Sekolah
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Sekolah is a powerful devil [1]: 49 and the primary deity worshipped by the sahuagin race. His sacred animal is the shark. His holy symbol is a white shark or a dorsal fin rising from the water.
Publication history
Sekolah was first fully detailed in Deities and Demigods (1980).[2]
Sekolah was detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about his priesthood.[3] His role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).[4] Sekolah's worship was further detailed in the book The Sea Devils (1997).[5]
Sekolah was described briefly in Defenders of the Faith (2000).[6] His priesthood is detailed for 3rd edition in Complete Divine (2004).[7]
Description
Sekolah resembles nothing so much as a 35-foot-long (11 m) great white shark. He can normally be found hunting giant squid and other prey that he finds suitably challenging.
Relationships
Sekolah is a rapacious monster who cares nothing, one way or the other, for any race but the sahuagin. Deep Sashelas hates him in particular, however. Demogorgon reviles Sekolah, although he does not act against him directly. Sekolah has nothing to do with the long-imprisoned Anguileusis.
The Great Shark permits the sahuagin to form temporary pacts with other evil deities; he cares little as long as he continues to receive regular sacrifices from his priestesses.
Realm
Sekolah's realm Sheyruushk is located in Stygia, the fifth of the Nine Hells. The sahuagin petitioners in Shreyruushk surround Sekolah in perfect geometric formations, and any who fall out of line are eaten. Sekolah is a crafty, evil beast, and has been known to surface to converse with (and devour) baatezu ambassadors to the monarch of the deep.
Dogma
Sekolah represents uncaring force and brutality. He is also a fertility god.
Worshippers
The vast majority of Sekolah's worshipers are sahuagin, although members of the aquatic, formally human race known as the aventi are sometimes also seduced by his promises of power.
Clergy
Sekolah's priests, who are all female, wear gray-white colors. Their favored weapon is the trident. They lead raiding parties and take their choice of the spoils after the nobles have had their share. The shark-god is worshipped in natural caverns at the highest and lowest tides. Sahuagin sacrifice both defeated enemies and valuable jewelry to Sekolah whenever possible, the priests officiating at these rituals. Sekolah's church follows a rigid, tyrannical hierarchy in which status is determined through ritual combat.
The Jaws of Sekolah
This order of sahuagin blackguards spreads terror throughout the seas in the name of their patron Sekolah. The Jaws of Sekolah were once led by the legendary cleric known only as the Red One.[1]: 51 and 192
Temples
Temples to Sekolah are built of stone or coral. The most humble temples, built by sahuagin in exile, are little more than rude caves. The greatest are decorated with mosaics of sharks and sahuagin dancing joyfully, decorated with seashells, mother-of-pearl, and actual pearls and featuring windows made from crystal.
A large bowl, ideally built beneath a statue of Sekolah, is used for offerings and divination. There are chambers for the priestesses to dwell in, barracks for the guards, eating halls, and libraries filled with shells and tablets inscribed with sacred texts and eelhide scrolls bearing the history of the settlement.
Myths and legends
The Calling to the Depths
Long, long ago, when the oceans were empty of sapient life, Sekolah hunted the primal leviathans of the deep. After one particularly successful hunt, the god sang a song of victory, a haunting melody that echoed in the deep oceanic trench. For the first time, voices answered him, sounding out from the void of the watery abyss. Intrigued, Sekolah continued his song, and slowly a great shell rose from the darkness. The shell opened to reveal the first sahuagin, who swam around the One who had called them, singing in harmony with Sekolah's triumphant aria.
The Enslavement of Demogorgon
Myths claim that, using a powerful artifact, Sekolah long ago forced the demon prince Demogorgon into servitude. Although the Prince of Demons ultimately won his freedom, he still is wary of directing attacks against his hated former master or the sahuagin who worship him. Still, he is pleased when his ixitxachitl worshippers shed sahuagin blood, and this has contributed in no small part to the rivalry between the two undersea races.
References
- ^ a b Baker, Richard, and Joseph D. Carriker Jr, and Jennifer Clarke Wilkes. Stormwrack. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005
- ^ Ward, James and Robert Kuntz. Deities and Demigods (TSR, 1980)
- ^ Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology (TSR, 1992)
- ^ McComb, Colin. On Hallowed Ground (TSR, 1996)
- ^ Williams, Skip. The Sea Devils. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1997
- ^ Redman, Rich and James Wyatt. Defenders of the Faith (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
- ^ Noonan, David. Complete Divine (Wizards of the Coast, 2004)
Additional reading
- Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online: [1]
- Cook, Monte. A Paladin in Hell (Wizards of the Coast, 1998). ISBN 0-7869-1210-3
- Cordell, Bruce R. Evil Tide. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1997.
- Night of the Shark. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1997.
- Sea of Blood. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1997.
- Cook, Monte. A Paladin in Hell. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999.
- Grubb, Jeff. Manual of the Planes. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1987.