San Marino

San Marino is one of the Great Saints of the Bastonian Pantheon, elevated to godhood by the Almighty Herself to be an example to her chosen people, the Bastonians. Known by epithets such as The Merchant Saint, there's no surprise that he is the patron of Merchants, Sailors, and other career travelers.

San Marino' symbol is a compass rose. The Albatross, king of all sea birds, is held sacred to him.

History

San Marino was elevated by the Almighty after the foundation of Bastonia and the original elevation of San Heather and San Lukas. According to legend, San Marino was an explorer, trader, and Cartographer, who standardized sea routes to both the Shimmering Shore and the Atarlie Empire. It is said that San Marino, acting on dreams sent to him by San Lauren, was able to hunt and destroy the Arcwhale, a servant of the Enemy, though he lost his ship and his life in the attempt.

For their efforts, he was elevated to Sainthood and immediately ascended to Heaven, serving the Almighty as the Saint of the Seas, one of their many epithets. for this reason, his patronage includes sailors and merchants, along with career travellers of many kinds, including adventurers.

Relationships

Marino is a relatively junior Saint, having been created only in the last few centuries. As a result, he is sometimes looked down upon by veteran San Lukas, who sees him as mean and callow - by comparison, Marino tends to see San Lukas as vengeful and self-righteous. He has a common cause in the protection of travelers in uncivilized lands with San Lauren (to whom he was a devotee in life) and his merchantilism goes hand in hand with San Heather's portfolio of urbanization and craftsmanship.

San Marino has no patience for San Verus, who is dangerous, wild, and unsalvageable. By contrast, he views San Meteo as suspicious and greedy, but relatively salvageable, and occasionally even works alongside San Meteo if the two come across a common enemy. This practical consideration does not extend as far as the Enemy, however.

Appearance

San Marino appears a young man in his prime, often in the dress fashionable for merchants of the period, whose irises, inspected closely, are opal rather than typical blue. He is a proud man of impressive stature and composure, with dark hair and typically a light stubbling of facial hair.

Realm

It is unclear if San Marino has a permanent realm. He is the traveller among the gods of the Bastonian Pantheon and though he is welcome in heaven or any of the other domains, he is rarely in any of them for long. It's possible his realm is the Aetherwing - his transplanar galleon - itself.

Providence

The faithful of San Marino believe that sudden windfalls of financial fortune or breaks of pleasant weather are proof of his approval, whereas sudden increases in expenses to the point of bankruptcy, or an unpredictable storm, might be the sign of his displeasure or wrath.

Servants

Good trade relies on the adherence of agreements, both formal and informal, and while he is served by a great many of lawful creatures, he is particularly fond of Kolyarut Inevitables

Unique Servants

Medici the Banker

San Marino's herald is a unique Kolaryut Inevitable known as Medici. San Marino frequently sends his herald to bargain with mortals or other divinities in his own stead, and it is said that they speak with the same voice.

The Bastonian Church

The bastonian church is unified in the worship of The Almighty, which is observed by not just her direct followers, but even by those patronized by the other Saints of the Pantheon. The church teaches the performance of good works and the cultivation of compassion as the roadmap to ultimate salvation and an afterlife spent in Heaven.

Devotees of San Marino are known as Marinites.

Worshippers

All Bastonians worship the Almighty, and some further dedicate themselves to the saintly sailor San Marino.

Marinites draw their ranks heavily from sailors, especially merchant mariners, as well as merchants, bankers, and other captains of industry or commerce.

Clergy

As what the Bastonian Church calls a religious order, the Marinites have their own unique statutes of dress. Marinite priests and clergy always wear robes of a deep emerald green unless the liturgical occasion suggests a more appropriate form of attire. Such robes are usually very well made and feature embellishments not seen among other saintly orders, like lace or ornamental clasps.

Temples & Shrines

Like much the rest of Bastonian architecture, temples and shrines to the Almighty are often masterworks of masonry or stonework, which in wealthy communities are often further embellished with stained glass and frescos, depicting a popular saint in the region or scenes from the sacred texts. Such structures are usually subdivided internally, with an area for public ceremony and worship (which is frequent) and an area for the sole use of the clergy and those who serve the clergy in liturgical preparation, and temple complexes almost always include an outbuilding or suite of rooms known as the rectory, where the priests serving a particular temple have residence.

Most ships have a small shrine or alter established to San Marino, and all harbours have chapels dedicated solely to him.

Holy Texts

In addition to the holy texts used in the worship of the Almighty, members of the Laurentian order follow a document called the Law of San Marino. This document and its commentaries through the centuries comprise several dozen volumes and touch on subjects as practical as religious life and commentaries on The Rubiriks along with a "moral ethic" for merchantile and commercial practice that emphasizes fair dealing, social responsibility, and charity.

Church History

The church and the state are intimately connected within Bastonia, with the state relying on the church for its legitimacy and the church relying on the state's realpolitikal power to stay in rule. The Almighty's church is considered coterminous with those of all other saints and is the only legally-permitted form of open worship within the Kingdom.

Holidays

San Marino's feast day is the fall equinox. He is also commonly invoked at seafaring occasions such as the launching or decommissioning of vessels, the opening or closing of a fishing season, or the start of a long journey by sea. Festivals in his name usually involve the distribution of gifts of currency and rich feasts.

Favoured Animals

The Albatross, being the king of all sea birds, is sacred to the Saintly Sailor.