Valkur

Valkur, the Captain of the Waves, was an exarch of Tempus, patron of sailors, ships, favorable winds, and naval combat.

Description
Valkur's avatar appeared as a man of broad girth with a full black beard and brown eyes that sparkled with derring-do. He was often depicted wading through the ocean, the water only coming up to his knees, and was known to actually make such appearances.

As buffeted by uncountable storms as he seemed, Valkur always looked dapper. His fantastic captain's outfit consisted of a blue frock coat with gold braid trim and brass buttons over a colorful brocade vest and white shirt with a ruffled collar and cuffs, along with knee-length trousers, hose, and shoes, with silver buckles. His tricorn hat shared the same color scheme, blue but trimmed in gold braid, and featured a large, white plume.

Manifestations
Valkur often manifested as an aurora borealis or aurora australis and sailors swore he appeared to becalmed ships at sea as a ghostly wind in which his image could be faintly glimpsed. Sometimes he manifested as a ghostly ship on the horizon, which always sailed to the nearest port but never seemed to get closer or farther away, and others claimed to have seen him stride through the waves dragging a small boat to sailors who went overboard, feeding them with the sea biscuits and casks of water contained within.

Valkur was served by many intelligent and benevolent animals, including dolphins, whales (especially narwhals), and sea birds. He used the latter to indicate his mood, manifesting as a silver albatross or gull drifting on the wind currents to indicate his favor and as a night black raven to convey his displeasure.

Relationships
Valkur's philosophy often put him in conflict with the capricious ocean-goddess Umberlee and he was a sworn enemy of the Deities of Fury. He was friendly with Selûne, who guided sailors across the sea.

Clergy
The church of Valkur 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.

Monastic Order
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.

Holy Days
Valkur's church celebrated only one holy day known as the Shattering. The exact date of the festival varied but it was always celebrated in the spring. The purpose of the festival was to celebrate the breaking up of ice floes in the north, which marked the beginning of the sailing season.

History
It was believed that Valkur may have once been a mortal sailor who challenged Umberlee and emerged victorious.