Shelyn
Shelyn (pronounced SHEHL-ihn) is the goddess of art, beauty, love, and music, and the half-sister of Zon-Kuthon. She started life as a relatively minor deity of beauty, art, and music, but with the destruction of her unnamed mother, the former goddess of love, Shelyn gained her mother's portfolio. Shelyn continues to focus on beauty and the related areas of art and music, and has expanded upon her mother's relatively narrow view of love to include all forms of the emotion.
History:
The goddess Shelyn was born the daughter of the spirit-wolf Thron and an unknown ancient deity thought to have been a goddess of love, after the First Gods (including her half-brother Dou-Bral) had imprisoned Rovagug and agreed to leave humanity to its own devices. For a time, she and Dou-Bral shared the portfolios of beauty, love and the arts, and were worshiped by the early Taldans, until at some point they argued, and Dou-Bral abandoned Golarion for the far dark places between the planes. When Dou-Bral returned to Golarion, he had become the god of mutilation, misery and torture: Zon-Kuthon. Believing that Dou-Bral still existed within Zon-Kuthon, Shelyn reached out him, but he pierced her hand with his black nails. When Thron, their father, tried to welcome him, Zon-Kuthon captured and tortured the wolf-spirit beyond recognition. It was for these crimes, and for other terrible acts he committed against Shelyn and her works, that the gods of Golarion banished Zon-Kuthon to the Plane of Shadow, there to reside for as long as the sun hung in the sky. In an attempt to redeem her brother, Shelyn stole his malign weapon, the Whisperer of Souls, but was ultimately unable to turn him to the light. She kept the glaive out of love for him, despite its negative influence. Shelyn was worshipped by the ancient Azlanti as patron of the arts. She would send lillends to devout communities to serve as muses. Later, presumably after the Age of Darkness, the siblings quarreled again. Zon-Kuthon responded to Shelyn's tears and her pleading with violence, until she wrested his weapon, a golden glaive, away from him, and a tenuous peace of silence and avoidance was established. Appearance and Servants:
Shelyn's is a unique beauty unparalleled in the Great Beyond. She is beautiful both without and within; all who see her see what they envision as the most perfect beauty (meaning she appears different to everyone). Depictions of Shelyn, regardless of race or ethnicity, show her as a young woman barely out of her youth, with eyes of blue or silver (or sometimes both at the same time). Shelyn's ankle-length chestnut hair bears several strands colored bright red, blue, green, and gold. She always wears tasteful clothing and jewelry that accentuates her beauty without revealing too much. Shelyn has many blessed servants. Among them are her divine servitors, the dapsaras. These angels are the physical embodiment of beauty, art, and grace. Worshipers:
Shelyn encourages creativity and inspires the world. She challenges her faithful to test their limits, share what they create, and delight in the gifts of others. Shelyn preaches (and practices) that true beauty comes from within, and she favors romances not based solely on lust. Aside from Taldans, Shelyn is a favored deity of Tian, Varisians, elves, gnomes, half-elves, and halflings. She is also a major presence in the nations of Absalom, Andoran, Galt, Sargava, and Taldor. Storm giants worship her as Syriss, goddess of music, and believe she is the daughter of sky-god Hyjarth and sea-goddess Tourithia (both names being the storm giants' understanding of Gozreh's dual personality). Shelyn has a strong following among the sthenos, a recently-emerged group of medusa-like humanoids who came into being when an euryale named Stheno prayed to Shelyn for help in freeing her from Lamashtu's grasp; although Stheno perished under Lamashtu's rebuke, her faith caused the snakes of her hair to transform into a new people who have since remained dedicated to their progenitor's divine patron. Shelyn has been known to offer divine pacts to mortals who finally realize the importance of beauty in the midst of battle. In exchange for a small measure of her divine protection, Shelyn encourages these "foxhole converts" to give every living creature the chance to find the beauty within and leaves them strangely reluctant to strike the first blow in combat. Knights of Shelyn are devoted to courtly love, but also are at the ready to defend the innocent. Many serve to ease their own pain of hearts broken from loss. They are willing to protect others from experiencing the same heartbreak. Clergy:
Clerics of Shelyn occasionally begin life as artists or musicians and only later come to serve in her clergy. Those who do not are taught to be musicians (whether on an instrument or by singing) and are also taught an artistic skill (usually drawing, but sometimes painting, sculpting, or even acting and other performance arts). Weapon training, which only occurs for about an hour every other day or so, if at all, builds off motions learned from the acolyte's art or music (paladins frequently practice calligraphy, as the movement of the pen mirrors that of the glaive). Clerics of Shelyn endeavor each day to create something of beauty, whether artistically or through unconventional forms, such as a gardener tending a flower garden. Her rangers and druids are usually the types who live off the land, content to watch over places of natural beauty or perhaps hire themselves out to lovers in need of a fresh start in a new place. Quests for Shelyn usually involve rescuing—whether ancient artworks from destruction or star-crossed lovers from their families. They also involve the spreading of art and beauty. Finally, Shelyn occasionally sends followers on generic quests that promote goodness, so she may free another soul. Formal raiment among Shelyn's clergy include leggings and a long tunic for men and at least calf-length skirts or dresses for women, all tailored to inspire beauty, but not to be too revealing. Most are of reddish hue, although silver and blue are also common. Paladins and Code of Conduct:
Paladins of Shelyn are rare, but there have been some. Paladins of Shelyn are peaceable promoters of art and beauty. They see the ugliness in evil, even when cloaked in the form of beauty, and their job is to prevent the weak and foolish from being seduced by false promises. Their tenets include:
Temples to Shelyn are spacious, filled with art and flowers, and constantly have some kind of music playing within. They tend to be architectural marvels, and architects and builders frequently vie for the honor to build or repair a temple of Shelyn in order to show off their skills. Most settlements have at least a shrine or altar dedicated to Shelyn, but only the largest cities can really afford a dedicated temple. They often incorporate or are located in galleries, cathedrals, gardens, museums, and theaters. Rituals dedicated to Shelyn involve singing, regardless of the skill or tone-deafness of the participants. Only those who play a wind or brass instrument (or a chin-set instrument like a violin) are excused from singing. If a ritual cannot be held at a shrine or temple to Shelyn, it should be held in some place surrounded by beauty, either natural or constructed. Aphorisms:
Shelynites integrate sayings in devotion to Shelyn into their artistic works and expressions:
Shelyn is respected and admired by all other non-evil deities, particularly Abadar, Brigh, Calistria, Erastil, and Shizuru. She is known to be a lover of Desna and Sarenrae. The relatively recently ascended god Cayden Cailean frequently attempts to win her over (and always fails), and has contributed greatly to her art and violin collections.The god Aroden respected Shelyn because he considered that civilization required high arts to be successful—music, poetry and other art forms—and Shelyn inspired such endeavours. The evil deities (and most evil creatures) are mostly neutral toward her, although she and Urgathoa frequently argue (and their clergies do tend to get into skirmishes). She and Pharasma tend to have long philosophical debates, which always end when Pharasma points out that beautiful things like flowers grow from dead things (Shelyn has no argument against this). For the most part, evil deities leave Shelyn alone (and by extension, their clergy tend to ignore her clergy). She is not a martial goddess by any stretch and tends to stay as far from battle as possible, thus she has built up no animosity from the evil deities or their followers. To this day, only Rovagug, god of wrath, disaster, and destruction can resist Shelyn's charms at all times. He alone opposes her on any long-term basis. Zon-Kuthan
When they first came into being, so very long ago, their mutual parent forced Zon-Kuthon to swear an oath to the forces of Law. Zon-Kuthon swore that he would never harm Shelyn, nor would he stand by if others tried to harm her in his presence. In exchange for making the oath, he received the glaive, Whisperer of Souls. To this day, clerics of Zon-Kuthon never harm known clerics of Shelyn—doing so results in harsh punishments that do not end with death—but sometimes they actually try to protect such clerics. This behavior earns them divine rewards. For their part, clerics of Shelyn return the favor by looking the other way when they meet known clerics or cultists of Zon-Kuthon. The exception to this rule is if the clerics or cultists are obviously harming innocents, defacing art, or otherwise being unforgivably evil. This arrangement might seem like a serious drawback for Zon-Kuthon, as other evil deities might take advantage of it to put him into a difficult position. However, no gods ever really move against Shelyn or her clergy.
The goddess Shelyn was born the daughter of the spirit-wolf Thron and an unknown ancient deity thought to have been a goddess of love, after the First Gods (including her half-brother Dou-Bral) had imprisoned Rovagug and agreed to leave humanity to its own devices. For a time, she and Dou-Bral shared the portfolios of beauty, love and the arts, and were worshiped by the early Taldans, until at some point they argued, and Dou-Bral abandoned Golarion for the far dark places between the planes. When Dou-Bral returned to Golarion, he had become the god of mutilation, misery and torture: Zon-Kuthon. Believing that Dou-Bral still existed within Zon-Kuthon, Shelyn reached out him, but he pierced her hand with his black nails. When Thron, their father, tried to welcome him, Zon-Kuthon captured and tortured the wolf-spirit beyond recognition. It was for these crimes, and for other terrible acts he committed against Shelyn and her works, that the gods of Golarion banished Zon-Kuthon to the Plane of Shadow, there to reside for as long as the sun hung in the sky. In an attempt to redeem her brother, Shelyn stole his malign weapon, the Whisperer of Souls, but was ultimately unable to turn him to the light. She kept the glaive out of love for him, despite its negative influence. Shelyn was worshipped by the ancient Azlanti as patron of the arts. She would send lillends to devout communities to serve as muses. Later, presumably after the Age of Darkness, the siblings quarreled again. Zon-Kuthon responded to Shelyn's tears and her pleading with violence, until she wrested his weapon, a golden glaive, away from him, and a tenuous peace of silence and avoidance was established. Appearance and Servants:
Shelyn's is a unique beauty unparalleled in the Great Beyond. She is beautiful both without and within; all who see her see what they envision as the most perfect beauty (meaning she appears different to everyone). Depictions of Shelyn, regardless of race or ethnicity, show her as a young woman barely out of her youth, with eyes of blue or silver (or sometimes both at the same time). Shelyn's ankle-length chestnut hair bears several strands colored bright red, blue, green, and gold. She always wears tasteful clothing and jewelry that accentuates her beauty without revealing too much. Shelyn has many blessed servants. Among them are her divine servitors, the dapsaras. These angels are the physical embodiment of beauty, art, and grace. Worshipers:
Shelyn encourages creativity and inspires the world. She challenges her faithful to test their limits, share what they create, and delight in the gifts of others. Shelyn preaches (and practices) that true beauty comes from within, and she favors romances not based solely on lust. Aside from Taldans, Shelyn is a favored deity of Tian, Varisians, elves, gnomes, half-elves, and halflings. She is also a major presence in the nations of Absalom, Andoran, Galt, Sargava, and Taldor. Storm giants worship her as Syriss, goddess of music, and believe she is the daughter of sky-god Hyjarth and sea-goddess Tourithia (both names being the storm giants' understanding of Gozreh's dual personality). Shelyn has a strong following among the sthenos, a recently-emerged group of medusa-like humanoids who came into being when an euryale named Stheno prayed to Shelyn for help in freeing her from Lamashtu's grasp; although Stheno perished under Lamashtu's rebuke, her faith caused the snakes of her hair to transform into a new people who have since remained dedicated to their progenitor's divine patron. Shelyn has been known to offer divine pacts to mortals who finally realize the importance of beauty in the midst of battle. In exchange for a small measure of her divine protection, Shelyn encourages these "foxhole converts" to give every living creature the chance to find the beauty within and leaves them strangely reluctant to strike the first blow in combat. Knights of Shelyn are devoted to courtly love, but also are at the ready to defend the innocent. Many serve to ease their own pain of hearts broken from loss. They are willing to protect others from experiencing the same heartbreak. Clergy:
Clerics of Shelyn occasionally begin life as artists or musicians and only later come to serve in her clergy. Those who do not are taught to be musicians (whether on an instrument or by singing) and are also taught an artistic skill (usually drawing, but sometimes painting, sculpting, or even acting and other performance arts). Weapon training, which only occurs for about an hour every other day or so, if at all, builds off motions learned from the acolyte's art or music (paladins frequently practice calligraphy, as the movement of the pen mirrors that of the glaive). Clerics of Shelyn endeavor each day to create something of beauty, whether artistically or through unconventional forms, such as a gardener tending a flower garden. Her rangers and druids are usually the types who live off the land, content to watch over places of natural beauty or perhaps hire themselves out to lovers in need of a fresh start in a new place. Quests for Shelyn usually involve rescuing—whether ancient artworks from destruction or star-crossed lovers from their families. They also involve the spreading of art and beauty. Finally, Shelyn occasionally sends followers on generic quests that promote goodness, so she may free another soul. Formal raiment among Shelyn's clergy include leggings and a long tunic for men and at least calf-length skirts or dresses for women, all tailored to inspire beauty, but not to be too revealing. Most are of reddish hue, although silver and blue are also common. Paladins and Code of Conduct:
Paladins of Shelyn are rare, but there have been some. Paladins of Shelyn are peaceable promoters of art and beauty. They see the ugliness in evil, even when cloaked in the form of beauty, and their job is to prevent the weak and foolish from being seduced by false promises. Their tenets include:
- I am peaceful. I come first with a rose. I act to prevent conflict before it blossoms.
- I never strike first, unless it is the only way to protect the innocent.
- I accept surrender if my opponent can be redeemed and I never assume that they cannot be. All things that live love beauty, and I will show beauty's answer to them.
- I will never destroy a work of art, nor allow one to come to harm unless greater art arises from its loss. I will only sacrifice art if doing so allows me to save a life, for untold beauty can arise from an awakened soul.
- I see beauty in others. As a rough stone hides a diamond, a drab face may hide the heart of a saint.
- I lead by example, not with my blade. Where my blade passes, a life is cut short, and the world's potential for beauty is lessened.
- I live my life as art. I will choose an art and perfect it. When I have mastered it, I will choose another. The works I leave behind make life richer for those who follow
Temples to Shelyn are spacious, filled with art and flowers, and constantly have some kind of music playing within. They tend to be architectural marvels, and architects and builders frequently vie for the honor to build or repair a temple of Shelyn in order to show off their skills. Most settlements have at least a shrine or altar dedicated to Shelyn, but only the largest cities can really afford a dedicated temple. They often incorporate or are located in galleries, cathedrals, gardens, museums, and theaters. Rituals dedicated to Shelyn involve singing, regardless of the skill or tone-deafness of the participants. Only those who play a wind or brass instrument (or a chin-set instrument like a violin) are excused from singing. If a ritual cannot be held at a shrine or temple to Shelyn, it should be held in some place surrounded by beauty, either natural or constructed. Aphorisms:
Shelynites integrate sayings in devotion to Shelyn into their artistic works and expressions:
- The creation of beauty is the highest art. All artistic expression enriches the world as a blessing of Shelyn.
- Love and beauty belong to all. No being, however corrupted, is incapable of love or unworthy of being loved.
- Love is the greatest of all things. It motivates deities and endures less emotional or more selfish pursuits. Love is the only salve for painful emotions.
Shelyn is respected and admired by all other non-evil deities, particularly Abadar, Brigh, Calistria, Erastil, and Shizuru. She is known to be a lover of Desna and Sarenrae. The relatively recently ascended god Cayden Cailean frequently attempts to win her over (and always fails), and has contributed greatly to her art and violin collections.The god Aroden respected Shelyn because he considered that civilization required high arts to be successful—music, poetry and other art forms—and Shelyn inspired such endeavours. The evil deities (and most evil creatures) are mostly neutral toward her, although she and Urgathoa frequently argue (and their clergies do tend to get into skirmishes). She and Pharasma tend to have long philosophical debates, which always end when Pharasma points out that beautiful things like flowers grow from dead things (Shelyn has no argument against this). For the most part, evil deities leave Shelyn alone (and by extension, their clergy tend to ignore her clergy). She is not a martial goddess by any stretch and tends to stay as far from battle as possible, thus she has built up no animosity from the evil deities or their followers. To this day, only Rovagug, god of wrath, disaster, and destruction can resist Shelyn's charms at all times. He alone opposes her on any long-term basis. Zon-Kuthan
When they first came into being, so very long ago, their mutual parent forced Zon-Kuthon to swear an oath to the forces of Law. Zon-Kuthon swore that he would never harm Shelyn, nor would he stand by if others tried to harm her in his presence. In exchange for making the oath, he received the glaive, Whisperer of Souls. To this day, clerics of Zon-Kuthon never harm known clerics of Shelyn—doing so results in harsh punishments that do not end with death—but sometimes they actually try to protect such clerics. This behavior earns them divine rewards. For their part, clerics of Shelyn return the favor by looking the other way when they meet known clerics or cultists of Zon-Kuthon. The exception to this rule is if the clerics or cultists are obviously harming innocents, defacing art, or otherwise being unforgivably evil. This arrangement might seem like a serious drawback for Zon-Kuthon, as other evil deities might take advantage of it to put him into a difficult position. However, no gods ever really move against Shelyn or her clergy.
Titles: The Eternal Rose, The Lady of Chrysanthemums (Tian Xia), Syriss, The Incorruptible, The Eternal Maiden, Song of the Prism (Azlanti period)
Adjective: Shelynite
Realm: Blossomheart, Nirvana
Alignment: Neutral good
Areas of Concern: Art, beauty, love, music
Worshipers: Artists, poets, lovers
Cleric Alignment: Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, True Neutral
Domains: Air, Charm, Good, Luck, Protection
Subdomains: Agathion, Cloud, Defense, Fate, Imagination, Love, Purity
Favored Weapon: Glaive
Symbol: Multicolored Songbird
Sacred Animal: Songbird
Sacred Color: All