Aquatic races usually venerate their own gods and avoid attracting her attention, for her monsters prey under the sea as well as upon it.īesmara has a buccaneer’s heart and mind. She has few priests, for pirates are more superstitious than religious, but she counts among her followers anyone who has made a desperate prayer to her when facing death on the sea or given tribute to gain her favor. In her interactions with sea monsters, she doesn’t play the motherly, brood-creating role that Lamashtu does, but rather the clever bully who keeps other bullies in line through physical threats and force of personality-her monsters are like vicious dogs who reluctantly obey her command to heel only because she can hurt or kill them, rather than loyal beasts who comply out of respect, love, or devotion. She enjoys strife more than peace, as when two nations squabble she has more opportunities to plunder both sides and blame her attacks on the victim’s rival her followers have been known to stir up trouble by sailing aggressively (or even attacking) while using a temperamental nation’s colors or falsely claiming to be “legitimate privateers” as they attack in peacetime. She grants spells to righteous privateers battling the Chelish navy and to murderous buccaneers who give no quarter to defeated opponents-much like the war god Gorum, her interest is in the conflict, not the consequences of its resolution. She doesn’t care about good and evil, only pursuit, battle, and reward. Her power as a goddess has waxed and waned in response to the naval power of coastal empires, but even when at her most vulnerable she has found ways to escape capture or destruction. She is comfortable with her current level of power and notoriety, and knows she cannot unseat a major deity such as Abadar or Gorum (though if she had an opportunity at such a prize she just might take it), so she entertains herself by raiding the outposts of celestials, fiends, and minor deities.īesmara’s existence as a deity predates the Age of Enthronement by several centuries, and as a spirit millennia before that. With this long history of playing both sides, she leveraged power for herself by destroying and consuming rival spirits of wood, gold, and battle, and eventually became a minor goddess of piracy, sea monsters, and strife. She gained fame among primitive tribes for her willingness to drive these creatures toward rival coastal villages later, when tribes began boat-raids on other settlements, they found she could be bribed to fend off these attacks with her monsters or arrange for predation-free sailing for the aggressors. Originally Besmara was a powerful water spirit with an affinity for manipulating sea monsters. Fight for plunder, fame, and glory, and earn your place among the legends of the sea.” “Carve your name on the ever-changing sea with a saber of terror and triumph. ![]() She has little power or interest in the mortal world beyond the sea and its immediate reach. Mayors of port cities and captains of merchant vessels curse her name, for her followers are a direct threat to legitimate trade. Even the most irreligious pirate captain throws a share of treasure overboard now and then as tribute for the Pirate Queen. ![]() ![]() She cares little for senseless murder or other unprofitable acts, but is willing to take risks to attain great prizes. She is brash, lusty, confrontational, and greedy, but follows a code of honor and is loyal to her crew and allies as long as it serves her interests. ![]() Besmara (bes-MAR-uh) is the goddess of pirates and sea monsters.
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