Saemus (ʃeɪmʌs)

The God of Hospitality

What a friendly being it was. Seemingly out of nowhere it began speaking as if we had been long time friends. It offered me a refreshing drink, a delicious little snack, and gifted me one of its feathers. Then, it was gone. It was the most welcome I'd felt in a long time.
-Old man talking about his encounter with Saemus

Summary

It is not native of this universe, having been brought here from another world. This is not something it keeps secret. It has made the plane of Tuhka its new home. It enjoys its existance as a simple, lesser god. To describe itself to anyone it meets, it says it is merely the "god of hospitality." It looks over everything from greetings to festivals, sometimes granting a feather from its wings as a boon.

Spread

It is the most well-known god, likely due to the high rate of interactivity it has with people (an unheard of practice for gods). Some fear it feuds with others because of how active it is.

Cultural Reception

It is a beloved god. People rarely pray to it, but there are little traditions in all cultures that have popped up. Sometimes, as a gift, a host will offer a birds feather to guests. Sometimes it comes in the form of a greeting, like "Saemus' Greetings" or having a "feathered hello" thrown for newcomers. No one tradition or phrase is shared across all cultures, though Saemus' ubiquitous nature makes it easy to explain.

In Literature

In many books, Saemus is added as a sort of introductory narrator character. It is also common to see a red feather on the first page of a manuscript, book, or letter.

One famous story is a series of fictional works about a man who meets Saemus early in his life at a banquet. Through many incredibly difficult journeys he holds onto the feather he was given. In the penultimate book, the man begins to suffer from dementia and starts losing his grip on reality. In the final book, he fears ending up in Arkham. He eventually finds himself in a town he does not recognize. The denizens are off putting, and everything is unsettling. The more he spiraled, the deeper he got sucked in. Before giving up, he finds the red feather in his breast pocket. He smiles, holds it close to his chest, and wakes up standing at the front door to his home. He opens his hands and see the feather turn to dust. He dies in his sleep that night with a smile on his face. While most people focus on the grand journeys of the series, many plays have been performed about the final book because of the comforting end.

In Art

Paintings of Saemus always use warm colors and open body language. Statues are often small to remain proportioned to people and are sculpted in welcoming or guiding poses. In many books, Saemus is added as a sort of introductory narrator character.

Date of First Recording

Circa 300005 OA