Pecunia

Mask

Pecunia herself is almost always depicted as a beautiful human woman, constantly smiling; she wears the finest of golden garments, richly adorned with jewelery, yet has the iron collar of a slave about her neck. In one hand she holds a coin; in the other, a chain and shackles. The garments, jewelery and coin represent the bounty of Pecunia; the collar, shackles and chain represent the bondage that money (or the lack of it) can bring. The smile of Pecunia has long inspired debate amongst theologians; some maintain that it is the smile of the golden goddess, whose coin can buy the world and all within it, whilst others claim it is the fixed smile of the slave, bought and sold like any other goods. she is often represented with a bird about her shoulders; a swift, a bird known for its habit of migration between lands, and for its plaintive cry of "News! News! News!". It is said that the swift travels the world daily and at night brings word to Pecunia.

A.K.A.

The Golden Goddess

Force

Light/Illuminatus

Aspect

Wealth (material/immaterial), Trade (Prostitution), Communication/News, Travel, Greed/Ambition, Theft/Fraud

Sects

While Pecunia does not have sects it could be said that in Dort the religion has become some what of a specialization.At some point in the distant past, the people who now inhabit the lowlands and the capital city came to the island. Among the changes they wrought on the isle was a devotion to a new deity: Pecunia. the new folk were determined to carve out a niche of "civilization" amidst the wild ways of the Clansmen. Under the guidance of the Golden Lady, they profited and eventually became the dominant force on the isle. It is believed that she made a pact with the jealous Sea God so that he would extinguish the Father's influence enough for Pecunia to gain power on Dort.

Regions

Dort, various other places in Tazlure

Pecunia has many temples throughout the Seven Isles; her cult is immensely popular, since nearly all aspire to wealth. Most marketplaces contain a shrine to the goddess, and shopkeepers will often keep a shrine within their premises. The temples of Pecunia often accommodate shops on their exterior walls, and the priest also operate stalls within the temples themselves. In the Western Kingdom an altar is maintained in the Embassy of the Seven Isles.

Rituals

• Burning of expensive cloth/wood
• Splashing of expensive perfume around the circle.
• Longer and more important prayers/rites could involve melting of coins into statues of the godess/symbol of Pecunia.

Sayings and dogmas

• 1 Money is the wise man's religion
• 2 To know that one has a secret is to know half the secret itself
• 3 When it is a question of money, everyone is of the same religion
• 4 Secrecy is best taught by starting with ourselves
• 5 Pecunia loves those who love themselves
• 6 A man's most open actions have a secret side to them
• 7 If you'd know the power of money, go and borrow some
• 8 Three can keep a secret, if two are dead
• 9 When money speaks, the truth keeps silent
• 10 Your secret is your prisoner; once you reveal it, you are its slave
• 11 With money in you pocket, you are wise and you are handsome and you sing well, too
• 12 Whoever wishes to keep a secret must hide the fact that they possess one
• 13 Coins must roll; money must move
• 14. One must spend money before one can gain it
• 15. Wealth is useless unless you flaunt it.

Symbol

The Coin.

History

The cult of Pecunia is essential to the economic well-being of the Seven Isles, for it forms the foundation of the thriving trade system, a common point of exchange between all races and lands, with the priests acting as bankers and lenders. This centralized area also allows the swift and efficient exchange of information; traders and merchants visiting the Temple of Pecunia in one land can often be persuaded by the priests to carry letters to another, or to escort a messenger of the Temple itself, if confidentiality is required.

The temples are places of great wealth, and a hotbed of news, scandal and conspiracy. It is therefore essential that they are well secured. Each temple employs a number of well trained guardsmen, who like the messengers of Pecunia, are discreetly and extremely efficient. The guardsmen of Pecunia will dress like ordinary citizens, or well-to-do merchants, or even priests/priestesses of the temple, and constantly patrol the area for thieves and spies. Intruders are questioned and then dealt with ruthlessly. It goes without saying that the inner chambers of a temple of Pecunia are amongst the best protected and most dangerous places in any town.

There are only two pre-requisities for becoming a priest/priestess of Pecunia; a proven ability to haggle, and a willingness to take a vow never to pass up the opportunity to make money. Priests/Priestesses of Pecunia climb the secular ladder by paying a substantial fee to the temple; the more money a priest generates for their temple, the more quickly they will move up the hierarchy! In return, the temple will allow them to keep a percentage (which rises as the adherent rises in the hierarchy) for their own personal use.

The priests/priestesses of Pecunia are not only driven by money; they also have to be political animals. It is a source of great pride within the temples of Pecunia that their messengers are amongst the safest and more trusted in the Seven Isles; their confidentiality is guaranteed, for without it the reputation, and business, of the cult would suffer. Of course, if there is an opportunity to make money from the information that passes through the temples, then fine and good, just as long as the client's confidentiality is not compromised. The messengers are not priests but specialized scouts, on occasion hired from the scouts guild though the temple also retains her own messengers.

The temple hires out servants and the like (cooks, gardeners). The authorities have reason to suspect that the temple Pecunia is involved in some shady type dealings. The temple in the Citadel runs a Dort type school for the children of the the persons in the employ of the temple and anyone who can pay for the classes.