General Information/Religion/Priests of Baketis

From Westaven

The Priests of Baketis are generally monastic, occupying building complexes outside most major cities (as well as some smaller towns in fertile areas), where they farm, tend orchards and vineyards, make cheeses and breads, and--most importantly and all but universally for their order--distill alcoholic beverages. Of this last, the priests are the only source of the much cherished drink lavindeed.

The priests wear long, homespun cloth tunics, and keep their hair long and hangiong over their eyes, or pinned up on top of their heads while at work in the fields, the kitchen, or the brewery. They are generally not very cleanly, having dirty aprons and greasy heads. Most are overweight; in fact, the more a priest of Baketis weighs, the better his god is seen as treating him.

For great times of the year these men keep vows of silence, choosing to follow Baketis by making and indulging in vast amounts of foodstuffs, from which they believe conversation is an obstacle.

Their organization is simple: an Elder Priest of the monastery is sole ruler of his priests.

Our heroes visited the Baketis monastery southeast of Piercy on 3 October 985. At this time Shimtalk traded "favors" with his pleasure slave (Twicka) for the Elder's lavindeed.