Artaq

Artaq the Wanderer
Domains	Travelers, hospitality, exploration, adventure, discovery, guardian of lost souls, horses, humility
Subsidiaries:	Mercurim, Demigod of messengers and news (close friend of Artaq) Oneiro, Carrier of dreams (Artaq's retainer) Proserpine, Demigoddess of Marriage (Artaq's ward)
Additional Symbols	Walking stick, lantern, apple
Colors or Aesthetics	Dark brown and dark green, practical clothing

Basic Overview

Artaq is the benevolent god of travelers. He is a lover of the spirit of adventure and discovery, and is said to protect those who venture forth with an open heart and generous spirit. Because of their facility to his adherents Artaq is also the god of horses, and he gives them great wisdom, for beasts. In addition, Artaq is the guardian of those who are lost, particularly lost children and lost souls. He watches over those who are missing from their homes and may be invoked to protect or guard someone in unknown circumstances, to gentle their hardships if not necessarily to bring them home. Although he is not a patron of their craft, Artaq is also a diety precious to sailors who take long journeys, though his blessing on a journey would always be invoked before departure while still on dry land, on the assumption that Artaq would never overrule the will of his parents with regard to a sailor's fate once at sea.

Mythology

Artaq is the child of Marina and Nimbus, who knew that the creatures of the land would venture forth onto their seas to find other lands to explore. As a young god he explored the whole of the world, marked and named all of its places, and became beloved of many peoples. Because he is a gentle and generous god, the fondness of people for him was never cause for jealousy amongst the others. But also because of this humble nature, he was never one to inspire others to make great temples on his behalf, like many others did. On his journeys, Artaq fathered many children who went on to be great adventurers and explorers themselves, but he never found a true life's companion of his own, happy in the completeness of his journeys. His dearest friend is Mercurim, a child of Erixx and a mortal woman named Alithia. Mercurim serves as a messenger and herald for all the gods, flying around the world on winged sandals made as a gift for him by Coron. He and Artaq meet often, sharing meals and stories in the course of all they see and do. Artaq is his patron amongst the Gods, and sees to it that though half-mortal he is sheltered and protected and given welcome in all places. This is why messengers and heralds are given special treatment in almost all the civilized lands of the world. To do his work, both inspiring and guarding those who travel freely, Artaq employs the hand of Oneiro, a spectral creature who carries dreams out to the minds of sleepers, often inspiring them to wanderlust at his command. He is also the guardian of the maiden Proserpine, goddess of marriage, who governs over a journey that people may make in their lives without leaving home at all.

Popular Stories

The most popular myth of Artaq is his rescue of Proserpine from the Sundered Lands. Beshaba, jealous of the beauty of the demigoddess who governed the perilous trails of marriage and wished to see all such joys in the world undone, whispered lies to Nul and persuaded him that Prosperpine's time to die had arrived when it had not. He carried her away himself, but because it was not yet her actual time she was trapped in Ravnos's clutches, and he would not release her. Artaq learned of Beshaba's deception and rushed to her aid, journeying through many dangers to reach the sundered lands and retrieve her before she could be destroyed by Ravnos's ambition. Artaq carried her back to the heavens where she belonged, but would accept no gift from her in thanks save an apple she had carried with her for all the terrible journey. He planted the seeds of the apple all over the world.

Worship

Simple Devotions

Artaq is seldom the primary object of a temple. There is only one major temple on the Isle of Alba and that is at Carfax Abbey, but he is a widely respected god who is frequently invoked. Travelers might engrave horses or apples onto walking sticks, traveling packs, or belts in the hope that he would look favorably on them, and carry those objects with them. Small roadside shrines can be found to Artaq all over the world, often very simple ones. Traditionally these will be small sheltered places made of local material, half-roofs over a small back board and a narrow altar, one of these holding a representation of the rampant horse that is his symbol. From the board will be hung tiny braids of horsehair, sometimes colorfully dyed, or of soft thread meant to represent horsehair. These can be hung by travelers wishing to pay homage or relatives seeking a blessing. A lantern is a customary accoutrement as well, or a representation of a lantern. Such places tend to be found near simple often-used campsites along trade routes. Devotees will usually plant apple trees near such places, both as a devotion and as a gift to wayfarers, and if a lover of Artaq perishes on the road it is not uncommon to lean his or her walking stick against a shrine of this type, to be a tribute to the god until another traveler requires it. At home or where a shrine of Artaq is not specifically present, lovers of the God may hang the horsehair or bright braids in a window as a tribute to travelers away on a journey, wishing them to be home, and to keep a light burning in a window to guide the loved one back to them. At festivals, a horse may have their mane and tale braided and decorate, but be paraded without rider as a tribute to absent friends. It is customary when confronted with the riderless horse (or on some other occasions when it is appropriate such as festive toasts) to bow one's head and tap the center of the chest twice with the tips of the fingers of the right hand for each person you wish to pray for - mingling the beating of a heart with the sound of a horse's hooves.

Major Religious Centers

Deeply beloved in northern Abruzzo and eastern Malay, with a major temple in Lourdes. A popular god in Hispalis, also. The Lourdes temple is a rarity, as there are few major temples to this god, and is built in a unique style that incorporates architecture from many distant lands into a complicated fusion which some architects criticize for being a random heap of conflicting aesthetics, while others treasure for its unique composite forms.

Formal Orders

There are very few formal temples devoted entirely to Artaq, and priesthood is largely an ad-hoc matter where a traveling devotee makes a visit to a shrine and swears his life to the service of the God. Such an individual is called a friar, and ordination of this sort can be undertaken personally and without elaborate ceremony, but is usually the result of an apprenticeship to another. At the few temples of Artaq, retired friars have gathered together and devoted themselves to building something in their old age. The priesthood there remains informal also, with little structure beyond having the longest serving resident in the nominal position of leadership. Such places tend to accumulate libraries of information about distant places and memoirs of travelers. They are benevolent and bound to hospitality, welcoming all comers who offer them no harm, and sharing knowledge freely with strangers. Almost all those who serve Artaq undertake a modest vow of poverty, particularly those who serve in temples. While not bound to reject all coin or livelihood, it is against their principles to accumulate much wealth, when others may be in need. Friars who do not retire to a temple but do survive to see the end of their traveling days in peace will frequently set up a hostelry of some sort, and use their modest means to benefit other travelers. Ostentation is against the ideals of Artaq, but it is not forbidden friars to make a living by whatever means they may. Most are almost entirely nonviolent unless in self-defense. No devotee of Artaq, and most particularly no friar of Artaq, would ever steal anything that did not belong to them. It is generally believed that the anyone who pretends to be a servant of Artaq to gain trust in order to profit or decieve others will be plagued by terrible nightmares from Oneiro until penance is achieved, and the superstition of nebulous harms associated with the idea means that it is in fact a very seldom used mechanism of deception. A true friar of devotee of Artaq who knowingly stole something that did not belong to them would forfeit the gods protection and, it is believed, will eventually come to misfortune on the road.

Presence in Alba

Stuff