Lore:Gods A

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The Acharyai

The Acharyai is the name of the supposed first spirit or spirits in existence, the distant ancestor or ancestors of the traditionally worshipped gods: the Aedra and Daedra. They are acknowledged by the Psijic Order and considered fundamental to their complex system of Ancestor Worship, known to them as the Old Ways. As the foundation of their faith, the nature and existence of the Acharyai is one of the first things any neophyte of Artaeum will learn. Centaurs practice the same devout system as the Psijics, presumably including the Acharyai.

The Adversary, The Greedy Man

The Skaal believe the Adversary takes delight in tormenting and testing them. The All-Maker and the Adversary bear a resemblance to Anu and Padomay, who are in a similar antithetical conflict. The Greedy Man is one of the Adversary's aspects.

Agamanus, the Sphinx of Gazia

Agamanus, the Sphinx of Gaiza, is an entity venerated in Elsweyr by the Temple of Agamanus.

Akatosh, Dragon God of Time

Akatosh

Akatosh, known as Auri-El (or Auriel) to the Mer, Bormahu (Our Father) to the dragons, the great Dragon of Time to the Nedes, Alkosh to the Khajiit, is the chief deity of the Eight or Nine Divines (the prescribed religious cults of Cyrodiil and its provinces). He is present in most Tamrielic religions. His avatar is a golden dragon, and he is often called the Dragon God of Time, and the Lord of the Dragons. He is generally considered to be the first of the Gods to form in the Beginning Place; after his establishment, other spirits found the process to be easier and the various pantheons of the world emerged. The Aedric spirit is the ultimate God of the Cyrodilic Empire, where he embodies the qualities of endurance, invincibility, and everlasting legitimacy while promoting the virtues of duty, service, and obedience. Akatosh is thought to be the father of all dragons, and their leader Alduin was titled "First-Born of Akatosh". Alduin later came to proclaim himself a god, prompting Paarthurnax to turn on him for forsaking his duty to Akatosh, and resulting in history considering Alduin to be the Nordic aspect of Akatosh. Akatosh is the patron of the Akatosh Chantry, the religious order devoted to the worship and glorification of him, who refer to him as the "Great Dragon". Dragon Breaks, such as the Warp in the West and the Middle Dawn, are thought to result from Akatosh's temporary loss of control over the flow of time, or his temporary "breaking", hence the name of the phenomenon. Other ancient examples of Dragon Breaks may be found in other cultures, being the result of the Dragon being attacked by spirits and torn apart, like with Alkosh.

Akatosh was involved in the forging of the Covenant with the new Empire of humanity, and his blood was mystically joined with Alessia and her heirs. The Amulet of Kings was the primary token of this patronage, and it allowed the new Empire of Cyrodiil to benefit from the stabilizing influence of White Gold Tower, maintaining the barrier between Mundus and the Planes of Oblivion. When that barrier was threatened during the Oblivion Crisis, Martin Septim was able to summon Akatosh's spirit and transform himself into the avatar of Akatosh, which appeared in the shape of a giant dragon made of fire. This avatar dragon defeated Mehrunes Dagon, reestablishing the mystical barrier between Tamriel and the Daedric Realms. The avatar transformed into a statue, now located inside the ruined Temple of the One.

Akha, the First Cat

Akha is a Khajiiti deity mentioned in some Pre-ri'Datta traditions, who was also known as the First Cat, the Pathfinder, and the One Unmourned. Early in his existence, Akha explored the heavens and his trails became the Many Paths, forming myriad kingdoms. As he was also the favored son of Ahnurr, he followed his father's advice to find love and mated across the corners of the world with beings from distant lands, including the Winged Serpent of the East, the Dune Queen of the West, and the Mother Mammoth of the North, resulting in numerous wayward children. However, he vanished after heading south and was never seen again.

In the place of Akha, Alkosh appeared, and warned of the things Akha had made along the Many Paths. Taking over the role and crown of the First Cat, and inheriting rule over the myriad kingdoms of Akha along the Many Paths, Alkosh ruled over the children of Akha, but he was soon overthrown and his body scattered on the West Wind. It was Khenarthi who flew along the Many Paths and put Alkosh back together, and now they both "safeguard the Many Paths from the "wayward children of Akha" for "they are both terrible and kind".

Among the offspring of Akha, Alkhan is the most well-known. As the immortal firstborn son of Akha, he yearns for his princely crown, born of a demon of fire and shadow.

Alduin, Nordic World Eater

Alduin (also spelled Ald'uin or simply Ald), known as the World-Eater, the First Dragon, the Dragon Who Eats the World, Time-Eater, the Twilight God, the Worm, the Dragon King, and the Firstborn to the residents of Skyrim, is an immensely powerful black Dragon. He is depicted as a malevolent force who destroys the world periodically, and the Nords believe that his reappearance heralds the end of the current world and the beginning of the next. He is the self-proclaimed First-Born of Akatosh, and supposedly an aspect of him.

His name can be separated into "Al Du In", which means "Destroyer Devour Master" in the Dragon Language.

Alkhan, the Scaled Prince

Alkhan, the Scaled Prince, is the firstborn of the Khajiiti deity Akha and a demon of fire and shadow. It is said that he devours the souls of his victims to grow to an immense size. Alkhan was slain by Lorkhaj and his companions, but will someday return from the Many Paths. His enemies include Alkosh, Khenarthi, and Lorkhaj.

Alkosh, Dragon King of Cats

Alkosh is a pre-ri'Datta Dynasty Anaquinine deity, also known as the Dragon King of Cats, the First Cat, the Highmane, and the Great Cat King of Time. He is depicted as a fearsome dragon, swift and graceful but also powerful and clever, and radiant as the sun, which the Khajiiti say "is just a real big cat". He is the god of Time, and the king of dragons , a variation on the Altmeri Auri-El, and thus an "Akatosh-as-culture-hero" for the earliest Khajiiti. Alkosh's worship was co-opted during the establishment of the Riddle'Thar, but the Dragon King remains popular in Elsweyr's wastelands.

The All-Maker, God of the Skaal

The All-Maker, also known as the All-Father, is a mysterious deity revered as the wellspring of creation. The All-Maker could be a deity from the Atmorans or branched from the animal deities of the Atmorans. Either way they share similarities with each other and derive from the ancient Nords, reverence for the All-Maker is now nearly extinct. However, the isolated Skaal of Solstheim preserved the ancient beliefs throughout the ages, and modern scholars have learned of the All-Maker through their eyes. At least some of the Skaal were known to spread the faith of All-Maker outside of Solstheim, attempting to convert their mainland kin.

All life flows from the All-Maker like a great river, and, in time, this river flows back to its source. It is believed that the All-Maker dwells in the world of the spirit. The spirits of dead creatures return to the All-Maker, who shapes new life and returns it to Mundus. Death, then, is simply the beginning of the next stage of this endless journey. However, each life is a gift given in the great wisdom of the All-Maker, thus each one is very precious and sacred. Even the snow is viewed as a blessing for the shelter it can offer and for allowing hunters to track prey. The All-Maker favors those who hone their skills, and disfavors the greedy and lazy. The six All-Maker Stones of Solstheim are viewed as representations of the six aspects of nature, the six great gifts of the All-Maker—flora, fauna, the sun, the earth, water, and wind. The stones are believed to be conduits by which the All-Maker's power flows into the world.

All-Mother

The All-Mother is a deity who has been evoked by Altmer such as the Crystal Tower Archmagister I'ric Harad Egun. Anything beyond their mere existence is unknown, although the Skaal of Solstheim worship a deity known as the All-Father.

Almalexia, Mercy of Morrowind

Almalexia, also known as Almalexia the Lover, Almalexia the Warden, and Ayem, was one of the three God-Kings who constituted the Tribunal, or Almsivi, along with Vivec and Sotha Sil. She was very popular among the Dunmer, who called her "Healing Mother", "Lady of Mercy", "Mother Morrowind" and "Sacred Lady". They knew her as the source of compassion, sympathy, and forgiveness, the protector of the poor and weak, and the patron of teachers and healers. She resided in the temple city of Mournhold within the city of Almalexia, the capital of Morrowind, and was closely associated with House Indoril.

She was also the most personable of the Tribunal and was well known for walking among her people. As a mortal, she was the wife of Lord Indoril Nerevar, First Councilor of Resdayn. As a living god, she became the Consort of Lord Vivec, who associated her with the stars. Her other titles include Face-Snaked Queen of the Three in One and Most Blessed Lady Almalexia.

Originally the counselors to Nerevar, the Tribunal came to power among the Dunmer following her husband's death at the Battle of Red Mountain circa 1E 700. Before his death, they swore oaths to Nerevar upon Azura that they would never use the Tools of Kagrenac on the Heart of Lorkhan in order to steal its divine essence for themselves. A few years later, Almalexia and her fellow Tribunes broke that oath to become living gods. This led to the transformation of the Chimer into the Dunmer, and the Tribunal became their immortal protectors, leaders, and gods. The truth of how they gained their divinity was covered up; according to the Heirographa, the orthodox public teachings of the Tribunal Temple, their divinity was a more spontaneous result of their supernatural virtue, discipline, wisdom, and insight. For more information, see the lore article.

Anu

Anu, or Anu the Everything, is thought to be the quintessential form of Stasis and Order, the anthropomorphization of two primal forces (the other being Padomay, Change and Chaos). Anu or his equivalent under a different name is present in every culture's traditions; for instance, the Khajiit refer to him as Ahnurr, and he is a "littermate" to Fadomai. He is known as Satak to the Redguards. He is known as the Light to the Bretons. He also shares similarities to the Argonian figure Atak. Other names for Anu include Ak, Bird, and Good.

Anuiel, the Aurbis

In the Altmer tradition, Anuiel (or Anui-El) is the soul of Anu the Everything and of all things. He is seen as Order, the Everlasting Ineffable Light, and is dichotomically opposed to Sithis, who represents Chaos, the Corrupting Inexpressible Action. And though Anuiel is often described with such terms, Sithis worshippers regard him as a demon as he represents the stasis of Anu, which in their eyes is unchanging nothingness. The interaction of these two opposing forces is the Gray Maybe, Nirn (though the entirety of the Aurbis is also used in this context), and from this interaction spring the et'Ada, or Original Spirits.

Anuiel is said to be responsible for the time-law established within Nirn. Similarly, it is also said that the soul of Anuiel is Auri-El, who infused the Aurbis with time.

Arius, God of Fire

Arius is the God of Fire, also referred to as a Volcano God, is worshipped by the natives of a primitive island. The god is appeased by the yearly sacrifice of young children, and it is said that if the natives did not appease Arius, the island volcano would erupt, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of villagers.

Ark'ay, God of the Cycle of Life and Death

Arkay (or Ark'ay), known as the Lord of the Wheel of Life, God of the Cycle of Birth and Death, Light of Lights, the Bringer of Light,, and Lord of the Seasons is a member of the Divines, and also a popular god in other cultures. Arkay is often more important in those cultures where his father, Akatosh, is either less related to time or where his time aspects are difficult to comprehend by the layman. He is the god of burials and funeral rites, and is generally associated with cyclical occasions, such as the seasons and life/death. His priests are staunch opponents of necromancy and all forms of the undead, and are empowered to bestow Arkay's blessings which prevent the forceful misuse of a mortal soul. Thus, any body properly buried by a priest observing the proper rituals is protected by Arkay's Law from being raised as undead. Therefore, necromancers view Arkay as their ultimate enemy, and make covert efforts to undermine his worship throughout Tamriel. Because of this association with, and protection of, mortality, he is sometimes called the Mortals' God.

Atak, The Great Root

According to the Adzi-Kostleel tribe in Black Marsh, Atak was the first being in existence. As it knew nothing, it decided to be everything. It grew until eventually it found something had emerged from the nothingness, Kota, the serpent. They immediately began to battle and devour each other endlessly until tiring and becoming a singular deity, Atakota.

Atakota, Everything and Nothing

According to the Adzi-Kostleel tribe in Black Marsh, Atakota was born when two battling entities, Atak and Kota, fought for so long that they became one and forgot their conflict. After this, it slept, allowing things to finally have time to begin and end. This gave way to the spirits who would grow into the Aedra and Daedra and, eventually, mortalkind. Shadow of Atakota is also acknowledged by at least some of the Nisswo.

Auri-El, King of the Aldmer

Auri-El (or Auriel), King of the Aldmer, is the elven analogue to Akatosh and the chief deity of most Aldmeri pantheons. He is the soul of Anui-El, who is the soul of Anu the Everything, and it is said time began with his existence.

Most Altmeri and Bosmeri claim to be direct descendants of Auri-El. In Valenwood, he is known as Auri-El Time Dragon, king of the gods. However, early, socially stratified Aldmeri society thought Auri-El to be an ancestor spirit of the upper castes, and his worship was adopted by other Aldmer to better emulate their social "betters". While generally represented as a dragon, most Altmeri societies also depict him as or alongside an eagle. Snow Elves and Ayleids also worshipped Auri-El. However, the Alessian Order cursed him and held his pride responsible for the sullied Middle Dawn. All but the most dogmatic of theologians tend to agree that the Imperial Akatosh and the Elven Auri-El are one and the same.

Azura, Goddess of Dusk and Dawn

Azura of the Crimson Gate, also known as: Queen of Dawn and Dusk, the Mother Soul, Moonshadow, Mother of the Rose, Queen of the Night Sky, Twilight Queen, the Rim of all Holes, the Cosmic Severer, and called Azurah by the Khajiit, is a Daedric Prince whose sphere is dawn and dusk—the magic in-between realms of twilight—as well as mystery and magic, fate and prophecy, and vanity and egotism. Azura is one of the few Daedra who maintains the appearance of being "good" by mortal standards, and reportedly feels more concern for the well-being of her mortal subjects than other Daedric Princes. It is said she wants their love above all else, and for her worshippers to love themselves; it pains her when they do not. This attitude leads to an extremely devoted following. She is also one of the few Princes who constantly maintains a female image, and is perceived accordingly. In Khajiiti creation myths, Azurah is credited with introducing moon sugar to Khajiit, and this belief is also told within tales aimed at Khajiiti children.

The Five Songs of King Wulfharth claims that Alandro Sul is the immortal son of Azura. While Azura is considered one of the "good" Daedra by the Dunmer of Morrowind, elsewhere she has been known to be allied with Molag Bal, who is known to the Dunmer as one of the Four Corners of the House of Troubles. The people of the Iliac Bay region believe that Azura bewitches some of her followers to become her "lovers" and "virtual slaves". Her followers acknowledge that she is "cruel but wise".

In addition to being one of her many sobriquets, "Moonshadow" is also the name of Azura's realm in Oblivion. Azura's Star, the Twilight Star, is visible at dawn and dusk low on the horizon below the constellation of the Steed. Her summoning day is Hogithum, a festival on the 21^st of First Seed.

For more information, see the main lore article.

Azurah, the Mother of All Khajiit

Azurah, Queen of the Night Sky, the Realms of Twilight, and the Dusk and Dawn, the Favored Daughter of Fadomai, is the Khajiiti version of Azura. She is the "keeper of all gates and keys, all rims and thresholds", and seen as the God of Magic, Beauty, and Prophecy. The Khajiit believe Azurah bound them to the Lunar Lattice, which allows them to shape their own futures.