Baisha (Bai-SHA)
Baisha, emerged akin to Fortuna, originating from the twisted essence of a once benevolent primordial. With the emergence of Fortuna, all that bore the mark of Etarr formed together, giving rise to the goddess of misfortune, Baisha. While Baisha possessed a captivating appearance, her essence harbored malice and spite. Instantly, animosity ignited between Baisha and Fortuna, leading to attempts to annihilate each other. Fortunately, other deities of great power intervened, quelling the conflict between the feuding sisters. Baisha fled to dwell in the shadowed realms, aligning more closely with her malevolent nature.Baisha, is the chaotic evil intermediate deity of accidents, bad luck, misfortune, random mischief and . She demands worship to keep her bad luck at bay. Her aim in life was to destroy her sister Fortuna and as of today Avandra. She also delights in cursing others, often causing seafarers to lose their navigational instincts.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Clergy, Temples and Worshippers
Baisha garners worship primarily through intimidation, and her clergy's duty lies in instilling and perpetuating that fear. They achieve this by propagating tales of Baisha's might and latest malevolent deeds, while educating others on how to offer appeasements to her or how to join her clergy for protection against misfortune. In their endeavors, these clergy members indulge in acts of wanton cruelty and sadism. They relish in maintaining an aura of mystery, manipulating unsuspecting individuals into serving them in various capacities, whether it be providing sustenance, lavish accommodations, or assistance in undermining rivals within the church of Baisha and among clergy of other faiths. The Clergy works very much via prophets who send messages to all common folk and to other worshippers of Baisha.Ritual
Clerics devoted to Baisha perform their prayers at the stroke of midnight. Before commencing, it is customary, if feasible, to offer a tribute to the Lady by igniting brandy, wine, or spirits, vocalizing the goddess's name, and dipping a black antler tine into the blazing concoction. Any slight burns incurred during this ritual are viewed with favor. Followers of Baisha mark both Midsummer and New Year with raucous celebrations characterized by chaos and impoliteness. Beyond these occasions, they pay little heed to conventional timekeeping, reserving special rites for the passing of esteemed clergy and the promotion of their own ranks. The former, known as the Passing, is a solemn affair marked by reverence and solemnity. The deceased's body is set adrift down a river amidst floating candles, undergoing a transformative ritual that bestows it with undead qualities before teleporting it to a random location in Theras to sow havoc. The latter, termed the Marking, involves rhythmic drumming, dance around flames, and either branding or tattooing, with no mitigation allowed for the accompanying pain. The clergy devoted to the Harbinger of Woe is exclusively comprised of humans, predominantly consisting of individuals driven by malice, spite, and recklessness. Male clerics typically occupy subordinate roles, with females holding sway in higher echelons of Baisha's church. Many clerics pursue secondary professions as assassins or rogues. Baishan shrines often maintain a simplistic appearance, serving primarily as designated spaces for devotees to offer their respects. These shrines may feature discrete symbols or a rack of antlers dyed red, but are otherwise minimally adorned. Leaders within the clergy, prefer subterranean locales for their temples, favoring gothic-style structures, whether carved from rock or repurposed natural caverns.Priestly Vestments
Female priests don robes in shades of mauve, grey, and black, adorned with branding or tattooing: Baisha's Badge (antlers) on one instep and a row of rank marks on one thigh, visible only to fellow initiates. These markings are concealed beneath regular attire outside temple grounds. Male priests attire themselves in crimson robes, bearing Baisha's Badge on one cheek, a marking typically concealed by masks, mud, unkempt hair, or similar means. During services, priests, irrespective of gender, favor simple black tunics embellished with Baisha's symbol on the chest and don black stockings. In fieldwork, covert operations, quests, or travel, adherents typically don practical attire suited to their environment and expected challenges.Tenets of Faith
The world's twists and turns are beyond anyone's control. Misfortune strikes indiscriminately, sparing none. Those who seek solace from the Lady of Ill Luck may find themselves shielded from her most dire effects. Yet, an excess of good fortune often invites its own downfall; Remember that The Mother of the Children, take care of her own.
Baisha's clergy disseminate this message, urging obedience to Baisha and the offering of tributes to appease her wrath. Failure to heed her call brings forth her ominous curse, echoed far and wide: "Baisha provides!"—a promise of misfortune abundant for those who dare ignore her commands. Her followers are charged with spreading her worship, offering a shield against the very calamity she wields. Yet, they are warned against false counsel in matters of worship, for such betrayal invites a fate far worse than mere misfortune: exile and eternal condemnation to a life plagued by Baisha's wrath.
Holidays
Devotees of Baisha mark every 15 of Haldain and New Year with wild revels of destruction and rudeness to mark Baisha's nature as Maid of Misrule. Otherwise they ignore the calendar, holding special ceremonies upon the deaths of important clergy and when a priestess ascends to a new rank. The funeral ceremony is known as the Transcending. It is a rare time of dignity and tender piety among the clergy. The body of the departed is floated down a river amid floating candles in a spell ceremony designed to make the corpse into an undead creature and teleport it to a random location elsewhere in the Realms to wreak immediate havoc. Senior clergy use spells or magical items to scry from afar to see what damage is then done by the creature's sudden appearance.
The ceremony of ascension in rank is known as the Recognizing. It is a ceremony involving drum music, dancing over flames, and either branding or tattooing. The priest being promoted must bear the pain without benefit of spell or potion to ease it.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Baisha appeared as a young, tall, slim, and beautiful maiden with a wild mane of pure white hair. The woman was pale, had a small waist and voluptuous shape. Her corpse-like pale skin was countered by flushed hues of blue and violet on the cheeks and throat. Baisha's most prominent feature were her yellow-rimmed eyes that were ablaze with insanity. She was adorned in a tight gown that snugly wrapped her body in pitch-black fabric. She wore a tiara of black pearls.
Manifestations
Baisha prefers to appear as a 12-foot-tall giant head wreathed in snowwhite, swirling hair, with her features twisted into a sneer of madness as she laughs maniacally. If she so desires, her cold laughter can have the same effect as a banshee's wail on individuals whose gaze she manages to meet. Even seeing this manifestation from afar brings down misfortune on all who do not worship her. Baisha can spit spell effects from her mouth when so manifested, but she prefers to work more subtly: When her manifestation is about stout weapons and walls suddenly give way, freak accidents occur, and fell coincidences befall. This head manifestation usually appears only when clergy of Baisha are active in the vicinity; on other occasions, Baisha is seen only as a grotesque shadow where no shadow should be, accompanied by faint, faroff, maniacal laughter.Identifying Characteristics
Baisha, is said to be of great beauty and is considered to be attractive to many male deities and some have been devoured by her lustful passions. She rejected advances from Talos, among other hopefuls. Mortals who perceived the Maid of Misfortune were often destroyed by their lust or driven to maddened loyalty.
Baisha was the twin sister and sworn enemy of Baisha, whom she sought to destroy and later, Avandra who took her portfolio. There are rumors among the planes that She is Kord's lover.
Baisha is served by alu-fiends who were outfitted with silver breastplates decorated with the goddess' symbol - stag horns.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
The origins of Baisha remain shrouded in mystery. Most claim that baisha is a spawn of Nyx. While many claim that baisha had some influence on the coming of the Humans during the times of bridges, it was a well known fact that Baisha shunned Ixtaar after neglecting her affections and distributing those affections on her 'sister' Fortuna.
Baisha was ill charged for many atrocities done for her believers, forever caring for them. It is told that Nyx abandoned Baisha in her resolute defiance and standing with her believers and throwing her outside of the Monoliths of Nighttide where she found a new power, Bane who helped her in exchange for help dethroning the menedynn power and the dragonborn empire, ushering for a new world order in Theras for the mortals.
Social
Titles:
Twilight Sovereign;The Mother of the Children;
Harbinger of Woe;
Mother of Orphans;
Doombringer;
Divine Classification
Intermediate Power
Alignment
Chaotic Evil
Realm
Children
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
| LG | NG | CG |
| LN | N | CN |
| LE | NE | CE |
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