Hylax

Hylax

(Deity)

Titles

The Forever Queen

Home

Nchak (mortal form)

Alignment

Lawful good

Portfolio

Diplomacy
First contact
Friendship
Peace

Worshipers

Shirrens, Haan, Absalom Station, Castrovel (formians), Nchak, Verces

Symbol

Shirren head crowned with stars

Images of Hylax

Source: Core Rulebook, pg(s). 486

This article might have further canon details available on PathfinderWiki.

Hylax, also known as the Forever Queen, is a deity of peace and diplomacy paradoxically valuing individuality while being primarily worshiped by hive-minded creatures.

History

According to shirren legend, Hylax was once a kucharn queen of godlike power who benevolently ruled her people with a gentle touch. She refused to directly issue commandments, concerned that doing so would stifle the growth and individuality of the kucharn species. When some kucharn wished to be one with their divine queen and were refused by her, they fused their minds together, giving birth to the Swarm. Hylax refused to intervene, knowing that demanding obedience could not save her children from conformity, and held on to the hope that the Swarm would see the error of its ways and return to her. Hylax turned to other insectile species, but never forgot the kucharn, and her hopes were eventually fulfilled by the shirrens, who broke from the Swarm and returned to her congregation.

Home

The Forever Halls on Nchak are the home of Hylax's living incarnation, as well as the centre of her faith in the Pact Worlds. Adherents come from far and wide to attend the Forever Queen's church services.

Dogma

Hylax favors peace and friendship over war and hostility, and teaches diplomacy, fellowship, and harmony to her followers when dealing with others. However, her imperative extends only to the attempt to make peace at any cost. Should that fail, she does not begrudge combat to defend those who value peace against threats that reject it. Despite being traditionally associated with hive creatures, Hylax paradoxically promotes individualism among her followers. While she encourages strength in community, she also emphasizes recognizing and embracing individual worth. Variances in doctrine and tradition among her followers are considered natural. While the Forever Queen of Nchak serves as the supreme pontiff for her hive-based adherents, shirrens are encouraged to develop a more personal connection with the divine.

Relationships

Hylax is friendly with most benevolent deities, particularly Sarenrae (due to their shared love of finding common ground), and seeks to maintain good relations with others. Since she is the patron of hive minds and advocates of collective action, Hylax works well with Abadar. Iomedae sees her as too reluctant to confront the Swarm or too tolerant of Zon-Kuthon. In fact, Hylax cares little about opposing the Midnight Lord and his followers, even after they went past the boundary of sanity.

Hylax and Oras have a tentative friendship driven by curiosity and interest in evolution. Oras considers some Hylaxians, who create their own castes or evolve themselves, as natural followers. Hylax often consults Oras on the nature of mutations, but Oras has yet to reveal the truth behind how the shirrens broke away from the Swarm.

Damoritosh and some of his high priests grudgingly respect Hylax, having seen and faced the ferocity that Hylaxians can display when protecting their friends. Hylax treats Damoritosh cordially when they share the same goal, but does not approve of his dogma or actions.

The Devourer is the only deity whom Hylax has no interest at befriending, since it is impossible to reason with an embodiment of nihilism. Hylax preaches that individual worshipers of the Devourer can be saved, but Hylaxians believe that it is better to prevent people from turning to the Devourer in the first place.

Church

The intelligent arthropod trox of Nchak, a moon of Liavara, have revered Hylax since ancient times, viewing their leaders as mortal manifestations of the Forever Queen and striving to shape their civilization based on her teachings. Following the arrival of the shirrens, Hylax's faith has spread across the Pact Worlds.

Worshipers

While shirrens form the majority of her followers, other insectile races like formians and haan also worship her, alongside diplomats, envoys, mediators, and peacekeepers of various species. Priests of Hylax often accompany starships on interstellar exploration missions, serving as first contact specialists. Hylax's hive-like temples, promoting harmony and unity, can be found wherever diverse species converge, welcoming all. In the Pact Worlds system, her followers are most frequently found on Absalom Station, the planets Castrovel and Verces, and of course the moon Nchak.