Zheena was born to Mwangi-descended parents after they immigrated to the metropolitan city of Absalom. They worked hard to make sure she could have more options than they had ever dreamed of for themselves. Their devotion to her ran into its first obstacle when it became clear that her childhood desire to be an artist when she grew up was not going away. It took them a bit to get used to it, but, as a 15-year old Zheena once told them, "You came here to give me more choices. Wouldn't it be counterproductive to now limit them?"
Begrudgingly, they continued to buy her art supplies as she sketched all day, it seemed. Soon enough her talent began to shine through, and the initial reservations her parents had vanished. Neither parent had ever had enough time for any specific deity's worship, not out of lack of belief or spirituality, just out of sheer lack of time. So, at first, neither did Zheena. But one day as she was walking the city, looking for things to sketch, she came upon the temple district. Many of the temples were ...stodgy, ugly, too utilitarian. Or evil, there were some that were obviously too evil. But Shelyn? Now this was a goddess she could worship.
She began taking art lessons at the temple and made sure to pay attention to what the clergy did other than art, too. Healing, protection, love ...all these seemed to be extensions of the artistic dedication and admiration of true beauty. She threw herself into the church full-throttle.
But now her initial training is complete. She was given a choice as one of the priestesses of the temple in Absalom, or to go out into the world as a missionary. Between that which she had known all her life and the unlimited possibilities of an even greater world around her, she chose the missionary work.
She arrives in town ready to spread the gospels of love, beauty, and art, but if anyone would work against the freedom to do these things, she is more than ready to take up her glaive as Shelyn herself has, and protect that which she believes.