Zon-Shelyn

To me, this was more galaxy-shaking even then the Starfinder Second Edition announcement. So... Here is where we can share all our Zon-Shelyn theories.

What do you think happened here? What do you think of this merged deity and its painglaive? How will this affect Songbird Station?

MY PERSONAL HEAD CANON

Shelyn is my favorite goddess. I have loved her for forever. Still, we all can evolve and grow. I think that Shelyn has finally redeemed her brother by accepting him for whom he is, and acknowledging her own dark side. This has allowed the two twins who were separated for so long to merge and become one.

What's your theory?

WaitaminuteWHAT?!

That was our reaction, yes!

The new iconic mystic, Chk-Chk (the son of Keskodai) was announced, and he's not a worshipper of Pharasma like his dad. Nope. He's a worshipper of Zon-Shelyn and has a pain glaive.

Ah, so our little larva has entered the "edgy teen" stage of metamorphosis...

I’m not sure how I feel about this

I mean I knew that Starfinder was going with "Shelyn went outside multiverse spooooooooooky" but I'm very much in "What the heck is this how why aaaa"

Not sure I like it or hate idea x'D But really depends on details

So... There were more details in the new blog that just dropped about the coming Starfinder Second Edition:

Chk Chk grew up in his father’s larval container, witnessing all manner of traumatizing adventures in his childhood. Now an adult, Chk Chk has become a devout worshipper of the amalgamate deity, Zon-Shelyn, and believes in channeling suffering into artistic expression.

Channelling suffering into artistic expression? No joy-filled art? Or just acknowledgement that much of the best art is a way of processing trauma?

At Songbird Station, I expect to see more goth bands.

Channeling suffering into artistic expression could take many forms. For some, it could be art therapy. For the Azlanti, I fear it could be interpreted as Channelling the suffering of others into artistic expression.

Well, we need something.

Zon-kuthon is a major deity.

hum. Maybe. I don't think you. If that happen, those Walrus were right about the weeping knight.

I do think she has return and has taken the portefolio of sorrow.

Perhaps they are going with different cultural representations of the deities and they consider Shelyn and Zon-kuthon two sides of the same coin. Maybe they aren't literally changed, but rather culturally.

Perhaps they are going with different cultural representations of the deities and they consider Shelyn and Zon-kuthon two sides of the same coin. Maybe they aren't literally changed, but rather culturally.

Okay, I just watched the Keynote and now I'm not sure about my take. It may be literal.

I think I figured it out

Zon-Shelyn is same kind of entity as Triune is. Its combination of multiple deities, but its worshipers can still worship individual parts separately

(man if thats the case, that pf1e syncretic deity that was partially non canon since it was retconned to just dualistic religion is now much more amusing in retrospect)

"Channeling suffering into artistic expression" feels like such a small niche for a deity. I'm sure that's not the only aspect of their portfolio, but still.

Zon-Shelyn is really not my favorite name.

I rather hope that Zon-Shelyn is a name for almost a 2-deity pantheon, worshiping Zon-Kuthon and Shelyn as aspects of pain and art, like Albatoonoe suggested.
That feels better to me than an actual physical or metaphysical combination of the two deities into one being.

I’m not sure how I feel about this

Me neither. I haven't been this unsettled and anxious since they announced the Remaster.

Adore it. Jumping up and down. Two pretty flat gods have become one much more interesting one, and every interpretation I can imagine of their resulting creed excites me.

I, for once, welcome our goth art BDSM but with safe words and no fisting overlords.

I... just got a squick on this and I can't explain why within the ratings of the forums.

No, not the bag's comment before me, something a bit more... well... in-depth.

Definitely excited about this one. Love the name. I really hope this is a proper "amalgam" deity, representing the reconciliation of Zon Kuthon and Shelyn and the twisting of both their portfolios into something really weird. Lots of ways you can intersect art/beauty and pain/secrets.

Also, I'd be very happy to see a visual/personality design somewhere in the realm of Testament from Guilty Gear.

I hope, whatever the details, the gist is that Shelyn's efforts were not wasted.

I hope, this is not related with the big event that was announced for PF2e's golarion.
in 323 AF, Zon Kuthon and Shelyn are still distinct deities and I wouldn't enjoy that events from the past suddenly change the lore in a future we already know.
I've heard rumor of Thorag being the god who would die in this event... and that would feel cheesy as Thorag is supposed to have stayed on Golarion to protect it after the planet disapearance, during the gap

I love the idea of Zon Kuthon and Shelyn still being separate in the Pathfinder timeline and merged in Starfinder. Can't wait to see the confusion it causes to a Pathfinder cleric that time travels to Starfinder.

I love the idea of Zon Kuthon and Shelyn still being separate in the Pathfinder timeline and merged in Starfinder. Can't wait to see the confusion it causes to a Pathfinder cleric that time travels to Starfinder.

I'm the kind of freak for whom "time-traveling priest of a deity who doesn't exist yet" is just pure candy.

Now all we need is the Wyrwoods of Arcadia somehow catching word of either Epoch or Triune, and we'll *really* be cooking with gas...

Zon-Shelyn. I'm not sure how to feel about this. I often like to play black-sheep type of characters who are looking for feelings of acceptance, either outwardly or inwardly, so they often gravitate to worship of Shelyn due to her focus on finding the beauty in everything. We'll have to wait until more information is released.

Driftbourne wrote:

I love the idea of Zon Kuthon and Shelyn still being separate in the Pathfinder timeline and merged in Starfinder. Can't wait to see the confusion it causes to a Pathfinder cleric that time travels to Starfinder.

I'm the kind of freak for whom "time-traveling priest of a deity who doesn't exist yet" is just pure candy.

Now all we need is the Wyrwoods of Arcadia somehow catching word of either Epoch or Triune, and we'll *really* be cooking with gas...

I love the idea of a priest of a deity that doesn't exist yet, meeting that deity and explaining to them how long they have been worshiping them. It really brings to question who created who.

You make that character, I'll be the first to join you in worshiping that deity who doesn't exist yet. I'll be expecting candy on warship days...

I think it's possible that Shelyn is the deity destined to perish in the forthcoming adventure path. Upon her death her soul gets absorbed by the Whisperer of Swords and during the course of the AP the glaive gets lost for millennia. Fast forward to starfinder times and Zon-Kuthon finally recovers his lost weapon but due to Sheyln's soul being part of it for so long he ends up being induced to become the gestalt diety Zon-Shelyn.

I think I figured it out

Zon-Shelyn is same kind of entity as Triune is. Its combination of multiple deities, but its worshipers can still worship individual parts separately

(man if thats the case, that pf1e syncretic deity that was partially non canon since it was retconned to just dualistic religion is now much more amusing in retrospect)

If Zon-Shelyn is same kind of entity as Triune is. If this happens to at least one more set of deities, I'll be the first to start a conspiracy theory that all the deities will merge in time. Now the question is, who will be the next deities to merge?

What is "323 AF"? A date seems obvious, but what calendar? what does AF stand for?

What is "323 AF"? A date seems obvious, but what calendar? what does AF stand for?

The calendar used in Starfinder is AG (After Gap, I believe?); I think AF is a typo for it, as F and G are adjacent on the keyboard. 323 AG corresponds to the 2023 in Starfinder the same way 4723 AR does in Pathfinder.

What is "323 AF"? A date seems obvious, but what calendar? what does AF stand for?

I think its a typo for AG = after gap. 300 + the current years last two digits being the time for starfinder.

In starfinder there was a galaxy wide memmory wipe from about the time of pathfinder that only ended 323 ish years ago. During this time golarion poofed. But the gods say its somewhere and its safe and torag is looking after it.

Point of order. People still worship Zon-Kuthon and Shelyn in Starfinder. :)

Praise be!

I have a different take, though it based in my interpretation of Zon-Kuthon (ZK).

They aren't merged at all.
Zon-Shelyn and Zon-Kuthon will exist at the same time trying to meet a similar goal.

-The very brief overview-
When Dou-Bral (DB) went to the great beyond he discovered the truth of the universe and the Far Realms: [REDACTED] use pain and the fear of pain to manipulate mortals in order to [REDACTED].

This caused DB to realize that the only way to save the realm of mortals and by extension the gods was to subvert the tools of the Outer Gods etc.

By embracing pain and eliminating the fear of it, the mortals can be free of the manipulations and possibly stabilize this incarnation of existance.

This is why ZK seeks to spread his teachings of pain, to save the universe.
#Zonissavior

(skipping ahead)

Shelyn goes on her own Far Realms walkabout and discovers the same truths, altering her in a similar was as it did her brother.

Now there are two trying to convince the rest of the myopic universe to embrace the pain before it's too late....

*items redacted are to spare the sanity of readers and avoid (more) spoilers in my campaign.

**I know this may not be the actual direction of Paizo, but after so many years of crafting their world to be my world, This Is The Way. **

Point of order. People still worship Zon-Kuthon and Shelyn in Starfinder. :)

Wait so artists can be happy? Is that allowed?

Not just in starfinder like.. in general...

Thurston Hillman wrote:

Point of order. People still worship Zon-Kuthon and Shelyn in Starfinder. :)

Wait so artists can be happy? Is that allowed?

Not just in starfinder like.. in general...

Their happy when it rains.

Some are only happy when it rains.

only happy when it rains .

Altho, I must admit that The Jesus And Mary Chain might have been less happy after that show because we snuck backstage and ate some of their food. We also ended up with their playlist for the show, which listed all the songs they played and what key they were in. That was so long ago that Nine Inch Nails was the opening band. We ended up hanging out with Trent Reznor because no one else knew who he was yet. This may have played into my reasoning for helping Wonder backs stage while playing #5-08: Tarnished Legacy: Star Sugar Superstar!!!

My two pet theories about this are:
1) In freeing Dou-Bral from the corruption afflicting him, Shelyn was corrupted herself (but not as thoroughly as her brother was- she's still fighting it off.)

2) This is a pantheon that involves worshiping both of the siblings.

I'm really curious to see what the new art for Zon-Shelyn looks like. Maybe we can get an art play test to try out...

MY PERSONAL HEAD CANON

♫

Point of order. People still worship Zon-Kuthon and Shelyn in Starfinder. :)

People still worship Aroden in Pathfinder.

Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:

MY PERSONAL HEAD CANON

♫

Reach out rolls dice
Your own personal PERSONAL HEAD CANON
A GM that's there
A GM that cares
Your own personal PERSONAL HEAD CANON
Reach out rolls dice
Reach out rolls dice
Reach out and rolls dice
♫

Sadly, weaponized prosthesis is not available for the Brain augmentation slot at this time.

...well, unless you got a friendly GM to house-rule it in for you, I suppose.

Driftbourne wrote:

Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:

MY PERSONAL HEAD CANON

♫

Reach out rolls dice
Your own personal PERSONAL HEAD CANON
A GM that's there
A GM that cares
Your own personal PERSONAL HEAD CANON
Reach out rolls dice
Reach out rolls dice
Reach out and rolls dice
♫

Sadly, weaponized prosthesis is not available for the Brain augmentation slot at this time.

...well, unless you got a friendly GM to house-rule it in for you, I suppose.

personal head cannons can be a thing in your own PERSONAL HEAD CANON

It blows your mind.