M'Tufakhalu
The River Goddess M'Tufakhalu (a.k.a. The Great River Of Soterri, The New All-Mother, The Water Crusher)
The World Of Ta Mando is filled with all manner of spirits and deities.
Some deities are formed in great population centers; the spirits of the population's collective will and artifice.
Some deities are bound to special buildings or objects like a goddess of justice, progress and blood that gets her power from a hydroelectric dam built during her divine birth.
And, of course, some deities are bound to geological formations or geographical regions. Both before and after The Battle Of Matriarch during the Soterri War Of Extinction the lattermost description applied, in one way or the other, to The Great River Goddess M'Tufakhalu; Now All-Mother Of Soterri and head of The Soterri Pantheon!
Originally the goddess of the largest river in the region, M'Tufakhalu has recently signed a divine contract to join into the Kandia Pantheonic System and take her place at the head of her region's collection of deities, allowing her an incredible advance in power both practical and political. While recently crippled by her injuries during The Battle Of Matriarch, M'Tufakhalu will one day heal and take her proper place as one of the most influential deities in the Empire Of Kanda!
Some deities are formed in great population centers; the spirits of the population's collective will and artifice.
Some deities are bound to special buildings or objects like a goddess of justice, progress and blood that gets her power from a hydroelectric dam built during her divine birth.
And, of course, some deities are bound to geological formations or geographical regions. Both before and after The Battle Of Matriarch during the Soterri War Of Extinction the lattermost description applied, in one way or the other, to The Great River Goddess M'Tufakhalu; Now All-Mother Of Soterri and head of The Soterri Pantheon!
Originally the goddess of the largest river in the region, M'Tufakhalu has recently signed a divine contract to join into the Kandia Pantheonic System and take her place at the head of her region's collection of deities, allowing her an incredible advance in power both practical and political. While recently crippled by her injuries during The Battle Of Matriarch, M'Tufakhalu will one day heal and take her proper place as one of the most influential deities in the Empire Of Kanda!
Divine Domains
Soterri (The Region Includes The Kobori And Tando Lands)
The Pantheonic System Of Kanda
Leadership / Rulership
Water
The Great River M'Tufakhalu
Fertility
Flexibility
Intelligence
Social Expertise
Cunning
Power
Hot Springs
Aquifers
War
Sacrifice
Trade
Exploration
Farming
The Pantheonic System Of Kanda
Leadership / Rulership
Water
The Great River M'Tufakhalu
Fertility
Flexibility
Intelligence
Social Expertise
Cunning
Power
Hot Springs
Aquifers
War
Sacrifice
Trade
Exploration
Farming
Holy Books & Codes
While The Kobori Pantheon does not presently have anything akin to a centralized doctrine or tome of law one of the first things that M'Tufakhalu seeks to do with the help of The Maiden Of Health once she is better is gather together what is left of The Old Ways and codify them into a new set of laws that will be altered and updated to reflect her own personal desires for the region as well as its integration into Kanda's Sphere Of Influence.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Elephants, at least recently, have become the Sacred Animal of M'Tufakhalu due to her alliance with The Grand Matriarch and her affinity for Elephants and their service to her and her worshippers.
At least symbolically many of the greater deities in the core of Kanda have begun respecting M'Tufakhalu by holding spheres of water aloft in the center of their temples. In this sense Floating Sphere Of Water (Specifically Held Off The Ground) has temporarily also come to represent M'Tufa as a mourning call. The Sphere represents the water that M'Tufakhalu crushed around Amanda The Monster, Rival of Jonathan Mondragon: The Maiden Of Health.
Tenets of Faith
First and foremost, M'Tufakhalu requires her worshippers to be flexible by nature; not merely physically but mentally. One must always be ready to change their ways if an obstacle provides too great or one is given a solution that is just too reasonable to turn down. Life in worship to her cause means a life of learning and non-specialization. One must always be moving; perhaps not physically but certainly mentally!
As she comes from a land not known for plentiful fields and extremely lush natural resources, M'Tufakhalu also requires her faithful to maintain strict sustainability! All parts of a plant or animal must be used if it can. All water must be jealously stored in a safe and clean location. Grain must be harvested with care and dairy animals kept in milk as long as possible.
In Soterri there are many ways to die. It is the belief of M'Tufakhalu and her followers that SUSTENANCE should be the last of those ways to worry about... provided one is performing their duties to the land.
In Soterri there are many ways to die. It is the belief of M'Tufakhalu and her followers that SUSTENANCE should be the last of those ways to worry about... provided one is performing their duties to the land.
Holidays
Preserving 27 ~~ The Soterri War Of Extinction ~~ The Day M'Tufakhalu Crushed Water / The Battle Of The Matriarch
On Preserving 27 The People Of Soterri Mourn The Death Of Thousands Of Kandia And Revere M'Tufakhalu For Her Sacrifices.
The Grand Matriarch Is Also Worshipped On This Day As A Martial Savior Deity But It Is M'Tufakhalu Who Crushed Water To Destroy The Enemy's Greatest Weapon! On this day warriors, animal handlers, merchants, sailors, fishermen and SOME water dedicated clergy pray to M'Tufakhalu and make sacrifices to her in the name of her loss!
Typically people spend this day eating all manner of squid dishes, waterfowl, (duck will do but Penguin is the traditional item) and
The Grand Matriarch Is Also Worshipped On This Day As A Martial Savior Deity But It Is M'Tufakhalu Who Crushed Water To Destroy The Enemy's Greatest Weapon! On this day warriors, animal handlers, merchants, sailors, fishermen and SOME water dedicated clergy pray to M'Tufakhalu and make sacrifices to her in the name of her loss!
Typically people spend this day eating all manner of squid dishes, waterfowl, (duck will do but Penguin is the traditional item) and
Divine Goals & Aspirations
M'Tufakhalu's overall goals are to live better, more comfortably and with more power; to gather more worship, receive more sacrifices and otherwise increase her influence and portfolio!
While perhaps not necessarily a mysterious or complex goal, it is one that is extremely open ended, flexible and able to be expanded easily! Because of this, M'Tufakhalu is easily satisfied in her day to day affairs and often is not concerned or discouraged by individual losses.
While she seems a peaceable and amicable deity, M'Tufakhalu is actually a well known destroyer deity in the Kobori Pantheon and is extremely picky about what deities she allows to stay in her company, provided she has any power over it at all. Njoloch; The Cape God has been on her hit list for a long time but, sadly, is far older and more powerful than her. Despite this, the two hold a long standing rivalry and are always trying to undermine or even kill each other.
Despite the fact that they tend to get along on a strictly professional basis, M'Tufakhalu has no love for Intubakhalu; The Mountain God. If she could she would supplant his control of the mountains and claim both portfolios for herself but sadly she now has higher duties to attend to and instead will be perfectly satisfied seeing him rot in the bowels of his own personal demesnes.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
In times of health M'Tufakhalu was known to be a tall, voluptuous, intimidating goddess of obscene beauty, inhuman grace and inhuman intelligence.
Now M'Tufakhalu represents an admittedly still tall and curvy but ultimately helpless, frail and clumsy individual mostly bound to a wheelchair and pushed around by servants and Matofi Kayla; her head Enthiros.
Now M'Tufakhalu represents an admittedly still tall and curvy but ultimately helpless, frail and clumsy individual mostly bound to a wheelchair and pushed around by servants and Matofi Kayla; her head Enthiros.
Body Features
M'Tufa' in appearance, is anything BUT human!
Standing at nearly seven feet tall and possessing of milky white skin that has surface level micro-gradients and gentle areas of subtle differentiation, like layers of volcanic stone and soil, M'Tufakhalu is noticeable at a glance to anyone in Soterri. Though formerly extremely healthy to look upon, M'Tufakhalu has become frail and weak from her brain injury and subsequent coma, leaving her stooped over in a wheelchair most days that has been special built just for her. Despite her weak appearance, she is still extremely powerful and has been known to casually send slaves and servants flying with a slap when agitated, impulsive or upset, most often without meaning it. At her best of times M'Tufa stands tall with perfect posture and extreme confidence, pushing out her impressive chest and keeping her chin up; possessing of impressive lean musculature, well defined arms and long, well sculpted legs. Her physical presence is an intimidating one, oozing with feminine appeal and often dressed in delightful furs, fine cloth or elements of the nature around her itself. (Like woven reed dresses, feather gowns or body sleeves made of tightly knitted river grass)
Standing at nearly seven feet tall and possessing of milky white skin that has surface level micro-gradients and gentle areas of subtle differentiation, like layers of volcanic stone and soil, M'Tufakhalu is noticeable at a glance to anyone in Soterri. Though formerly extremely healthy to look upon, M'Tufakhalu has become frail and weak from her brain injury and subsequent coma, leaving her stooped over in a wheelchair most days that has been special built just for her. Despite her weak appearance, she is still extremely powerful and has been known to casually send slaves and servants flying with a slap when agitated, impulsive or upset, most often without meaning it. At her best of times M'Tufa stands tall with perfect posture and extreme confidence, pushing out her impressive chest and keeping her chin up; possessing of impressive lean musculature, well defined arms and long, well sculpted legs. Her physical presence is an intimidating one, oozing with feminine appeal and often dressed in delightful furs, fine cloth or elements of the nature around her itself. (Like woven reed dresses, feather gowns or body sleeves made of tightly knitted river grass)
Facial Features
M'Tufakhalu possesses no scars from her injury, as it was magically healed by Jonathan Mondragon: The Maiden Of Health. However, despite this, her left eye still bears the mark of Amanda The Monster's blade. While her eyes are normally an unusual but otherwise not completely inhuman murky green her left eye has been left universally blood crimson throughout. While she can see just fine through this eye, the lack of pupil and sclera in the eye is often very off-putting to some people.
M'Tufakhalu has a somewhat rounder face than most of the natives, though retains many of the standard Kobori Features of perfectly horizontal and typically shaped eyes, full lips and a somewhat wider than average nose. (Compared to most Kandia) However, her features no longer allow for the classic style of Kobori Dreadlocks which the people have been practicing for tens of thousands of years; Long, wavy, deepest green strands of divinely perfect hair that never tangles or ties up well. For this reason, M'Tufa hardly ever wears her hair up, as she is the only one in Soterri that possesses the magic capable of styling her hair in any meaningful or impressive way. That being said, having been brushed every day and tended to by many servants, her hair has gained a lot of volume and life from being out in the sun and air so much lately. (As opposed to within the depths of her river all the time)
Identifying Characteristics
Hardly anything about M'Tufakhalu is unrecognizable.
She has been a deity of nature so long that her portfolio has altered her very body to match. Not only is her skin white in an area where all natives have dark skin, it has the visual consistency of volcanic soil; fine striation and flecks of darker color harmoniously blended into her complexion.
Her Hair is like River Grass; Long and wavy and deepest green, soft to the touch and always untangled.
Her right eye is the Deepest Of Murky Greens and her left eye has recently turned to a universal crimson, without differentiation between sclera, iris and pupil; merely a purely crimson eye. To make her even more recognizable, M'Tufakhalu stands just short of seven feet tall on her smallest of days; a tall, curvaceous and otherwise near universally attractive woman that could be pointed out in any crowd.
She has been a deity of nature so long that her portfolio has altered her very body to match. Not only is her skin white in an area where all natives have dark skin, it has the visual consistency of volcanic soil; fine striation and flecks of darker color harmoniously blended into her complexion.
Her Hair is like River Grass; Long and wavy and deepest green, soft to the touch and always untangled.
Her right eye is the Deepest Of Murky Greens and her left eye has recently turned to a universal crimson, without differentiation between sclera, iris and pupil; merely a purely crimson eye. To make her even more recognizable, M'Tufakhalu stands just short of seven feet tall on her smallest of days; a tall, curvaceous and otherwise near universally attractive woman that could be pointed out in any crowd.
Special abilities
As a Major Deity even before her ascension to head of the Soterri Pantheon, M'Tufakhalu possesses many divine powers that relate to her existence as a River Goddess!
She may control the flow of water, alter the swell and width of her river or even move it entirely miles in any direction. She has incredible godlike durability, superhuman reflexes and has the capacity to adapt to almost any scenario as is the nature of flowing water. As all Natural Deities do, she has a full understanding of the overall scope of her River-Based powers, though perhaps not necessarily their intensity. True to this, M'Tufakhalu has the Unique Ability to compress water; something she'd never bothered to try before The Battle Of Matriarch.
She may control the flow of water, alter the swell and width of her river or even move it entirely miles in any direction. She has incredible godlike durability, superhuman reflexes and has the capacity to adapt to almost any scenario as is the nature of flowing water. As all Natural Deities do, she has a full understanding of the overall scope of her River-Based powers, though perhaps not necessarily their intensity. True to this, M'Tufakhalu has the Unique Ability to compress water; something she'd never bothered to try before The Battle Of Matriarch.
Apparel & Accessories
As a goddess, M'Tufakhalu has no shortage of clothing options and, at her best, is normally seen bedecked in jewelry and fine clothing. Even presently during her weakest times the head deity of Soterri tends to wear silk from the abandoned Kobori temple, fine cotton from Entwi, exquisite furs from all around the world and modern clothing offered to her by Jonathan Mondragon: The Maiden Of Health.
While perhaps not proper "apparel," M'Tufa has a tendency at her best to wear elements of nature as clothing, as it marks her as objectively divine to the native Kobori. Often she likes wearing sweeping gowns made entirely of goose, swan and duck feathers, or the feathers of other such waterfowl to emphasize her relationship to the river she's presided over for tens of thousands of years.
Along with this M'Tufa has been known to have strange body sleeves made of sealed together river grass strands or sometimes long, flowing dresses woven entirely out of reeds and shoreside plants; both of which are always extremely finely crafted and soft to the touch! (if you are allowed to touch her!) While M'Tufakhalu seldom wears jewelry anymore she has shown an obvious taste for the color and substances of jade, silver and obsidian. Obsidian in particular is especially valuable to her, as she finds it both the prettiest and most useful of these substances; able to be used as a tool as well as fine jewelry and mirrors and magic!
While perhaps not proper "apparel," M'Tufa has a tendency at her best to wear elements of nature as clothing, as it marks her as objectively divine to the native Kobori. Often she likes wearing sweeping gowns made entirely of goose, swan and duck feathers, or the feathers of other such waterfowl to emphasize her relationship to the river she's presided over for tens of thousands of years.
Along with this M'Tufa has been known to have strange body sleeves made of sealed together river grass strands or sometimes long, flowing dresses woven entirely out of reeds and shoreside plants; both of which are always extremely finely crafted and soft to the touch! (if you are allowed to touch her!) While M'Tufakhalu seldom wears jewelry anymore she has shown an obvious taste for the color and substances of jade, silver and obsidian. Obsidian in particular is especially valuable to her, as she finds it both the prettiest and most useful of these substances; able to be used as a tool as well as fine jewelry and mirrors and magic!
Specialized Equipment
At least after the Battle Of Matriarch M'Tufakhalu is never seen without her Wheelchair; a specially crafted piece of wood and steelwork made by some of the best craftsmen in Soterri to allow her to sit comfortably, be wheeled around easily and traverse rough terrain without bothering the goddess. It is well padded, comfortable enough to sleep on and has advanced spring mechanisms in the wheels and axels to allow the goddess to slumber even as it rolls over stones and across divots in the ground. Every night, while she sleeps, the chair is serviced by a few local engineers; wheels changed out for new ones and padding restuffed for the next day to ensure M'Tufa's comfort is assured. The back reclines with a small lever and M'Tufa can even lever herself back up by pressing on a spring loaded switch that gradually pumps her back up to a full sitting position, though she does not possess the strength to pull the recliner lever and generally just falls asleep sitting up. Servants tend to recline her thereafter.
On the sides of the chair are bags that hold anything else M'Tufa or her servants might need; usually full of snacks, a blanket, some oils and smelly incenses that make her feel better, a mirror, something fuzzy to rub against her face, fresh water, a few magical tokens, a parasol and a mask that can be put over her face if she falls asleep in the mid-day sun. Obviously she has more than this to her name but this is what can be found on her person and/or her wheelchair at any given moment.
On the sides of the chair are bags that hold anything else M'Tufa or her servants might need; usually full of snacks, a blanket, some oils and smelly incenses that make her feel better, a mirror, something fuzzy to rub against her face, fresh water, a few magical tokens, a parasol and a mask that can be put over her face if she falls asleep in the mid-day sun. Obviously she has more than this to her name but this is what can be found on her person and/or her wheelchair at any given moment.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
M'Tufa is not merely an old humanoid deity.
She is unthinkably old for a tribal region like Soterri!
If there was any precise story of her origin as the local great river goddess it has long been lost to time and many deities that did know and once spread the knowledge of her arrival into Soterri's Pantheon have since been killed by her own hands. However, a few inferences can be made...
M'Tufakhalu once mentioned that she promised Njoloch The Cape God over seven thousand years ago that she would find a way to capture one of his prized giant squids and eat them.
To The Knowledge Of The Local Mythology, This Is Probably Not An Exaggeration Of Time. SOMETIMES M'Tufakhalu has claimed to have known humanity "Before Mortals Huddled With The Dogs In The Dark," Implying that she has existed for at least longer than dogs have been in the area. The story of Intubakhalu ascending just under ten thousand years ago explicitly includes companion dogs so it is reasonable to assume she's much older than ten thousand years..
Evidence of her worship can be found extending back perhaps thirty thousand years, both in the ruins of temples nearby that are at least that old and in myths of her first appearance naming her as having existed in the area at least three times longer than Intubakhalu, Soterri's Dominant Mountain God. The Oldest and Most Ancient Ruins where her depictions can be located show a previous river deity talking with a mortal woman before a break in the wall cuts off the story. Further down "The Oldest River Wall," as it is called, the female figure can be seen as the new river deity and, several feet further down, begins to become more like she is now; Less mortal and more divine.
While M'Tufakhalu refuses to address any questions about The Oldest River Wall and has insisted to the natives for decades that the structure should be torn down, it still remains and provides clues that M'Tufa probably found a way to trick or deal with the previous Great River Deity to gain her position as the present deity of The Great River M'Tufakhalu It is known that M'Tufakhalu, during the ten thousand or so year period known as "The Age Of The Mountain God," ventured deep into the ranks of a wrathful deity of destruction and war when she wants, having personally killed several gods of the area out of jealousy, distrust or simply disapproval. During this period of time her previous power over the population waned and Intubakhalu took her people into an advanced age of blood and sacrifice the likes of which propelled their influence (though not their population) across the entire world of Ta Mando. Therein M'Tufakhalu was a fickle river that moved regularly and regularly feuded with all other gods in the area other than The Local "Earth God," who has existed longer than any other in the region.
She is unthinkably old for a tribal region like Soterri!
If there was any precise story of her origin as the local great river goddess it has long been lost to time and many deities that did know and once spread the knowledge of her arrival into Soterri's Pantheon have since been killed by her own hands. However, a few inferences can be made...
M'Tufakhalu once mentioned that she promised Njoloch The Cape God over seven thousand years ago that she would find a way to capture one of his prized giant squids and eat them.
To The Knowledge Of The Local Mythology, This Is Probably Not An Exaggeration Of Time. SOMETIMES M'Tufakhalu has claimed to have known humanity "Before Mortals Huddled With The Dogs In The Dark," Implying that she has existed for at least longer than dogs have been in the area. The story of Intubakhalu ascending just under ten thousand years ago explicitly includes companion dogs so it is reasonable to assume she's much older than ten thousand years..
Evidence of her worship can be found extending back perhaps thirty thousand years, both in the ruins of temples nearby that are at least that old and in myths of her first appearance naming her as having existed in the area at least three times longer than Intubakhalu, Soterri's Dominant Mountain God. The Oldest and Most Ancient Ruins where her depictions can be located show a previous river deity talking with a mortal woman before a break in the wall cuts off the story. Further down "The Oldest River Wall," as it is called, the female figure can be seen as the new river deity and, several feet further down, begins to become more like she is now; Less mortal and more divine.
While M'Tufakhalu refuses to address any questions about The Oldest River Wall and has insisted to the natives for decades that the structure should be torn down, it still remains and provides clues that M'Tufa probably found a way to trick or deal with the previous Great River Deity to gain her position as the present deity of The Great River M'Tufakhalu It is known that M'Tufakhalu, during the ten thousand or so year period known as "The Age Of The Mountain God," ventured deep into the ranks of a wrathful deity of destruction and war when she wants, having personally killed several gods of the area out of jealousy, distrust or simply disapproval. During this period of time her previous power over the population waned and Intubakhalu took her people into an advanced age of blood and sacrifice the likes of which propelled their influence (though not their population) across the entire world of Ta Mando. Therein M'Tufakhalu was a fickle river that moved regularly and regularly feuded with all other gods in the area other than The Local "Earth God," who has existed longer than any other in the region.
Gender Identity
M'Tufakhalu Identifies As Female. (She/Her)
The concept of Gender Nuance does not exist in her culture very tangibly.
The concept of Gender Nuance does not exist in her culture very tangibly.
Sexuality
True to her divine nature, M'Tufakhalu is extremely "Flexible" sexually. While she is constantly looking for strong males to flirt with and send off to their deaths she's also just as willing to get intimate with women if it suits her present desires. It might be reasonable to assume that her greatest attractions lie in people who are resourceful and intelligent above any specific body shape, sex or gender.
Education
Though M'Tufakhalu can be said to have little in the way of modern education or even an education that Kandia could call complete, she learns very quickly and the nature of her portfolio on the whole means that she quickly grows to understand nearly anything new that she's introduced to... provided she is not mentally impaired during that experience.
Moreover, as she recovers, M'Tufakhalu is being taught of Kanda and all of its laws and ways by her new attendant and personal Head Priestess; Matofi Kayla. (Kayla to her "friends")
Often, when the Maiden Of Health is teaching his daily classes, Kayla will wheel her into the room and she will watch and listen to his lessons. While she doesn't seem very attentive in her present state of impairment she IS processing nearly everything he says and is thus gaining some modern education in the moment.
Often, when the Maiden Of Health is teaching his daily classes, Kayla will wheel her into the room and she will watch and listen to his lessons. While she doesn't seem very attentive in her present state of impairment she IS processing nearly everything he says and is thus gaining some modern education in the moment.
Employment
While M'Tufakhalu is well accepted to be unable to "Work" until she is healed, her life will eventually be full of all manner of serious obligations.
Deities at the heads of their pantheon in any given section of The Empire of Kanda are expected to maintain not only serious authority over their position but also much of the "parchmentwork" of their part of the Empire. They are expected to keep track of various feuds, rivalries, alliances, festivals, coffers, personal offerings, head clergy and ALL MANNER of other terribly boring Bureaucracy... to say nothing of the public social obligations and personal ties to other deities that she will eventually need to maintain. Already all manner of lesser deities are jockeying to end up in her good graces, even understanding that she largely has no ability to judge them... some SPECIFICALLY understanding this.
Deities of her rank are also expected to preside over various functions in the Capital every year, specifically around the "Mass Celebration" Holidays where the names of all deities are called upon throughout the Empire.
As the newest Deity of Kanda she also is eventually expected to travel to The Core and give a speech to the people of Kanda Sentran, addressing them as a new deity to their culture and thanking the Kandar personally for allowing her to join them. While M'Tufakhalu has, of course, presided over her domain for tens of thousands of years, she is not averse to being part of this larger, more complex system and eagerly signed for the role when it was offered to her!
As the newest Deity of Kanda she also is eventually expected to travel to The Core and give a speech to the people of Kanda Sentran, addressing them as a new deity to their culture and thanking the Kandar personally for allowing her to join them. While M'Tufakhalu has, of course, presided over her domain for tens of thousands of years, she is not averse to being part of this larger, more complex system and eagerly signed for the role when it was offered to her!
Accomplishments & Achievements
If everyone glances past her otherwise amazing origin story of being a mortal who tricked her way into the position of a Natural Deity over a river akin to the Nile, M'Tufakhalu's list of accomplishments is still not small or mundane in any way.
Along with a notorious past ten thousand years of killing off other gods that pissed her off too much, (over a dozen!) M'Tufakhalu is known throughout The Empire Of Kanda as having the title of "Water Crusher;" an extremely respectable title marking her as one in only a handful of extremely powerful deities capable of compressing water in large quantities at a time. Though she only did this once at The Battle Of Matriarch, the title is not one that can be revoked and requires Ta Thinal to approve so she will keep the title in perpetuity.
The feat of crushing water, as well as the rest of her actions coming to the aid of the Kandia at The Battle Of Matriarch, is regarded by all as her crowning achievement for The Empire; a moment of sacrifice and determination in battle for the sake of Kandia survival in a War Of Extinction! While she was seriously injured during the battle, she is still regarded as a Great Hero and Powerful War Deity to The Kandia because if this.
The feat of crushing water, as well as the rest of her actions coming to the aid of the Kandia at The Battle Of Matriarch, is regarded by all as her crowning achievement for The Empire; a moment of sacrifice and determination in battle for the sake of Kandia survival in a War Of Extinction! While she was seriously injured during the battle, she is still regarded as a Great Hero and Powerful War Deity to The Kandia because if this.
Failures & Embarrassments
Her greatest failure is having been struck in the eye with a Kobori Shineblade!
While it did not kill her, it certainly could have and she owes the event to her own hubris; monologuing before he caught her off guard with a blade to the eye!
While her eye HAS been restored by The Maiden Of Health, it has still earned her the title of "Blood-Faced" by many; a title in Kanda exemplifying the entitled for their determination on the field of battle, such that they lost an eye for Kanda. Despite the great esteem this title and overall event in general brings, she agonizes over it daily, suffering horrific flashbacks of the event, grotesque nightmares, headaches and loss of self esteem from the experience; to say nothing of the more obvious problems that come from getting a short sword jammed into your face.
While it did not kill her, it certainly could have and she owes the event to her own hubris; monologuing before he caught her off guard with a blade to the eye!
While her eye HAS been restored by The Maiden Of Health, it has still earned her the title of "Blood-Faced" by many; a title in Kanda exemplifying the entitled for their determination on the field of battle, such that they lost an eye for Kanda. Despite the great esteem this title and overall event in general brings, she agonizes over it daily, suffering horrific flashbacks of the event, grotesque nightmares, headaches and loss of self esteem from the experience; to say nothing of the more obvious problems that come from getting a short sword jammed into your face.
Mental Trauma
While M'Tufa used to be an extremely secure and confident individual, her experiences in The Battle Of The Matriarch changed her foundationally.
Having suffered traumatic brain injury roughly equivalent to being shot in the face at close range during modern military combat, M'Tufa is a completely different person now that she's come out of her coma! Nearly always uncomfortable, complaining of her head hurting and next to clueless about what is going on around her, M'Tufakhalu has become an invalid who regularly forgets where she is or what people are talking about just moments after they say it. Drifting between unconsciousness and delirious wakefulness, she's received enough neural damage to be unable to walk properly and requires considerable practice and she is clearly scared of doing anything alone or even being alone for any amount of time. While often appearing as though she is taking the world in with a childlike expression of wonder, in actuality M'Tufakhalu is constantly struggling to keep up with everything around her and is unable to make her face and mouth do the right things fast enough before the world changes enough for it not to matter. While she is, of course, patient as any tens of thousands of years old deities are, this is an extremely mentally damaging and traumatic experience. Though she hides it from everyone around her, M'Tufa is extremely depressed and sure she will never be the same as she was; sure that the brain injury has robbed her of everything that has made her what she is, her noteworthy intelligence and cunning!
While the best days have her moved to attractive locales and mostly relaxing and sleeping the hours away in fields of grain by the riverside, surrounded by servants, most days she does nothing but fret and chew on her clothes in anxiety, unable to properly communicate what she needs because her brain has not yet recovered enough. As of yet nobody has discovered her many internal crises and the natives of Ta Mando do not have advanced enough concepts to help her.
Having suffered traumatic brain injury roughly equivalent to being shot in the face at close range during modern military combat, M'Tufa is a completely different person now that she's come out of her coma! Nearly always uncomfortable, complaining of her head hurting and next to clueless about what is going on around her, M'Tufakhalu has become an invalid who regularly forgets where she is or what people are talking about just moments after they say it. Drifting between unconsciousness and delirious wakefulness, she's received enough neural damage to be unable to walk properly and requires considerable practice and she is clearly scared of doing anything alone or even being alone for any amount of time. While often appearing as though she is taking the world in with a childlike expression of wonder, in actuality M'Tufakhalu is constantly struggling to keep up with everything around her and is unable to make her face and mouth do the right things fast enough before the world changes enough for it not to matter. While she is, of course, patient as any tens of thousands of years old deities are, this is an extremely mentally damaging and traumatic experience. Though she hides it from everyone around her, M'Tufa is extremely depressed and sure she will never be the same as she was; sure that the brain injury has robbed her of everything that has made her what she is, her noteworthy intelligence and cunning!
While the best days have her moved to attractive locales and mostly relaxing and sleeping the hours away in fields of grain by the riverside, surrounded by servants, most days she does nothing but fret and chew on her clothes in anxiety, unable to properly communicate what she needs because her brain has not yet recovered enough. As of yet nobody has discovered her many internal crises and the natives of Ta Mando do not have advanced enough concepts to help her.
Intellectual Characteristics
As a humanoid deity M'Tufakhalu possesses a trait known as "Guaranteed Healing," (among others) which ensures she will eventually recover completely after Jonathan Mondragon's successful brain surgery on her after the Battle Of Matriarch. As her brain heals and reconnects old pathways she will come back to the fully active, bursting intelligence she once possessed.
Despite her recent brain trauma, M'Tufakhalu's biology is therefor such that she still retains the fullness of her intelligence and merely has to wait to regain access to it. M'Tufa, underneath the shell of an invalid, is actually possessing of superhuman intelligence, having originally gained her place as the Goddess of The Great River M'Tufakhalu by functionally tricking the old God into switching places with her. Her first interaction with Jonathan Mondragon consisted of tricking him into doing dangerous favors for her and she was the first deity in Soterri that thought to form a contract with The Empire Of Kanda.
Her mind has always been her identifying feature and, as she claims, the only thing of her original self left; having retained nearly none of her original physical features since becoming a goddess. Able to process extremely complex situations or even manage extremely complex mathematical equations in her head at her best times, M'Tufakhalu shines when it comes to grasping new concepts, picking up on things that she's never seen or heard of before almost instantly in ideal conditions. She enjoys learning new things
Despite her recent brain trauma, M'Tufakhalu's biology is therefor such that she still retains the fullness of her intelligence and merely has to wait to regain access to it. M'Tufa, underneath the shell of an invalid, is actually possessing of superhuman intelligence, having originally gained her place as the Goddess of The Great River M'Tufakhalu by functionally tricking the old God into switching places with her. Her first interaction with Jonathan Mondragon consisted of tricking him into doing dangerous favors for her and she was the first deity in Soterri that thought to form a contract with The Empire Of Kanda.
Her mind has always been her identifying feature and, as she claims, the only thing of her original self left; having retained nearly none of her original physical features since becoming a goddess. Able to process extremely complex situations or even manage extremely complex mathematical equations in her head at her best times, M'Tufakhalu shines when it comes to grasping new concepts, picking up on things that she's never seen or heard of before almost instantly in ideal conditions. She enjoys learning new things
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
M'Tufakhalu, historically, has been self motivated!
Her goals have always been her own and have always motivated her to act for herself; allying with few and deceiving many. She was never driven by anyone else's desires, merely how they might be powerful and impressive and of use to her; marking her as a rather selfish, if admittedly reasonable and beneficial. However, recently M'Tufakhalu has become more interested in the little things in life; nice animals, gardening, bathing and other such mortal pleasures.
The Arrival Of The Kandia has shown her that mortals outside of her realm have much more to offer than those within; that there is a much larger community for her to join wherein she can gain far more by being personal and involving herself in the lives of the simple lives of the average. In the end M'Tufakhalu will probably always be a selfish and mildly deceptive individual but her motivations are presently in flux and how she uses her powers and intelligence in the future, after she recovers, will probably be pushed one way or the other by those around her. At the moment she is functionally a blank slate; one that some in Longo Soterri believe should be taken advantage of and others regard as a tragedy that must be tended to with the most careful of ministrations and regarded the same as with the most vulnerable and dear of children.
Her goals have always been her own and have always motivated her to act for herself; allying with few and deceiving many. She was never driven by anyone else's desires, merely how they might be powerful and impressive and of use to her; marking her as a rather selfish, if admittedly reasonable and beneficial. However, recently M'Tufakhalu has become more interested in the little things in life; nice animals, gardening, bathing and other such mortal pleasures.
The Arrival Of The Kandia has shown her that mortals outside of her realm have much more to offer than those within; that there is a much larger community for her to join wherein she can gain far more by being personal and involving herself in the lives of the simple lives of the average. In the end M'Tufakhalu will probably always be a selfish and mildly deceptive individual but her motivations are presently in flux and how she uses her powers and intelligence in the future, after she recovers, will probably be pushed one way or the other by those around her. At the moment she is functionally a blank slate; one that some in Longo Soterri believe should be taken advantage of and others regard as a tragedy that must be tended to with the most careful of ministrations and regarded the same as with the most vulnerable and dear of children.
Likes & Dislikes
M'Tufakhalu Likes:
Fine Smelling Incense And Spices (Like Cinnamon Or Dragon's Blood)
Delicious Wines (She Prefers Reds Over Whites)
Cheese (Not Conventionally Present In Her Culture)
Seafood (A Guilty Pleasure)
Jonathan Mondragon: The Maiden Of Health
Offerings, Sacrifices And Dedicated Prayer (She Can Literally FEEL It!)
Kandia Culture (Clothing, Adornments, Buildings, Agriculture)
Animals; Namely Elephants, Parrots, Dogs, Water Birds, Monkeys, Goats And Cattle
The Great River M'Tufakhalu (Though She Is No Longer Tethered To It, It's Still Her Home Of 30 Thousand Years!)
Unamakhalu: The Great Mother Of Soterri
The Grand Matriarch: Queen Of All Of Soterri's Beasts!
Matofi Kayla: First Enthiros Of Soterri
Uls And Freg: The Universal Sauce And Spread
Television
Kandia Gardening (Though She's Not Yet Actually Tried, She Wants To And Likes Watching People Garden) M'Tufakhalu Dislikes:
Njoloch: God Of The Cape Of Soterri
Intubakhalu: The Mountain God Of Soterri
Very Rainy Days
The Open Ocean
Ungrateful Mortals
Competitors To Her Portfolio
Human Sacrifice (The Kandia Pantheonic Contract Forbids It!)
Fine Smelling Incense And Spices (Like Cinnamon Or Dragon's Blood)
Delicious Wines (She Prefers Reds Over Whites)
Cheese (Not Conventionally Present In Her Culture)
Seafood (A Guilty Pleasure)
Jonathan Mondragon: The Maiden Of Health
Offerings, Sacrifices And Dedicated Prayer (She Can Literally FEEL It!)
Kandia Culture (Clothing, Adornments, Buildings, Agriculture)
Animals; Namely Elephants, Parrots, Dogs, Water Birds, Monkeys, Goats And Cattle
The Great River M'Tufakhalu (Though She Is No Longer Tethered To It, It's Still Her Home Of 30 Thousand Years!)
Unamakhalu: The Great Mother Of Soterri
The Grand Matriarch: Queen Of All Of Soterri's Beasts!
Matofi Kayla: First Enthiros Of Soterri
Uls And Freg: The Universal Sauce And Spread
Television
Kandia Gardening (Though She's Not Yet Actually Tried, She Wants To And Likes Watching People Garden) M'Tufakhalu Dislikes:
Njoloch: God Of The Cape Of Soterri
Intubakhalu: The Mountain God Of Soterri
Very Rainy Days
The Open Ocean
Ungrateful Mortals
Competitors To Her Portfolio
Human Sacrifice (The Kandia Pantheonic Contract Forbids It!)
Vices & Personality flaws
If M'Tufakhalu has any specific flaw, it's that she's notoriously selfish. On top of that, she's always been known for her gift of deception. She has a long history of sending mortals off to do impossible tasks just to see if they can impress her or not. She has picked fights with gods within the last ten thousand years just on principle and once sent Jonathan Mondragon off to collect deep sea squid in Njoloch's territory even though she was sure it would kill him. At least before her traumatic brain injury, M'Tufakhalu was a dangerously selfish individual who cared less for someone's life and more for how said life could be used to remedy her most mild inconveniences.
There is no telling at this time if she'll retain this overt selfishness throughout the duration of her recovery. However, it is doubtful that such a being can shake the penchant toward deception even through years of recovery. Being a flexible and often deceptive individual is entirely in her nature as a deity and it may be best for everyone involved to merely work at directing that deception toward their enemies rather than letting it pool up around them. While M'Tufa generally doesn't directly mean to endanger individuals, she falls cleanly into the role of "Trickster" Deity and seemingly has a hard time putting herself in the shoes of others. Perhaps this is because of her long millennia as a nature goddess or perhaps she never possessed much in the way of empathy to begin with. It's probably impossible to say at this point.
Hygiene
M'Tufakhalu needs to worry little at all for hygiene.
As the head deity of Soterri, M'Tufa has no less than a few dozen slaves and servants tending to her every need during the day; washing, grooming, dressing and otherwise ensuring she is clean and happy. Often they will be seen brushing her hair or rubbing oil on her legs and feet in between Kayla rolling her around the area outside Castan Mondragon. As any deity would be treated, she is fully immersed in water and bathed with special oils and exotic soaps from the Core before being perfumed with various incenses or powders. As a spirit of the water, she prefers this closer to the shore of her river and her servants have already constructed a rudimentary bathhouse on the shore next to her prayer platform so that she might enjoy her baths in plain view of the original source of her power.
As the head deity of Soterri, M'Tufa has no less than a few dozen slaves and servants tending to her every need during the day; washing, grooming, dressing and otherwise ensuring she is clean and happy. Often they will be seen brushing her hair or rubbing oil on her legs and feet in between Kayla rolling her around the area outside Castan Mondragon. As any deity would be treated, she is fully immersed in water and bathed with special oils and exotic soaps from the Core before being perfumed with various incenses or powders. As a spirit of the water, she prefers this closer to the shore of her river and her servants have already constructed a rudimentary bathhouse on the shore next to her prayer platform so that she might enjoy her baths in plain view of the original source of her power.
Social
Contacts & Relations
M'Tufakhalu has willingly signed into a divinely binding contract with The Empire Of Kanda, ensuring that she is treated as a Kandia deity and treated with the suitable respect that she deserves as the head of Soterri's Pantheon!
That being said, she must also ensure that she is publicly available for petition, must respond to summons when called to the core, must answer to a few higher deities and otherwise must follow "The Rules Of Conduct" when interacting with mortals such that she has a fair more limitations than she used to with the tribal Kobori. She will not and actually CANNOT turn against this contract without serious punishment "from on high" as the other deities in the Kandia system do not take kindly to rabble rousers and those who break their written and contracted agreements. That said, M'Tufakhalu may easily call upon other deities, especially the closer ones, to help her and to provide lip service for her to their own sects so long as M'Tufakhalu plays the same game as everyone else At Present M'Tufakhalu is an extremely popular figure, both for being the newest major deity to Kanda and for her famous use of Water Compression; something the Kandia have more or less accepted is the purview of only the most powerful water deities.
All manner of deities would crawl over each other to get a favor from her, even if they'd never necessarily intend on making good on said favor..
That being said, she must also ensure that she is publicly available for petition, must respond to summons when called to the core, must answer to a few higher deities and otherwise must follow "The Rules Of Conduct" when interacting with mortals such that she has a fair more limitations than she used to with the tribal Kobori. She will not and actually CANNOT turn against this contract without serious punishment "from on high" as the other deities in the Kandia system do not take kindly to rabble rousers and those who break their written and contracted agreements. That said, M'Tufakhalu may easily call upon other deities, especially the closer ones, to help her and to provide lip service for her to their own sects so long as M'Tufakhalu plays the same game as everyone else At Present M'Tufakhalu is an extremely popular figure, both for being the newest major deity to Kanda and for her famous use of Water Compression; something the Kandia have more or less accepted is the purview of only the most powerful water deities.
All manner of deities would crawl over each other to get a favor from her, even if they'd never necessarily intend on making good on said favor..
Family Ties
In being as old as she is, M'Tufakhalu has nothing left of her old family. If any descendants of her original siblings led genetic lines to the present day, they are no longer known to her nor considered as related to her in any way.
Social Aptitude
While formerly a snappy and extremely capable speaker bursting with confidence and personality, M'Tufakhalu has been completely crippled from her brain injury and still has yet to heal from the horrors of war. This being said, she has next to no filter, speaks in a disjointed, drawn out cadence and often casually insults people, calling them "gross" or "stupid" without thought for their feelings or even of the quality of her words and actions.
Easily distracted and generally without direction, M'Tufakhalu spends much of her time letting the world move around her and anxiously trying to keep up and process everything fast enough to properly respond, which she seldom accomplishes. Unable to properly voice her concerns, she often shifts back and forth in her chair violently when upset or chews on her shirt; normally sleeve or collar. Sometimes she'll even fall asleep in the middle of what amounts to a conversation, unable to properly hold herself back anymore.
M'Tufakhalu, however, is not necessarily unkind. She also says nice things about people about as often as nasty things. She merely has no way to filter her statements and has yet to relearn such discipline.
Hobbies & Pets
Speech
Though she was once an extremely capable and snappy speaker, M'Tufa now speaks in a long, slow, stilted sort of voice; sometimes with long pauses between various words as her brain struggles to connect with her mouth. Despite this slowness she always sounds a touch curious and with a blissful sort of tone unless legitimately distressed.
Relationships
Nicknames & Petnames
M'Tufakhalu Regularly Calls Lerato "Pretty Girl"
Wealth & Financial state
To say that M'Tufakhalu possesses great wealth would be a distinct understatement if there ever was one.
While she used to formally be one of the wealthiest and most public deities in Soterri and would receive a few prize cattle and a few dozen fine goats every year in sacrifice (as well as the odd deformed child) and that made her functionally an extremely wealthy deity... Her addition as the Kanda's Head Deity of Soterri offers her considerably grander treasure than she would have ever suspected. Now, with a temple being slowly built in the capital in her honor, people with family in Soterri are able to consistently pray to her and provide animal sacrifice in her name for the protection of their loved ones. Those who seek to know of The Lost Expedition also send all manner of sacrifices her way, as it has been discovered that Soterri is where the Lost Expedition ended. Furthermore, as the head of the pantheon of an area colonized to find a new way to The Western Kingdom, M'Tufakhalu is known as no small trade deity as well; offered incense and spices and gold and silver aplenty from all manner of upper class merchants that seek to unlock the Journey To The West (No Relation) and open the silk trade once again after decades of increasingly poor diplomatic circumstances! Because of this M'Tufakhalu receives perhaps two hundred head of cattle, thousands of goats and sheep and perhaps a few thousand various bird sacrifices every single day to provide her with all manner of powerful essence and support the likes of which is as good as food to a Former Nature Deity such as herself. That being said, the leftover meat and bones from these sacrifices are dedicated to her temple's coffers before being cycled back into the poor and unfortunate by the stewards of her temple, who are thanked for her benevolence through dedicated prayer and service in building her temple.
THE REAL MONEY lies in the countless pounds of silver and gold, salt and even JADE that is donated to her cause every day, to say nothing of the silk, spices, incense, oil and alcohol that is dedicated to her majesty every day. Moreover, Despite being the newest god on the scene of Kanda, M'Tufakhalu's achievements have not gone unnoticed and her title as "Water Crusher" has brought her many worshippers from lesser sects and temples who seek to make peace with her soon to come divine sway. Already several martial deities and a few high ranking storm and water deities have sent envoys to her Temple's construction site to set terms for tribute to her cause until she is fully healed and able to man her own mysteries.
While she used to formally be one of the wealthiest and most public deities in Soterri and would receive a few prize cattle and a few dozen fine goats every year in sacrifice (as well as the odd deformed child) and that made her functionally an extremely wealthy deity... Her addition as the Kanda's Head Deity of Soterri offers her considerably grander treasure than she would have ever suspected. Now, with a temple being slowly built in the capital in her honor, people with family in Soterri are able to consistently pray to her and provide animal sacrifice in her name for the protection of their loved ones. Those who seek to know of The Lost Expedition also send all manner of sacrifices her way, as it has been discovered that Soterri is where the Lost Expedition ended. Furthermore, as the head of the pantheon of an area colonized to find a new way to The Western Kingdom, M'Tufakhalu is known as no small trade deity as well; offered incense and spices and gold and silver aplenty from all manner of upper class merchants that seek to unlock the Journey To The West (No Relation) and open the silk trade once again after decades of increasingly poor diplomatic circumstances! Because of this M'Tufakhalu receives perhaps two hundred head of cattle, thousands of goats and sheep and perhaps a few thousand various bird sacrifices every single day to provide her with all manner of powerful essence and support the likes of which is as good as food to a Former Nature Deity such as herself. That being said, the leftover meat and bones from these sacrifices are dedicated to her temple's coffers before being cycled back into the poor and unfortunate by the stewards of her temple, who are thanked for her benevolence through dedicated prayer and service in building her temple.
THE REAL MONEY lies in the countless pounds of silver and gold, salt and even JADE that is donated to her cause every day, to say nothing of the silk, spices, incense, oil and alcohol that is dedicated to her majesty every day. Moreover, Despite being the newest god on the scene of Kanda, M'Tufakhalu's achievements have not gone unnoticed and her title as "Water Crusher" has brought her many worshippers from lesser sects and temples who seek to make peace with her soon to come divine sway. Already several martial deities and a few high ranking storm and water deities have sent envoys to her Temple's construction site to set terms for tribute to her cause until she is fully healed and able to man her own mysteries.
Divine Classification
Regional Deity Of Longo Soterri ~~ Formerly Natural Deity: River Deity
Religions
Alignment
In Flux
Current Location
Ethnicity
Realm
Church/Cult
Honorary & Occupational Titles
The Pinnacle Of Soterri
Water Crusher
The Bringer Of Southern Life
The Great River Of Soterri
The New All-Mother
The Half-Blind
Controller Of The Waters Beneath
The River Of Blood
War Ender
The Red Eye
Water Crusher
The Bringer Of Southern Life
The Great River Of Soterri
The New All-Mother
The Half-Blind
Controller Of The Waters Beneath
The River Of Blood
War Ender
The Red Eye
Age
Rumored Over 30 Thousand Years
Circumstances of Birth
Completely Mundane. Nothing Was Expected Of Her.
Birthplace
Somewhere In Soterri, Presumably Along The Coast
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
Castan Mondragon Along The Great River M'Tufakhalu
Gender
Female
Eyes
Perfectly Horizontal, Typically Shaped. Murky Green Right Eye, though otherwise normal. Blood Crimson left eye; no differentiation between pupil, iris and sclera.
Hair
Long, Wavy, Deepest Green Like River Grass
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Shades Of Alabaster With Extremely Fine Striation Patterns In Her Skin, As If Made Of White Stone And Volcanic Soil
Height
6'10" (208.28 cm)
Weight
242 lbs (87.09 kg)
She may also speak to animals if she cares to.
As With All Gods, M'Tufa can speak several ascendant languages that only the deities can speak, hear or understand.
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