Saints and Shrines of the Diaspora

Nearly ubiquitous throughout human-settled space, often existing comfortably alongside more centralized, structured religions, is the veneration of figures who do not pretend to omniscience or omnipotence: tutelary deities, nature spirits, revered ancestors, culture heroes, and exemplars of righteousness. This last category (and sometimes the latter three together) are called saints.

Many of these venerated figures are hyper-local, and their cults are relatively recent developments; a shrine or spirit house in a village might honor the settlement's founder, one on a space station might honor a legendary hero who defended it against raiders, and one on a freighter might honor the progenitor of the captain's family. A few older saints (and ex-deities unglued from old faiths) came with humans from Old Earth and are widespread throughout the diaspora. They go by many names, but those below are the most common.

WHO IS HONORED AT THIS SHRINE? (d20 or d66)

1. Amaya. A niche in the shrine contains an exquisitely detailed figurine of a middle-aged woman. She wears sumptuous red (or occasionally blue) robes decorated with pearls and precious stones; sometimes, instead, the figurine is cast in solid gold. Amaya is a protector of travelers and patron of all who make their living in space, especially the crews of merchant ships. On less-developed worlds, she also appears as a patron of sailors and fishermen.
2. An. The shrine is neat and clean; off to one side, out of the way, is a small figurine or icon of the saint, who is depicted as a serene elderly woman, sitting or standing in a relaxed pose. Her hands rest at her abdomen, thumbs and index fingers touching to form a diamond; some supplicants tattoo an image of such hands, or a simple diamond shape, on their own abdomens. An is the special patron of bureaucrats, scholars, and teachers, but is entreated by all who seek serenity in a situation they cannot control.
3. Bosh. The shrine more likely contains her symbols—a seven-pointed crown, a fist clutching seven arrows, or a cloud unleashing seven lightning bolts—than an image of the saint herself. When she is depicted, she usually appears as a muscular young woman. The number seven is invariably incorporated into the design of the shrine (it might be supported by seven pillars, seven mirrors might be set in its walls, or seven lamps might hang from its roof) and pilgrims leave offerings in groups of seven. Bosh is especially venerated by athletes, miners, technicians, and all who do physical labor or work with explosives or electricity.
4. Doro. The shrine is small and tucked away in an overlooked corner, perhaps entirely hidden. The saint is depicted variously, as a mural or figurine, simple or detailed, often as a black or blue cat, often as a girl or young woman, and sometimes as a girl with cat-like features. Doro is a patron of sorcerers and magicians and a finder and keeper of secrets. Scholars pray to her for success in their research; spies and others who work in the shadows entreat her to keep their deeds obscure.
5. Eshba. The shrine is strikingly decorated in black and red, and patterned with sets of three dots, arranged either in a line or as an equilateral triangle. If there is an image of the saint, they appear as a blank mask or a simple, featureless figurine. Eshba is a messenger, an opener of doors, and a restorer of balance. They are prayed to for the receipt or delivery of good news, for the righting of small wrongs, and for new opportunities.
6. Genia. A life-size statue stands at the center of the shrine. She has dark brown, black, or occasionally very dark blue skin, and is usually depicted with four arms, but sometimes with two and sometimes with ten. She wears voluminous pink and blue robes and a silver crown. Genia is a protector of refugees, displaced people, and the oppressed and downtrodden in general.
7. Khadir. There is usually not a shrine as such, but offerings to the saint are brought to a spring or a tree. If there is a purpose-built shrine, it is always in the form of a fountain, a garden, or a small park. The saint is usually not depicted, but maybe be represented by a simple effigy of bound twigs or woven reeds. Khadir is venerated by a great variety of people and accorded a vast range of powers and portfolios: He is a keeper of secret or endangered knowledge; a protector of waters; and a patron of gardeners, farmers, interstellar navigators, psychics, and seers.
8. Leb. The shrine is in the form of a small shelter, with a few cots. The saint may be depicted, in a mural or relief carving, as a traveler or beggar in humble clothes, carrying a stick, staff, or club, often with a begging-bowl at his feet. Those visitors to the shrine who are able leave food, clothing, and sometimes money or other valuables for those less fortunate. Leb is a patron of the lost and desperate.
9. Maxim. The shrine's most prominent, and sometimes only, feature is a scarecrow-like effigy of the saint, depicted as an old, one-eyed old man in a wide-brimmed hat, sometimes wearing sunglasses. He sometimes wears a fashionable suit but just as often wears a simple, colorful poncho; his feet are always bare, and supplicants often bring shoes among their other offerings. He is entreated to intervene in all manner of relationships: for love, to repair existing romances, to smooth over rocky business partnerships, and for vengeance against personal enemies.
10. Nin. The shrine is small and cluttered, and features multiple mismatched murals, icons, or figurines of the saint, who is depicted as a child of indeterminate gender with a small body and an enormous head, usually wearing large, archaic spectacles. Supplicants pin, tape, or plaster handwritten papers to every surface in the shrine. Nin is the special patron of writers and programmers, but is entreated by all who must write prose or code, or whose life or livelihood depend on somebody else's writing or coding.
11. Om. The shrine prominently features a large statue or icon of the saint, who is depicted as a man with the head of another mammal—usually a water buffalo, but sometimes a donkey or, in remote places, some other, more exotic animal. He wears a long, bright yellow tunic with wide sleeves to accommodate his four arms, which hold dumplings, candy, fruit, and cooking utensils. Om is the special patron of artists and scientists, particularly chefs and chemists, but people of all backgrounds entreat him to bring them good luck.
12. Padma. The shrine is lavish, with many gold or gilded fixtures. A statue or icon shows the saint as a beautiful woman wearing a five-pointed crown and draped in jewelry, gold-embroidered finery, flowers, and mirrors. Padma is the special patron of entrepreneurs, businesspeople, and lovers, but is entreated by all for prosperity, abundance, and fertility.
13. Quan. The shrine is tidy and richly decorated; at its center stands a life-size statue of the saint, a red-faced warrior sometimes depicted with tusks or fangs. One of his arms is held upright and holds a weapon, usually a pistol or large knife; the other is empty and held at his side, palm down. Quan is venerated by police and criminals alike, and entreated by common people to protect them from violence and to keep the powerful honorable, or at least to divert the gaze of the powerful from the supplicant.
14. Riss. An abandoned or leftover space has been turned into a shrine, which is decorated in eclectic fashion. No two shrines to Riss are much alike except that most, somewhere, feature the saint's symbol: two arrows converging on a common point. The saint is variously referred to by female or nonbinary pronouns and is never represented visually. Riss is a patron of musicians, poets, actors, spies, forgers, and generally anyone who must lie or contort the truth.
15. Sombra. The shrine has a vaulted ceiling and prominently features a large statue, icon, or mural of the saint, who is usually portrayed as a skeleton wearing feminine clothing (often white but sometimes red or multicolored), but sometimes as a male or nonbinary figure and sometimes as an extremely gaunt, pale person rather than a skeleton. Sombra is a patron and protector of those who work at night or in the dark, especially in dangerous trades: sex workers, bouncers, bartenders, taxi drivers, salvors, and shipbreakers, among others.
16. Tara. The shrine is in a high place, or features a ladder or stair to a high niche that features a mural or icon of the saint, depicted as a muscular young woman, often winged and sometimes having the head of a bird—usually an eagle, a falcon, or some other fierce raptor. Bird, wing, and feather motifs feature throughout the shrine. Tara is a patron of nurses, social workers, advocates, public defenders, and all who seek strength and courage to defy injustice or oppression.
17. Tshi. The shrine, usually humble and rustic, prominently features a small icon depicting a mustachioed, long-haired man; the medium and colors vary, but the composition is curiously consistent from one shrine to the next. Around the icon stand potted ficus trees and (or in lieu of the trees, if the environment won't support living plants) murals of leaves and figs. Tshi is a patron of radicals, revolutionaries, those who work among the poor, healers, and all who resist tyranny and injustice.
18. Yurka. The shrine is unadorned, and prominently features a life-size statue or effigy of the saint, who is usually depicted as a man in armor or a spacesuit (often orange), but sometimes as a nonbinary person or genderless figure, like a humanoid robot or an empty spacesuit. The figure often holds a machete or leans on a standard topped with a flag significant to the locals. Yurka is a patron of soldiers and explorers, and entreated to deliver loved ones safely home from danger or to bring them success and glory.
19. Ziv. The shrine is festooned with ribbons, garlands, lamps, and mirrors. If depicted at all, the saint is probably depicted in several different places and in several different forms (as a small figurine, a larger statue, a mural, an icon). These images appear half-hidden behind some of the other features, with the saint often holding a mirror in front of their face or wearing a mirrored mask. Ziv is a patron of dancers, acrobats, smugglers, and all who wish to live fluidly and evade constraints.
20. A syncretic figure combining elements of two or more of the above (roll d20 twice; roll twice more for each subsequent 20, but reroll other repeats)
21. A recent ancestor of a prominent local family
22. A distant ancestor of a prominent local family
23. Multiple ancestors of a prominent local family
24. An distant relative of a party member or of somebody they know
25. An ancient culture hero venerated by a local group
26. The founder, or one of the founders, of this community
27. An early patron of the community (or the expedition that founded it)
28. A hero who rendered an immeasurable service to the community
29. A luminary who brought fame and respect to the community
30. An historical figure honored throughout this region
31. A benevolent local spirit who offers boons or protection
32. A wise or curious local spirit who shares lore or secrets
33. An indifferent local spirit who commands awe and respect
34. An erratic, sometimes dangerous local spirit who must be pacified
35. A mischievous local spirit who must be bribed to behave
36. A malevolent local spirit who must be appeased

 

WHAT DO PEOPLE OFFER THEM? (d20)

1. hell money
2. coins
   
3. incense
4. candles
5. milk or cheese
6. fruit or juice
7. alcohol
8. oil
9. flowers
10. herbs
11. cooked rice
12. pastries
13. candy
14. spices
15. crystals
16. stones
17. toys
18. poems
19. written secrets
    
20. something unique to this saint or ancestor