Red-Haired, Wild-Eyed, the Shifting, of the Many Ways,
the Gnomish, Titan’s Root, Mother of Madness, Inspiration
Zheenkeef (zheen-KEEF) is the chaotic neutral goddess of inspiration, intuition, wine, madness, invention,
internal turmoil, creativity, tragedy, prophecy, oracles,
half-wits, and geniuses. Put simply, she is the goddess of
those living on the edge, who dare to peer into the darkest
parts of their hearts.
Zheenkeef is usually shown as impossibly tall, with a
wild mane of red hair. Her eyes are usually inhuman—
solid black or red—and she is sometimes shown with the
tail of a dog or with more than two arms. In such cases,
these representations are symbolic, or come from an
artist’s vision. Zheenkeef’s hand gestures and the items
clasped in them usually bear some deep significance.
Zheenkeef accepts an infinite number of symbols, for
those who worship her select a symbol for their faith on
the day they dedicate themselves to her work. Common
symbols include manacles worn on the wrists with the
connecting chain sundered, an eye tattooed on the forehead, or a creeping grape vine, dried and wrapped around
the left arm, always.
But these are just a few of many—
truthfully, there is no one symbol of Zheenkeef. When
those who are not adherents of the Zhenkefan faith (and
the members of the Great Church) need to symbolize
Zheenkeef, they use a cluster of grapes. This is usually
simplified as an inverse pyramid of circles.
She is associated with the wolverine, the badger, the
jackal, and the hyena. The strongest of these associations
is the hyena, whose laughter is much like her own. Further, many hyenas have red fur like the hair of the Mother
of Madness.
Zheenkeef is quite popular among many chaotic peoples, with barbarians and sorcerers holding her especially
dear. Some sorcerers believe her blood courses through
their veins, giving them their remarkable gifts. Oracles, prophets, and seers of all varieties have held Zheenkeef
as their patron for many ages, and so too have inventors
and vintners. Among the five races, the gnomes hold
Zheenkeef dearest, for they see her as their patron and
lady, but the elves, humans, and halflings also revere
her for the inspiration she offers. Dwarves name her in
their prayers grudgingly, receiving all the inspiration
they need from her nephew Korak.
Shifting Motivations
Zheenkeef seeks surprise and entertainment. She is a god
of impulse and whimsy, caprice and insanity. To ascribe
long-term motives to her is absurd, as she rarely concentrates on anything long enough to call it a plan. Her
motives can be seen in trends rather than in histories, and
repeated circumstances, not continuing traditions.
Zheenkeef wants the mortal races to be interesting, to
do things differently from one generation to the next. She
likes to see them give in to their passions, and has little
or no respect for those who hold themselves in check. If
a man wants to drink, he should drink. If he wants to
sing, he should sing. If he wants to destroy the world, he
should try to destroy the world.
People who refuse to live
out their desires for fear of change are among those she
loathes most. When she influences the world personally
or through her agents, Zheenkeef does whatever might
make the world more interesting. Sometimes this means
promoting grave evil, sometimes great good—neither
interests her much. Rather, she works to ensure nothing
stays the same for long.
Her favor falls upon some for a matter of years, other
for minutes, but it rarely lasts a lifetime. Some of her
most faithful servants have never even been noticed by
the Mother of Madness, and are instead seen to by her
celestial attendants. One does not revere Zheenkeef for
her warmth.
Her mercurial attentions and moods are not always
merry. She is considered the patron of tragedy for a
reason, as legends tell of a feverish sorrow that consumes
her from time to time. Her boredom with life and the
world sometimes coalesces into a stultifying misery, thick
and terrible, and in those times, she is wont to lash out at
friends and foes alike or, worse for those who follow her,
withdraw entirely.
The Vineyards of Zheenkeef
The vineyards of Zheenkeef, where the Zhenkefans
(zhenn-KEFF-uhnz) worship, are raucous and lively
places. Overseen by the oracles (or not, depending on the
community), the vineyards are not places of strict authority, as each vineyard’s members determine its hierarchy.
One thing is, however, constant: The vineyards are places
of celebration, invention, folly, and, sometimes, even
danger. They are enormously popular among the common
folk. They make some of the finest—if not the finest—
wine in the world, and the oracles living there are the best
source of prophecies one can find.
Many cultures disallow vineyards in their more important cities or, at least, in their “higher class” neighborhoods
and temple districts, for the temples are home to wild revelries and sometimes, a fair bit of debauchery. The refined and
lawful members of society therefore consider them a “necessary evil.” Someone from the upper crust of lawful society
might visit an oracle, but would do so hooded, to keep from
being seen.
Essentially, the vineyards are popular, but of
ill repute. Few are concerned that shunning the vineyards
will draw Zheenkeef’s wrath, as everyone knows Zheenkeef
cares little about the opinions of mortals.
Regardless of
high society’s attitudes, the Zhenkefan faith is popular, and
her apostles and oracles might be seen wherever one travels.
Zheenkeef cares about her church only as much as it
keeps her entertained. She has never had much interest
in structures or organizations, but individual members of
the faith often draw her eye. Particularly faithful members of the vineyards who seek change, alteration, insight,
and inspiration sometimes find themselves protected and
guided by their goddess. More often, though, they’re not
even noticed.
The Zhenkefans have a saying: “Her vision is not ours
to fathom.” They utter it when it seems like she cares
nothing for them. It is a frequent problem for the faithful,
as Zheenkeef seems just as likely to take an interest in a
mad peasant as in the workings of her worshipers. For this
reason, she watches vineyards, but does little to interfere
with their affairs, and relies on her servants in the heavens
to tend to such trivial matters as heeding prayers and supplying powers.
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