Way of the Warrior Saints/Saint Segarre

Saint Segarre is the patron of ale, wine, and general bawdy knavery. He is commonly known as "The Saint of Knaves", and is often looked down upon by the pious for being too ribald.

He is the also the saint of feasts, and springtime, and often called upon by drunkards.

Segarre is depicted as a handsome man with a round belly. He wears a cloak, courtiers clothes, and carries a silver goblet and a golden dagger.

History

It is written that in the days immediately following the Great Cataclysm, there was a mead hall on the northern coasts, known far and wide for it's feasts and revels. Segarre was born here, to a noble mother and a great king. He was raised to have a taste for wine and ale, so that he could trade far and wide for the greatest vintages in the land.

A handsome young man, he traveled across Atamara delighting and charming everyone he met. There was not a hall that he did not raise a cup in, nor one where the people did not fall under his spell. He led a small group of merry warriors, and they fought many monsters and wayward bandits in their travels, and were hailed as heroes wherever they went.

But soon, in the east, he came upon a famished land, where a Traitor King (who had stolen his throne in an uprising) sat on a grim peasantry. They toiled in sadness, while the king held onto his power with a tenuous grip. His bride was young and unspoiled, and hated the sight of him. Segarre met with the king, and was offered no bread nor wine. To rebuke this affront, he seduced the king's bride, and stole away with her.

The armies of the Traitor King chased Segarre and his Prize across many regions, but he bested and tricked them at every turn (as recounted in "The Thousand Nights"). When, at long last, they cornered him on the western shores, and defeated his men, he said nothing. He simply reached into the sea, and pulled out a handful of pearls for his lover, the stolen bride. Then he was riddled with arrows, and sank into the brine.

Upon his death, the soldiers that had slain him suddenly realized their folly. With no one to chase, they had no purpose but the service of a traitor. Without Segarre and his tricks, their lives were empty and joyless. They joined the stolen bride in her grief, and as one, dropped to their knees and prayed with solemn regret.

The Earth and Stones heard their prayers, and for a brief, holy moment, turned the sea that day to wine. Segarre awoke, and rose with a silver goblet in hand. He was never more beautiful, and rather than have vengeance done upon the army, he drank with them, and showed them the glory of revelry.

He was now a Warrior Saint, having been brought back from cold death by the Earth and the Stones, so that he might share his great warmth and charm with the world.

Rituals

Adherents of Saint Segarre are pledged the seeking out of festivity, and so the Cycle of Segarre is the primary festal calendar of the Way, with every Tuesday being a day of special holiness, for it was on a Tuesday that Segarre was resurrected and drank with his old enemies. So on that sacramental day, the faithful rejoice in memory of the Saints, and think not of grief.

Cycle of Segarre

The first Tuesday of a month is a Great Feast, and only priests and other holy folk may work, and that only to assure the proper progress of festivities. Also, warriors may defend their lands on this day, but may not launch any attack. Nor shall any village have any market on a Great Feast, unless they should also have a market at another time of the week; moreover, no lender shall collect a debt on any Festal Day, nor shall any man be executed or tortured.

The second Tuesday of a month is a Restful Feast, and no man may be compelled to do any work, even a warrior in the defense of his lord's land shall not be held to be under compulsion on this day, but all market rules apply.

The third and fourth Tuesdays of a month are Usual Feasts, and all people are encouraged to enjoy the day as they might. Warriors and priests shall have no special rules, but no farmer shall be compelled to bring in his harvest or slaughter any animal on these days, and all other market rules apply. These are the only work exemptions on Usual feasts.

In the event that a month shall have a fifth Tuesday, it is a Particular Feast, in which each village shall observe the rules of a Great Feast, yet shall also engage in special celebrations of its patron Saint, and have specially rigorous observations of that saint's ritual.

Notable Scriptures

"Blessed is the cup of the hospitable man, and long shall be the life of the opened door. Wise is he who welcomes strangers, and wiser he who remains one." (The Thousand Sleepless Nights Abroad, Chapter 4, Section 1, Line 4)

"Youth is the time for revelry, for travel, for the wild wanderings of the heart unbound by the fetters of obligation. Therefore, let the old men sit in council, let the whitebeards discern the law, and the young shall live." (The Thousand Sleepless Nights Abroad, Chapter 7, Section 3, Line 16)

"The Cycle is of celebration, even for the deathwise." (The Thousand Sleepless Nights Abroad, Chapter 16, Section 2, Line 5)