Both and Neither- Adherents of Arshea

Arshea, the spirit of abandon, the host of delectation, the androgynous Empyreal Lord who represents the freedoms available to all peoples regardless of gender. This week we explore sects, cults, and societies of the worshipers of Arshea. For the first time my choice of which god to explore was not my own, but a fan request—and a birthday present at that. So happy birthday to the requestor and may the light of Arshea shine upon you in all its perfection.

Here are some notes and links for further information on Arshea

Arshea NG Empyreal Lord of Freedom, Physical Beauty and Sexuality

Arshea’s Pathfinderwiki Page 

Arshea’s Archive of Nethys Page

Two-Spirits

Within the steppe tribes of the Shoanti some of the most well respected Shaman number themselves among the ranks of the Two-Spirits or Contraries. These medicine folk are thought to be touched by the Empyreal Lord Arshea, who the Shoanti call Roakarah, the Moon of Morning. Rokarah is considered to be the greatest of the Two-Spirits, and the name itself is the merging of the words Roakh, or Rising Sun, a masculine name, and Arah, meaning full moon, a feminine name. The Two-Spirits themselves serve an important role in their society, challenging accepted dogma, pushing social boundaries, and preventing stagnation of culture.  They are people of extremes, both male and female, both of the physical world and of the spirit world: a connection to all that is and all that shall be.

Many of the Two-Spirits live a contrary or reverse lifestyle. They bathe in the dust of the land and dry in the waters of the mighty rivers. Some even walk and speak backwards in an attempt to balance their forward selves with the rest of the world. The men dress as women and the women as men so that they can feel a greater connection to their other half. Unlike other shoanti who generally fulfill the same role in their tribe their entire life, a Two-Spirit might be a dozen things; a warrior and a potter, a medicine-man and a farmer.  Their roles are as fluid as their nature, and their many and varied experiences make them better advisors for their people.  Some of the most powerful Two-Spirits are born with both male and female organs and are considered to be blessed with the gift of not only having a dual spirit but a dual body.

Because of their ability to act contrary to the rather rigid social rules of the Shoanti, the Two-Spirits are often among the most creative of their tribes in whatever role they serve.  Two-Spirit Shoanti have been known to be some of the greatest artisans, mediators, craftspeople, and battle strategists of their people because they have the ability to try new methods and present ideas to their tribe that might otherwise be rejected out of hand.

Although they are highly respected by their people the life of a Two-Spirit is not easy. Many separate themselves from the tribe, living in their own space just outside the tribal camp. They are both with and apart from their people, just as they are both male and female, spirit and flesh. Upon their passing it is thought that Arshea brings these contraries to a sort of ancestor home, where they can continue to guide their people when a new Two-Spirit choose to commune with them.

The Green Circle

Roughly ten miles east of Magnimar is a small forest known to the locals as the Free Green.  A carefully laid cobblestone path leads into the forest and a nearby observer might see any number of well-appointed carriages passing too and fro into the woods.  Those who enter the woods uninvited rarely find anything of interest, often getting lost for a while before finding themselves back at the spot where they entered.  For those with an invitation, however, the Free Green is something different all together:  it is a sylvan refuge dedicated to the most sensual and sybaritic exploits imaginable.

A safe haven for those wishing to explore their own sexuality in ways that “polite society” may deem uncouth, the Free Green is, of course, very strict in its policy on consent. The mistress of the woodland paradise is the Nymph named Ashlathana, to whom the Empyreal Lord Arshea has given favor. Ashlanthana leaves most of the duties of interacting with guests to her mortal servitors, but the surrounding woods contain more than one Dryad’s tree as well as a handful of Satyr who will enforce the peace of the sacred green, as well as occasionally joining in with the revelry.

The humanoid worshipers who come to dedicate themselves to Ashlathana, and by extension Arshea, have taken to calling their group the Green Circle. Much of the Free Green is a wooded grove—but to better facilitate the needs of the supplicants that come to receive the Empyreal Lord into themselves, a number of bungalows have been built. The Free Green also houses an impressive grotto, which contains a number of secluded caves and pools, including a natural hot spring.

Among the Magnimarian elite, an invite to the Free Green is one of those rare things that cannot be bought, and as such it is quite coveted.  Furthermore, it is one of those rare rewards that cannot be advertised due to the nature of the Free Green’s activities.  However, in back rooms and smokey salons around town word spreads among friends and close acquaintances adding to the mystique of the place.  Anyone may request an invite to the grove by leaving a note with their name on it into a hole in an ancient oak tree in the Alabaster Park in Magnimar.  Occasionally, however, certain people will receive an invitation without requesting it.  Generally these invites are sent to people of exceptional beauty and style, or people renowned for the wildness of their sexual exploits.  However the invite is acquired, it cannot be sold, traded, or otherwise transferred.