Golden Peacock

The Golden Peacock

Description

The Golden Peacock of Sabatea derives from a Shemite god known to the nomads as Azazel. His name among the Meadow Shemites is Melek or Melek Taus. While the other gods gave man buildings and farming implements, the Golden Peacock gave mankind war implements and vanity tools, such as cosmetics. He invented copper smelting from an ore known as Melekite.
He is also the founder of Shemite alchemy and is associated with longevity. He is a being of light, which is why he is immortal. To live forever, one must be beyond time. To be beyond time, one must move at light’s speed. At that point, past, future and present are all as one. His light body is multi-hued and streaking, much like a peacock’s tail. The point of much of Sabatean alchemy is to change one’s body of clay into a body of light in order to achieve godhood and immortality.

Rituals and Beliefs

The main religious thrust of the Golden Peacock is that one must always question tradition and dogma. Fixed ideologies are the antithesis of this cult. Even the idea of Fate accepted by most Shemites is questioned and challenged by the Sabateans. Their ability to prod and destroy basic foundations of belief and trust form the background of the Sabatean reputation for interrogation and torture.
Golden peacock is a tempter god and his followers refuse to follow ‘right behaviour’ as practised by most Shemites, desert or urban. Most Shemites consider the Golden Peacock to be a fallen god and, possibly, the originator of sin and the demons.
Worshippers use lots of cosmetics and pay lots of attention to their appearance. Outside Sabatea the cult is very secretive, being feared and abhorred by most other nations. Not much is known about the rituals, but they are rumored to involve blood sacrifices and orgies.

Priesthood

No ordained priesthood, but worshippers are of both genders.

The Golden Peacock

Art of the Golden Peacock

GOLDEN PEACOCK

(Lesser Deity)

Pantheon: Shemite
Gender: Androgyne
Regions: Shem
Attributes:

• Copper
• Light
• Black
• Red

Representations: A Golden Peacock
Sphere of Power:

• Blood
• Destruction
• Rebellion
• Vanity
• Copper
• Smelting
• Cosmetics
• Alchemy
• Trickery
• Longevity
• Light

Can Be Worshipped with Other Gods:

• All non fixed ideologies
• Within Shemite Pantheon

Conan Lore Archives
Faith and Fervour, Mongoose Publishing, 2006
Shem - Gateway to the South, Mongoose Publishing, 2006