Shekinester
| Game background | |
|---|---|
| Title(s) | The Three-Faced Queen |
| Home plane | Concordant Domain of the Outlands |
| Power level | Greater |
| Alignment | Neutral, Chaotic Evil or Lawful Good (depending on aspect) |
| Portfolio | Varies by aspect |
| Domains | Destruction, Knowledge, Magic, Protection |
| Design details | |
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Shekinester is the threefold deity of the nagas. She can appear as the aspect of spirit nagas, water nagas, and guardian nagas. She has a different symbol for each of her aspects: as the Weaver her symbol is a mask, as the Empowerer her symbol is a mirror, and as the Preserver her symbol is a grain jar.
Publication history
Shekinester was first detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about his priesthood.[1] His role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).[2]
Shekinester appears in 3rd edition in Defenders of the Faith (2000).[3]
Description
Shekinester is a complex, multi-faceted being. As the Weaver she is the active destructive principle of the multiverse. Chaotic evil in alignment, the Weaver appears as a spirit naga Crone. She destroys to make room for new creations, but is also the manifestation of connections and knowledge, bringing together disparate strands of being to create new understanding.
As the Empowerer she is neutral in alignment and appears as a young water naga Maiden who may be either beautiful or ugly, with pitted skin and greasy hair. In her beautiful form she grants safe passage, while in her ugly form she draws the uninitiated into opportunities for growth. The Empowerer is the bestower of wisdom and guardian of the uninitiated and the young. She can be kind and merciful, but she may force the unwilling into harsh initiations and painful knowledge, regardless of whether they know they need it.
The Preserver manifests as a mature but lovely guardian naga Mother, lawful good in alignment. The Preserver maintains (but does not create) all existence. She is the keeper of the flame within the Court of Light, her divine realm. She is also a guardian of the spirits of the dead (normally the naga dead, but sometimes the souls of other races as allowed by other gods), gifting them with sustenance symbolized as water, fruit, and bread.
Relationships
Shekinester has a son, Parrafaire, who is usually said to have been sired by Jazirian. Her many aspects may have a puzzling number of interrelationships with other deities and pantheons. She may be allied with a certain god on one world while acting as his enemy on another.
Shekinester is a manifestation of the World Serpent archetype, like Jazirian, Merrshaulk, and Io.
Realm
Shekinester calls the Court of Light her realm. It can be found spireward of Plague-mort, a town in the Outlands that hosts the portal to the Abyss. Divided into three parts, the Court is sought out by those planewalkers that wish to purify their souls and test their character. The realm is split into three different sections symbolizing the three natures of the Naga Queen. Outermost is the Loom of the Weaver, a maze of tangled, thorny vegetation, then the Hall of Tests, the Empowerer's palace, and within the palace is the Arching Flame, a spirit-cleansing fire guarded by the Preserver.
References
- ↑ Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology (TSR, 1992)
- ↑ McComb, Colin. On Hallowed Ground (TSR, 1996)
- ↑ Redman, Rich, and James Wyatt. Defenders of the Faith (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
Additional reading
- Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online:
- Cook, David. Planescape Campaign Setting. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994.
- Greenwood, Ed, Eric L. Boyd, and Darrin Drader. Serpent Kingdoms. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2004.