Uakahet

Summary

A type of necklace ornament, the uakahet has a long rectangular body, with two handle prongs jutting out from near the top. These prongs are usually sized for the large paw hands of nebusah. A loop at the top allows for rope, chain, or other fastenings for it to be worn. It is traditionally made from quarried graystone from Sa-kemet, and the insides of the ornament are hollow. They are filled with dirt and sand from the deserts, and if possible, intermixed with grounds from the wearer's home territory. Each uakahet is generally stylized by the owner, showing depictings of home, family name, any particular goddesses they worship, and funeral rites. As such, they can become quite colorful, ornate, and elaborate depending on who is wearing it.   The uakahet is an answer to an otherwise usually unseen problem within Uatkara. What happens to those who die away from Atenkhet and Sa-kemet? Indeed, until the nebusah began exploring the oceans at large, the notion of dying outside the reach of their goddesses was absurd. Akenra herself sees all the world, so surely it doesn't matter? However, their faithful vanished, and Fyghumat became irate for she could not go out to find them. It was one problem to be lost somewhere in Veltrona, but if they died upon the grounds of other, foreign deities, then their souls may be stolen away.   The solution to this theistic crisis came from the uakahet. By containing genuine grounds from Sa-kemet, a person who died could find their way home to the goddesses. Fyghumat demands their body, but practicality means she can only suffice for the soul sometimes. This is especially true for those lost at sea, and Atenkhet has great deals with shermadi corpse collectors to return dead sailors. More troublesome is the likes of Temu, Akpahm, and Immensio for migrants, traders, and others who leave the deserts.   To an extent, this fear of loss is a reinforcing element to Uatkara's isolationist nature. Trade companies, however, have great need of the uakahet for all their foreign establishments, like the Kojahenkhet Outpost.