The Sheune (shewn)
The Sheune are a religious order dedicated to the sylfaone Ahdioh.
all artwork by Shanda Nelson unless otherwise stated
History
The Sheune began around 2000 BGI as an intimate order who showed reverence to Ahdioh of the Dewdrops. Their small, sacred garden was found in a secluded, cozy community in the city of Shayd (capital of modern Illena), but once they grew to a couple hundred, they decided to move the garden upstream, on a river called the Torrent (modern Lathienthrioh, in northern Illena).
They survived warlord incursion and local superstition to grow to several thousand followers, but their true calling came when the Zofotha of Indel Thane, under the leadership of the Divine Voice Trothara, decided to hail a bloodsylf and name him their primary sylfaone. Trothara had begun her reign by executing bloodmages to solidify her power, then fell to the pull of blood herself. The Sheune saw the death the Zofotha caused as the antithesis to their Lady, and took up arms against their religious enemy. Neither side gained traction until the Dreidin of Kassak decided enough was enough and tore through the Zofotha. Their incursion paved the way for warlords who decimated the culture and left scattered communities in their wake.
The victory made the Sheune a more popular cult, and adherents flocked to their order. They grew rapidly, from several thousand to a couple hundred thousand. By the time of Zere Enec, they had over a million people who looked to Ahdioh as their primary sylfaone, and several million more who paid their respects.
The Sheune symbol is the dewdrop, a flower with a white bloom that bends to the ground. It represents their respect to their Lady, Ahdioh.
All Sheune symbols have white or purple in them, representing the color of the sylfaone's eyes.
Zere Enec
temple at Zere Enec
The lasting effects of Zere Enec's fall is given as one of the reasons that the Jonna Empire so easily conquered the Midem countries five centuries later. It ushered in a time of infighting, warlord aggression, and distrust of military authority. Some populations thought the Condi represented salvation from these troubles, and eagerly accepted their rule.
Zere Enec was a temple city built by the Sheune in 790 AGI, in a heavily forested, unpopulated area on the border of modern Merren and Soline. It originally was a safe haven from warlords, but it quickly became more. It attracted mystery artists from near and far because the land surrounding it had a magickal feel that wielders found addicting. It grew in numbers, and the cult became a powerful voice in the region. As with most popular and powerful places, however, more than one person claimed to be in charge of it.
2110 AGI, both Ella and Vigor declared themselves ruler of the city, and bloody battles between them ensued. Ella, who had been elected by the people, fought Vigor both politically and on the battlefield. The sides ended up obliterating each other and decimating the city in the process. Zere Enec was abandoned, leaving a dearth of religious guidance in the surrounding countries that lasted for centuries.
The head of the Sheune at that time, Aurek, was unable to pull the disparate members back together into a strong, unified religion. Resentment ran too deep, and many saw this as the end of the Sheune.
After Zere Enec
On his deathbed, Aurek claimed to have had a vision from Ahdioh. She led him by the hand through her demesne and gave him instructions on how to resurrect her dying order. He changed the Sheune course, claiming that they would return to their origins and become the hunter of those who thought blood granted power. His successor, Vrandesh, employed his last wish, made simpler by the fact the cult had lost so many members.
Over time, the victories the Sheune had against their enemies become popular myths, and the order again attracted adherents. It blossomed after one of theirs, Eldyna, assassinated the corrupt king Doxser and placed herself on the throne in 4123 AGI. The Sheune knew the king dabbled in blood, and eradicating him aligned with their sworn oaths to Ahdioh. They supported Eldyna, and her religion became popular with the masses.
Modern Times
The Sheune have continued to bloom, though they keep the true nature of their cult a secret from their laypeople. Their order is popular from Illena and Diodan, through the Midem countries, and into the aki n'di ori lands, where Ahdioh's popularity has dwindled in favor of her consort, Jhodi. Somewhere around five million people have at least a passing interest in the cult, thought the truly dedicated ones only number in the hundred-thousands.
Rather than bloodmage eradicators, the Sheune are now considered a healing sect, and run several healing houses throughout the Jonna countries. They take both duties very seriously.
There are several major sects of the Sheune, but each country typically has one or two. Shayd is seen as the spiritual center of the cult, and the Temple to Eldyna is one of the more important religious institutions in the ancient city.
Ranks
While rank titles are contingent on each specific sect, each is structured the same way.
- head of sect (1 per country, but all look to the head of Ahdioh's Hands as their supreme authority)
- second in command, who will inherit the head position
- sect priests
- head of local sect
- local priests
- laypeople
- Ahdioh's Hands
found in Illena - Amberway
found in Merren, Oritan and Soline - The Bells
found in Diodan - The Crowshient
found in Jonnta, Suvan and Yohne
- Ler kodi nava
found in Rakan - Moon Blooms
found in Baq, Jonnta, Rakan, Soline and Teral - Ni an kasta kour
found in Baq and Teral - Sun Blooms
found in Merren, Oritan, Suvan
The Sun and Moon Blooms are the remnants of Ella and Vigor's philosophies. The Moon looks to Ella, the Sun to Vigor. The Sun Blooms are not held in very high regard by other sects. They are also the most militant and produce the fewest healers.
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