SHASHIRI NO-KAMI – Queen of the Dark Cloth             (Aka ANASI the Spider Goddess)

Status:  Younger God

Level:  70000

Avatar:  Carint

Shashiri No-Kami is the oriental mistress of darkness she is also worshiped by nefarious Western peoples as the Spider Goddess. She is both vain and selfish. Her priests and clerics ceremonial dress is the colour of pitch black with silver jewellery.

Some say Shashiri crawled from deep within the desolation of Mt Fireheart, home of Ro’Azarkh. It is said she was banished here before the coming of the gods to Eä as a result of her terrible pride and envy.

The truth is even more unbelievable, Shashiri was an unimaginable mortal child who would seize upon flesh and devour it whenever possible with an insatiable hunger. One night she started to consume the limbs of her mother and father whilst they slept.  They awoke in horror and Shashiri’s father restrained his ravenous daughter. Her mother commanded that she should be taken into the mountains and left in the dark to await her doom at the hand of nature.

Shashiri’s parents took her to the cave of Gam Hoollie; the cave of Gam Hoollie was actually more of a vast pit as opposed to a cave, which is rumoured to lead into the 13 levels of hell. It suited the distressed parents cause well. Putting Shashiri down her father turned to leave. As he turned Shashiri leapt onto her mother screaming not to be left alone, she clung so strongly that her father had to chop off two of her fingers before she would relinquish her grip. As her second finger hit the floor it turned into a vast spider that dwarfed both her parents. This spider was of Pharastus’ doing, with a quick bite it infected both parents with a terrible Lung Bleeding Poison and took up the injured Shashiri and bore her away deep into Gam Hoollie.

Shashiri spent her early years in total darkness. During this time Pharastus used all his skills of corruption to pollute her fair form till its became that of a beautiful spider with a black colour so dark that it would absorb any light that fell upon it. This was all as Pharastus’ planned it, for it was he who had lain with Shashiris’ mother and impregnated her. It was also he that made her father impotent.

This exile in Gam Hoollie away from light gave way to Shashiri’s hatred of light and freedom, and of course her hatred of mankind. This means that her priests are always involved in slavery/bondage and human sacrifice. The faith is outlawed almost everywhere, temples only springing up in remote hideaway places.

Shashiri herself is portrayed as a beautiful black skinned oriental woman with the most piercing green eyes (rare in oriental women). In her right hand she carries a terrible sword and in her left a 100’ long black whip. She is usually portrayed wearing a simple black cloth wrapped around her. Shashiri is able to take the form of a terrible black spider at whim known to the Drow as Anasi the spider goddess. In whatever form Shashiri has assumed she is able to outwit men with the profound knowledge that Pharastus gifted her. She uses this cunning to lure victims into her web of intrigue and power. Once ensnared she would drain her victims slowly of their friends, then family finally their own will to live. Only then would and Shashiri consume their tormented souls.

SYMBOL

 A stylised pair of manacles or a spider’s web (occasionally adorned with feathers)

WORSHIP

Shashiri’s priests partake of human sacrifice and slavery, which is their own special form of worship. The guild has a particular rigid structure. It has five distinct levels of devotion.

TEMPLES

Her temples are rare, situated in lonely, hard to reach places. Inside they are painted entirely in black and are covered with thousands upon thousands of Spider Webs. Spiders of every size can be found lurking in the dark recesses of a Shashirii temple.

HOLY DAYS

The night of the dark of the moon is sacred to Shashiri. Each month, on this night, the cult will offer up a sentient being as sacrifice to their Goddess, at midnight.

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

This cult hates all other deities and their followers, especially Feng Po, who they actively seek to harm. Because of this all other priesthoods hate the cult of Shashiri.

CULT REQUIREMENTS

To become a priest and progress up the levels, a priest must have learnt the following respective skills:

Ley Followers = Free.

Level 1-3 – 1 Warrior or nefarious skill Religious Doctrine to at least rank 1.

Level 4-6 – 2 Warrior or Nefarious skills Religious Doctrine to at least rank 2.

Level 7-8 – 3 Warrior or Nefarious skills Religious Doctrine to at least rank 3.

Level 11+ – 4 Warrior or nefarious skill Religious Doctrine to at least rank 5.

STRICTURES

 

• Must sacrifice at least one sentient being every month.
• Never suffer a Priest of Feng Po to live.
• Never allow a follower of Feng Po to remain free.
• Never tolerate the death of an Arachnid.