Zhaoze Muqin
The God of Jianro
Zhaoze Muqin, or Grandmother Swamp, is the traditional deity of the Jianro people. They believe that the Whispering Madness is actually Zhaoze Muqin, and that she makes her wishes known through the Weeping Trees. She is supposed to be a protective, but strict god who will protect her faithful children, but destroy nonbelievers who enter her domain. Muqin can frequently be found in her Grandmother Swamp guise as a series of moving faces on the Weeping Trees, or occasionally in a mysterious teleporting hut as an elderly Jianro woman who hides her face under a large hat, and when she smiles small colorful explosions disturb her own peace. She is believed to have given the Jianro the secrets of blasting powder, and is sometimes referred to as the Firework Goddess as a result.The God of Scoundrels
Many pirates of the River Kingdoms have turned to Muqin for divine air for centuries. The power of their collective worship has given the swamp god a second domain, often referred to as the God of Scoundrels. She is worshipped with offerings of plunder, sometimes with entire ships sunk in her name, and many landlubbing thieves pray for her protection and offer loot as well. Muqin can be encountered sailing any of her taken ships under the red waters, seen as a middle aged woman with an eyepatch, heavy coat, and skull-marked pirate's hat.The God of Swords
Her two aspects together, her most common form, is Muqin the God of Swords. She appears as a young woman whose face is hidden beneath a wide straw hat, in robes as white as her flowing hair. She carries a Jianro straightsword in one hand, a pirate's cutlass in the other, and wears a bandolier bristling with firework pistols and swords taken from dozens of enemies of her faith. This Muqin is said to be near Randeus' level of combat expertise, and it is widely believed in both faiths that the two deities have some variant of an unrequited love going on.Divine Domains
Zhaoze Muqin presides over the divine domains of darkness, healing, madness, plant, and trickery.
Holy Books & Codes
The Wutantana is the sacred text used by Swords Dance priests. It describes how the swamp goddess grew from a little plant girl to the mighty swamp she is today. It tells the Ten Parables of her ten stages of life, which hold the wisdom of her followers.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
The straight sword is the holy symbol of Zhaoze Muqin, worn by her priests as a round amulet with the sword in the center, creating two halves. Some sects use the weeping tree face as a holy symbol, and a few heretic branches use a spider. Priestly pirates and thieves use a skull and crossbones to announce their faith.
Divine Classification
Deity
Alignment
Neutral
Species
Ethnicity
Other Ethnicities/Cultures
Realm
Church/Cult
Children
Pronouns
She/Her
Gender
Other
Presentation
Feminine
Hair
Long, flowing white
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
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