Shang-Ti
The Supreme Sovereign, Yu-Huang-Shang-Ti, Shangdi, the Jade Emperor. LG Greater power of creation, the social order (He/Him)
Pantheon: Chinese [Pantheon Leader]
Symbol: Jade dragon
Realm: Mechanus / the Jade Palace
Known Proxies: The entire Celestial Bureaucracy
Shang-Ti is the ultimate ruler of the Celestial Bureaucracy, governing the whole Chinese Pantheon through the Mandate of Heaven, a divine authority that determines the fate of both powers and mortals alike. He typically appears as a tall, dignified figure with aristocratic features, clad in shimmering, multi-hued robes of imperial majesty.
Shang-Ti radiates an aura of compassion and stern justice, his eyes ablaze with an intense karmic fire which sees the truth in all things. He’s rarely seen without two mighty artefacts of myth: Lien Min, a golden chalice brim-full with the essence of life itself, and Kun P’ing Shen P’an, a silver sceptre he uses to dispense absolute justice.
The philosophy of the Jade Emperor revolves around striking the perfect balance between order and compassion—unlike many of the other powers of Law who dwell in Mechanus, Shang-Ti is morally good. As the embodiment of both the Celestial Bureaucracy’s mercy and its strict laws, he rules with the mindset that all beings must adhere to the cosmic harmony which he maintains. While his rulings are doled out with compassion, Shang-Ti’s justice is absolute. He never raises his voice, but when his wrath is triggered by betrayal or corruption, the consequences are swift and merciless. He’s been known to strip misbehaving powers of their divinity, casting them down them to the mortal realm to face the consequences of their actions—just ask Sun Wukong the Monkey King about that! Shang-Ti’s punishments are usually designed to serve as lessons, intended not to be cruel but to restore order to the multiverse. Consequently, he is revered by his subjects for his vast wisdom and patience, while simultaneously being feared for the finality of his judgments.
Although most other powers of the Planes of Law respect his authority, Shang-Ti tends to remain distant from what he sees as ‘barbarous’ powers of other pantheons, considering them beneath the structured order of his perfect Celestial Bureaucracy. Uniquely he counts the modron leader Primus one of his close allies, no doubt due to their shared affinity for law and structure.
Canonical Sources: In the Cage [2e] p30; On Hallowed Ground [2e] p152,178; Planes of Chaos [2e] Book of Chaos p39; Planes of Law [2e] Mechanus p9-10; Player’s Guide p26; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p61; Sigil & Beyond p44,91. All of these sources are fairly sparse on detail.
Source: Jon Winter-Holt