| The worship of Poseidon aboard the Pride of Estregales Poseidon is the primary ancestor worshipped upon the Pride of Estregales; Inado is a devout Incantor in his name, as are most of the high-ranking members of his crew. The rest of the crew are followers if not Incantors of Poseidon the Earth shaker. The term worship is perhaps a little misleading, Poseidon is revered and respected, it is remembered that upon the waves you are within his domain and as such you owe him honor and fealty. In this respect the crew see him in ways more their liege and master than the Lord Gryphon. They owe their lives to his benevolence every time they set out into the sea. Inado has been known to gather the other powerful incantors to him and call on Poseidon to calm the waves during a storm, only to be answered by the storms abating. Poseidon is a rough god, harsh like the seas, but at the same time accepting and loving to those who revere him. His wrath is terrible; his howl of rage can lead to storms across Edreja throwing ship against rocks and floods along the coastlines. He finds anger at the thought of the unliving, as a deity of a natural element such aberrations are foul to him. In the legends of Poseidon he is also shown to have a bizarre and rich sense of humour, if a little unsettling, in one instance he was running from a human king who�s daughter he had eloped with, whilst the kings armies searched for them they hid upon an island, fearing they would be found (or maybe because it amused him) Poseidon turned the entire population of the island into Sheep. Then he turned himself into a Ram and the daughter into a Ewe, in which guise they made love. The people remained sheep forever. Poseidon is known to commonly manifest in the form of a bearded man, usually naked. He is often carried through the ocean upon a chariot of gold, drawn by two horses. Quite how his horses manage on the waves is a matter for philosophers not priests such as ourselves. He is never without his Trident, his signature weapon; many great powers are attributed to the Trident of Poseidon, including the power to cause springs to erupt from the earth. Poseidon is worshipped throughout Lyonesse and Estregales by those associated with the sea, such as fishermen, seamen and all those who work and live at sea. He has a scattered priesthood with his largest temple being in Port Durak. Rituals to Poseidon are carried out everyday aboard ship; it is essential that he be revered` and welcomes the vessel upon his waves. The following rituals are regularly carried out on a day-to-day basis. Morning. A gathering of the Incantors and crew to watch the dawn break, Inado leads the crew in praise of the oceans and seas, they give thanks to Poseidon for his benevolence and protection. Something akin to this. The crew kneel beside Inado on the deck facing the rising sun. "Poseidon, Lord of the waves, ruler of our lands, we honour you. The sun once more breaks over this; your domain and we are blessed to be allowed to sail upon it. You have watched over us and seen our works and reverence, we have called upon you and you were there. Poseidon we thank you, Poseidon we honour you." Crew rise with a cry of Poseidon�s name. This is followed by a pledge of loyalty to the nation of Estregales and the Gryphon nation. Occasionally there are more rituals throughout the day but these may be more practical, a call for Poseidon to keep the storms off the ship, a call for the wind to turn and so on. Finally before he eats in the evening Inado leads the crew in a thanks for the joys of life, and Poseidon�s generosity. A simple thanks similar to the morning. |
 |