Shaold

Shaold is the goddess of the seas and the long forms of destruction such as erosion and aging. The crushing depths of the sea that She and Her creations call home exemplify Her. She is cold, powerful, and even the brightest lights will not reveal all of Her secrets. Her patience is like the waves, slowly breaking down the coast over and over again. Her schemes reach for centuries, as She is the goddess, perhaps, with the longest reaching schemes.     She is often shown as a triton with the lower half of varying sea creatures, and eyes as dark as the void. She often has a spear or polearm in one hand, and an orb of voidwater in the other. She also has long, black hair that gathers about Her head, floating as if suspended in water. Her attire usually consists of an armor grown from coral colored in dark blues and black. This armor also sports occasional bone white growths. On Her brow rests a silver circlet set with sapphires. Depictions of the goddess usually have Her accompanied by sea creatures. Such creatures show how She is being entreated: fish for prayers of abundance, sharks or a kraken for destruction, or clams for fortune.   Shaold views everything as temporary. There is nothing that is that cannot be turned to Her advantage given enough time. Often, She turns to the the comfort of the deep depths, creating new aquatic life, or contemplating schemes. Her seclusion is reflected in the secretive and isolationist behaviors of the Tritons.  

Shaold's Influence

Many worship Shaold, from the Tritons, to farmers who need rain, to merchants and sailors braving the seas. Even those who rely on lakes and rivers pray to the goddess for protection and calm waters. The elderly may pray to her for easement of pain and a quiet passing from life. Coastal rangers, rogues who want to hide in Her darkness, and any who turn to the path of pirate may put their prayers to Shaold in an attempt to vie for her favor rather than suffer her fury. Nobles who have coastal land, aquatic smugglers, sailors and shipwrights all know the value of praying to Shaold, and of providing alms to her churches and devotees.   Those who ignore her are often never heard from again, having succumbed to the water’s chill, drowned after terrible waves, or been eaten by a horrible creature of the deep.   Through her acts of slow destruction, she cultivates futures that are favorable to her. Since her race has The Oracle, she often uses its knowledge of the future to prepare coming battlefields or negotiations to the triton’s favor.  

Shaold's Goals

Shaold seeks to bury the world in a permanent deluge of rains, to raise the seas over the lands, and to make the world ideal for the Tritons. Knowing that this is a level of destruction and desolation that would require her to overpower her peers, however, means that she is willing to settle for less. Instead of these unreasonable goals, she is content securing the seas for her children and creating monsters of the deep to test and assist them. While her gaze rarely lingers on the dry lands of Chenravo, there is always a reason for her attention, be it a way to gain more followers, or an opportunity to disrupt a rival’s plan.  

Divine Relationships

Shaold greatly admires her Overgod, Norentha. However, while her superior likes to decimate instantly, Shaold prefers taking her time. She revels in the process of destruction, as much, or perhaps even more so than the aftermath. She often works with Jakular, helping him with the creation of sea life, or flaunting her own mastery. She uses her friendship with him to slowly destroy his confidence in his own abilities, as one of her games of slow destruction. She views the elves and Cheznerix as extended family, and often has useful items or aid wash up in their coastal towns.   Some of Her relationships are less wholesome. While she enjoys breaking Halfar down, she wants to destroy Halfar. This is largely due to the fact, that knowingly or not, Halfar and his followers often use her ongoing projects in their art. She deeply despises these interruptions of her work, as in many cases, she needs to start them over. She will get her revenge, and in many cases it has already begun with the slow, methodical, and irreversible destruction of many of these art pieces.  

Worshipping Shaold

Sheok is the month that Shaold is most venerated each year. Due to the variety of ways in which she is worshipped, there is an equal variety in the ways that she is celebrated. Fishermen often return some of their catch, merchants drop some treasure from their boats, and sailors sing her praises. Many of her true followers, however, take a rock and a file, wearing down the rock day by day, until at the end of the month, they are left with only a pile of sand. It is said that whoever does this to the largest rock during Sheok will find themselves a recipient of a boon from the goddess.     Besides these celebrations during her month, she is often given worshipped at shrines within homes. These shrines often bear covered bowls of water. Seawater is used for prayers of bounty, health, or treasure, river water is used for prayers of quick travel, safe travel, or strength, and lake water is used for prayers of clarity, growth, or rains.  

Aspects of Shaold

The gods often represent more than one facet. The gods’ facets are defined by their worshippers, so that the gods suit the needs of the people. No aspect is ever gone, however, and any facet that was created in the past still lurks somewhere in the god’s personality, waiting for when it is needed again, or perhaps plotting a situation that might make it relevant once more.   Though ancient, Norentha has fewer aspects than her fellow supporter gods. This is due partially to the Tritons’ isolation and partially to the fact that nautical travel is not very important on Chenravo. In addition, her aspect of the rains has been becoming less powerful as farmers and others turn to Chenravo instead.

Aspect of the Seas

This Aspect is in charge of the currents in the water, the waves, and the water that the Tritons breathe. The Seas want to erode the coasts and drag all into her domain. This is one of her oldest and most powerful aspects. Her methods are slow, patient, and sure. However, she does not stand for any to interrupt her plans, and those who do find quick and painful retribution. Sailors and coastal village usually pray to this aspect for protection.  

Aspect of Persistence

The Persistent has few plans of her own, mostly using her power to influence her people and the other aspects to have patience and not to give up on their ongoing projects. She hates giving up and accepts it as an alternative only next to death. She will accept success at nearly any cost. Her own goals mostly include tests of persistence conducted on Shaold’s most devout. She is a strong aspect, influencing nearly all others. Those who seek to strengthen their force of will frequently make offerings to The Persistent.  

Aspect of the Rains

This aspect, once very strong, and one of the only of Shaold's aspects concerned with the state of the landed world. She has been on the decline recently however, as the farmers turn more and more to Chenravo. This loss of power was surprising to The Rains, and she was not prepared for the loss of power that she has, and continues to, experience. This Aspect is getting desperate, not wanting to fade into the periphery. Many of the plans of this aspect involve a return to prominence, but only time will tell if this will be futile, or spell disaster for many.  

Aspect of the Tritons

The eldest and strongest of Shaold’s aspects, this aspect is the safeguard of her Elder Race against all that would harm them. The bulwark that their enemies must breach to come against her people. Conversely, it is also the aspect that tests their strength and resilience most commonly. She is torn between the desires to protect her people and to ensure that they can protect themselves without her.  

Aspect of Trade

A relatively minor aspect focused on maritime trade, this aspect looks to expand the use of the oceans for trade, and its cult has been linked with the destruction of warpstones in two coastal villages.