Shadi
Shadi is one half of The Senary pantheon's duo commonly referred to as The Lovers. The lovers are associated with Reisi, the world's smallest moon, and are widely considered the most mercurial of the deities. They represent almost all things tumultuous, emotional, or passionate. Shadi is the patron of passion, music, literature, poetry, beauty, memory, desire, and sex. The lovers also have some domain over the parts of the natural world which are considered most capricious or hardest to understand, such as storms and seas. The lovers are the pair most strongly associated with twilight, transitions, and the times in between.
The followers of Shadi often, though not always, come to the Temple as children, and there are many orders and sects which are closed to those few who come to the calling as adults. Clergy of Shadi can be any species, gender, or race. Among their ranks you will find clerics, regular priests, and mage-priests but almost never Paladins.
Dogma
The Shadim believe that indulging and celebrating the arts and passions is a holy endeavor. They dedicate all aspects of their lives, but especially their emotions, to the Senary and to Shadi. They have no precepts of chastity, celibacy, poverty, or anything else that might be viewed as renouncing material, social, or emotional needs. They believe it is their duty to fill the social and emotional needs of their communities.
Hierarchy
The Shadim have perhaps some of the loosest hierarchy of the Senary. At the lowest they have Acolytes, usually children but including the rare new adult, who are engaged in the most basic of education and training. Once they have finished this basic training (usually including reading, writing, math, basic history, etc.) and/or reached a certain age, they are apprenticed to an older Shadim and become Novices; Novices receive a long and very in-depth education in many things but most especially become experts in their Art or Craft, and are answerable only to their own Guardianatus (Natus), the full Shadim to whom they are apprenticed. When they are at least 20 and deemed ready by their Guardianatus, the Novice can undergo The Dreaming, and upon passing becomes a Shadimalis (Dimali). A Dimali is still under the training and authority of their Natus until they have produced and shown to the Natus and the head of their order, sect, or temple a satisfactory Master Work, at which point they become simply known as Shadim. Strong bonds are formed between a Natus and a Dimali, and they are often loyal and to an extent obedient to their former master for life. The only other ranks within the Shadim hierarchy are those leading an Order, Sect, or Temple (whose titles vary) and the First Shadim for the highest leader of all Shadim (there is one in Delryn and one in the Empire).
Temples
Temples of Shadi are beautiful, ornate things filled at nearly all times with art and music. Often they have a small true temple near the entrance and then galleries and rooms for the other arts. They also include workrooms for artists and musicians and the quarters where the resident courtesans practice their arts, in addition to the private quarters of the clergy.
Vestments
The Shadim do not have strict rules about vestments; they wear whatever enables them to practice their trades the best. They do favor quality garments in the favored colors of Shadi - dark, bold reds, blues, and purples; grays, and blacks. When they do (infrequently) take part in formal ceremonies that might require ceremonial and matching garb, they don high-necked overrobes or tunics of a similar gray to those worn by the Sekhaim. Though they have no regular vestments, the Shadim will always be wearing or carrying a holy symbol of some sort - usually jewelry though some prefer tattoos.
Services
The Shadim provide their communities entertainment and access to the many arts. They also provide intimate companionship services; on a sliding scale of payment. The poor might be expected to pay in service to the temple or even stories and memories told to the Shadim artists; the rich are expected to pay and pay handsomely. Fail to do so honorably, and you might find yourself denied any services from any Shadim going forward...or you might pay a higher price.
Orders and Sects
The Courtesans of Shadi are the order of Shadim who train and serve as courtesans.
The Order of Blessed Bards are the order of bards and musicians.
The Chosen
The vast majority of the Shadim are fairly run-of-the-mill priests and priestesses, going about their business with a lot of training and a small amount of divine help. But Clerics are not uncommon; those who seem to have a more direct line of communication and aid from Shadim. There are almost no Paladins amongst the Shadim.
The Favored
Shadi favors patrons of the arts - artists, writers, poets, bards, actors, musicians. They also favor anyone in love, as well as the proprietors of love such as escorts and companions. It is not unheard of for particularly devout worshippers to be blessed or visited by Shadi.
Description
Shadi is depicted as an adult in almost all circumstances. There is no canon physical description for any of the deities of the Senary pantheon; artists often choose to match the physical descriptions of their own people, family, or audience. The exception is that they are always depicted with gold or yellow eyes, and with either halos or an aura of some sort. Shadi usually is depicted in fine, fancy garments in bold, dark colors like purple, red, and dark blue. They are often shown with musical instruments or tools of the arts and passions, and wearing a circlet.Personality
Shadi is everything art, music, and passion. They are well known for exhibiting strong passions and emotions of every iteration, and being dramatic and bold as well as sensitive and caring. They are often likened to unpredictable yet constant things - magic, the seas, cats...Worshippers, Clergy, and Temples
The ClergyThe followers of Shadi often, though not always, come to the Temple as children, and there are many orders and sects which are closed to those few who come to the calling as adults. Clergy of Shadi can be any species, gender, or race. Among their ranks you will find clerics, regular priests, and mage-priests but almost never Paladins.
Dogma
The Shadim believe that indulging and celebrating the arts and passions is a holy endeavor. They dedicate all aspects of their lives, but especially their emotions, to the Senary and to Shadi. They have no precepts of chastity, celibacy, poverty, or anything else that might be viewed as renouncing material, social, or emotional needs. They believe it is their duty to fill the social and emotional needs of their communities.
Hierarchy
The Shadim have perhaps some of the loosest hierarchy of the Senary. At the lowest they have Acolytes, usually children but including the rare new adult, who are engaged in the most basic of education and training. Once they have finished this basic training (usually including reading, writing, math, basic history, etc.) and/or reached a certain age, they are apprenticed to an older Shadim and become Novices; Novices receive a long and very in-depth education in many things but most especially become experts in their Art or Craft, and are answerable only to their own Guardianatus (Natus), the full Shadim to whom they are apprenticed. When they are at least 20 and deemed ready by their Guardianatus, the Novice can undergo The Dreaming, and upon passing becomes a Shadimalis (Dimali). A Dimali is still under the training and authority of their Natus until they have produced and shown to the Natus and the head of their order, sect, or temple a satisfactory Master Work, at which point they become simply known as Shadim. Strong bonds are formed between a Natus and a Dimali, and they are often loyal and to an extent obedient to their former master for life. The only other ranks within the Shadim hierarchy are those leading an Order, Sect, or Temple (whose titles vary) and the First Shadim for the highest leader of all Shadim (there is one in Delryn and one in the Empire).
Temples
Temples of Shadi are beautiful, ornate things filled at nearly all times with art and music. Often they have a small true temple near the entrance and then galleries and rooms for the other arts. They also include workrooms for artists and musicians and the quarters where the resident courtesans practice their arts, in addition to the private quarters of the clergy.
Vestments
The Shadim do not have strict rules about vestments; they wear whatever enables them to practice their trades the best. They do favor quality garments in the favored colors of Shadi - dark, bold reds, blues, and purples; grays, and blacks. When they do (infrequently) take part in formal ceremonies that might require ceremonial and matching garb, they don high-necked overrobes or tunics of a similar gray to those worn by the Sekhaim. Though they have no regular vestments, the Shadim will always be wearing or carrying a holy symbol of some sort - usually jewelry though some prefer tattoos.
Services
The Shadim provide their communities entertainment and access to the many arts. They also provide intimate companionship services; on a sliding scale of payment. The poor might be expected to pay in service to the temple or even stories and memories told to the Shadim artists; the rich are expected to pay and pay handsomely. Fail to do so honorably, and you might find yourself denied any services from any Shadim going forward...or you might pay a higher price.
Orders and Sects
The Courtesans of Shadi are the order of Shadim who train and serve as courtesans.
The Order of Blessed Bards are the order of bards and musicians.
The Chosen
The vast majority of the Shadim are fairly run-of-the-mill priests and priestesses, going about their business with a lot of training and a small amount of divine help. But Clerics are not uncommon; those who seem to have a more direct line of communication and aid from Shadim. There are almost no Paladins amongst the Shadim.
The Favored
Shadi favors patrons of the arts - artists, writers, poets, bards, actors, musicians. They also favor anyone in love, as well as the proprietors of love such as escorts and companions. It is not unheard of for particularly devout worshippers to be blessed or visited by Shadi.
Common Myths & Stories
Sekhay & Shadi by devinsxdesigns
Shadi
pronounced SH-ah-dee
Pantheon
The SenaryPair
The Lovers (with Sekhay)Titles
The HeartClergy Demonym(s)
ShadimSymbols and Sigils
A winged heart, often over waves or engulfed in flames.Common Domains
Life, Light, Nature, Tempest, Twilight, WarCommon Associations
ReisiPassion
Music
Literature
Poetry
Beauty
Memory
Desire
Sex
Transitions
Twilight
Capricious parts of Nature (seas, storms, etc.)
Favored Colors
RedPurple
Dark Blue
Dark Gray
Black
Favored Metals and Gemstones
OpalGarnet
Copper
Favored Professions
Musicians and BardsActors
Writers and Poets
Escorts and Companions
Lovers
Children
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