and Enemies:

The House of Shackles: “Holding control over others binds them to one location, and restricts the travel of all.”

Church of the Endless Night: “Darkness and void are two perils that every traveler should avoid."

The Temple of Strife: “Conflict restricts movement.”

Major Temples: Important centers of worship for the Temple of the Stars include Dalen, Inolen, Dayolen, Bet Kalamar, Segeleta, Sobeteta, Basir, Bet Urala, Kaleta, Balelido and Bet Seder.

Followers of the Traveler worship in buildings that look more like inns than traditional temples. These buildings feature long hallways of rooms that travelers may stay in for a proper donation (1 sp per night). They are expected to clean up after themselves.

The Traveler’s cathedrals have no regional jurisdiction; they are centers of communication and given greater status do to their popularity as pilgrimage sites. They tend to be larger and might be more ornate than lesser temples, but they have no other distinction.

Similarly the faith’s two largest cathedrals, in Ardarr-Norr and Zha-Nehzmish, each house a High Worlder. The highest ranking cleric of the faith is often absent, and the attachment to a temple is nominal. At any time, a half-dozen to sixty clerics might be present at either seat, with the largest numbers available during spring and summer.

The title of High Worlder is largely ceremonial, granted for distance traveled and acts done for the faith. While each has total authority over matters of faith, the High Worlder with the greater distance takes precedent. At times in the faith’s history, it has had up to four High Worlders, and at other time, it goes without any for several years.

Sayings: “All I need is a ship to sail on and a star to guide me.” - “The question is not ‘Why go?’ but ‘Why not go?’” - “Look to the stars for guidance.”