Shinare

Shinare is the goddess of wealth, industry, and commerce. Though many of her followers are merchants, her influence spans legitimate and underhanded commerce alike, and she receives occasional worship from thieves. Despite this, most consider her a goddess of fair dealing; supplicants pray she favors them as they bargain.

Shinare was called from the Beyond to serve Gilean. She is companion to Sirrion, though their relationship has been volatile and problematic. She is also friendly towards Reorx, Kiri-Jolith, and Majere. She opposes Hiddukel, who serves as god of ill-gotten wealth and bad business deals.

Aspects. Shinare’s aspects appear as any race or gender. When she manifests, it is typically in the form of a plump, older, and well-dressed individual. Most of the time her outfits incorporate precious metals.

The Church of Shinare
Shinare’s Holy Order was founded upon the principles of honest communication, negotiation, and transaction between those who have something of value and those who want it. Although this sounds like a faith based solely on profit, this is not the case. Rather, Shinare’s clerics are masters of finding solutions to the problems of inequity, both fiscally and spiritually. It is very much a church with devoted and deeply religious members.

History. Prior to the Cataclysm, the temples of Shinare attracted a strong following among the merchants of Ansalon. Even in mighty Istar, her faith was very popular, despite its tenets of neutrality and enterprise. She was called upon regularly by both merchants and their customers, for all transactions are considered blessed by her invocation.

With the return of the gods following the War of the Lance, the church expanded rapidly, especially in Solamnia and Thorbardin. Even after hundreds of years, her faith blossomed with the War’s end. Among the many mercenaries and sellswords that arose from the war, Shinare’s worship was common, and clerics devoted to her also rose from their numbers. Thus, travelling caravans and merchant vessels enjoyed both the spiritual and physical protection of the goddess.

During the time between the War of the Lance and the rise of the Knights of Takhisis, Shinare’s priesthood was the strongest advocate of progress and industry. Its ministries contributed to the refinement of many trade networks, businesses, and approaches to commerce, and great cities such as Palanthas and Gwynned grew closer together, their isolationist policies steadily replaced by mercantile profits.

Cleric Training. Shinarean priests are recruited by church elders from a pool of likely candidates that is collected over the course of the year by the priesthood. Most of the candidates in the pool are promising sons and daughters of merchants, nobles, or artisans, and a lengthy approval process is undertaken by the church and the candidate’s immediate family or sponsor. Because of the intensive recruitment process, and the possibility of not being selected, aspirants are almost universally dedicated and hard-working individuals with a real desire to succeed.

Once a candidate is selected and approved by the elders, his or her training begins in earnest. Depending on the era, this can take as little as a month or as long as three years; some priests never consider themselves to have completed their training, even on their deathbeds.

A cleric of Shinare is expected to invest his or her time expanding business opportunities, offering diplomatic services, or conducting other duties pertinent to the Holy Order both during training and afterward. Yearly reviews of their performance are carried out by the elders, which can greatly affect a cleric’s status in the Holy Order and the length of their religious education.

Preferred Vestments. Shinare’s clerics wear fine robes of cloth-of-gold, a brown ermine-trimmed hood, jewelry, and a gold medallion of faith. Shinarean priests are usually fairly affluent and reflect this in their vestments.

Prayers and Rites. Clerics of Shinare pray for their spells in the evening, at close of business. Prayer includes recitation of core principles and articles of faith, and promises are made to Shinare to uphold her contracts and covenants. Clerics frequently tithe a portion of their income to local temples when traveling, and a slightly more significant amount of their income to their home church. This money is seen as a legitimate and respected offering, not a bribe, for it is wealth earned by the cleric’s own efforts while acting in Shinare’s name.

Clerics of Shinare might be called upon by merchants, nobles, and other patrons to conduct lengthy rites of contractual obligation, the sanctifying of signatures, or the blessing of new business partnerships. Once a year, on the Day of Hearing, the church in every major town or city opens its doors for the populace to bring their contractual grievances to Shinare’s altar, there to be given advice, counsel, and support from the Archmaster. This involves very complicated rituals, known only to upper-level clerics, as a way of keeping younger clerics in line.

Holy Days. The Day of Hearing occurs on the 8th of Sirrimont, and is the holy day of the faith; it is mentioned above under “Prayers and Rites.” On the Day of Hearing, the clergy hears various problems from locals and listens to presentations on new enterprise that might interest the church.

The Golden Week lasts from the first of Sirrimont to the fifth. During this time, the cleric fasts and starts taking an inventory of his wealth. He also makes plans for the next year and sees how his investments are paying off. This is a private ceremony but, on fifthday, the cleric entertains friends and fellow Shinarean priests in celebration of his insight, fortune, and social success.

Quests and Tasks. Clerics of Shinare work hard to amass wealth and prestige, but they understand that the path to Hiddukel is also paved with steel. They are the principal founders of many ventures on Krynn, for their scriptures tell them that their work must serve the community they live in.

Some clerics travel the world, helping merchants and storekeepers for small fees. These mendicant merchant- priests are a welcome sight in many cities and small towns, as they act as moneychangers and end disputes between merchants. All clerics of Shinare are expected to pursue their own mercantile or diplomatic careers as well as serve in the priesthood, and there are few guilds or syndicates on Ansalon that are not served by the support of a cleric of Shinare.

Allies. In the past, the Church of Shinare’s greatest allies among the Holy Orders have been those of Reorx and Sirrion. The latter surprises many secular groups because, at first glance, these churches have nothing in common. In truth, the clerics of Sirrion are highly important to those of Shinare, for they bring about much-needed change and maintain a constant, if sometimes tumultuous, dynamic in society that supports the kind of economic diversity that Shinare’s clerics need.

In the Age of Mortals, especially in the years following the return of the gods, Shinare’s clergy will grow closer
and form stronger relations with the mainland Solamnic Knights, aiding the military order in their re-establishment, and securing assets and supply networks to provide regulated trade and dependable defense in the region. Indeed, talk has been overheard that the higher echelons of the Church of Shinare have positioned their goddess as the replacement in the knighthood for Paladine. Whether this is just market speculation, or creative public relations, is still unclear.

Enemies. Hiddukel’s cult is the Holy Order of Shinare’s greatest foe. Their relationship is so hostile and abiding that they have even been known to infiltrate each other’s Holy Orders in an effort to undermine their foe. Shinare’s clerics never resort to criminal or unprofessional behavior, but the line is routinely approached where Hiddukel’s order is concerned.

The Church is frequently at odds with minor nobles, robber barons, and shifty merchant princes in parts of Ansalon, individuals who would prefer not to have the Goddess of Fair Trade oversee their crooked deals. Even without Hiddukel’s influence, mortals are capable of sufficient greed to occupy any champion of Shinare for his entire career.

Mysticism and Magic. Because of the relatively smooth transition from clergy to secular organization and back, with mysticism as a tool for managing that change, Shinare’s church holds little disdain for the use of ambient divine magic. Most, if not all, of her followers converted back to using her miracles once her planet again traveled the sky, but no persecution was instituted, no inquisition conducted. If a mystic can carry out their activities with Shinare’s tenets in mind, then their help is appreciated; however, they would still be considered lay members rather than ordained clerics.

Arcane magic, no matter the source, has been looked upon by Shinare’s clergy as everything from an instrument of enterprise at best, to a frustration at worst. Mages need supplies, just like any other professional, and the Church has its influence over the spell component, potion-brewing, and scroll-engraving businesses. The distinction between the gods-granted magic of wizards and the Chaos- influenced powers of sorcerers is still enough to tilt the situation in the wizard’s favor. Shinare’s clergy frowns upon anything that could introduce a significant unchecked risk to the market.