Wee Jas
From Fellaor
Wee Jas, is a Goddess worshipped on the Isle of Selesear and in parts of the Tiras Islands. She has been traditionally been associated with the Domains of Death, Law, and Magic. and is held by those who worship her to be the guardian of the channel of souls. As the gurdian of the channel of souls, her role in the divine order is directing those who have died into their next life or into the realm of destruction, if that is suited towards her ends. She is sometimes called "Death's Guardian". Wee Jas is typically depicted as a either old and decrepit or young and beautiful woman, who in almost all cases is wearing by a red shawl which obscures her hair.
[edit] Priesthood
The priesthood of Wee Jas, known as the Viet Min, follows a strict hierarchy. In objective, her religion does not cater expressly to the great masses, except insofar as priests of Wee Jas consider it their duty to minister to the dying and to prepare souls for the great transmigration. Otherwise the functions of the priesthood a restricted to ministering to the nobility, and teaching them the ways of life and death, gathering knowledge in great libraries, and often retreating to a semi-monastic existence, closed off to the rest of the world. The head of the priesthood is by tradition the king of Selesar. Most of the Royal palace in Selesar is made up of monastic quarters for members of the viet min, along with a few members of the royal family who are permitted their own quarters. Similarly all of the kings servants are members of the viet min. For the first five years, whlile being initiated into the priesthood, a student, known as a Ballan, Works as servant in the Royal palace in Selesar, dividing his time between servile functions and religious study. At the end of this period he is ordained as a formal priest of Wee Jas.
Outside of the Northern Islands Wee Jas less frequently worshipped, however she extends some missions in the Riverlands and Sorthin. The Viet Min also operate a number of shrines in the cities of Aragana. Within Aragana she is the Patron Deity of the Black School of Wizards (Necromancy). In Aragana City, the Library of Wee Jas is one of the cities great libraries, containing innumerable volumes on the nature study of the human soul, as well as on the interaction of matter from the positive and negative energy plains. The Library is adjacent to the Main campus of the Black school in Aragana, and is frequently used as a repository of research for necromancers of all trades. The Viet min is believed by several sources to maintain an inactive portal to the negative material plane in their capital in Selesar. However this is disputed, and the Viet Min deny such a claim.
[edit] Relationship with Other Realms
Because of the Empire's current struggle against the northern islands, worshiping wee jas carries the penalty of imprisonment, and members of her priesthood were put to death during the reign of Hellinius Hayden III. Since then no known members of the priesthood have been allowed inside the empire, as they are generally believed to form a subversive element which endangers the proper worship of Pelor, the god of the sun. For similar reasons, the worship of Wee Jas is banned in Amalest, although wee jas is virtually unknown in Amalest any way.
