Church of Shiera
The Church of Shiera was the primary religious organization of the followers of the goddess Shiera, the Wavemaiden.
The worshipers of Shiera were mostly sailors and pirates who hoped to experience the freedom and adventures of the sea, taking their place at sea and living in harmony with all other races. However, in line with her ideals, Shiera would welcome and accept beings of all races who desired to see all people living in freedom and happiness, without pointless restricrictions or evil, and worked towards that goal.
The main work of the church of Shiera was reaching sailors uout on their luck, aiding them, and providing them with a new life and future with the sea. The followers of the Wavemaiden also strove to offer kindness, help, and protection to those in need and they nurtured beauty and arts, spreading joy whenever and wherever possible and showing that taloni were a people with a rich culture, rather than mere animals.
Structure
The church of Shiera was loosely organized. Many clerics served as captains or sailors aboard ships and they usually met each other only if they happened to serve on the same ship or be in the same port. The clergy was known for helping sailors who were down on their luck. Her priests wore navy blue robes with silver/white trim, and were easily identified by the dire warnings they proclaimed of the wrath of the storm, if they displeaced her. They were also known to cast lightning- ,thunder- and water-based spells, many of which were described in the Codicil of Blue.
Tenets of Faith
Sherites were bidden to aid and protect all folks in need, of any race, whether weak or strong, kind or rude, and to promote freedom and acceptance among all races. They were to lend their help to all those who fought for good whenever there were ways to do so. Except when fighting evil, they were to be always kind, even to those who showed rudeness, and to aid others in acts of kindness.
They were to treat strangers as friends. Hungry travelers were to be fed and the homeless given shelter, under their own roof if needed. When traveling and while adventuring, they were to feed, help, and protect all those in need they met along the way as a prayer and offering to the goddess. They were also to patrol the lands and coasts around them, especially in cold winters, so that all those who were lost, hurt, or suffering the cold could be given appropriate treatment and shelter
Ethics
On promoting joy, arts, and beauty
Shierites were advised to bring happiness and merriment everywhere they went, lifting people's hearts with kindness, adventure, songs, jests, and revelry. They were to nurture and create beauty, promote and practice music, dance and trade, learn new songs, dances and trade routes, and learn how to play, create, and repair naval vessels and musical instruments. They were to pass this learning on whenever possible, and use it to bring joy to friends and strangers alike. It was said that feasts should always be joyful events and that food should be eaten with the accompaniment of music, save for sad occasions. The faithful were also told to practice swordwork, learning new techniques with the blade.
On taloni
The faithful were meant to encourage taloni to return to the world whenever and wherever there were ways to do so. They were to promote peace between them and other races, thus helping the taloni forge their own place in the world and become part of its rightful inhabitants. They were also to aid all taloni who were in danger or in need of help. If they were in combat, the fighting had to be ended as soon as possible, without any unnecessary bloodshed. All taloni met, when not working evil on others, were to be given the message of Shiera.
On food
Food could be a source of joy; the faithful were advised to learn how to best cook it and to gather new recipes and spices whenever they could. They were to feed themselves by their own gardening and fishing skills, and assist fishermen when possible. If food was aplenty, part of it was set aside and given to all those in need (especially outcasts and individuals of other races thus, Shierites were advised to carry some food for this purpose. Any remaining food was given to priestesses and pirests of the Wavemaiden, as they would give it away in turn and none would go hungry.
On conflict
Shierites were commanded to repay violence with swift violence, thus quickly removing dangers and threats, so that the innocent should never be hurt. The bodies of evil enemies were to be sunk at sea as an offering to the goddess, unless they were edible and non-sentient and hungry people were near. When faithful, friends, and allies fell in battle, priestesses of the Wavemaiden were to comfort and sooth those who were mourning the loss, and provide a funeral song and burial.
On possessions
Wealth was to be used to buy food, swords, armor, ships, naval equipment and musical instruments and to assist the work of the goddess. When helping others, their price should be no more than a single tool or favor, or a good sword or armor, that could be used to serve the goddess' will.
On slavery
Shiera and her church detested slavery and actively fought it whenever possible. Followers of the Wavemaiden were forbidden to take slaves. Prisoners of war (mostly slavers or untrustworthy individuals who had acquired too much knowledge and were held for some time so such knowledge couldn't be used against the followers of Shiera) were usually made to work for food and shelter, but they weren't owned and couldn't be commanded by anyone (only supervisors assigned by the decision-makers among Shierites could give them orders, in selected cases).
Worship
Priests of Shiera usually prayed for their spells at the rising of the moon or in the middle of storms.
Her worship was not bound by hard rules; it was free-form expression through dance and song, and all that was needed to celebrate her was a holy symbol and a place of prayer near the sea, lit by the moon(or some kind of light, if in places that couldn't be reached by moonlight).
