Shel (Shel)

King of the Exiled, The Living God, Stonebane

"The interests of the People will be held in trust by Shel and his priests, the Servants of the People. They shall have the full rights and privileges of governance, to organized the Exiled as they see fit."

Dictums of the Living God

Shel was born during the Age of Antiquity within the High Kingdom of the Stonelands. Born into a clan of little renown, Shel was forced to work from an early age for everything he wanted out of life. Over time Shel became a venerated member of his clan, and was granted the position of clan chief shortly after his ascension to adulthood, at the age of 50. One of the youngest clan chiefs in history, Shel quickly proved his worth during the War of the Dragonlords. The clans were quickly overwhelmed by the Dragonlords from the south, and the High King of the Stonelands at that time, High King Mercator Blacksaddle was torn by indecision and doubt. Shel quickly stepped into the vacuum of leadership, and took over the defenses of the Vale of the Dwarflords as the Dragonlords approached. Shel's cunning leadership combined with Helmvor's intevention turned back the Dragonlords, and Shel was hailed as a conquering hero. When High King Mercator Blacksaddle died just a decade after the war, the decision amongst the clans was unanimous in naming Shel their new High King.

Having been raised from the floor of the society of the Stoneborn Dwarfs to it's pinnacle, Shel was one of the most popular High Kings in history. Shel worked hard to quickly rebuild both the Dwarfen society and economy, and was particularly passionate about helping the poor. Shel helped enact reforms that would bring assistance to where it was needed most, and the people loved him for it. When Shel died in his old age, he was almost instantly raised to divinity by Helmvor, and he quickly became one of the most popular deities in the dwarfen pantheon.

Alas, it would not end well. Over the subsequent centuries Shel would become more and more frustrated with Helmvor's leadership in Heshbenor however, and he believed that Helmvor was failing to address key issues that were creating massive amounts of inequality amongst the Stoneborn. Frustrated with his inability to solve what he viewed as a crisis, he approached Helmvor's wife Hevedra. She listened to his concerns, long having been secretly looking for a way to gain power within the Pantheon. She viewed Shel's popularity as the perfect opportunity. She seduced Shel, poisoning him against Helmvor. When Helmvor finally caught them together there was a titanic clash between the three figures, but the combined might of Shel and Hevedra was not enough to overcome Helmvor, and they fled for the safety of Earedar.

Over the following decades Shel walked amongst the clans themselves, spreading his vision of a better way for Dwarfenkind. Overtime he managed to convince several clans to follow his leadership, thus beginning the Great Schism. The war lasted for centuries, and caused great amounts of death and destruction across Dwarfen lands. Despite the savagery of the fighting, Helmvor ultimately came out victorious, and thus exiled Shel, Hevedra and his followers, inflicting Helmvor's Curse upon them and creating the Exiled Dwarfs. Since this time Shel has guided his people to a new ideology, outlined in the document Dictums of the Living God to what he believes is a better way of life for all. He currently resides on Earedar with his people, the only known being to find a way to circumnavigate Celestine's Law.

General Information

Symbol: Anvil in Flames
Portfolio: The Exiled
Domains: Forge, Order, Trickery, War
Favored Weapon: Warhammer
Titles: King of the Exiled, The Living God, Stonebane
Blessing: Shel grants advantage on attack and damage rolls against the Stoneborn Dwarfs.

Relationships

Partner: Hevedra 
No Known Children

Faiths, Cults and Organizations

Servants of the People- The Servants of the People hold an almost complete stranglehold over all religious, political and economic power within Exiled society. The priests of Shel act as judge, jury and in some cases executioner in administering Shel's laws. These laws are based almost entirely upon the Dictums of the Living God, which are memorized by the Exiled at an early age and repeated daily. This organization reveres Shel above all others, and then Hevedra as his wife.

Ministry of Truth- The Ministry of Truth is the eyes and ears of the government of the Exiled, revering Hevedra above all others but Shel. The Ministry encourages all citizens to report any infractions of Shel's laws, no matter how minor, to ensure compliance. They are amongst the most effective information gathers in Earedar, and one can never be sure if a Truthspeaker or one of their assets is nearby. As such they have attained an almost mythical reverence and fear amongst the Exiled.
Exiled Council- The Exiled Council is comprised of the most senior members of Shel's clergy, the Servants of the People. This Council oversees the Exiled governors, and is the most powerful group in Exiled society. Reporting directly to Shel, they are considered to speak with his voice in his absence.
Exiled Legion- The military arm of the Exiled Council, this group is both the most elite unit in the Exiled army and is responsible for the enforcement of Shel's laws. The appearance of a member of the Exiled Legion outside the home of an Exiled Dwarf is normally followed by a quiet disappearance, and that dwarf is never seen again.

Divine Classification

Lesser God

Date of Birth

The Age of Antiquity

Gender

Male