Help me design a religion for space pirates

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

So, my Traveller game is underway, and it's even more pirate-themed than I'd expected.

Since I hadn't given any restrictions to what careers the players could use, we have one full-fledged pirate on the team and another who's a general thief. The other guys are navy veterans, so they've unwittingly (I think) cranked up the pirate quotient of the game, which is all to the good, since that was the way I was going to take the campaign anyway.

So I'm busy liberally stealing inspiration from the Caribbean, real life pirates, Jimmy Buffett lyrics and any pirate adventure I've ever enjoyed. This is good, since it forestalls me having the Planet Express and Heart of Gold crews show up.

But in the interim, I need a religion for some of the characters of Aramis subsector to belong to, mostly for the purposes of calling out for divine intervention or wishing horrible things on their enemy. I'd like it to have at least some roots in either real-life Caribbean beliefs, cinematic takes on piratical beliefs (like Davy Jones) or at least a nod to real-life sea gods (I've been pulling the names for planets and moons from Greek sea gods and goddesses, for instance).

Any suggestions?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Star faring, superstitious or religious pirates might be more prone than others to be into some form of astrology, perhaps even along the lines of the stuff you find in Mythos storylines or the 4Ed Starpact Warlock fluff (esp. As seen in the Dragon article).

OTOH, as starfarers, astrology may just be a joke to them.

Voodoun has some promise, as you note, because it is very flexible and adopts elements from other religions as kind of an overlay to it's core beliefs in spirits & loa and what they do.

Other legends might be typical of pirate lore throughout history: idyllic paradises, isolated communities with cannibalistic tendencies, ghost ships, lost treasures, sirens, half-human entities...all of which could translate well into a space campaign.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Voodoun has some promise, as you note, because it is very flexible and adopts elements from other religions as kind of an overlay to it's core beliefs in spirits & loa and what they do.

That was my first thought.

Second thought? Something Cthulhu-based.

Final thought? You must use Reavers from Firefly in this campaign.

 

[Alaxk Knight of Galt]

If you've got time to read, you might check out Lies of Locke Lamora for the Nameless Thirteenth (aka the Crooked Warden), the patron saint of thieves. It also has some great plot hooks / devices such as the Secret Peace (an agreement from the theives guild in the city not to steal from the local nobility).

 

[Rhun]

Final thought? You must use Reavers from Firefly in this campaign.

"Reavers might take issue with that philosophy. If they had a philosophy. If they weren't too busy gnawing on your insides."

I have no clue what religion Space Pirates might follow...Voodoo sounds like a good start. Or maybe a religion that sees acquisition of wealth as a way to achieve immortality? That would explain their pirating ways.

 

[wolfpunk]

You could also introduce some sort of creed to live by. Here is the one I use in a basically Lawful Evil nation.

If you get caught stealing an item you are guilty.

If you can steal an item without getting caught, you are not guilty. You may openly use the stolen item without repercussion.

The victim must find a way to either win the item back or to steal the item back without getting caught.

To admit something was stolen from you is to lose face.

To steal from one’s enemy earns you honor.

To steal from the enemy of one’s people makes you a hero.

Stealing an item from someone whom employs you for any reason is punishable by the ruling of a judge.

Stealing an item from someone you employ for any reason is punishable by the ruling of a judge.

Not per say a religion, unless it is the tenants of one of your religions.

 

[Wik]

I saw this thread title, and all I could think of were the space rastafarians from Neuromancer. I mean, Rastafarian, space-weed smoking, hippy-esque space pirates would be pretty damned cool.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Flying Spaghetti Monster anyone? They'd be ... space pastafarians!

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Something syncretic for sure. Pirates come from all cultures and mix and match freely from them all to create a hodge podge of superstitions.

Some might hark back to ancient (or not so ancient) tales of the golden age of (planet-bound, sea based) piracy. They may make heroes/gods out of the more famous pirates. Oaths like "Teach's smoking beard!" or "Blood's Balls!" (Yes I know Captain Blood was a movie pirate, but do the space pirates?) On a similar note: "Flynn's Mighty Member!" or "Rathbone's Snarl!"

I also like the idea of anthropomorphising (is that even a word?) Space. It is the single most important thing in their lives. They live by space travel and preying on others who also live by space travel. They probably spend most of their time in space. And let's not forget the constant sense of danger, isolation and the ever present reminder of one's insignificance against the infinite Void. Funeral oration something like "From the Void we are born, to the Void we return." And just generally swearing by it. "Great Space!" and that sort of thing.

cheers.

 

[Mark CMG]

The Great Spider weaves a ship from space silk and when you die you must crew its ship. The Great Spider is black as space with a star formation/constellation on its backend made from tiny stars in the shape of a skull and crossbones. If you've been loyal to your captain(s) during your life, you sail through space with him forever. If you have been treacherous to your captain(s) in life, he eats your essence to spin more space silk. There's a moral about sticking together in there but you can ignore it.