Bahari
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Demi-Servants
Aeschylus
Aeschylus, as with most things that are held within Bahari's domain, represents the darker and more cruel portions of the endless oceans. . . Drawn within himself are the domains of Ruthlessness, Despair, and Loss. Aeschylus holds the form of a great Sea Serpent, a Dragon of the Waves who roams the surface and the deep, wreaking havoc upon those who fail to honor and defend against the eternal tread of the colorless foamy spray. There is no mythos upon the creation of Aeschylus, instead, the great Serpent seems to be a monolithic entity who existed before even Bahari herself ruled the tumult of the sea. A titanic being that is as old as life itself, yet one that pledged its service to the Kraken and her practical ways. All that is known however- is that for one to see the form of Aeschylus, they must have angered Bahari in one way or another. Be that harming her most beloved, or disgracing the sea and all that it represents. To see Aeschylus often means doom itself, as this Dragon of the Waves is one of the most powerful Demi-Servants known to exist.
Onesiphorus
Onesiphorus holds the form of an ancient mariner, whose eyes are bright and shimmering as the horizon on an early dawn, and whose skin is brown and leathery from a lifetime of saltwater and sunshine. . . His white beard and lengthy hair is filled with brine and salt, dry and weathered as the wood of ancient ships that still ply the waters to this day.
However in the contrary nature of the sea, Onesiphorus bears upon his face a wide and toothless smile as wide as the many shores. . . His personage is drawn from the eternal representation of the Sea's Bounty, and he fills the hearts of fishermen and mariners with hope and glee. To see Onesiphorus, or to commune with him, is a boon that tells those of the ocean Bahari watches over them, and respects them for what they do.
Onesiphorus serves another purpose- the representative of the Unforgiving and Forgotten Maiden to the world of men. Bahari herself rarely, if ever, will show her form above the shrouded abyssal plains that she walks- and most communication is passed between beast and man via the ancient mariner of her own creation.
Mythos
It is easily seen that the deities of the Pantheon are not so different than the mortals that they watch over, finding both love and lust in equal measure when compared to their more fragile counterparts. Such was no exception to the ever-reaching domain of the Wind and its Master, Venti.
His eyes saw all that moved upon the surface of Aethius, as his domain touched all that breathed and milled upon the body. Yet, there was a singular entity that the Stormlord cherished above all else. . . A young woman, eyes as pale as the fullest moon, and hair as bright as the coming dawn- a woman whose heart was great and marvelous, loving and caring for all things- and most importantly, his own.
Loving a mortal displeased the ever-watchful gaze of the Balancekeeper, whose ire rose steadily against the Stormlord and his supposed elven bride-to-be. As the mistress of Venti set out upon a long journey, crossing the great and tumultuous seas he ensured that the currents and waves were calm for her travel. Yet, unforeseen to the eyes of the Stormlord, a dark and mysterious illness fell upon the mortal woman who his heart had so fallen for. Her kindness and beauty unrivaled in the realm of men, a love unconditional between the mortal and immortal. This love was irreplaceable. Venti, torn in his heart about what to do, called upon the Matron of Life- yet, Arvora scorned the Stormlord for his romance with a mortal being- whether she truly believed what she said, or was influenced by her elders, it would never be known.
As the woman grew ever-more frail, her journey upon the desperate sea seemed far too great for her health to tarry through. Her breath drew short, and her life soon began to fail. Venti's pleading to the greater Three of the Pantheon were utterly ignored- the Infinite and the Arcane refused to heed his cry, while the Life Mother simply averted her eyes, forever to regret her actions.
His love for the maiden was absolute- and in a final desperate act to save her, the mighty Stormlord shed his very mortal form, destroying his Avatar in a spectacular show of divine force. Armed with the power of will and authority of his deified form, Venti channeled the shredded carcass of his avatar into the dying woman before him, seeking to preserve her life, and allow their love for one another to continue.
Yet, despite the might of the Guardian of the Sky and Firmament, the creation and preservation of life was not his forte. Rather than ascend his lover, he unwittingly drew the very aspect of the sea, the body of the maiden, and the power of his own Avatar into a tumultuous storm, a writhing and agonizing process which birthed not a revitalized mistress, but an entirely new creation, A deity, whom bore the body of his lover, but a mind that was not her own.
From the writhing storm, emerged the pyre of divine light, yet scarred with undertones of blue, grey, and blacks. Forth from the cauldron came a form that mirrored Venti's lover- yet in her shadowy eyes, recognition came naught. What stood before the Stormlord, was a female goddess whose attributes had claimed the Sea. A mind that was empty, save all that the oceans and their tributaries knew. A mind that was inherently cold, frozen, and calculating... A woman without love or a heart that was warm.
He gave her a name, as his very embrace was swatted away from him. Bahari. Venti's force was cast away from the sea, and the source of Bahari's power akin to an angry beast striking its master. The Stormlord himself slunk away, as the very struggle of pity and despair washed over him like the unforgiving waves of the ocean he trudged across. His own demeanor forever changed, the warm and caring deity would eternally nurse a wound deeper than the coldest abyss.
Bahari's Doctrine
- Use your power to take what you believe others do not deserve.
- Always fear the monsters locked away in the deep.
- Place absolute trust in nothing, as all is eventually washed away.
Plane of Origin
Danaldaie
Venti's careless actions shredded the very nature of reality itself, and entombed the heart and soul of his lost lover into the fabric of a reality that mirrors that of the darkest portions of the sea. A cold, and hurtful place, torn by storm and swell, where creatures of unknown size and nature inhabit the icy depths.
Within Danaldaie, whispers of the Stormlord's lost lover caress the mind, as if Bahari's voice echoes in misery, a hopeless seeking for what was lost by the Mother of Syrien. Simply, the realm of infinite and shadowy waters is the very animated form of what was created and lost during her creation. A place where Bahari finds neither solace nor recognition, but a saddening sense of loss that the Goddess hides deep inside herself.
Ideal Realm
Bahari believes in a realm of men and beast, who mind their lives to such a degree that all will function as an organic clockwork. Lacking of emotion or loving hands, she seeks a logical end to all things, and a system of meritocratic benefit that serves a greater good.
Celebration
The Greater Claims
Honored in tradition, as a holiday by those who worship the Kraken, is the period of time represented twice a year when the tide rises to the highest extent upon the land. Such is seen to be the highest point in the ever-shifting domain of Bahari.
During the winter, the First Greater Claim, echoes the sorrow and loss felt by Bahari's darkened heart. Patrons regularly inscribe the worst experiences they had throughout the year, and deposit them into the sea to be swept away by the uncaring depths. During the summer, the Second Greater Claims echo the warmth and benefit that Bahari's domain issues upon the shores and lochs of men. While the Sea is oft seen as a heartless mistress, it is one that gives forth bounty unending when the time is right. This, is seen as a time of celebration and revelry by the followers of the Mother of Syrien.
Relations
- Bahari holds a cold respect for Vassas and Vikret.
- Bahari believes that Arvora is a meddler and a pest, yet alos knows she is indispensable.
- Bahari despises Venti, and fails to understand what he sees in her.
- Bahari hates the chaotic nature of Foli and her children.
- Bahari is neutral to the other gods of the Pantheon.
Myths and Speculation
- Bahari is believed to have once been a Mortal.
- Some say that Venti seeks to restore her at all costs, yet their domains wage an eternal frozen war with one another.
| The Gods |
| Arvora • Bahari • Belek • Dahriim • Domm • Foli • Morto |
| Oklamat • Ombra • Sol • Sterk • Vassas • Venti • Vikret |
| The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier |
