Shekinester
The Three-Faced Queen, Queen of the Nagas
N Greater power of creation, destruction, knowledge [She/Her]
Symbol: Mask, mirror or grain jar
Realm: Outlands / Ringlands / the Court of Light
Known Proxies:
- Agara (proxy water naga [she/her] / N)
- Wissillimer (proxy spirit naga [she/her] / CE)
- Atora (proxy guardian naga [she/her] / LG)
Let’s peel back the chant around Shekinester, the Queen of Nagas, and her thrice-twisted realm, eh? If you want to tumble to the dark of the Outlands movers and shakers, you’ve got to get to grips with this serpentine power. She ain’t like any other basher you’ve met in the Cage or beyond; she’s a trinity wrapped in magic and mystery, dealing in creation, destruction, wisdom, and preservation. She is both good and evil, law and chaos, and everything in between.
First off, we’ve got the Weaver, the crone-faced naga who’ll tear everything down just to build it up again. The Weaver is a spirit naga with a crystalline heart. She’s the end and the beginning, spinning the cosmos into being while unravelling the threads at the other end. Her loom ain’t just for show; it’s where destinies are woven tight, and let me tell you, the Weaver doesn’t suffer fools or their follies lightly.
Then there’s the Empowerer, a sight for sore eyes or a vision from your worst nightmare, depending on her mood. She’s the riddlemaster, the pusher of limits, doling out harsh truths like they’re going out of fashion. Cross her path, and you’re in for a trial by fire, or water, as it might be. She’s about making bashers face up to what they are, or could be, pushing ’em towards their own enlightenment—whether they’re looking for it or not. She can appear as a beautiful young water naga, or an ugly creature with pitted skin and greasy hair.
And last of all there’s the Preserver, the third piece of this enigmatic puzzle. She’s the keeper of the flame, the guardian of what mustn’t be lost. Her domain is the final circle, a place of knowledge so profound it would set your brainbox a-spinning. The Presever usually appears as a middle aged female guardian naga,
Shekinester might manifest as any of these three forms, or even more than one. They might work together or even against one another. And other times the trinity comes together as one gloriously confusing being. Better believe Shekinester is one of the most ancient and complex powers around, cutter.
Shekinester’s realm? A triad of circles, each a test in its own right. Start in the Loom of the Weaver, a thorny maze that’ll test your mettle and your mind. Survive that, and you’re into the Hall of Tests, where the real fun begins. Make it to the palace, and you stand before the Arching Flame, a mystery even to the powers. It’s said to be the heart of it all, the core of the multiverse’s workings. True or not, it’s a sight worth the seeing, if you can brave the journey.
Shekinester’s alliances are a motley assortment, from the Outlands’ oddities to the gods of the Egyptian pantheon. The Doomguard and Anarchists worship her Weaver aspect, while the Godsmen venerate the Empowerer and her punishing tests.
Did we mention Shekinester’s unpredictability? Well here’s another example cutter. She’s a trinity power for sure, but the chant goes she has a fourth aspect which is much less commonly seen. The Acquirer is a harsh-faced naga struggling to hold on to her fading youth. The significance of this aspect isn’t clear and indeed, Shekinester’s motivations are as complex as her nature. She’s driven by a desire to maintain the balance of creation and destruction, to enlighten and test souls, destroy those she finds lacking, yet preserving the cycle of life, death, and knowledge. Her actions, though always cryptic and unpredictable as they come, aim at a higher understanding or cosmic balance.
For a cutter looking to thread their way through her realm, be prepared for trials that’ll test every fibre of your being. Seek her wisdom, and you might just find the answers to the multiverse’s deepest riddles—or you might find yourself unravelling at the seams. So, step light, think deep, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find what you’re looking for in the shadowed, serpentine halls of Shekinester. Or oblivion. Definitely one of the two though.
Canonical Sources:
- On Hallowed Ground [2e] p46-48 (faction views on Shekinester), 136-137 (power and realm description)
- Player’s Primer to the Outlands [2e] p28 (brief description)
Source: Jon Winter-Holt, mimir.net