Ako (ah-koh)
The First Being, the Progenitor God
God of death, the Expanse, reincarnation, and time
Nation: None; see below
Allies: None
Enemies: None
Temples: Observatories, private shrines, wizard towers
Worshippers: Arcane casters, astronomers, fleshcrafters
Sacred animal: Raven
Sacred colors: Gray and black
Holy symbol: A streaking comet
[DnD 5e] Domains: Arcana, Death, Grave, Twilight
Once upon a time, Ako used its incredible power to create Domhan, gave life to the Emberi, and watched them grow. Unfortunately, it was betrayed by them, as they refused to listen to its words of peace, choosing to war with one another instead. Disappointed and bitter, the first Regret grew from Ako; and it chose to retreat away from Domhan, leaving its creations behind to war and quarrel with each other. It could not bear to keep watching them do so, some say; others say this is its way of punishing the Emberi for their hubris. Nonetheless, despite its unknown location, Ako must still care for its creation in some way. Indeed, to this day it still oversees the souls of the dead, allowing them to reincarnate and leading them to their new bodies. This means that every creature on Domhan has seen Ako at least once… yet none can remember its face. Why that is is a subject of great debate amongst scholars, though most agree that Ako must be using its massive powers to remain anonymous. Even the Veikas struggle to recall their creator's true visage nowadays, and depictions of Ako are as numerous as they are diverse. Worship of Ako remains rare in current times. While divine casters are able to muster powers from Ako, it never speaks to them, and it does not have a physical presence, unlike Veikas. Ancient writings reveal that Ako once granted beautiful visions and incredible power to its worshippers, but this is now a long forgotten memory, as it remains isolated away from the rest of the world. Still, those who remain believe in trying to bring it back to Domhan, to ask forgiveness from it. Even those that do not worship Ako still find themselves asking the question: were things better when it was still there? Is there a chance to ever bring it back to Domhan? The Veikas are especially fond of that last question, as some would seek the guidance of their Progenitor to end the constant warring once and for all… and others would seek to convince it to their cause, to use its immense power to destroy everything that stands in their path. But, for now, Ako watches and judges in silence. A note on Ako's pronouns: because Ako is believed to be so different from the Veikas and the Emberi, most consider using "it" to be a sign of respect; a display that Ako is so powerful, so important to Domhan as a whole, that no gender, no identity, no shape, can be truly assigned to it. Some find this distinction to be disrespectful, and use any pronoun interchangeably to designate Ako.
Nation: None; see below
Allies: None
Enemies: None
Temples: Observatories, private shrines, wizard towers
Worshippers: Arcane casters, astronomers, fleshcrafters
Sacred animal: Raven
Sacred colors: Gray and black
Holy symbol: A streaking comet
[DnD 5e] Domains: Arcana, Death, Grave, Twilight
Once upon a time, Ako used its incredible power to create Domhan, gave life to the Emberi, and watched them grow. Unfortunately, it was betrayed by them, as they refused to listen to its words of peace, choosing to war with one another instead. Disappointed and bitter, the first Regret grew from Ako; and it chose to retreat away from Domhan, leaving its creations behind to war and quarrel with each other. It could not bear to keep watching them do so, some say; others say this is its way of punishing the Emberi for their hubris. Nonetheless, despite its unknown location, Ako must still care for its creation in some way. Indeed, to this day it still oversees the souls of the dead, allowing them to reincarnate and leading them to their new bodies. This means that every creature on Domhan has seen Ako at least once… yet none can remember its face. Why that is is a subject of great debate amongst scholars, though most agree that Ako must be using its massive powers to remain anonymous. Even the Veikas struggle to recall their creator's true visage nowadays, and depictions of Ako are as numerous as they are diverse. Worship of Ako remains rare in current times. While divine casters are able to muster powers from Ako, it never speaks to them, and it does not have a physical presence, unlike Veikas. Ancient writings reveal that Ako once granted beautiful visions and incredible power to its worshippers, but this is now a long forgotten memory, as it remains isolated away from the rest of the world. Still, those who remain believe in trying to bring it back to Domhan, to ask forgiveness from it. Even those that do not worship Ako still find themselves asking the question: were things better when it was still there? Is there a chance to ever bring it back to Domhan? The Veikas are especially fond of that last question, as some would seek the guidance of their Progenitor to end the constant warring once and for all… and others would seek to convince it to their cause, to use its immense power to destroy everything that stands in their path. But, for now, Ako watches and judges in silence. A note on Ako's pronouns: because Ako is believed to be so different from the Veikas and the Emberi, most consider using "it" to be a sign of respect; a display that Ako is so powerful, so important to Domhan as a whole, that no gender, no identity, no shape, can be truly assigned to it. Some find this distinction to be disrespectful, and use any pronoun interchangeably to designate Ako.
Holidays
Only one holy day celebrating Ako remains: the 1st of Summer, the date at which it is believed Domhan is created. There Domhan pauses its constant wars, and the Emberi find it in themselves to ponder and question their own existence and that of their creator. Temples dedicated to Ako are often exposed to the sky, and its worshippers can often be found stargazing; an activity that they refer to as "looking for Ako".Common rituals and gestures
A lot of the rituals and gestures that relate to Ako have been lost to time. Chief amongs those that remain is a specific greeting that worshippers use to recognise each other; with one's right hand, one extends their pointer and middle fingers towards the sky, and with one's left hand, one must gently touch the shoulder of their interlocutor. The gesture with the right hand is a way to point towards the Expanse - indirectly, towards Ako - and the gesture with the left hand is meant to gently symbolize the union between the children of Ako.Divine Intercessions
Ako does not grant boons to its worshippers, nor does it curse those who betray its dogma. In its isolation, it has forsaken all direct intervention in Domhan.Aphorisms
Followers of Ako often use certain expressions to refer to the state of the world or to their creator. Looking for Ako: The activity of stargazing is popular among Ako's worshippers. It is a metaphor for the search of its current location. Ako turns its face away from you: An admonishment of someone who has displayed particularly vile tendencies, this insult means that the receiver could be responsible for Ako's disappearance. The Creator made us, and we must respect its work: A gentle admonishment, this sentence encourages worshippers to take care of themselves physically and mentally. One must not despair in their search for Ako, lest they be lost. May Ako grant you a softer life: Despite this aphorism sounding like a threat, it is actually a blessing, meaning that the recipient should find their next incarnation to be more peaceful than the last. Often said to somebody as they die.
Divine Classification
God / Progenitor God
Children
Pronouns
it
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