Deep Sashelas

Lord of the Undersea, the Dolphin Prince, the Knowledgeable One, Sailor s Friend, the Creator

Deep Sashelas (deep set-she-lahs) is a charismatic leader and an inspired creator whose art is ever-changing. Unlike the other Seldarine, Deep Sashelas is rarely satisfied with what he's done and always seeks to improve it. Deep Sashelas can be fickle and flighty, and there are many myths that involve his amorous exploits with such creatures as mermaids, mortal sea elves, human females, and even a demigoddess. His consort, Trishina, has some tolerance for such straying, but not much. Sashelas's fellow Seldarine derive great amusement from Trishina's ability to spot Sashelas's wandering attentions and stymie him, usually by warning off the object of his desire.
Deep Sashelas (DEEP SA-sheh-lahs) is the Lord of the Undersea and the patron of sea elves, whom he created long ago by modifying Corellon's land-bound creations. Sashelas is a powerfully creative deity who is forever changing the environments below the sea, creating islands and reefs by altering continental rifts, tinkering with undersea volcanoes, and the like. He is also said to create the deep undersea caverns that the sea elves can use for air-breathing when they wish. Sashelas is known as the Knowledgeable One, for he provides advice as to where food can be found or the enemies are hidden. The sea elves also claim that Deep Sashelas is the author of the Chambeeleon, a resplendent spell tome held in the royal vaults of Thunderfoam an age ago but since lost. Followers of other aquatic gods make similar claims.
Deep Sashelas is a member of the Seldarine and remains on good terms with the other elven deities, but he directs most of his efforts toward maintaining an alliance of nonhuman sea powers known as the asathalfinare. While he does not explicitly lead the group, the Lord of the Undersea occupies a pivotal role and mediates many potential conflicts and disagreements. Other members of the asathalfinare include Trishina, the dolphin goddess (who is Sashelas's consort), Surminare, goddess of the selkies, Syranita, goddess of the aarakocra (whose membership is somewhat of an anomaly), Persana, god of the tritons, Eadro, leader of the merfolk and lo-cathah, and the enigmatic Water Lion.
The Lord of the Undersea opposes the machinations of all evil powers of the seas, including Abyssal lords such as Demogorgon and Dagon, as well as those whose followers long ago retreated to the Underdark, such as Blibdoolpoolp. Sashelas has a special enmity for Sekolah the Great Shark, the sahuagin god, and for Panzuriel the Enslaver, a dark power worshiped by kraken and other sentient, evil denizens of the ocean depths. The Lord of the Undersea helped banish and weaken Panzuriel long ago. Sashelas respects Panzuriel's growing power, and the Lord of the Undersea considers carefully what steps can be taken to restrain and bind that evil power of the sea bed. Likewise, Sashelas works to contain the evil of the human sea goddess Umberlee, and of late has lent his aid to the human god of sailors, Valkur, as a natural counterweight to Umbcrlee's burgeoning influence over the seas of Abeir-Toril.
The Lord of the Undersea is a charismatic leader and an inspired creator whose art is everchanging. Unlike the other Seldarine, Deep Sashelas is rarely satisfied with what he's done and always seeks to improve it. Deep Sashelas can be fickle and flighty, and there are many myths that involve his amorous exploits with such creatures as mermaids, selkies, mortal sea elven maids, human females, and even one demigoddess, it is rumored. Trishina has some tolerance for such straying, but not too much. Sashelas's fellow Seldarine derive great amusement from Trishina's ability to spot Sashelas's wandering attentions and stymie him, usually by warning off the object of his desire.
Deep Sashelas is very active on Abeir-Toril. His avatars often terraform the undersea environment, although he does not undertake such actions without first consulting other deities with an interest in such matters. He does not over-involve himself by dispatching avatars to help sea elves in battles, but he will do so if he scents any involvement by Sekolah, and his avatars keep a watchful eye on any unexplained activities that might involve Panzuriel (unusually organized raids by merrow or koalinths, for example). His avatar is 50% likely to be accompanied by an avatar of Trishina unless the avatar has been sent to woo or seduce some pretty female who has attracted his eye. Rarely the avatar may accompany an avatar of another member of the asathalfinare.
The church of Deep Sashelas is a broadly based church organized along regional lines with each region. corresponding to a sea or ocean. The clergy of Deep Sashelas are more organized than most elven clergies because of their role as mediators and befrienders of nonaquatic races. His clerics and druids, known as delphions, interact regularly with dolphins who inhabit the region surrounding their home communities, and senior druids are almost always accompanied by dolphin companions.
Sashelan clerics establish and maintain contacts with land-dwelling elves, if feasible. As a result of their extensive networks of contacts, Sashelas's clcrics have prevented many sahuagin incursions from succeeding, gaining the latter's undying hatred. Delphions also conduct ritual shark hunts and attack sahuagin communities.
Clerics and druids of Deep Sashelas pray for their spells at whichever high tide is closest to Deep Sashelas is honored individually through the creation of works of art and other wonders, and prayers given to the Lord of the Undersea upon initiating and after completing such projects. Daily observances by Sashelas's clergy thank Deep Sashelas for his benevolence and the beauty of the undersea world, but the most important rituals are timed to coincide with especially high and low tides, known as the High Flow and the Deep Ebb, respectively. During such ceremonies, the Delphions make offerings of precious natural objects and items of great artistry. Meanwhile, acolytes swim in complex patterns accompanied by dolphins, and sing deep, reverberating songs of praise to the Lord of the Undersea and his creations. While both ceremonies are similar in form, the High Flow is a joyous celebration emphasizing beauty, creativity, and artistry, while the Deep Ebb is a grim, martial ceremonies emphasizing the remembrance of those who are lost and vigilance against the enemies of the Undersea. Many clerics and druids multiclass as rangers.

Divine Domains

Nature

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Dolphin

Tenets of Faith

Swim the great currents and the shallow seas. Exult in the everchanging beauty and life of the bounteous Undersea. Revel in the joy of creation and increase its myriad aspects. Seek not to hold that which is everchanging, but instead love the change itself. Seek out fellow swimmers who honor the ways of the Lord of the Undersea, and ally with them against those who see only the darkness of the deeps. Follow the way of the dolphin. Promote the use of the seas by all reasonable folk for all time to come; fight those who would hoard its riches or pollute its depths.

Holidays

Deep Sashelas is honored individually through the creation of works of art and other wonders, and prayers are given to the Lord of the Undersea upon initiating and after completing such projects. Daily observances by Sashelas's clergy thank Deep Sashelas for his benevolence and the beauty of the undersea world, but the most important rituals are timed to coincide with especially high and low tides, known as the High Flow and the Deep Ebb, respectively.
During such ceremonies, the Delphions make offerings of precious natural objects and items of great artistry. Meanwhile, acolytes swim in complex patterns accompanied by dolphins, and sing deep, reverberating songs of praise to the Lord of the Undersea and his creations. While both ceremonies are similar in form, the High Flow is a joyous celebration emphasizing beauty, creativity, and artistry, while the Deep Ebb is a grim, martial ceremony emphasizing the remembrance of those who are lost and vigilance against the everpresent enemies of the Undersea.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Day-to-Day Activities

The clergy of Deep Sashelas are more organized than most elven priesthoods because of their role as mediators and befrienders of nonaquatic races. Delphions interact regularly with dolphins who inhabit the region surrounding their home communities, and senior priests are almost always accompanied by their dolphin companions. Sashelan priests establish and maintain contacts with land-dwelling elves, if feasible.
As a result of their extensive networks of contacts, Sashelas's priests have prevented many sahuagin incursions from succeeding, gaining the latter's undying hatred. Delphions also conduct ritual shark hunts and attack sahuagin communities. Delphions expend a great deal of effort on the creation of beautiful works of art in homage to the Creator. Individual priests of Deep Sashelas create fabulous sculptures of living coral in and around their homes and in their communities. Others sculpt extraordinary jeweled and pearled living coral works of art or train fish to perform spectacular and delightful maneuvers and dances.

Priestly Vestments

Priests of Deep Sashelas wear either loose-fitting sea green robes or armor created entirely from shells hut eschew any form of headdress. Shell mail, as it is known, effectively serves only an ornamental role for sea elves, as it provides a base Armor Class of 9. The holy symbol of the faith is a lustrous pearl at least one half inch in diameter.

Adventuring Garb

Sashelas's clergy generally eschew armor, even when entering dangerous situations as they find it impedes their underwater movements and adds little to their defenses. Only a few Sashelan priests possess sea elven scale mail, but those who do generally employ it in combat situations. Clergy of Deep Sashelas favor the traditional weapons of the sea elves-nets, spears, and tridents-and rare is the Delphion who is proficient in anything else (aside from underwater crossbows).
The most intricately constructed demihuman scale mail is found in the undersea kingdoms of the sea elves. More as a matter of appearance and ceremony than for additional protection-it provides protection equal to that of normal scale mail, the sea elves adapted the idea of scale mail to their own peculiar designs. Their armor can be worn underwater, as it is made of metals that do not rust, and the scales are affixed to the backing of eel-skin, which does not disintegrate as leather does in salt water. Brought forth only in times of war or great ceremony, this expensive armor is worn only by the noble elven elite. This scale mail is unique among others for its beautiful silver coating. Some surface armorers wonder whether this coating is silver, platinum, or even mithral. It is generally agreed that the rare scale mail of the sea elves is nearly as valuable as elven chain mail.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Like the other elven gods, Deep Sashelas answers to Corellon and opposes the efforts of the drow pantheon (with the exception of Eilistraee) However, in some respects the Lord of the Undersea could be considered part of another pantheon entirely, composed of the various undersea deities. Deep Sashelas's allies include Cyrrollalee, Eilistraee, and Valkur. He opposes various deities of the depths, including Umberlee and the deities of the kuo-toa and sahuagin.

Symbol: Dolphin
Home Plane: Arvandor
Alignment: Chaotic good
Portfolio: Oceans, sea elves, creation, knowledge, underwater and sea elven beauty, water magic
Worshipers: Druids, elves, fisherfolk, rangers, sages, sailors
Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG
Domains: Nature
Favored Weapon: "Trifork Of the Deeps" (trident)
SUPERIOR: Corellon Larethian
ALLIES: Cyrrollalee, Eadro, Eilistraee, Istishia, Persana, the Seldarine, Surminare, Syranica, Trishina, Valkur, Water Lion, various Animal Lords
FOES: Blibdoolpoolp, Demogorgon, Sekolah, Panzuriel, Umberlee, the drow pantheon (except Eilistraee)

Divine Classification

Intermediate God