Akenra

Summary

The supreme goddess of Uatkara's faith, Akenra looms over all creation through her blazing body, the sun itself. Unlike every other goddess and god in Uatkara, Akenra is persistently disembodied and abstracted, commonly indicated in presence through the icon of a stylized eye within a circle. In the rare times she is made humanoid, she is always stylized in a simple nebusian dress made of sun-gold threads. There is some variance if she's depicted as a nebusah, a mertakan, a muurun, or otherwise. It ultimately comes down to who is giving her a humanoid form, as she often takes on representation of that people instead. Her head is completely absent, always replaced by a blazing eye much like seen in her other iconography and serves as a unifying, common point of reference.   Akenra has long been a mysterious goddess in Uatkara's faith. Two distinct versions of her are known to have exist, simply known as the 'old' and 'new' variants. The epoch moment came in the form of Pharaoh Aramix's ascension to the Solar Throne. Her very first contribution to doctrine was a complete retooling of Akenra's mythology, much to the stunned surprise of many in the priestesshood. The old Akenra was likened to a loving if harsh mother, and didn't have much presence compared to other goddesses of the time. Indeed, one might wonder if some stories were not borrowed from Poleva's influence instead.   Compared to other sun worship (especially that found in Etzli Cuauhtla and Nerzin), the post-Aramix Akenra is aloof and rarely involved in mortal affairs. Her presence alone often suffices as reason for anything she does, for the blinding, skin-searing heat of the sun is always present. It is considered that when night comes, Akenra's gaze has left elsewhere in her eternal, unending trek across the Heavens. Unlike all other goddesses, she is considered to actually leave the mortal world of its affairs. Thus, to earn her attention and to continue to receive the sun's blessings, much worship and reverence goes into gaining her notice.   More is known about Akenra through the tales of the other goddesses who interact with her in the great bureaucracy-like affairs of the divine. Isara especially has a close affinity to Akenra, and through their tales some of Akenra's matronly past yet remains. In imbuing the world with her light, she is a beacon to all life, inspiring them toward her. Such is her wish to fill all the Heavens with those worthy of divinity, but greater still is her scorn for those who fail. To be given such a great gift and fail to meet her expectations engenders some of her harshest punishments. In delegating work to the other goddesses, she allows them to oversee all the nuances of life, the world, and creation itself. How much this is delegation versus their own prowess is a source of contention, especially among the different sects.   Overall, her primary domain is that of light, fire, purity, piety, and structured order--the virtues of life and civilization. While perhaps inhospitable on its lonesome, it is the duty of the other goddesses to disseminate her gifts and bring the world to a flourishing state of being.