Valkur

Valkur: The Mighty, The Captain of the Waves

Symbol: Cloud with three lightning bolts on a shield
Home Plane:
Alignment:
Portfolio: Sailors, ships, favorable winds, naval combat
Domains: Air Chaos Good Protection Ocean
Worshipers: Fighters, rogues, sailors
Aliases: N/A
Cleric Alignments: CN, CG, NG
Favored Weapon: Cutlass - "The Captain's Cutlass"

History/Relationships: Valkur (val-kurr) the Mighty is a sailor's god, a lesser power who intercedes to protect ships against the cruel whimsy of Umberlee and the destruction of Talos. He is a chaotic good deity, and not always responsive to his followers' prayers. As a result, worship among the sailors is more in line with trying to placate the Gods of Fury rather than seek protection from them--protection that may never come.

Valkur is the sworn foe of the Deities of Fury and looks to Selune to guide him across the oceans and seas of Faerun. He may have once been a sea captain from Mintarn who dared challenge Umberlee and won. The Red Knight, and through her Tempus, is trying to persuade Valkur to take more of an interest in the disposition of naval conflicts, but he feels his primary responsibilities lie in the protection of sailors.

Dogma: There is nothing more invigorating than challenging the elements. The feel of wind and spray on one's face and the deck pitching beneath one's feet is the greatest feeling in the world. If humankind is to expand its reach, daring men and women must defy the odds and dare the impossible. The thrill of exploration is sweeter than wine or rum. There is always risk, but without risk life is empty. Life is to be lived and damn the consequences. One's loyalties are first to one's mates, then to one's ship, and then to Valkur, who protects all sailors. Rely not on Valkur's hand to always extract you from difficulties, for such is coddling and leads to a lack of challenge and the room to grow. Rather, Valkur helps those actively solving their own problems by helping their plans work.

Avatar/Manifestations: Valkur sometimes uses dolphins as his sign that his presence is near.

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The Church of Valkur: The church of Valkur is only loosely organized, with clergy members coming together in worship only when serving on the same ship or in a port at the same time. Some clerics of Valkur captain sailing ships that sail the length of the Sword Coast or across the Sea of Fallen Stars. Most serve as officers on some ship or other. Few clerics of Valkur serve on pirate ships, but many enjoy serving their homelands as privateers. While in port, Valkur's clerics provide care and small amounts of monetary support to sailors down on their luck and to families whose chief breadwinner has been lost at sea. Other clerics run shipyards or administer fleets of merchant ships. Valkur's clerics are also fond of contributing to (if not totally sponsoring) seaborne exploration and long-distance trading expeditions because of the challenges and opportunities they present.

Clerics of Valkur pray for their spells at around dawn, whenever the first hint of a breeze begins to stir. The church of Vlakur celebrates only one holy day per year: The Shattering is always held in early spring, but the exact date varies from year to year. The festival is held to mark the end of winter and the beginning of the sailing season in the North and is celebrated even in the South where the winter ice does not block or trouble ocean travel. Valkur is said to communicate to his High Captains the exact date of the festival each year, and it often varies from city to city. The Shattering is marked by the unfurling of many new sails throughout the port districts of coastal cities and the christening of at least one new ship that then departs for its maiden voyage crewed by Valkur's clergy. Valkur's clergy regularly perform over a dozen separate ceremonies in the course of their duties. Most of these rituals are related to ships and voyages, including ceremonies at a ship's christening, before departing on a voyage, when arriving at a new port, and when returning to the home port, among others. Many clerics multiclass as divine champions, fighters, or rogues.

Valkur's priests are diligently trying to build up the popularity and strength of his church by showing that Valkur can indeed be counted on to protect the helpless from the gods of Fury. Since the clergy is a reflection of the god, they strive to appear tranquil, slow to anger, and not prone to sudden changes of plans, opinions, or mindsets. Their reliability is impeccable, since they want others to see that the faith is solid and trustworthy. Their patience is hard earned, because Valkur isn't as trustworthy as a devotee might wish, and the priests need to live with their god's chaotic behavior.

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