Shekinester

Shekinester was the powerful multi-aspected greater deity of the nagas and pterafolk.

Description
The appearance of the Naga Queen's avatar depended on what aspect of her being was being manifested, though they were usually about in length.

The Seeker appeared as a child-like naga. The Empowerer appeared as a young and attractive female water naga, but could also appear ugly, with pitted skin and limp, greasy hair. The Preserver appeared as a middle-aged guardian naga with beautiful features. The Acquirer appeared as a harsh-faced naga struggling to hold on to her fading youth. The Weaver appeared as a spirit naga crone with a crystalline heart.

Personality
The goddess was said to be truly complex and pragmatic, particularly due to her multiple aspects. She was opportunistic and sought to grant wisdom to others, should they be strong enough to accept it.

She was known to bestow blessings on species that were close to extinction. However, she was also known to inflict disasters of the same magnitude on others.

A highly involute deity, she did not adhere to a fixed sense of morality or lawfulness. In fact, she would often go from being a lawful good protector, to a chaotic evil destroyer.

As the Weaver, she collected threads of knowledge and weaved them together to gain a greater understanding of the universe and those within. However, this aspect had much to do with ruination, in order to make room for new knowledge.

As the Empowerer, she aided the inexperienced and bestowed great wisdom upon them. In this form, she was much more kind and merciful than she was as the Weaver.

As the Preserver, she conserved the spirits of those who had perished. The Preserver did not create life, but was crucial to maintaining it.

As the Acquirer, she portrayed possession and control. She sought to accumulate knowledge and was both lawful and evil.

As the Seeker, she drove the ideals of exploration and learning. This form was both chaotic and good.

Abilities
Her avatars' combat attributes and abilities were just as diverse as her personality. However, each form shared the same traits: immunity to gaseous attacks, poisons, death magic, mind-control, and paralyzation. Her avatars were significantly powerful in that they could access every single sphere and school of magic. However, different forms were suited to different subschools of magic and used them as they felt appropriate.

As the Weaver-Crone, she employed lethal poison bites that would often kill her opponents instantly. This form was equally skilled in the wizardly and clerical arts, and she was particularly proficient in necromancy, illusion magic, and evocation.

The Empowerer-Maiden was very charismatic, though not as intelligent as her other aspects. In such a form, her bite could paralyze opponents. This form was very proficient in usage of the Power, and somewhat proficient in the Art. She preferred to use alteration, enchantment, and abjuration spells.

The Preserver-Mother was robust and was highly resistant to magic. Her bite could, strangely, act as a symbol of persuasion. This lawful good aspect was an exceptional cleric, and often used all sorts of spells from all spheres (except war and chaos). The Preserver-Mother could cast wall of force at will, and several other powerful spells every few minutes or so.

Divine Realm
Shekinester dwelt in a palace of the Court of Light, which was in the Outlands.

Her original divine realm was also split into three parts, as were her aspects. These parts of the realm were known as the Loom of the Weaver, the Hall of Tests, and the Arching Flame. These realms were, as a system, three concentric rings.

Relationships
The goddess of the nagas was an ally of Labelas Enoreth. She had several other allies, as she believed alliances were extremely valuable. Shekinester was said to value deities of the Mulhorandi pantheon very highly.

Worshipers
Homage was paid to Shekinester as a full goddess, though many of her worshipers often felt closer to a specific one of her aspects.

Nagas worshiped two main deities, which inherited the features of the World Serpent. These deities were Shekinester and Ssharstrune (who was an aspect of Shekinester).

After the fragmentation of the World Serpent, the pterafolk began to worship the Five-Faced Queen. They acted as her agents, and believed that the agents of creation were also those of ruination.

The favoured weapon of Shekinester was the tail scythe, and her signature weapon was the +1 sure striking tail scythe.

History
Two fragments of the World Serpent, Ssharstrune and Jazirian, tried to become involved with the Shekinester, who was at the time known as the Three-Faced Queen. Shekinester chose the latter and eventually bore his child. Raging with jealousy, Ssharstrune attacked the Naga Queen himself, and she swallowed him whole. After this, she had not only three forms, but five, and thus became known as the Five-Faced Queen. As a result, the nagas divided into five individual races: the water nagas, the spirit nagas, the guardian nagas, the dark nagas and the iridescent nagas.

Shekinester later gave birth to her son, Parrafaire, who became known as the Naga Prince.

Appearances

 * Card Games
 * Blood Wars