Church of Valkur

The church of Valkur was the collective of individuals that venerated Valkur, the Northlander hero-god of sailors. While it was one of the smaller denominations in Faerûn, the faith was notably influential among coastal settlements in the Realms.

"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."

- Excerpt from the Valkuryte dogma.

Dogma
Valkuryte doctrine taught that nothing made one more alive than struggling against the forces of nature, and that no feeling could surpass standing upon the deck of ship, feeling it rock upon the waves of the sea and the spray of wind and water against one's face. It was a philosopy of taking chances and pushing the boundaries of possibility, both for the exhilaration and the betterment of humankind. Appropriately, it was discouraged to always rely on Valkur to remove dangers, a coddling that would only lead to stagnation; rather, Valkur helped those who helped themselves, best aiding those who solved their own problems by pitching in to their efforts.

Conversely, Valkur's dogma actually deprioritzed loyalty to Valkur himself. One's shipmates, the people they most held dear, were those whom they owed their first loyalties, and second to them was the vessel upon which they sailed the seas. After mate and ship, devotion was owed to Valkur himself, for it was he who protected all that took to the waves.

Attitudes
Water genasi that venerated Valkur were warmly welcomed by skippers across the realms and were held in some reverence by most sailors.

Beliefs
Followers of Valkur and the coastal populations of Faerûn in general viewed Valkur as a rising power that stood against the influence of the Gods of Fury, albeit one that could not be relied on without consistent entreaties to garner his focused aid. Nearly every sailor made offerings to Umberlee before heading out to sea, even despite the promises of Valkur's relatively weak church. In some areas where the church of Umbrlee was strong, sailors dared not mention his name for fear of angering her, but such behavior became less common as Valkur continued defying her without much response, and his popularity stood to increase if he reduced the amount of lost ships.

Most of the Valkuryte clergy from the Sea of Fallen Stars believed retaining Valkur's favor (and that of lay-worshipers) required at least seasonal voyages, and so many fell into the habit of exploring most Inner Sea ports and often traded temple duties with their fellow clergy.

One order of the faith subscribed to the belief Valkur was more the god of exploration and discovery, rather than the patron and protector of sailors at sea.

Activities
Most members of the Valkuryte clergy served as officers on some ship or others. Some clerics outright captained their own ships, leading voyages across the breadth of the Sword Coast or even the Sea of Fallen Stars, while others oversaw shipyards or directed operations within mercantile fleets. Many enjoyed serving their homelands as privateers, but few turned to a life of piracy. Piracy was treated respective to the violence done towards other sailors, meaning that those who did as little violence as possible could even expect friendliness, while those who brought unneeded torment, death and destruction received poor welcomes. Taking part in slavery (including "kidnapping to the waves") and the use of undead in crews meanwhile was completely fought against.

Valkurytes had an interesting relationship with the law. On one hand they frowned upon and secretly worked against the monopolization of shipping and were wary of attempts by the upper class to covertly control economies by underhanded tactics like "arranging shortages". Furthermore, while they didn't advocate smuggling, especially illegal goods, Valkurytes saw part of their work as aiding sailors, particularly against unfair rules. As a result, they were often willing to hide smuggled goods, arrange undercover trades and help sailors fleeing the law. Payment was never requested, but accepted and often wise for regulars to their services. Otherwise, they did not approve of sailors aiding rebels against any but the most naval-opposed authorities and would never knowingly aid such conspirators.

While their ships were docked and they remained on land, Valkuryte priests often lent their care and a degree of financial support to unfortunate or stranded sailors. They made efforts to put retiring sailors in contact with those who could provide them lodging or work, and to trace relatives and former shipmates. They also donated sea rations and other supplies to either the unlucky sailors themselves or their families, such as when their breadwinners had been lost to sea. Clerics were also fond of contributing to, if not wholly sponsoring, expeditions for exploration or long-distance travel. The was because of rather than despite the potential risks and rewards.

Organization
The church of Valkur was not exceptionally organized, and individual priests typically only came together in worship when aboard the same ship or when their vessels were docked. Despite this, each Valkuryte temple maintained a strict hierarchy among its own clergy, though they hardly recognized the stature of priests in others congregations.

Titles
Valkuryte clergy in Faerûn maintained different titles for its members depending on the region in which they lived. On the Sword Coast, titles of the Valkuryte faith were as follows (in ascending order): swab, Gob, Seaman, Sailor, Boatswain, Third Mate, Second Mate, First Mate, Captain, Commodore, and Admiral. Regardless of title, the head priest of each temple was referred to as High Captain.

Sayings
Some Valkuryte expressions included:


 * "By the wheel!", an expletive expressing surprise.


 * "Brokenkeel!", an expletive expressing a negative situation.


 * "Storm at the helm!", an expletive denoting a dangerous problem.


 * "Drown!" or specifically "Drown you!", an expletive expressing ill will at a person.


 * "Safe harbour!", a blessing requesting Valkur aid the recipient.

Orders
The Order of the Calming Wave was founded by a group of pirates from the Sea of Swords who abandoned their worship of Umberlee after a particularly dangerous storm. They believed that they survived by Valkur's hand and dedicated their life to serving their new deity and growing the monastic order.

The Marines of the Seven Seas was an armed navy dedicated to ridding the Sea of Fallen Stars and Sea of Swords of maritime monsters including krakens, dragon turtles, morkoths, quelzarns, vurgens, gigantic octopi and other sea monsters that preyed on shipping

The Sailors of the Heavenly Seas was a flotilla of spelljammers that left Realmspace and rarely returned to their one-time home on Toril.

Classes
Specialty priests of Valkur, known as wavetamers, were largely responsible for spreading the Captain of the Wave's faith across the Realms. His clergy was about two-fifths clerics and three-fifths wavetamers, but during his rise, attributable in part to the latters' efforts, the wavetamers were increasing in number while the clerics slowly dwindled.

Many clerics of Valkur also became divine champions or trained as fighters or rogues.

Rituals
Followers of Valkur observed and performed about a dozen different religious ceremonies, most involving ships and sailing, including rites for bestowing a ship a name, setting sail, returning home, and arriving at a new port.

Valkur's priests prayed for their spells at dawn, when the first breeze cut through the morning air. His name was invoked to bless dead sailors and lost ships throughout the realms, although the name of Umberlee was used more often.

Celebrations
The church of Valkur celebrated a single holiday marked on the Calendar of Harptos, known as the the Shattering. The festival marked the beginning of sailing season in waters around the North for the year, but was celebrated even in the south where winter ice did not interfere with ocean travel. The exact day varied every year, often between cities, and it was said that Valkur himself came to his High Captains to share the precise date. It was celebrated with the naming and subsequent maiden voyages of newly-built ships crewed by the clergy and the unfurling of new sails for experienced vessels throughout the port districts of coastal cities.

Regions
As of the late 15 century DR, worship of Valkur appeared especially or wholly concentrated within the Moonshae Isles. While he was revered by the local Northlanders for centuries, by that time he had attained the distinction of regional hero-god amongst the people of the Moonshaes.

The Lands of Intrigue were however once considered the center of the Valkuryte faith. The worship of the Captain of the Waves had spread rapidly down the Sea of Fallen Stars. This included throughout the realms of Aglarond, (particularly Velprintalar and Furthinghome), Telflamm, Tsurlagol Altumbel, Impiltur,  and the Wizards' Reach.

Temples
Valkuryte temples were always established within the port districts of cities, often built right upon the docks facing the sea, and the oceanside ones were always encrusted with salt and grime. The were constructed to resemble sea-faring ships, with central columns of ironwood resembling masts festooned with constantly-fluttering, vibrantly-hued sails, which created either an endless rustle or cacophany. This was thanks to the open-air architecture on the above-ground level that allowed coastal winds and rain to pass through, especially in regards to their sanctuaries. Their underground chambers resembled a ship's hold, in which could be found vast amounts of cargo necessary for any voyage across the seas.

The operating funds of most temples came from rich merchants seeking Valkur's favor for risky sea endeavors. Temples could be rather rowdy since many unfortunate sailors were permitted to spend their nights there.

Notable temples included:
 * The Protectors' House, a small, splendid, two-story temple carved from distinctive emerald marble from the Deepwing Mountains. One of the four caryatid columns along the front colonnade depicted Valkur as one of the four protective gods revered within, representing him as a barrel-chested figure of a ship captain with a symbolic trio of lightning bolts for a cloak clasp. The shrines were spread out and decorated as was orthodox for the faith, with Valkur sharing the main floor with Shaundakul.
 * Sailor's Last Request, a simple Valkuryte chapel found in Waterdeep.
 * Schooner of the Seas, a floating temple that has sailed to at least four continents around Toril, including Zakhara and Maztica. The fastest ship in the realms, speculated to have been built by Gond and given to Valkur who then bestowed in on his priests as an example of the potential future of sailing.
 * Storm Horn, the Valkuryte temple of Murann.
 * Temple of Endless Waves and Winds, a temple built atop a colossal zaratan that sailed the southern Sea of Fallen Stars.
 * The Valkurhouse, a temple found in the city of Alamontyr, whose inhabitants considered Valkur as the protector of those individuals sailing the Lake of Steam.
 * Valkur's Berth, a cellar underneath Tholone Lane where emergency or short-term lodging was provided with sailors. It was always at least slightly flooded, and one of the quieter, less ornate and less socially prominent of Valkur's temples, but also wealthier and more pleasant than usual.
 * The Wavehall of Valkur, a temple in Waterdeep tended by several priests of the faith during the 15 century DR.
 * The Wavelord's House, A former church of Umberlee before it was burned down by the pirates ousted from the city of Tulmene by Queen Zaranda in 1367 DR A year later it was cleaned up and a dolphin was emblazoned over the door. The church had seen slow and steady growth since.

Other unnamed temples could be found in Tulmene and within Dolphin's Leap in Velen. Shrines to him could be found up and down the Sword Coast and Sea of Fallen Stars, although those of Umberlee were more numerous.

Possessions
Valkuryte ceremonial garb included flowing, silver-trimmed, white and blue robes that flared up at the smallest gust of wind. They wore cutlasses at their side and carried with them a small vial of sea water for use as a holy symbol, although some carried sturdy pieces of jewelry for that purpose.

While at sea they dressed as any other sailor, or as appropriate for their rank. They preferred common sailor's weapons and light armor whether on land or sea– with one exception: Valkuryte priests that could afford such extravagance often commissioned custom chainmail armor that could be doffed in moments with a simple clasp. This greatly lessened any possibility they could be weight down if required to go to sea.

Spells
Notable Valkuryte spells included:
 * Cure scurvy
 * Favor of Valkur
 * Home port
 * Sea legs
 * Ship shield
 * Still waves
 * Swim
 * Weathertell

Relationships
In regions where the worship of Umberlee was prominent, devotees of Valkur kept their worship secret.

For some time, Valkur was considered among the patron deities venerated by the Harpers.

History
The worship of Valkur originated in North Faerûn centuries before the Era of Upheaval century. He seemed tied to the story of a legendary captain from Mintarn, a mortal sailor (possibly himself) who challenged Umberlee and emerged victorious against all odds. From there his faith spread quickly to Tethyr and Amn, where it became centered, steadily increasing southward.

By the era of the Second Sundering had undergone a significant transition. By the late 15 century DR had became closely—if not exclusively—associated with the Northlanders of the Moonshaes and nearby frigid north.

Notable Valkurytes

 * Amagar Warland, a wild-bearded and aged, yet still-vigorous priest of Valkur and resident of Valkur's Berth, known for his many flamboyant tales and attempts to draw other sailors there with temptations of escorts.
 * Duil Dolphinson, a priest of Valkur and affected, fawning little man responsible for tending to the Storm Horn temple.
 * Ildul Murrock, a sarcastic, scarred, old and faithful worshiper of Valkur who freely provided space for Valkur's Berth beneath his eyeglass store and regularly contributed to the meals and comfort of its clergy.
 * Ilmar N Rys, a priest of Valkur who headed the Wavelord's House.
 * Jalatharra Storn, also known as "Storm Bird" a darkly beautiful priestess of Valkur and common if inconsistent resident of Valkur's Berth known for her short temper, restlessness, wild but quick love affairs, and yearning for more than the docks.
 * The Storm Maiden, the mighty warrior blessed by Valkur and Umberlee who led a tragic campaign against the king of Norland after allegedly being overtaken by the latter.
 * Thamalon Uskevren, a powerful figure within Selgaunt and worshiper of Valkur (as well as Tymora and Waukeen).
 * Valla Dorminthar, priestess of Valkur and the kindly yet burly Veteran Lady Master of the Gallant Lady.
 * Vox Dorrg, the king of Ruathym who ruled from the Hall of Black Waves.
 * Yves Carrack, the priest of Valkur who administered his faith in the basement of Dolphin's Leap tower.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Storm King's Thunder
 * Storm King's Thunder