Zheenkeef,Goddess of Wine, Madness and Inspiration

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.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion