Sandpoint Cathedral

A small group of townsfolk, mostly the elderly venture inside the cathedral where they are given a tour by the clerics. Easily the largest building in Sandpoint, this impressive cathedral is also the town’s newest structure. Built over the foundations of the previous chapel, the Sandpoint Cathedral is not dedicated to the worship of a single deity. Rather, it gathers under its eaves the six most commonly worshiped deities in the region: Abadar, Desna, Erastil, Gozreh, Sarenrae , and Shelyn. The building provides chapels for all of these deities in a communal forum— in a way, Sandpoint Cathedral is six different churches under one impressive roof. Yet even the previous chapel wasn’t the first holy site in this location. The core of both the original chapel and the new cathedral is an open-air courtyard surrounding a set of seven standing stones, which themselves surround a circular stone altar. These stones served the Varisians for centuries as a place of worship; although the Varisians generally venerated Desna and various Emphyreal Lords at these stones, the stones themselves have a much older tradition as they were presents before the first settlers arrived.   The original chapel hosted a collection of six different shrines, each housed in its own building and connected to the others by open-air walkways. Desna’s worship was incorporated into these shrines as part of the peace accord with the local Varisians, but the original builders included five other deities as well. Four of these (Abadar, Gozreh, Sarenrae , and Shelyn) were patrons of the original founders of the Sandpoint Mercantile League, while the fifth, Erastil, was the most popular among the initial settlers.   When the chapel burned to the ground, Mayor Kendra Deverin set into motion a bold initiative. Not only would the chapel be rebuilt, but it would be rebuilt on a grand scale. A cathedral would be constructed in place of the chapel, and it would be made of stone and glass. Funding for this project came partially from the founding families, partially from Sandpoint businesses eager to earn favor in the eyes of the gods, and partially from the respective churches. It took years to finish the cathedral, but the end result is truly impressive. To the south, facing Sandpoint’s heart, are the shrines of civilization: Erastil and Abadar. To the west, offering a view of The Old Light and the sea beyond, are the shrines of Shelyn and Gozreh. And to the east, overlooking the Boneyard and the rising sun, are the shrines of Sarenrae and Desna.   Today, the town’s high priest is a pleasant man named Abstalar Zantus. As with Father Tobyn before him, Father Zantus is a worshiper of Desna, but one more even‑minded than his predecessor and more welcoming in his personality. Abstalar is very open about matters of faith and has slipped with ease into the role of advisor for worshipers of other gods of Sandpoint.

- Rise of the Runelords: Session 1
Explorative Piety