Naca-Larow

"Naca-Larow, the Blue God, whose tears created the seas and the rivers, whose mind can answer any question, whose tempest will wash all that is wrong away. Please lend us your knowledge so that your light may shine"The prayer of Naca-Larow, emblazoned on the front of The Law of the Porphorion Empire Vol. 4   During the The Travail, after Geolu had created the sun to give light to the lands that Bord had dreamt of, Naca-Larow looked out and wept as she realised that even she could never know everything about existence, those tears created the Sea. And even though she knows it is a futile exercise, it has not stopped Naca-Larow trying to learn and master all knowledge.   Those who worship her depict her as a broad shouldered older woman with a hint of a smirk on her face. Over one shoulder she carries a net bag containing books of all the knowledge that she has yet to read. Her hair is bound in a storm blue turban; she wears a bodice created from the wood of ships wrecked at sea; and she leans against a staff that looks akin to a ships mast. But the most striking aspect of her are her tattoos. From head to foot, every inch that can be seen of her is covered in continuously moving, ever changing blue tattoos that writhe and weave across her. It is believed that all she has ever known is drawn onto herself as these tattoos, and any question that is asked of her, an answer will be shown. However if you should ask her a question she does not know the answer too she will become sullen, then angry, and you will see the storm as she cries.   Many scholars follow Naca-Larow, and all who do so believe that she is the member of The Six that has visited the mortal realm the most. She is an endless traveller, always searching for new knowledge, and if you were to ever visit her in her realm you would not find her. However, sometimes at a port, or in the hold of a ship, or maybe just walking along a river or in some old long forgotten cavern; you may find an old woman who smiles and offers to answer one question for you, if you can tell her a story which she does not know.   Those who claim to have met her as she walks Porphoria describe her as having the personality of a grandmotherly matriarch. Generally happy, and openly inquisitive, yet easy to anger. One story related many times is of a traveler known as Tamet, supposedly the founder of Nagastrak who was travelling through the icy waste that would become the province in which Nagastrak sits and became separated from her families caravan. Whilst lost, and close to death she fell through ice and believed herself dead. However in what seemed to her but a blink of an eye she found herself awakening inside a small tent outside of which sat an old woman cooking fish on an open fire. The old woman explained how she had found Tamet dying and unconscious on the side of a river and had nursed her back to health. The old woman and Tamet were heading towards the same town so agreed to accompany one another with the hope of finding Tamets caravan. After three days of travel, where the old woman continually told stories to Tamet of all the places across Porphoria, they came across Tamets families caravan, destroyed and burnt. Although the old woman tried to console Tamet, as soon as she found out that the cargo which the caravan had been carrying was a stash of ancient texts bound for the library in Larrowsaur (now all cinder and ash in what remained of the cart) the old woman flew into a rage and ran off, disappearing into a snow storm. After three more days of dangerous travel Tamet once again came across the old woman, sitting next to a frozen lake. When Tamet enquired of the old woman why she had run off she stated that she knew the culprits would have to head towards this lake and would need to cross, she also knew that this lake was arduous to cross, especially during snow storms, therefore she wanted to get there in time to help the men cross. When Tamet stated her distain, the old woman chuckled and pointed out to the middle of the lake where could be seen several patches of fresh ice. " They did not accept, and instead chose to force me out in front of them tied in my own net bag, to check the ice, which I happily obliged, leading them to a point where I thrust my staff down into the snow, shattering the ice, and watched them sink as deep as their own ignorance" she said. She smiled at Tamet and with a wink started slowly across the ice beckoning her with her staff said "Now my dear, if you follow me I will always show you the right path, you just have to search it out yourself".  

Followers of Naca-Larow:

Sailors, Scholars, Teachers, Historians, Explorers, Boat Makers, Merchants, Archaeologists, Book Binders, Librarians, Anthropologists, Fishers, Those Travelling.  

Ways to Worship:

As with all of the six there is no singular way in which the followers of Naca-Larow worship her. You may find clerics who have devoted their lives to her maning the strange library like structures that often make up temples to her. These clerics are often dressed in blue robes, and will tattoo the names of each book they have read onto themselves in a sign of their devotion to her. Other times worship may look a simple as a the well cared for collection of books many pirate captains have displayed in pride of place in their quaters.   However there are several practices which almost all followers of Naca-Larow adhere to. As is probably easy to understand the most important aspect of worshiping Naca-Larow is to read... a lot, and through this search for knowledge. Another common practice followed by these worshipers is to do what is known as "embracing the storm". Because of this is it not uncommon to find a follower stripped naked standing beneath a dark and lightning filled sky shouting and raging, letting all their pain and anger out. Nore is it unsuprising to find captains that adhere to the worship of Naca-Larow to lash themselves to the wheel of their ship during even the most devastating of storms, sing their praises to the "Salt Eyed One" in the hope that she will spare their cargo and their friends.   Although these practices are the two most common for her worshipers, there are several others which may be found for instance:

Carrying of a net bag;

Tattooing of the names of books which the worshiper has read;

Wearing of a wooden breastplate;

Fighting with a bo-staff;

Washing in Salt water;

Undertaking lone travel;

Making/ copying/ writing books;

Wearing of a Blue Turban

Looking for lost knowledge in the many ruins of previous civilisations that are scattered across Porphoria;

Wearing a small boat shaped necklace.

Some also see certain types of Piracy as a devoute pursuit for Naca-Larow, however this is not seen as dogmatic by most of the Empire.