| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| xaviera |
Posted - 14 May 2009 : 23:49:53
I thought I would share with the community some of the stuff I have written about Sharess. It is not entirely canon but this may be ascribed to regional differences in interpretation or an incomplete lack of knowledge of the gods on the part of mere mortals. Nevertheless I hope it may prove useful to you and I welcome feedback.
1. Introduction.
It has been many years that I have served this city as High Priestess of the Lady of Lust, and shortly the time will come for me to retire and let those flush with the bloom of youth take over my duties. In my years of dedication to the Goddess, I have seen much and considered long and hard the many issues that affect those of us who follow Her, and so now I take quill in hand to indite my thoughts of the Princess of Passion, my understanding of Her, and what it means to call ourselves Sharessin.
It is ever our lot, it seems, to bear the scorn of both highborn and lowborn who think us but courtesans and loosecoin lasses, vapid vessels of carnality and concupiscence with no thought for aught but our next roll in the hay. I say, however, that those who think such speak with neither knowledge nor wisdom, for they have not taken the time to consider the ways of the Dancing Lady, nor to follow Her path and see where it truly leads.
It is my hope that these feeble words will help to convey some of the complex beauty and grand reach of our Goddess’ philosophy, and that it will show how Her domain touches all of our lives in so many ways. I pray that those who jeer and whisper behind their hands but lust after us in their hearts and loins, or who seek us out solely for physical pleasure but dismiss the spiritual enlightenment we offer, will take a moment to read and heed these words and be thereby brought to a greater appreciation of the Lustful Mistress’ divine blessings.
As all peoples differ in environment, in culture, and in belief, when we travel to a particular place we must put on the ways of the locals that our words may sound familiar to them, and so more readily find acceptance. So in this far land, we must perforce speak of Sharess differently than we would in, say, Calimshan. We are fortunate that our Lady does not hold us fast to rite and rote, but allows us the freedom to follow Her as we will. I say this in the hope that I shall not be judged a heretic by those who read these words, but that all who truly follow the Festhall Madam will take from this the essential message and adapt it to their own unique situations, their own temples and their own congregations.
In joyous praise of Sharess,
~ Xaviera
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| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Gyor |
Posted - 14 Aug 2013 : 18:44:17
Actually if I decided to play a 4e non evil blackguard of Sharess ideally I'd go with Shadar-Kai. They have a very S&M feel, they need intense sensations, challenges, and emotions to stop from fading, which is basically fading into shadow stuff and becoming part of the shadowfell, a fate worse then death.
This seems to me that this would make any goodly aligned Shadar-Kai make sense as followers of Sharess.
Of course Doppelgangers, Satyrs, Tieflings, and (Hama)dryads can work too, ironically all the above were seen as Monsterous manifestations of Sharess' will in 3.5, religious signs, yet in 4e they're PC races totally playable with stuff like racial powers and/or racial feats. You could play an invoker or Cleric or Avenger or Paladin of Sharess with any of those races in 4e.
Your tales remind me of fairytales which is cool. The originally none disneyfied verisons which were darker content. |
| xaviera |
Posted - 14 Aug 2013 : 06:26:06
quote:
Originally posted by Gyor
Also as strange as this sounds I thought the 4e blackguard Paladin would be great for a Sharessin as in 4e Blackguard Paladins gain thier powers from the Gods, but via a vice which acted like a focused collective consciousness. They don't have to be evil and one could put an erotic spin on the vice of dominance, especially if one also played a Shadar-Kai. Lust is defined as a vice so it fit thematically.
In 5e I could see Sharess having an order of non evil Blackguard Knights devoted to Lust as an ideal, and fighting Shar in the Shadowfell.
Thanks for your comments. I've always liked the idea of the Sharessan paladin ("Get out there and have fun, dammit!"  ) - it makes as much sense to me as a Sunite paladin, after all - but the mechanics usually don't permit it. I haven't played 4/5e so I can't really comment on the class combo you mention, but the idea is certainly interesting. I've tried in these writings to give some 'moral imperatives' for followers of the Princess of Passion - a set of values and ideals to uphold - and I think that in some ways a Sharessin would make almost as good a paladin as the traditional version in terms of protecting the innocent and vanquishing tyranny, save that her approach would be often, um, highly unconventional. 
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| Gyor |
Posted - 14 Aug 2013 : 04:43:02
In 4e and 5e Paladin and Monks don't have to be lawful anymore.
One odd irony I thought back in the days of 3.5 was in Neverwinter 2 expansions there was a half drow pregen favoured soul who in the later expansion actually is shown to have levels in sacred fist which was a PrC mostly for Monk Cleric multiclassers, but a quirk of how they implimented Sharessin Favoured Souls made sacred fist almost nessacary if one wished the character to make use of there dieties favoured weapon.
Her name was something thrice blessed and while I don't usually use pregens I found her story compelling, and it and the unique mix of diety, classes, and racesubrace, background story interesting enough that I wished she was cannon.
Also as strange as this sounds I thought the 4e blackguard Paladin would be great for a Sharessin as in 4e Blackguard Paladins gain thier powers from the Gods, but via a vice which acted like a focused collective consciousness. They don't have to be evil and one could put an erotic spin on the vice of dominance, especially if one also played a Shadar-Kai. Lust is defined as a vice so it fit thematically.
In 5e I could see Sharess having an order of non evil Blackguard Knights devoted to Lust as an ideal, and fighting Shar in the Shadowfell.
Sorry for the thread drift Xaviera, but your monk paladin comment brought this to mind.
Btw your poems and fables really catch the right feel. |
| The Arcanamach |
Posted - 14 Aug 2013 : 03:37:06
Unbelievably great stuff here. Gonna take me some time to get through it all...but every bit of it went into my personal notes/files on the Realms. |
| Alystra Illianniis |
Posted - 09 May 2011 : 03:17:10
I loved the song and the poem. Keep up the good work! |
| Sinjin Oban |
Posted - 08 May 2011 : 22:15:20
This is brilliant. I've been wanting to compile all of my Beshaban theology. It won't be nearly as comprehensive or coherent as this, but at least now I have a template of sorts. Wonderful work Xaviera! |
| xaviera |
Posted - 14 Feb 2011 : 16:16:36
quote:
Originally posted by Kanya Skulls
How, do you think, would act characters of diffrent races, alignments and classes? How would you role-play an CG (well, that's kinda easy), CN, ND, N, LN, LG, etc. character?
How you play a Sharessin is pretty much up to you.
The Dancers of Sharess PrC states that "Sharess's philosophy so chafes under restriction that it cannot accommodate the lawful nature of paladins and monks", so it's hard to imagine a lawful Sharessin. It's hard to be spontaneous when you're uptight.  A lawful individual would more appropriately be a member of the Society of Sensation (a Sensate, but not the Sharessan kind).
Evils & neutrals would be more concerned with their own pleasure and gratification than that of other people. Neutrals & evils are probably more likely to be rogues & assassins or, if clerics, secret worshippers of Shar or Loviatar. These types would be more likely to engage in non-consensual activities (including non-sexual acts such as simply stealing objects they like). A neutral might do either as it suits them.
Obviously, one's choice of class and how one would act as a Sharessin has a lot to do with the character's own motivations and alignment.
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| Kanya Skulls |
Posted - 26 Jan 2011 : 22:21:50
You're doing a very good job, xaviera. Keep at it.
BTW. I would ask for your opinion, because you seem to know a lot about Sharess. Of course other Scribes can help as well.
How, do you think, would act characters of diffrent races, alignments and classes? How would you role-play an CG (well, that's kinda easy), CN, ND, N, LN, LG, etc. character? How would you role-play a fighter, rogue, wizard, etc.? I'm very curious, because I like The Dancing Lady (I'm practically a follower myself) but my mind is too simple to come up with answers to this questions and would be super happy to have my character be role-played good in this regard (her religion, I mean). |
| xaviera |
Posted - 25 Jan 2011 : 14:55:00
(Added "A Prayer For Those Who Defend Innocents" on p.1)
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| The Sage |
Posted - 01 Aug 2010 : 15:50:11
quote:
Originally posted by xaviera
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
The delay, really, is due mainly to the fact that it's been hard finding an instrument which "promotes" the Sharessin faith.
I've thought the hurdy-gurdy (aka vielle, simphonia), fiddle and/or recorder would be among the most appropriate.
Strangely enough, I was thinking [and talking with the Lady K] of some kind of Byzantine-derived lira.
A recorder would probably be easier, but I tend to like the challenge associated with the idea of writing for a lira instrument.  |
| xaviera |
Posted - 01 Aug 2010 : 14:49:21
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
The delay, really, is due mainly to the fact that it's been hard finding an instrument which "promotes" the Sharessin faith.
I've thought the hurdy-gurdy (aka vielle, simphonia), fiddle and/or recorder would be among the most appropriate.
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| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 31 Jul 2010 : 16:23:24
quote:
Originally posted by dennis
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Heh. It's on the list. Along with some of the other hymns and lyrical works xaviera has posted previously.
They're all still largely draft works, though -- pieces of sheet music scattered between here, my library, and my desktop at work. The delay, really, is due mainly to the fact that it's been hard finding an instrument which "promotes" the Sharessin faith.
I *may* have to end up inventing one! 
Why not?! Perhaps Wooly will lend a helping hand?
My knowledge of music begins and ends at knowing what I like to listen to. I can't read sheet music, I can't play any non-air instruments (you know, air guitar, air drums, air keyboard, etc), and I'm not even that good at singing. On top of that, my musical taste is so eclectic that I don't know of a single person that likes all the same stuff I do -- or even close to it! To better spell it out, let me list my favorite artists/bands, in no particular order: B'z (a Japanese rock band), the Presidents of the United States of America (alternative), Weird Al Yankovic (parodies and novelty tunes), Flogging Molly (Irish-American punk group), The Corrs (Irish pop), TM Revolution (Japanese pop), and Gaelic Storm (more Irish pop). I also like a lot of 80's music. Lately I've been digging Straight No Chaser (an a capella group made famous by a Youtube video) and Rock Sugar (also on Youtube; they blend 80's-90's metal with pop tunes from the same era, and the lead singer is the voice of Wakko Warner and Sewer Urchin!).
So in short, I am very much not the person to assist with anything music-related!
On a related note, one of the DJs on the radio station I listen to also does weddings and other events. He was of course the DJ I wanted for my wedding reception, and he cut us a nice deal, since he knew me. He also likes Weird Al, and I made sure he knew he could play that music during the reception. He only dropped in one song that I noticed ("eBay"), but he later commented to me it was the first Weird Al he'd done at a wedding in like 5 or 6 years! |
| xaviera |
Posted - 31 Jul 2010 : 14:55:52
The Man Whose Prayers Were Granted
There was a man, in days of yore,
Who desired the Deity of Whores -
The Lady that they call Sharess -
A lust that drove him to obsess.
He prayed all day and all the night
And begged She grant him but a sight
Of breasts divine, so like the moon
He swore that they'd outshine Selune;
Of legs so long and sculpted fine
With pow'r and beauty leonine;
And of the secret 'tween Her thighs
And all the pleasures that there lie.
Day and night before Her altar
His loud entreaties did not falter;
He wailed and gnashed his teeth and moaned
And sacrificed all that he owned.
Then came the moment hoped and feared
When Passion's Princess there appeared
And reached to where he bowed down low,
Her fingers burning on his brow.
Upward his eager gaze did travel
And as it did his soul unravelled.
She knelt and breathed upon his cheek
Which nearly brought him to his peak
While stammering words of devotion
That claimed a love deep as the ocean.
"O man", she laughed with throaty chuckle
(Disintegrating his belt buckle),
"Love is fair Sune's domain
And that's not what you hope to gain
From me, the Lady known as Lust"
(With that, his clothing turned to dust),
"But I shall grant what you have sought,
That which your fervent prayers have bought,"
And so She took him in Her arms
And lavished on him divine charms.
And nevermore was he the same
Once with a Goddess he had lain,
And so he pined and died apace
But with a smile upon his face -
What mortal bliss, what mundane treasure,
Could outshine She whose name is Pleasure?
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| Dennis |
Posted - 31 Jul 2010 : 06:22:04
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Heh. It's on the list. Along with some of the other hymns and lyrical works xaviera has posted previously.
They're all still largely draft works, though -- pieces of sheet music scattered between here, my library, and my desktop at work. The delay, really, is due mainly to the fact that it's been hard finding an instrument which "promotes" the Sharessin faith.
I *may* have to end up inventing one!
Why not?! Perhaps Wooly will lend a helping hand?
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| The Sage |
Posted - 31 Jul 2010 : 06:05:33
Heh. It's on the list. Along with some of the other hymns and lyrical works xaviera has posted previously.
They're all still largely draft works, though -- pieces of sheet music scattered between here, my library, and my desktop at work. The delay, really, is due mainly to the fact that it's been hard finding an instrument which "promotes" the Sharessin faith.
I *may* have to end up inventing one! |
| Dennis |
Posted - 31 Jul 2010 : 05:45:31
Might as well compose a music for it.
You can ask Sage.
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| xaviera |
Posted - 31 Jul 2010 : 05:20:49
[The following is not, strictly speaking, a Sharessan composition, though it was written by my character as a general exhortation to people to live life with less hostility. As such, it reflects the general concepts expounded upon in these pages.]
A New Song for the World
Come on, people! Time to listen -
Drop your plough and stop your fishin'!
Had enough of pain and strife?
Now's the time to change your life.
Come now, tell me, don't you tire
Of battle, death and war and fire?
Of Cyric's madness, fear of Bane,
Lolthite tortures, Sharran pain?
But why, you ask, are you afflicted?
I tell you, friends, you are addicted
To lust for power, coin and fame
Which draws like moths unto a flame.
It's not so much the common folk
(Who bear their burden's heavy yoke)
But history has demonstrated
Adventurers are never sated.
Know ye, 'tis the quest for power -
To slay the spider in her bower
Or subjugate the orcish tribes -
That eats away at your insides.
So ye who delve in dungeons deep
Think of those at home, asleep -
Of townsman, merchant, clerk or midwife -
Without whom you'd have no life.
Now they just want to carry on,
To rise and greet another dawn.
Believe or not, they feel no lack
Not fearing enemy attack.
You face the foes they cannot meet
But duty is a two-way street;
Don't overdo and draw the ire
Of enemies' returning fire.
For naught is wrong with self-defence
But please! don't make life so intense;
I tell you, watch what you are doin'
When you invoke that Greater Ruin!
Else tit-for-tat one-upmanship
Will find you buried to the hip
In plots of vengeance complicated
From which you can't be extricated.
Then each attack provokes another,
Pitting brother versus brother,
Each striving for the upper hand
Without regard for fellow man.
Now those who seek to be divisive
Will justly meet with jeers derisive,
For honest toil they do shirk
And seek the prize without the work.
A wall is stronger when it's mortared,
An army when it is supported,
But those who strive alone for riches
Will find that they have burned their bridges.
You take that road, you cannot stop -
There's only one guy at the top -
So you must climb with greater haste
Or find his foot upon your face.
They'll try to take what you possess
By threat or fear or by duress,
And if they fail, why then, of course,
They'll do their best to take by force.
But though it's true they have the might,
Their power stems from naught but spite.
Reject the way of those who seek
To take your joy, from greed or pique,
And turn from evil hearts so hollow
For where you go they cannot follow;
You are rich because you feel
And that is what they cannot steal.
So don't give in to threat of terror
(To do so is to live in error)
But rather try to work together -
Let loose your love, don't bind and tether!
I tell you, it's a simple plan:
Just reach out and extend a hand
And give of what you can afford -
In love you will reap your reward.
So gather 'round, my friends and neighbours
And put away those mauls and sabers!
The way of peace is no disgrace
And makes our world a better place.
Band together, stand as one -
Live life freely, join the fun!
Share the efforts and the pains -
In this way, everybody gains!
It's you who'll make the difference -
Now isn't that just common sense?
Help us create this paradise -
All you need do is just... be nice!
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| Dennis |
Posted - 31 Jul 2010 : 05:02:04
Wow! Such good stuff! =) |
| xaviera |
Posted - 30 Jul 2010 : 15:28:11
It's those 'additional duties' that have taken over most of the portfolio, though. (8D)
I'm trying to come up with other ideas for poems/tales - hopefully I'll be back with more soon!
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| Brix |
Posted - 30 Jul 2010 : 10:13:00
I have no problem with Sharess having cats in her portfolio. Beast Cults have a long tradition in the Realms. So you could also see Sharess as a Beast Lord with some additional duties  |
| froglegg |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 17:57:59
quote:
Originally posted by xaviera
Thank you so much - glad you enjoyed it!
Made a few other minor edits here and there while I was at it, mostly to the various poems. Also added The Indulgent's Prayer in section 2 on page 1.
All I can say is ...... More please.
John |
| Menelvagor |
Posted - 12 Apr 2010 : 12:04:17
Excellent story. I especially liked the way it was told, and the ending note, which made it seem much more authentic. |
| xaviera |
Posted - 12 Apr 2010 : 05:27:42
Thank you so much - glad you enjoyed it!
Made a few other minor edits here and there while I was at it, mostly to the various poems. Also added The Indulgent's Prayer in section 2 on page 1.
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| Alystra Illianniis |
Posted - 12 Apr 2010 : 05:06:34
Nice. another very moral story, with a neat little twist. You almost have to feel sorry for these guys.... ALMOST. |
| xaviera |
Posted - 12 Apr 2010 : 04:58:53
The Blessing of Azulis
Many, many years ago (which is, of course, when all such stories are set) there lived a young woman called Aliza. Aliza was not very pretty, sad to say, and had a bit of a limp from a childhood injury. As a result she was not well-favoured and worked hard to earn a few coins for herself by washing other people's clothes. She was, however, a devotee of Sharess and lived her life faithfully according to the word of the Goddess. Though her life was difficult she still went each day to the Temple and made offering before Sharess to thank Her for her blessings.
In the course of things, as sometimes happens, she became with child, though the man was simply using her and laughed at her when she told him of her condition. Still, she bore the baby to term, savouring the experience of pregnancy as a good Sharessin should, and was rewarded with a beautiful boy with laughing eyes. When he was a tenday old, she took him to the Festhall to place him before the statue of the Goddess. Oh my Goddess, she prayed, this is my baby boy Azulis whom I bring before you today. I dedicate him to You and I promise to teach him and raise him in Your faith. I ask only that You bless him, O most glorious Sharess. She looked down at herself and prayed that her son would be well-favoured and popular as she herself had not been, wishing for him a better life than her own. And because she was faithful and her plea touched the Goddess, Sharess passed Her hand over the child and blessed him.
Azulis was a lovely boy, with dark curly hair and dark eyes, and everybody praised him. Always he was the popular one, chosen first in all the games, even though he was not the strongest or the fastest or the smartest, but simply because everyone wanted to be his friend. People gave him gifts because he was beautiful and overlooked his faults for the same reason. Aliza, for her part, remained ever faithful to her Goddess and prayed each day for Azulis; she tried to teach him the way of Sharess and how it was important to treat every event as special, but for Azulis everything came too easily and he could not be bothered to exert himself in such a manner.
As the years passed he became a handsome youth over whom all the girls (and not a few men) fawned. But he grew selfish with having everything he desired given to him and became thoughtless and greedy, considering it his due. To his friends he boasted of how well-favoured he was, claiming that he could talk anyone into giving him what he wanted or have any woman he desired. To his mother he said that he owed nothing to anybody and spurned her efforts to teach him about the Goddess. I shall give offering to Beshaba, he said, that she does not take what I have from me, but your goddess is the Lady of Harlots and I have no need to pay for a woman. When she died, saddened by his rejection but still devoted to her only child, he took what little coin she had and would not even pay for her burial.
As he stood one day upon the street with his friends, bragging of yet another girl who'd given herself to him and even paid him for it, they laughed and pointed to a young woman walking by. A slight red-haired girl she was, known to be a very shy and very much a virgin, and they dared him to prove his virility by taking her. Surely she will love it, they joked. Every girl only needs Azulis to light her fire, they said, and she will thank you for doing her this favour. Indeed she will, he replied, for it is true that no woman can resist me, and he hitched up his breeches and left his friends and crossed the road after her.
So Azulis walked up behind her and took her arm, steering her into an alley as his friends jeered and made ribald jokes. Too meek even to raise her voice in her own defence she stumbled as he pushed her behind a pile of boxes and garbage and then he raised her skirts and took her then and there, face-down in the muck. Enjoy it, wench, he sneered as she wept, for it is Azulis who blesses you with his attention. He laughed as he belted his breeches when he was done with her - how do you feel now, girl? Has the great Azulis satisfied you? At this she heaved a deep breath and turned her face to him, her green eyes blazing, and in the back of his mind he noticed that her hair was no longer straight and red but a tawny mane.
She reached out with one hand and grasped his jaw, long nails digging into his cheeks, and pulled his face close to hers, and suddenly he knew fear. I blessed you, Azulis, she growled, at the behest of your mother, who loved me and wanted better for you than she had. Yet you spurned her and you abused my gift, for while pleasure shared is pleasure doubled, you have used what I gave you to take pleasure without consent, which is the worst offence you may do to me. For this I take back all that I have given you, she said, all the pleasures of all the years, all at once, and she reached out her other hand between his thighs.
Azulis trembled in terror as nails scratched his skin. Do not cry, man child, came Her voice, here now is a different blessing. And then She laughed and he felt Her lips on his and shook with ecstacy as fire raced through his veins. His senses were overwhelmed - his eyes clouded over until he could barely see and a roaring filled his ears so that he could scarcely hear. His limbs became weak and he cried out as he felt his manhood shrivel in Her grasp. He knew then that the greatest pleasure he would ever feel after this moment would be painful in comparison and that all his offerings to Beshaba were for naught, for it was not she who had the power to take away what had been given but Sharess who is Bast who is Zandilar who is called the Succubus of Sensation. And so She left him as he had intended to leave the red-haired girl and he knew that death would be a welcome release when finally it came.
Know ye all, therefore, that there is no limit to the Goddess' blessing, but so too is there no limit to the pains of he who affronts Her. A life without pleasure is a life not lived, and a life with no pleasure is not worth living; as pain is the door to death, so the sharing of pleasure is the path of life. All praise Sharess, and let none prevent another from enjoying Her bounty.
[Note: The rather dark tone of this story suggests that it may predate the Time of Troubles and the freeing of Sharess from the grip of the Mistress of the Night. The last paragraph, in fact, is almost apologetic and may be a later addition intended to soften the overall impact of the tale.]
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| Alystra Illianniis |
Posted - 26 Feb 2010 : 01:50:36
Ha! I love it. That was a wonderful "tail", and quite the moral story, too. Guess he got what he wanted after all... |
| froglegg |
Posted - 23 Feb 2010 : 23:45:54
I like it! Have you ever work for WOTC? Are you a pro writer?
John |
| xaviera |
Posted - 22 Feb 2010 : 01:39:58
The Tale of Buthaynah
It is told that many years ago, in the Festhall of Eternal Delight in Calimport, there was a fair young priestess of Sharess by the name of Buthaynah. As assistant to the High Priestess and of good family, she had a small room within the Temple itself. Each morning she would arise and go about the Festhall, dutifully cleaning, changing the rushes, setting out fresh candles, anointing the idols of Sharess, and doing many other tasks as she joyfully sang hymns to the Goddess, all for love of her Lady. She was always happy and strove ever to keep the Goddess in the forefront of her thoughts, and for her devotion she was favoured by the Goddess, though she knew it not.
Dark-eyed and raven-haired, she was beautiful and graceful and was greatly admired for her skills at dance and pleasure, and though she was a quiet girl (or perhaps because of it!) she was often sought out by many of the men who came to the Temple seeking the blessing of Sharess in the arms of a priestess. One such was Razhu Mashid, a mage of no small accomplishment, but a cold-hearted and grasping man.
It came to pass one day that as Razhu Mashid was being carried in his litter along the waterfront of Calimport, striking his slaves with his goad to speed them on their way, he spied the priestess Buthaynah while passing before the Temple. Stopping right there, he strode over to her and demanded her name. I am Buthaynah, Lord, she replied, bowing her head to him, a humble servant of the Princess of Passion. I would have you, woman, he said, meaning that in his lust and greed he coveted her for himself. As you wish, my Lord, she said, and took him by the hand and led him to her chamber, as it is often the way of the Sharessin to give themselves in honour of She whom they serve when asked, for she did not understand what dark passions she inflamed in him.
Though she found his attentions harsh and demanding, she endured them for the love of her Lady, and even more did she strive to pleasure him, using all her skills to leave him weak and exhausted. This angered him all the more, that he should be rendered so powerless by a mere woman. In his dudgeon he named her a she-eel and a whore, that he might deny his own feelings and magnify himself in his own sight, for it is written that he who makes his own mirror shall see only that which he wishes. I shall take you and I shall make you mine, he said, his face dark as the storm. You will hold me to your breast and kiss me, he said, and you will enjoy it. I shall lay my head upon your lap, you will feed me and comb my hair and you will please me with the touch of your fingers. This I vow, for I am Razhu Mashid the mage, and my power is great.
The beautiful Buthaynah bowed her head to him, attentive to each touch and word as her Goddess commanded she be, and learning therefrom, yet repulsed by the evil in this man. This may not be, O great Lord, she said, for I am bound in my heart to the Lady of Lust, and it is Her only that I serve. You may not command a Sharessin, Lord, for Her blessing is only that pleasure which is freely given. I care not for your goddess and I shall have you nonetheless, he said. Truly, he was made foolish by his lust to say such things in the temple of She to whom he had just made offering, though he thought not of it as such. As the sages say, it is evil for a man to curse the one in whose house he is a guest. And with those fateful words he belted his robe about himself and strode off.
That night his slaves knew his fury, though not the cause of it, for he was ashamed at his weakness and denied it even to himself, that he should feel such yearning for a woman he had named a hard-coin girl. I shall take her as I vowed, he said, and he set about casting many powerful magics upon himself, of protection and of invisibility and others. And summoning a djinn, he commanded it to carry him through the air, and so set out for the Festhall of Eternal Delight.
The Temple, being what it is (for those who know not), is open all hours and some days there is more activity at night than while the sun shines, and so it was that the doors stood wide before Razhu Mashid. Casting upon himself a spell of shape change, he took the form of a cat, reasoning that thus disguised he could go unnoticed in a temple where there were many such. O foolish man, blinded by greed and lust! To enter the Temple of Bast in the form of one of Her sacred creatures was the height of foolishness, but do so he did.
In this way, then, did Razhu Mashid enter into the chamber of Buthaynah where she knelt in prayer before an image of the Goddess as beautiful as she herself. O Sharess, she called, O Bast, O Mother of Cats. Protect me, I pray, from the wrath of this man who would claim me for his own. If it is Your will that I give in to his intentions should he come again, I shall do so for love of You, but do not let him take me from Your house, for this I could not abide.
At that very moment, it is said, the eyes of the idol flashed and Razhu Mashid felt upon him the touch of an unseen hand. And lo, when he sought to once again take his own form that he might carry off the priestess, he found that could not. Buthaynah, for her part, saw in her chamber a cat she did not recognize, which sat before her and regarded her with wide eyes. O my Goddess, she cried, You have truly honoured me by sending one of Your servants to watch over me! And she took the form of Razhu Mashid into her arms and held him to her breast and kissed him.
And so it was that the vows of Razhu Mashid came true, though not in the way he would have wished. For now the beautiful Buthaynah lays his head in her lap and sings hymns of her love for Sharess to him, and each day she feeds him and combs his fur and pleasures him with her petting. And he who sought to own a priestess of Bast is himself owned, for it is well and truly said that he who curses the gods shall have his curses returned upon him ten-fold. Great indeed is the power of Sharess, and all praise to Her!
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| froglegg |
Posted - 22 Feb 2010 : 01:02:44
Keep it coming Xavier. Good stuff indeed!
John |
| The Sage |
Posted - 21 Feb 2010 : 07:35:00
Good stuff, Xaviera. And a worthwhile use of the earlier Ed-lore.
Well done.
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