Children of Luck
In the pirate haven of Sanctuary, most of the residents do not subscribe to any of the major religions. In fact, most would be atheists. Yet, even those who don’t believe in Divine Beings, pay their respects to Lady Luck.
Assets
There are no formal places of worship for Lady Luck. However, many sailors tend to gravitate towards a specific statue or tavern that they believe embodies or is the home of luck and leave some kind of memento or offering to receive luck’s blessing before setting sail. The homes and graves of Lorenzo Rossi and his descendants also tend to attract departing sailors with dozens of offerings left on their graves or in front of the gates of their home.
Symbols of luck come in all shapes and sizes and items as every sailor believes a different item brings them luck. For many it’s a pendant or necklace of some kind while for others it’s a particularly shiny rock or piece of driftwood.
Divine Origins
There was never a specific point in history that sailors and pirates began asking for Lady Luck’s blessing. As long as humans have been sailing, they have prayed that luck would be with them.
Tenets of Faith
Just like with places of worship, there are no set-in stone tenants that sailors must follow. Instead, there are unrelated sets of rules that more or less follow the same three principals.
- Never underestimate Lady Luck. Every experienced sailor has at least one story of how they avoided death by pure luck.
- Do not overestimate your importance to Lady Luck. Experienced sailors have at least two stories of former shipmates who believed themselves to be as blessed as Lorenzo Rossi himself only to meet a grisly end.
- Lady Luck tends to bless those who earnestly, enthusiastically, and unremittingly woo her.
Worship
To give Lady Luck or one of her Children an offering one must present them with a gift. Some, will leave shots or mugs of expensive alcohol. Others will leave small carvings they made. Others still will leave an expensive item the bought or stole. Some will leave ribbons while others will leave interesting looking rocks. Really anything that has some value to the individual can work as an offering. These items can be left at the feet of statues, the base of gravestones or gates, or in the windows of taverns, inns, or homes.
Priesthood
Pirates and sailors who have unfathomable skill and luck are often called a ‘Child of Luck’ as it seems luck runs in their veins. Lorenzo Rossi is an example of one of these exceptional individuals and is considered to be (depending on who you speak with) a demigod, a priest, or the physical embodiment of luck and thus is given offerings of equal value as Lady Luck.
This article has a lot of potential behind it (at least as far as I can see it.) but right now its a little lackluster. Who decides if one is a child of luck? If there is no organisation actually behind this set of beliefs, can anyone simply proclaim themselves a child of luck? Also, do offerings left out in random public places one sees as lucky not get stolen by the poor and needy? What would stop them from doing so, considering they probably have little faith in their own luck (if they are a beggar for example). Right now this seems more like a folk practice than a religion. But I haven't come here just to point out flaws and leave. I do think the tenants you have are quite good. They are simple and to the point. You have a prominent figure behind which these people can unite themselves in admiration, which is a good basis of any religion, organised, or cult. Personally, I'd take Lorenzo, and say his family started a cult of worship to him, as the embodiment of luck. Then descendants would become priests to this religion, maybe proclaiming the sea as their temple, and statues of Lorenzo and Lady Luck together. People could leave offerings there to pay homage, or to make requests of Lady Luck and Lorenzo for a safe sail, prosperity etc. But then again, this is simply the opinion of one lady.
Thank you for your comment! I thought I had explained things clear enough enough but I will expand on everything to make it clearer. Also, a Child of Luck is someone who has done a deed or a series of deeds that are so great the seem to have only been done with a great deal of skill AND with Lady Luck's blessing.