Shi’al (She al)
The Light, The One GodSymbol: A book with an open hand on the cover
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Everyday life
Domains: Law, Sun, War
Favored Weapon: Khopesh
In the nation of Al-Amim, the worship of Shi’al, called Shi’al-na, is not only commonplace, it’s the law. The nation was founded upon the teachings of the Septuagai-na, the Holy Scripture believed to have been communicated to mortals by Shi’al in ancient times. Remarkably, there are few schisms that deviate from the core state religion, but perhaps that is to be expected from a religion that has dogma specifically prohibiting the tolerance of deviation or opposition to the methods of worship presented in the Septuagai-na.
Dogma
As it is written in the Septuagai-na, Shi’al is the one and only true god. All other so-called gods are pretender demons or fictions made up by those too stubborn to see the light of truth or too weak to follow the one true path to enlightenment. Shi’al created the world and all the many wonders within it and gave all the things and places within to mortals to use as befits their wants. Ideas, innovation, and invention are beloved of Shi’al, and tolerance of differences is paramount if mortals are ever to grow and further please Shi’al. However, the One Great Truth over all is that Shi’al’s Word is law, and must be followed under penalty of death. Those who are ignorant of the Word must be taught. Those who ignore the Word and transgress the law must be put to death. If any man should raise another as equal to or above Shi’al, he must be put to death. If any land or nation should raise another as equal to or above Shi’al, the faithful must rise up in crusade and free the people of that land from those who would deny Shi’al’s Word.
Temples and Clergy
Temples dedicated to Shi’al are as commonplace as the stars in the nation of Al-Amim. Every town and city will have more than one, and almost every home is likely to have some small shrine inside. The construction of these temples is as varied as the temples themselves, as the faithful are encouraged to exercise new ideas of architecture. Outside of Al-Amim, temples dedicated to Shi’al are few and far between. A few exist in Taj-Alid, and a few missionaries sent to Altali have been allowed to evangelize, though their teachings have not widely caught on among the local populace. Free Haven and Tiel have a few temples, but these service mostly ex-patriots and diplomats instead of Imperial citizens. Over the centuries, Zymia has staved off more than one holy crusade aimed at them from Al-Amim for their obvious rebuff of the teachings of the Septuagai-na.
Clerics dedicated to Shi’al are easily distinguished by the small tattoos of rank they bear on their cheeks. There is no specific wardrobe worn by the priesthood, but no cleric of Shi’al would ever be caught without a copy of the Septuagai-na and the K’ech-na, the hold ring that acts in lieu of a uniform. Missionaries often teach their faith like any other cleric, but in Al-Amim it’s assumed that one already knows the stories written down in the Septuagai-na, so clerics often teach their lessons in the form of questions or stories that relate to the Septuagai-na and have a moral.
Shi’al’s clergy is split between two wings of clerics that cooperate fully. Those without the War domain are known as sheif-Shi’al, “Speakers of Shi’al.” These clerics act as community leaders, teachers, missionaries and the like, fostering innovation and tolerance among the populace, teaching the lessons of the Septuagai-na, adjudicating minor disputes among to populace and so forth. Those with the War domain are known as sheif-sept, “Speakers of Law.” They act as government-sponsored law keepers and sometimes as holy warriors, fighting with the armies of Al-Amim and acting as leaders and officers in battle. Members of both wings are charged with the authority to interpret the law and to hand down sentencing, up to an including a death sentence, but sheif-Shi’al usually act as local magistrates while sheif-sept generally operate more like traveling sheriffs.
Requirments
A cleric dedicated to Shi’al-na must be able to read the Sheif ibn Shi’al language. While translating the Septuagai-na into other languages is not a heresy, the government of Al-Amim takes a dim view on it and would never consider confirming a cleric who could not read the text in its original language.