Zakon (zah-kon)
The Sword Bearer, God-Queen of the Junction
Goddess of civilization, justice, and strategy
Nation: The Junction
Allies: Trokair
Enemies: Rastlin, Aramach
Temples: Castles, town halls, tribunals, war camps
Worshippers: Judges, leaders, mayors, soldiers, the common people
Sacred animal: Dog
Sacred colors: Red and purple
Holy symbol: A red sword over a purple background
[DnD 5e] Domains: Order, War
Zakon is the twin of Trokair, and while the two have always been close ever since their inception, they quickly came to a realisation: that without Ako, there can be no peace in Domhan, and thus they should strive to bring it back as quickly as possible. Zakon is the more passionate half of the Twins. Zakon has none of the mercy of her brother, preferring to deliver justice unto those who deserve it. She is the bravery to hone Trokair's edge, the sword that bears the menace of retribution for those who would dare to destabilize the population of the Junction. While her reputation is much worse than that of Trokair's, she is seen as a necessary evil in the pursuit of peace. "If you want peace, prepare for war," after all. It is believed that the Emberi would never have organised into cities had it not been for Zakon. She was the first one to clearly demonstrate the benefits of living in organised society, and formed the very first civilization of Domhan. For this reason, people still look to her for advice for living in polite society, for the proper way to build a city or a village, and even for disputes regarding their immediate neighbours. While Trokair's justice may seem harsh in the face of those who deserve it, Zakon's brand of justice is always just and measured. This is why both of the Twins are worshipped by judges, who believe they must both show compassion yet keep the laws of the land in mind, in order to deliver the fairest judgement possible. Both of their names are spoken in the same breath more often than not in tribunals. While Zakon also believes that bringing Ako back is the only way to bring everlasting peace to Domhan, she has, unbeknownst to her brother, started to lose faith in that goal. Ako has been gone for hundreds of years, and while Trokair has never lost sight of their ultimate goal, Zakon has grown to believe it may be a fool's errand. For now, she commands her people as she did before, hanging on to the last threads of hope. Zakon is often seen in the war tents of battlefields, helping plan the strategy of any battle that she chooses to take part in. Only in times of great crisis does she choose to go to the front lines, at least in current days; the consequences of Sazivor's death echo to this day still. When she does appear, she takes the form of a tall, powerful woman, clad entirely in impenetrable armor. Those who have managed to catch a glimpse at what lies beyond her helmet are said to have been changed forevermore. Soldiers are, perhaps, the most common worshippers of Zakon. They whisper her name before battle, so that their strategy may be successful; they whisper it during battle, so that it may stand the assault of the enemy; and they whisper it afterwards, to thank her for her guidance during the battle. Unfortunately for them, because Zakon's strategies are aimed at winning battles and wars, she seldom cares for the individual lives of soldiers.
Nation: The Junction
Allies: Trokair
Enemies: Rastlin, Aramach
Temples: Castles, town halls, tribunals, war camps
Worshippers: Judges, leaders, mayors, soldiers, the common people
Sacred animal: Dog
Sacred colors: Red and purple
Holy symbol: A red sword over a purple background
[DnD 5e] Domains: Order, War
Zakon is the twin of Trokair, and while the two have always been close ever since their inception, they quickly came to a realisation: that without Ako, there can be no peace in Domhan, and thus they should strive to bring it back as quickly as possible. Zakon is the more passionate half of the Twins. Zakon has none of the mercy of her brother, preferring to deliver justice unto those who deserve it. She is the bravery to hone Trokair's edge, the sword that bears the menace of retribution for those who would dare to destabilize the population of the Junction. While her reputation is much worse than that of Trokair's, she is seen as a necessary evil in the pursuit of peace. "If you want peace, prepare for war," after all. It is believed that the Emberi would never have organised into cities had it not been for Zakon. She was the first one to clearly demonstrate the benefits of living in organised society, and formed the very first civilization of Domhan. For this reason, people still look to her for advice for living in polite society, for the proper way to build a city or a village, and even for disputes regarding their immediate neighbours. While Trokair's justice may seem harsh in the face of those who deserve it, Zakon's brand of justice is always just and measured. This is why both of the Twins are worshipped by judges, who believe they must both show compassion yet keep the laws of the land in mind, in order to deliver the fairest judgement possible. Both of their names are spoken in the same breath more often than not in tribunals. While Zakon also believes that bringing Ako back is the only way to bring everlasting peace to Domhan, she has, unbeknownst to her brother, started to lose faith in that goal. Ako has been gone for hundreds of years, and while Trokair has never lost sight of their ultimate goal, Zakon has grown to believe it may be a fool's errand. For now, she commands her people as she did before, hanging on to the last threads of hope. Zakon is often seen in the war tents of battlefields, helping plan the strategy of any battle that she chooses to take part in. Only in times of great crisis does she choose to go to the front lines, at least in current days; the consequences of Sazivor's death echo to this day still. When she does appear, she takes the form of a tall, powerful woman, clad entirely in impenetrable armor. Those who have managed to catch a glimpse at what lies beyond her helmet are said to have been changed forevermore. Soldiers are, perhaps, the most common worshippers of Zakon. They whisper her name before battle, so that their strategy may be successful; they whisper it during battle, so that it may stand the assault of the enemy; and they whisper it afterwards, to thank her for her guidance during the battle. Unfortunately for them, because Zakon's strategies are aimed at winning battles and wars, she seldom cares for the individual lives of soldiers.
Holidays
Those who worship either half of the Twins consider the 13th of Monsoon to be a sacred date, as it marks the creation of the Junction as a whole; a representation of the united dream to bring Ako back unto the world.Common rituals and gestures
While some of Zakon's rituals are shared with her brother, especially when it comes to the law and justice, there are two distinct sets of rituals used exclusively by Zakon's worshippers: those used by those who worship her as a goddess of civilization, and those used by those who worship her as a goddess of strategy. In her role as a goddess of civilization, to honor Zakon is to show respect for one's neighbours, for authority, and for one's kin. Even paying taxes can be considered a form of worship, as would be helping one's neighbour or friend during a particularly difficult time. Some consider building houses to be a form of worship, as well - in a sense, to build a house is to help civilization spread. In her role as a goddess of strategy, the rituals involved are a lot more formal. One is encouraged to formulate their strategies in a certain way, invoking Zakon's name multiple times in the process. And strategies presented this way are actually quite rigid, following religious templates that are difficult to change. To follow a superior's strategy to the letter is also considered a form of worship, which has caused problems in the past when their efforts were trounced. More recent rituals include provisions for retreating when defeat is certain, to avoid complete routs for religious reasons.Divine Intercessions
Attracting Zakon's blessings is easy, as one must simply demonstrate great intelligence and fighting prowess in the process of a battle. Attracting her wrath is harder; willingly messing up a strategy, perhaps out of personal pride, is a surefire way to do so, however. She also reserves her wrath for those who twist justice for their own goals. Her blessings manifest in increased strength of arms, or for the luck required for their strategies to always work. They also sometimes manifest in a swifter mind, able to adapt quickly to bad situations. Her wrath causes supreme misfortune to fall upon the cursed ones, ensuring that whatever plans they cook up will fall apart swiftly.Aphorisms
Since soldiers are the main worshippers of Zakon, their repertoire includes a plethora of insults and battle cries. Zakon's Sword!: A war cry, similar to "To arms!". A blade untempered belongs in a ditch: This warning is used to quiet the fires of the most passionate of soldiers, reminding them that violence untempered by wisdom is useless. By Zakon's helmet!: Because Zakon's helmet is impressive but would be impractical for most Emberi to wield, this insult is used when witnessing something impressive yet useless (such as a sword kata meant to demonstrate rather than kill).Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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