Ometeme

Ometeme is the religious believe in the two deities Ardensor and Asqulor, who were believed to be born from a stone that once blocked the Anotoahctlan River.

The Oracle Flame Ardensor

The God of Fire, Ardensor, is also known as the Oracle Flame to the Toahcan. His faithful believe that his guidance can be found in the act of meditating in front of a burning flame and allowing whatever visions may appear into their minds. The thoughts and visions had during this time are believed to be the guidance of the Oracle Flame. The most devoted clergy burn a multitude of ritual objects and offerings such as herbs, scrolls, and even blood in order to invoke greater visions from their deity. Some practices include meditating with a smaller flame held in hand, claiming that it creates a more personal connection when praying. Often Ardensor is prayed to for guidance in life, bearing through personal strife, and inner reflection. The worshipers have been noted to say that his fires light the way through the darkness of the soul. Primarily Ardensor is followed by the northern regions of the Toahcan in Xithinthax, but also has been seen worshipped in some desert regions of Amon’Zod.

The Prince of Tides, Asqulor

The God of Water, Asqulor, is also known as the Prince of Tides to the Toahcan. The faithful of Asqulor believe that the greatest power and secrets of the world reside within water. In the deepest recesses of the ocean lie the incredible underwater Anterian Kingdoms, a place many believe their souls once inhabited, before being reincarnated into bodies on the surface. Some have claimed this to be exile as punishment for misdeeds, while others have claimed it to be a reflectionary period where they will once again be reincarnated back under the water where they will carry the knowledge of the surface world with them. The faithful of Asqulor devote themselves to all forms of water, holding it sacred above all things. Their rituals include using pools of water to commune with their deity, whether as a divining mirror or submerged meditation. All of the rites to Asqulor involve water in some form, and have been noted to incorporate ice and steam as well. The clergy of Asqulor attempt to emulate the nature of water in all its forms - the fluid malleability of calm rivers, chaos of the unpredictable sea, or torrential force of rain - finding this act as an homage to their patron. One of the most important facets to followers of Asqulor, is that death must come in water. They believe that to be reincarnated back to the Anterian Kingdom, their body must be laid to rest in water, whether at sea, or in a river. Many of the priests are laid to rest on the lowest floor of the Na’Qual temple. Primarily the Prince of Tides is worshipped in the southern regions of the Toahcan in Xithinthax. Some sailors from coastal cities and fishing villages have also been known to worship the god, and usually for safe travel when sailing.

Mythology & Lore

Izui Tuacl

The Toahcan people firmly believe in the principle of the “Butterfly Effect”, and attribute its history to Izui Tuacl. Izui Tuacl is depicted as a four-winged creature, and deemed a bringer of change wherever it flies. Legends have said that it was Izui Tuacl who created the events that gave way to the birth of Ardensor and Asqulor. In the early years of the Golden Age, a stone sat blocking the flow of the Anotoahctlan River and the people reliant on its resources began to die, while the land and trees withered. Izui Tuacl’s followers prayed to it, asking for aid, for they could not move this stone as much as they tried. Izui Tuacl answered their prayers when it flew overhead, creating a powerful gust that shifted the stone. With that, a small stream of water flowed from the opening that was created. This stream eroded away at the ground and stone, growing larger and larger with each hour until the water pushed the stone completely out of the way. Down the river bed the stone rolled ahead of the rushing water, until it slammed against another larger boulder, cracking in half with a spark. Half the stone fell into the waters while the other half fell into a ditch where fallen trees and brush had laid. The sparks fell with both halves of the stone into the water and brush. The brush ignited, heating up the stone half, while the water submerged the other. The fires burned around the stone and the waters soaked into the other, and from the two emerged the gods Ardensor and Asqulor, given life by the the act of Izui Tuacl and the essential life-sustaining nature of the Anotoahclan River.