Alignment: TN

Domains: Repose, Stars, Travel, Community
Symbol: A Navigator’s Compass, Golden Road, Freebird

There are three different denominations of Takri Worshippers, each with their own origin stories and their own ways of doing things. However, rituals are similar, and the main purpose is the same. Priests of the three denominations get along OK - they all understand that they all get their spells from one divine source. The main differences are in the communities they serve - and the way those communities think - after all, most priests are drawn from the community they serve.

Takri the Navigator is popular with sailors and seamen, her main following is in the islands and along the coast. However, she also has a following among long distance, overland, traders.

Lore: She was a sailor from a distant island, and was captain of a small vessel that traded and fished around the local coast. One day a great storm arose and sank much of the fleet, Takri managed to save her small barque but it was pushed further out into the Ocean than any vessel had ever travelled before. For many years her vessel roamed the far seas, scraping a living from the few islands they encountered and surviving many marvellous adventures. However, eventually, even Takri and her intrepid crew tired of roaming, and decided it was time to make her way home. So she prayed and vowed to the gods that if they would guide her home, then she would spend an eternity as their guide in return. They took her up on it, and made her a demigod – and gave her the task of guiding the dead to their afterlife.

Takri the Navigator she is the patron of navigators and a psychopomp. Symbol: A Navigator’s Compass

Takri the Golden Road is mainly followed by the Hann. Takri is not part of the main pantheon, but is an 'associated' deity. With no overlap betweer the pantheon and Takri's portfolio, her graveyards and shrines are welcome throughout The Empire.

Lore: During the earliest times some of the gods noticed that after death, some of their followers souls were going missing. Investigations showed that the souls were getting intercepted by Spirit followers of the LE deities, were intercepting the souls and taking them as slaves for their master. The gods' solution was to take the first passing soul and make it a demi-god charged with escorting souls to their proper place in the afterlife. Takri now oversees an army of Life Lights, small (TN) spirits who wanted some sort of purpose in their afterlife, who lead the souls of the newly deceased. Rarely does Takri need to get involved at all. Because of her role as a guide many travellers make small donations and offerings to Takri before, during and after their journeys.

Takri the Guide is an important psycopomp, and minor patron of travellers. Symbol: Golden Road.

Takri the Freebird is an integral part of the Sahkar Pantheon, where she represents the spirit of freedom in a locked down world.

Lore: Takri was a slave who had to stay home. She was fascinated by the stars and often climbed to the tops of the buildings to draw pictures of them and their layout. However, as a slave she could never be free to cahse her star-dreams. However, on her death her body was cremated, as is the custom and her soul was visible in the smoke that rose from her pyre, in the form of a two-tailed free bird. She hasn't really left us a and now helps guide other souls to their afterlife.

She is venerated as a psycopomp, a star-mapper and an icon of freedom.

Followers: Takri does not have many dedicated followers but most Mourners (during funerals) & Navigators (when they make a reading) will say a prayer, and make a small sacrifice, to her. In Sakhar, she is often petitioned for a moment or two of freedom - although she is rarely the main deity of anyone - even the slaves.

Priests : Takri’s priests are tasked with aiding travellers both in life and death. They mainly consist of Undertakers, Funeral Directors and the like - with a few adventurers, Navigators and Guides thrown in for good measure.

Most of Takri’s priests are multi-classed and their priestly class if often the junior class. Examples might include the farmer who looks after the local cemetery (commoner3/adept1), the guide for the travelling show (Bard2/Cleric1), an undead hunter (Fighter3/inquisitor2), ships’s navigator (Expert 2/Adept 2)

Doctrine Takri is mainly concerned with death, and the soul's journey to its afterlife, and she believes that the Undead should be helped to complete their proper journey.

Her priests have a number of responsibilities.

• Obvious things
  • Conducting Funeral Services Notes (in some cases, summoning a very minor Psychopomp to guide the dead soul onwards. Depending on local custom the body could be buried in the ground or at sea, cremated or even exposed. Takri, isn't concerned about the empty shell)
  • Putting Undead Down Notes (Deliberate undead (those who choose to be undead) are an abomination. Others are just unfortunate.)

• Less Obvious and, to some extent, depends on the denomination
  • Putting up sign posts so travellers know where they are and which way to go.
  • Draw / Display maps to help travellers plan their journey.
  • Draw / Display star maps. Observe the stars.
  • Community Involvement. Life Events - Birth, naming, coming of age, marriage, motherhood, divorce, retirement, death and other Key Events during a journey through life. More Rather than conduct a ceremony priests of Takri act as witness to those events that their community wish to celebrate – normally by being present and shining the Light of Takri on the events (Light spell). It might be that a woman gives birth in a dark hut that is lighted by a priest of Takri or a priest of Takri holds a light high as the happy couple proclaim their own marriage. The events will change from region to region, but they are all marked in the same way – the Light of Takri)

However, there are no great religious tracts or tablets of rules, rather each priest tells their own stories of journeys, funerals they have conducted or help they given travellers.

Structure: Takri does not have a formal overall church hierarchy but relies on a local structures to do her bidding. The Chantry priest is often 'head' of a local 'network' of graveyards and holy houses.

Graveyards are generally managed by part-time priests who are also a part of their local community. They may be farmers, leather workers, carpenters or follow any other sort of business as part of the local community. They will witness Life Events (see above) in their community and are generally helpful to travellers who seek them out. Most Graveyard based priests live in the community, rather than specifically at the graveyard. They do not charge a set fee, but they expect family and fried to make a contribution on behalf of the deceased. For anything beyond the basic service, expenses need to be covered, donations need to be larger etc ….

Holy Houses More sophisticated than graveyards, Takri's Holy Houses have crypts below them to house the bones of the dead.

Chantries are priories, complete with memorial gardens and underground crypts. Often founded as a memorial for someone important, the names of the dead are inscribed on the walls of the garden and read aloud each day by the priests. The remains of wealthy or prestigious ‘clients’ are kept in the crypts. While having little direct relevance to the doctrine of the church, Chantries generate an income which can be used to finance other graveyards and way houses. A chantry might be supported by an endowment (a gift of land, a business or (perhaps) the creation of a trust fund.) that generates an income for the house.