The keeper of the keys, the guardian of the ports, Portunus has the power to bless or condemn the voyager, sending welcome breezes or slowing their wanderings to a crawl. Holding the answer to all desires, he guards the passageway with zealous verve. Patterned with a checkered weaving, Portunus conjures images of the fickle sea, the playground of a capricious god.