The Shan'sui
WIld God of Storms, Rebirth, Home, and Mutation
Titles: The Storm Ruler, The Mother, Master of Storm and Sky, Lord of the Homefront, The Rumbling Fury, The Skysplitter, The Calming Rain
Favored Weapon: Glaive
Alignment: Water
Elemental Lord: None - The Shan'sui has no Elemental Lord and is considered a Wild God.
Obedience: Spend an hour rythmically pounding drums in a stormy area or an area with prominent stormcloud symbology to evoke the sound of rolling thunder and striking lightning - once the hour is up, draw or inscribe the Stormstar upon your chest nearest your heart or center of chest as possible and re-affirm your faith in The Storm Ruler by shouting it to the heavens.
Effect: You gain Electricity Resistance 5 that stacks with existing resistances and may once a day, by spending an hour in ritualistic communion with The Shan'sui, you may draw upon the countless lives contained within its multitudes and gain the effects of an Akashic Communion spell with a CL of 20.
1st Boon: Spindrift Spritz 3/day, Dousing Rain 2/day, or Wave Form 1/day
2nd Boon: You gain fast healing equal to 1/2 your HD so long as you remain in a rainstorm or remain at least 50% submerged water. Your electricity resistance from the obedience increases by 10.
3rd Boon: Your soul is fully embraced by Shan'sui's infinite benevolence, and you are forevermore removed from The Soul's Journey - each time you perish, your soul is returned to the Shan'sui where it percolates within its vast infinitude for 1d4+1 days before you are returned to life with the effects of a Reincarnate spell(Though your species is chosen by the Shan'sui as a reward or punishment for your actions of late). Should you ever leave the faith of the Shan'sui or break your oaths to it, disastrous effects may take hold within your soul as the Shan'sui violently casts you aside - anything from the destruction of your soul to the cursed inversion of the Reincarnation effect(Trapping you in a cycle of rebirth from which you cannot escape) is possible, and is left up to GM discretion.
Divine Domains
Community, Water, Weather, Protection, Knowledge, Healing
Artifacts
The Artifacts of the Shan'sui are, much like the God to which they belong, mysterious and fairly unknown - even to its own followers, as the God seems somewhat more reticent even by Wild God standards to disclose truths of its faith to many of its distant or errant followers; though many like surmise that this likely has roots in the Wild God's perception in the public eye as "One of the Gods of the Heihaizi"(Which has earned it the ire of the Knights of the Blighted Gate).
As such, the artifacts of the Shan'sui are as of the current moment little more than myth - tales of large magical offering bowls which are capable of calling forth mighty tsunamis or rainstorms to heal or destroy in equal measure, of a special symbol that when carved above a mantle or fireplace wards one's house from harm and intruders, of a blade which is capable of invoking physical mutation in those it pierces, of talismans or medallions capable of capturing souls to consign them to the grip of the Shan'sui - all these and more abound within the faith and without, to varying degrees of believability and accuracy.
Holy Books & Codes
The Holy Book of the Shan'sui was only very recently formalized by its followers outside of the Blackgrave Isles in a landmark moment which saw the Kingdom of Seoghar allow the faith use of a publishing house to formalize the holy book of their god, on the condition that the faith abide by the laws of the kingdom and not disturb the peace.
This book, dubbed The Leigong Chronicle, has thus only very recently entered general circulation as recently as a decade or two prior to the modern day - and unlike many holy books of various Elemental Saints or Wild Gods, can be found on the shelves of various Bookstores and the like across mainland Zheng-Kitar.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
The Holy Symbol of the Shan'sui is known as The Stormstar, and is depicted as three magatama spaced equidistant within a circular shape often stylized with "fins" along the circle's exterior that give it the illusion of spinning or motion.
Its followers believe it to be a divinely inspired mark of the Storm God itself, and hold a myth that states those who bear the mark upon their person will be granted divine entry into the Shan'sui's divine realm or divine temple upon its ascension or their death, made free to rejoice within its booming halls forevermore free of all mortal worries and concerns. As such, those of the Shan'sui's faith are often clearly demarcated and wear the symbol with pride even when faced with oppression.
Tenets of Faith
Conquer Adversity, Conquer the Self. Smile no matter your burdens, laugh no matter your struggles, and advance on your path in spite of adversity. Life is beautiful - as are you.
Give yourself to the storm. Give yourself to me, and welcome my touch wherever it can be found - be it the rain I weep, the thunder of my voice, or the bolts of my wrath.
The Flesh is Weak. Seek mutation and alteration to the physical form to become ever stronger. Life must reach the pinnacle if it is to survive.
Nurture the Seeds of the Future. Never deny a life the right to be born, and nurture those who need it even if they do not want it.
Wield the Gentle Blade. Always act in defense of hearth and home, and never allow those you treasure to come to harm unjustly.
Holidays
As the Shan'sui lacks any sort of official Divine Holidays, its followers tend to treat the comings of powerful storms as holidays of the Shan'sui's faith - rejoicing and celebrating amidst the storm as a sign of their god's favor and love.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
The Divine Goals of the Shan'sui are not well-known or documented - to its followers it seems to care and focus more on their wellbeing and safeguarding its faith rather than working towards any clear long-term goal in the current day, making any goals that it may have the stuff of speculation and mystery.
Followers & Priesthood
As one of the newer Gods to grace the shores of Zheng-Kitar, the Shan'sui's priesthood has largely spread from the eastern shores of Zheng-Kitar along the border of the Kingdom of Seoghar - and rather uniquely, has largely taken hold within the ranks of the common folk; specifically, the ranks of the midwives, mothers, and the "housewives" who have found solace in the comfort of the Shan'sui's tenets. Though the ranks of the faithful have since spread to encompass far more than this initial group, the ranks of the Priesthood nonetheless can be seen to have their roots in these groups even now decades after the faith's rise to prominence - many of the Shan'sui's followers and much of its Priesthood are female or those who more inclined towards "nurturing" and classical Seogharan "Feminine" tendencies, as well as those who relish in the unfettered love the Shan'sui pours into its followers and seek to repay it in return for such kindness. The Shanite Priesthood, as a symbol of love for their God and to honor the roots where their faith first began, tends to wear very long and flowing Seogharan garments of blue and purple which almost always bear extremely prominent iconography of the faith(Typically the Stormstar, holy symbol of the Shan'sui) upon their chest or backs to make it painfully clear who they profess their love and admiration for. Though not as focused on the downtrodden as the faith of fellow wild god Soo-min the Sorrowborn, the followers of the Shan'sui are often drawn from the ranks of those who for one reason or another find themselves lacking in love or appreciation in their everyday lives, or those who resonate strongly with the tenets of The Storm Ruler which profess nurturing and enduring through adversity; meaning a great number of the Shan'sui's followers come from the ranks of the neglected or the unloved, as well as many mothers who have lost children or those who have lost children or family members and thus fall in with the faith as a sort of "found family". Unlike many gods, the priesthood of the Shan'sui does nothing "underground" or "in secret" - even when faced with persecution from groups such as the Knights of the Blighted Gate(Which occurs often), they frequently respond with displaying their garb and holy symbology even more prominently as a stubborn display of persistence against persecution. Outside of this persecution, however, the faithful tend to structure themselves in unique ways somewhat akin to a familial unit - often allying with the faith of the Zheng'sui(Second God of the Heihaizi), the faithful build large cathedrals with storm and sea motifs(Preferably in areas with heavy rainfall, high on cliffs or ridges, or near large bodies of water) and are led by a "High Mother" and "High Father" who lead the faith as Husband and Wife(or sometimes platonic partners) who structure the faithful beneath them into smaller families led by pairs of the faithful who hold the same station, both to give redundancy in the face of possible attack should one die and to allow for better decision making; no "station" in the church of the Shan'sui is held by merely one member, as they place great emphasis on teamwork and collective unity. Those in higher ranks within the faith are often given more responsibility and duty, not less, and are charged with living lives in service of those beneath them to nurture and guide them as best as possible.Ethics
As they are those who typically occupy the role of "nurturer" or "caregiver", the ethics of the faithful of the "Shan'sui" are a warm and loving thing that often masks a deeper drive underneath it to perfect themselves and those around them - mainly in a physical sense, as the faithful's warm and loving outer nature often masks the fact that they zealously seek to alter and modify their physical forms to better suit their needs and the environment around them. In tamer sects of the faith, this manifests as a love for body modification and an encouraging atmosphere of body positivity no matter one's form, to change one's body until one feels both comfortable with their new form and they have acquired a form which is best suited for their life and the environment around them - in more typical and more radical sects of the faith, this manifests as not only a love of body modification, but a unified quest to change one's physical form in a never-ending quest to reach the pinnacle of the physical condition. This is done not merely out of a simple desire to change one's body to be more in line with one's preferences, but to bring them closer to the ideals of their God who teaches that all life not only must evolve and change to fit the available space and environment, but is obligated to in order to best thrive in the area available to them - because of this, most who follow the Shan'sui seek to enhance and perfect their physical form through mutation, transmutation, and alterations of any kind while striving to maintain their spiritual and mental identity, sometimes going so far as to offer free modifications to the local populace near their centers of faith if they agree to be the subjects for minor "experiments" and "trials" they are carrying out before applying them to themselves. Outside of this love and quest to perfect their physical form, the faithful of The Storm Ruler believe in finding the courage to face the challenges life throws at them and smiling all the while - though rather out of simple stubbornness or any kind of monastic views of life, this desire is taught and frequently comes from a place of deep love and appreciation for the world around them; the faithful believe that Life itself is a beautiful thing, from the gentle breeze to the chirping birds, and adversity itself, while painful, is yet another beautiful thing in the world - a chance to improve, to become better, and to emerge a changed and bettered individual. So, while the faithful does not believe in seeking adversity out, their teachings hold that it is most important to face the darkness within oneself with a smile, head-on - not losing hope and remembering the beauty of the self and of the world around them is key to facing and enduring life's challenges. When faced with persecution, the faithful of the Storm Ruler find it best to carry on with their day to day activities despite the persecution they face - showing the world and their aggressors that their will cannot be bowed or broken by intimidation or bullying. When directly pressed, however, they are shockingly quick to fight back in the face of adversity and return violence to the violent. Though minor, it is worth noting that the faithful of the Shan'sui are almost fanatically loyal to their god - whom they see as a maternal or parental figure whose love is the one and only eternal constant in their lives. Though only the most extreme sects of the faith turn to zealous recruitment schemes to "spread their love" to others, all members of the faith hold a fanatical devotion to the Shan'sui - going so far in many members of the faith as to entrust their soul to the Shan'sui's grip out of a belief that by doing so, and removing themselves from The Soul's Journey, that they will know true happiness and eternal reward in the infinitude of the Shan'sui's embrace. Though this would normally make them a heretical faith which seeks to remove souls from the Lifestream, the simple fact that the Shan'sui as a deity does not force any to do this and those who do so do it willingly has stayed the hands of the Sacrament Striker Temples and other Heresy-Hunting Faiths on Zheng-Kitar from eradicating them, as it seems done from a genuine place of love and admiration for its followers. In addition, the prominent themes of "rebirth" and "reincarnation" fit nicely within the religious beliefs of many native Zheng-Kitarans, who view such things in a kinder light than those of other gods who simply take souls out of the Lifestream for their own nefarious purposes. Finally, the faithful have an almost fanatical devotion to birth and the arrival of new life - while of course these Ethics manifest themselves in each member of the faith beliving zealously in "no child left behind" and never aborting or destroying a pregnancy once concieved and life has taken shape, this even goes so far in many sects of the faith in allowing the birth of monsters and even demons and a desire to protect the cycle of spawning; a belief which often sees the church of Safura the Survivor give them an unusual amount of credit. This desire, though many assume it madness, comes from a simple place of love and an immense and profound sadness at each unborn life that was never given a chance to thrive - few members of the faith are truly mad enough to believe that an unborn demon would not resort to violence upon its birth, but they nonetheless see value in giving it the choice and the opportunity to make that choice. While an extreme example, it nonetheless embodies the beliefs of the faith.History
Like many Wild Gods, the history of the Shan'sui is almost entirely unknown - what is known paints it as one of the twin rising Deities of the Heihaizi that dwell upon the Blackgrave Isles, rising to prominence within the accursed Heihaizi some unknown centuries prior to the modern day and eventually spreading outwards from their sealed-off home in the Blackgrave Isles off the eastern coast of the Kingdom of Seoghar despite the best efforts of the Knights of the Blighted Gate to stop its spread. However, whether the god was born from the Heihaizi or was merely discovered by them, is wholly unknown - perhaps even to the Heihaizi themselves.
Divine Classification
Wild God
Alignment
Realm
Children
Example Divine Oaths
Oath of the Stormcaller: Live your life chasing the cleansing rain and the rolling boom of the thunderous storm - protect the spirits of storm and sky and spread the touch of storm and thunder wherever you go, that my love might cover as many as possible. Carve the Stormstar upon the land in as large a scale as possible to prove your love to me.
Oath of the Blackgrave Avenger: Seek the destruction and obliteration of the Knights of the Blighted Gate at every turn, and do everything in your power to see their organization scattered. Do not rest until every trace of their memory has been destroyed, the last member of their group has been slaughtered, and all record of their accomplishments has been eradicated.
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