Efferd might seem clear cut, he is the god of the seas after all. In reality it's not exactly just as simple as that. Today I'd like to delve deeper into what Efferds aspects involve and why people worship him. This post might seem a bit different than the ones I've done before but Efferd has a more tangible domain than the philosphical domains of Praios or Rondra. This means that I also have to look at Efferd from a slightly different perspective.
The aspect of Water
Water is the reason why a Blessed one of Efferd is never in the wrong place even in the Khôm desert. No life could exist without water, and Efferd lords over all waters. Of course this includes the seas but it also includes the Great River that flows from Ferdok to Havena or even the few oases of the Khôm desert. Wherever there is water there is the work of Efferd and whenever one is in dire need of water one calls to Efferd.
The aspect of the Sea
The largest and most often looked at aspect of Efferd is the sea. For the Thorwaler Efferd is literally the Sea less of a god and more a force of nature manifest. For followers of the Twelvegods Efferd watches over the seas and everything that lives on or in them. This includes Fish and other maritime animals as well as the few maritime peoples who are still around and haven't fallen to demon worship. It also includes Seafarers. Anyone who enters a boat enters Efferds domain and is therefore advised to seek his blessing or otherwise be exposed to his everchanging moods. Fishermen also look to this aspect when they do their days work, as they and what they're trying to catch are both part of Efferds domain once they set off in their boats.
The aspect of the Wind
Wind is the second part of what makes Efferd the patron diety of seafarers. Most vessels on the seas use Wind to sail to faraway lands. Wind is also an important part of the moods of the sea, where it can create storms or calm the seas to a point where sailors despair because they can't continue.
The aspect of Emotion
So far I've mentioned moods and emotions quite a bit and I think it's easy to see why Efferd is connected to them. The sea is unpredictable, it can be so calm and still that it seems like time has frozen then a moment later it might be in turmoil where you have to hold on to not get thrown off your boat while huge waves come crashing down on it. These swings in the seas "mood" are also attributed to Efferd, on one day he might give a fisherman bountyful catches and on the next day the sea might seem like nothing but emptyness.
Worship and Rituals
Efferd is mostly worshipped near the coast and most of the temples devoted to him are near the coast. Blessed ones of Efferd do not light a flame unless they are under dire circumstances. This has created some fascinating ways to help themselves in the Efferd temple in Festum for example where the winters get quite cold they had to do something to not freeze to death. There they heat the temple by having helpers light an external fire and guiding the heat through the walls. No fire also means that Efferd temples have to light their temples in an unconvencional way. You won't see torches or candles used to illuminate them. Instead they use stones that generate light. These Gwen-Petryl stones are said to be part of the walls of the heavenly walls around Alveran where the gods have their seats and the Church of Efferd claims all stones bigger than a fist. Another interesting dilemma is food. Most food gets heated or touches fire. Only the most extreme priests eat food that has never seen fire like raw vegetables or fruit. Others eat soups as they are mostly water and never directly touch fire while some say that it is okay to eat grilled fish as it comes from the domain of Efferd and therefore can't simply be tainted by fire.
I hope you found this article interesting and it helps you look into the belief system of seafarers and similar people, whether you play one or you plan to incorporate them in your game.
If you're curious about other gods you will find a few other posts detailing some of them.