Zed

at a glance

• Patron deity of Brazil.
• Symbol: abstract links and dots.
• Intergalactic Ambassador of the Council of Originals.
• High Judge of the Star Chamber.

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character profile

Name: Zed (zed)
Gender: Cisgender male
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Nationality: Brazilian

Magic:

• Identifiable by the colour turquoise.
• Zed is a magical "jack of all trades, master of none".

Appearance: Zed is very large, both in height and general size, standing at around 6'9". He has very dark (type vi) skin, brown eyes and would have black hair, but he keeps it bald or close-shaved. He has large facial features, including thick lips and a wide-set nose, and is usually smiling. He wears a gold short-hooped earring in one ear and is usually dressed in business attire, although he does wear typically western casual clothes on his "days off".

Looks favourably upon:

• Good, righteous people.
• Commoners and poorer people.
• Children.
• People facing hardship, especially social or economic hardship.
• Latin Americans
• Minorities in the USA who face racial discrimination, such as African Americans and Mexicans.

Looks unfavourably upon:

• Richer people who obtained their wealth unscrupulously.
• People who steal or take from vulnerable people.

Personality: Zed is one of the nicest originals of the group. He is not very indulgent of ordinary fairies' requests, but is always prepared to listen to them and is never unkind. Patient, fair, and possessing the rare gift of being able to give a balanced and unbiased view of almost any situation, he is widely respected and largely well-liked by the other originals. He is generally very quiet and contemplative, never offering his thoughts without first considering them very carefully. His friends and family are well-acquainted with his fine sense of humour and booming laugh.

Relationships with other deities:

• One of the more affable deities, Zed gets along reasonably well with most of them.
• Very close friends with Tsi.
• One of the more tolerable deities to Mallos and Rhaegar.

epithets

Native language: Portuguese
Native term: senhor
Epithets: bekhen-shenu ("one who does not accept bribes"), dju'u ("the mountain")

council role

Zed is currently serving as the Intergalactic Ambassador of the Council of Originals and is the overall head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He also serves as High Judge of the Star Chamber.

monotheistic cult

Zed's church is one of the larger ones, classing as a religion rather than a cult. The church is centralised with a headquarters based in Rio de Janeiro and has followers all across South America. While Mallos is just as if not more popular in the Spanish-speaking regions of South America, Zed has a large following in Brazil in particular. The church is very traditional; weekly church attendance is expected of members, who are also expected to undertake certain rituals:

• The Holy Entrance: babies and new members of the religion are 'baptised' into the religion by being placed on a copy of the holy scripture (adults should stand) while a priest recites a special prayer for them. This is often followed by a celebration in the family’s home.
• The Holy Union: a Zedite wedding takes place in the church and is similar to a Christian wedding, except that vines are used to bind the married couple together by one arm: the man's left, the woman's right. This is done when they give their vowels and symbolises their commitment to each other. They also both receive a copy of the holy scripture to symbolise their commitment to the church.
• The Holy Departure: a Zedite funeral focuses on helping the deceased to get into Paradise. A priest reads out the rules as laid down by scripture and the family provides examples of when the deceased followed those rules, as evidence for Zed’s court in the afterlife.

'The Book of Order', a holy scripture written in the ancient language, details the rules by which a follower of Zed should live their life. Under the rules of the religion, the Book of Order should never be translated so as to remain true to the original text, although some families quietly keep Portuguese copies in their homes. Zedites believe that Zed shall judge them after death based on how closely they have followed the rules in the Book of Order, and will determine whether they can go to Paradise. Anybody who does not go to Paradise will remain on Earth as a lost spirit until they have proven themselves worthy enough to ascend.

In some of the less developed areas of South America, Zed's followers may be brought in to be neutral third-party judges, invoking their god to help ensure that the final verdict is made with absolute fairness and proper consideration of both sides.

Recently, some Zedites have broken away from the traditional church and formed their own version of the religion in protest. This new cult began in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and is still very young, so has not had much of a chance to spread yet. These Zedites argue that Zed is happiest when they are doing good deeds and helping out their fellow beings, and feel that he is more pleased by these actions/behaviours than he is by prayers, sacrifices/offerings, etc. They are sometimes identified as 'New-Age Zedites' or 'Objectors'.

In many of the under-developed or poorer areas of Brazil, Objectors have set up shelters, food pantries, soup kitchens and free health clinics to offer services to the needy. They are completely voluntary, and while they may not run everyday, most days there are a sufficient number of followers to serve much of the community. There are also charity shops and donation locations in the more well-off areas, especially in cities, to have the funds and resources to provide food and medical care. Zed, and occasionally his wife Rana, has been known to stop by these charities to offer aid as well.

role in polytheistic cults

Zed has grown in prominence in polytheistic cults over the last thousand years or so. Among the more ancient cults, he is a less prominent figure.

He most commonly appears as a god of happiness, as well as of order and justice; he is associated with the cosmos, and is a patron of the poor. His name is sometimes evoked to ward away evil spirits. He is well-known for being laid-back, but has good manners and speaks sensibly; his "chill" nature is also not associated with laziness, for he is a hard-working and dedicated deity who takes his responsibilities seriously. He often appears in mythology as the saviour of the downtrodden, the silver lining when everything is at its worst and the hero is beginning to consider giving up.

In mythology, Zed is often a mediator in conflicts, especially between the other deities. He tends to provide a calming influence. When he appears in myths to ordinary fairies, it's often as a helpful stranger on the street. Occasionally he tests the heroes by appearing as a stranger in need of help, and then rewards the heroes who show him kindness.

reputation on shaman

Overall, Zed is well-liked by the general population of Shaman, though not necessarily someone that the ordinary fairies are used to interacting with frequently. He is not necessarily one to give in to their requests, but, unlike some of the other originals, he tends to be more laid-back and open so fairies may come to him looking for unbiased advice. His fellow council-members view him with great respect and appreciate his ability to see conflict from all sides.

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