Mazakyel

**Mazakyel** is the Aran'khutu of nature and all non-human land life, including plants and animals. She is the daughter of Olakoye and Kotamotu, the younger sister of Go'Shrahd, the wife of Ro'Gathmu, and the mother of Tontekon as well as every air-breathing land creature. She is a passionate goddess who many mortals depend on and respect.

## Appearance

Mazakyel is depicted as a tall, mature woman of average build. Her most consistent and distinctive feature are her green, ram-like horns on her head. Her hair texture is black and curly, most often resembling Black or African hair textures, and her complexion is dark. She typically wears a dress bearing or resembling a flower in some way, and it is most often pink.

## Myths

### Creation of Kentotra

Mazakyel was born to her mother Olakoye and her father Kotamotu. She is the second god born naturally after her elder brother, Go'Shrahd. She is also the oldest goddess with a confirmed date of birth, as she is the first god born after the conception of time.

At a young age, Mazakyel discovered her ability to create plants sprouting from Kotamotu's ground. At first, there was not much variation in the plants, and they were mostly weak. However, with her father's guidance, Mazakyel developed her skill, producing trees with stronger trunks, fruits with potent poisons, and gorgeous flowers. Soon, a small forest popped up, a green dot on the vast, brown planet.

Despite this initial success, Mazakyel soon realized her plants would not grow past a certain age. No matter what she did, they would simply stop at no more than a third their modern day heights. The plants would wither and die quickly, their potential unreached. Mazakyel was disappointed by this, wanting her beautiful creations to flourish. The other gods tried to help her with their own abilities, but they either did nothing to affect the plants or outright destroyed them. Mytori and Arjolas' respective ice and fire abilities were the most destructive to the flora, distressing Mazakyel the most, but she couldn't stay upset at them for an outcome they didn't forsee.

When Mytori and Arjolas sacrificed their physical forms for the good of the planet, Mazakyel's plants flourished with the newly created water. However, Mazakyel found it hard to be pleased by this due to the sacrifice needed to make it happen, even when the deceased gods' energies were still present through the seasons. Mytori and Arjolas were like an aunt and uncle to her, so their loss stung deeply. There was also a hint of guilt to her grief, as the two wouldn't have sacrificed themselves if she hadn't had such trouble growing her plants. As she was still young for a goddess, she lacked the maturity to process her emotions, and grief was too new of an emotion for the others to know how to guide themselves through it, let alone her. Despite this, they all tried their best to support one another. Mazakyel in particular kept using water so Mytori and Arjolas' sacrifice wouldn't be in vain.

When Klakelaya arose from the sea, Mazakyel was hopeful that some of Mytori and Arjolas' deep love and passion would still be present within their daughter, perhaps granting the young goddess a new friend. However, it seemed their passion translated to an ironically fiery temper and unyielding stubbornness. Mazakyel could never find ample time to connect with Klakelaya as the latter spend most of her time underwater, a place the former couldn't follow. The new goddess' rebellion was something Mazakyel couldn't relate to nor condone, nor was it reminiscent of the gentle love she received from Mytori and Arjolas. If Klakelaya was the result of Mytori and Arjolas' physical deaths, surely she would act more respectful or caring, but Mazakyel was left disappointed after every interaction. As a result, the first few centuries with Klakelaya were tense.

As Klakelaya grew older and developed her ability to create sea life, Mazakyel thought they would finally have something in common to bond over. Unfortunately, Klakelaya was more interested in gloating over her accomplishments and putting them on a pedestal above Mazakyel's. The sea life she created was undoubtedly more complex and diverse than the plants on land, which Klakelaya attributed to her hard work developing her skill in contrast to Mazakyel simply being born with it. Having worked at her abilities for millennia that Klakelaya had not been around to witness, Mazakyel was horribly insulted. If Klakelaya's very existence as an insult to her deceased parents didn't wound Mazakyel enough, this certainly did.

This animosity was what cemented Klakelaya as an enemy and rival in Mazakyel's mind, prompting the two to quarrel for millennia on end. The other gods would often have to mediate between the two, Go'Shrahd especially, to avoid catastrophe.

### The First Human On Land

Mazakyel enters this myth frantically searching for one of her wood spirits in the forest, only pausing at a fascinating sight. Ro'Gathmu, a small creature resembling a god but not quite a god himself, was carrying the previously lost wood spirit in his arms. As the other wood spirits rushed to reclaim their sister and tend to her broken leg, Mazakyel stayed with this peculiar creature, thanking him profusely for his heroism and asking him many questions about his origins. As it turned out, Klakelaya was in the process of creating an intelligent mortal creature in the gods' image, and Ro'Gathmu was among the first batch that she had perfected. She called this creature "human," and he had previously lived underwater with her before becoming curious about life above water, as was evident by the gills on his neck. Though he struggled a bit at first due to his inexperience breathing air and unfamiliarity with land-dwelling plants, he survived to rescue the wood spirit and meet Mazakyel here today.

Since Ro'Gathmu was without a stable dwelling, Mazakyel let him stay in her grotto for the time being. While he stayed there, the two continued to get to know each other. Mazakyel began to see Ro'Gathmu less as a strange being and more as a fond friend, and this fondness only grew over the course of a few months. His kindness, his determination, his patience... she adored it all, and she could tell he held a similar admiration for her. Eventually, their bond turned into love, and the love turned into something more physical.

It wasn't long until Mazakyel found herself pregnant. When she finally gave birth, she realized her children looked very different from her or Ro'Gathmu. These were the first land animals born from nature, and Ro'Gathmu had helped to father them. Mammals, birds, insects, and various other creatures soon roamed the land. As Mazakyel later realized, their intercourse had also made him immortal, making him the first Aran'akto. These were a lot of changes in both of their lives in such a short time period-- enough to catch the other gods' attention, including Klakelaya.

After a brief talk with Ro'Gathmu, Klakelaya realized how happy he was with his new life. Despite her hatred for Mazakyel, she allowed him to stay on land with her. As a means of thanking him for helping diversify nature, Mazakyel gave Ro'Gathmu the ability to communicate with animals. Together, they would protect nature and its creatures for millennia to come.

### Creation of Humanity

Unfortunately for Mazakyel, Ro'Gathmu was the only human living under her protection. Klakelaya's arrogant attitude made her wish that was not the case. Instead of accepting praise for her work graciously, Klakelaya bragged endlessly about her creation. She went as far as to claim Mazakyel's land was dirty and unfit for her humans to thrive on, and thus Mazakyel deserved no involvement. The only reason she let Ro'Gathmu stay on land was because he personally wanted to live there, and Mazakyel should've been grateful that Klakelaya even granted her that small favor.

But Mazakyel could never feel grateful toward such an arrogant woman who insulted others' work so casually. She soon developed the belief that Klakelaya didn't deserve to keep humanity if she only created them to rub in others' faces. This was not actually the case for Klakelaya, but Mazakyel did not see how she interacted with the humans underwater and therefore had nothing else to go on. She thus plotted to bring humanity into the custody of someone who would care for them as they deserved-- hers.

Of course, Mazakyel's reasons didn't lie entirely in wanting to punish Klakelaya. Humans fascinated her as beings with the sapience and values of gods without the world-altering abilities. Ro'Gathmu displayed humility as he admitted his lack of power compared to the gods, but he was still determined to bring good to the world with what little influence he had. Mazakyel admired these qualities and hoped to find even more such company among the rest of humanity. However, as she and her woods spirits were prohibited from entering Klakelaya's domain outside of emergencies-- and Klakelaya and her coral spirits holding the same ban due to their conflicts-- Mazakyel couldn't meet any more humans unless they wandered up the same way her husband did, which she couldn't reliably wait for.

One day, she discovered one of her wood spirits, spawned from the meranti tree, moping on the coastline. She learned that he had a coral spirit lover back when the two were allowed in each others' domains, and he lamented not being able to meet with her again. In that instant, Mazakyel had an idea. She borrowed one of Ro'Gathmu's fishing rods and gave it to the wood spirit. She lied and told him the rules didn't apply to spirits anymore, and he must fish his lover out of the water. He excitedly cast his line. After several failed attempts that resulted in other coral spirits being washed up on the shore-- and many humans, to Mazakyel's delight-- he finally caught his lover on his hook. The two happily reunited, the wood spirit wanted to thank Mazakyel. He then fished up the rest of humanity at her request.

(...)

Though Klakelaya's mess was a lot harder to clean up on her end, Mazakyel had many issues of her own to resolve. She apologized to Ro'Gathmu for using his fishing rod for theft and offered to clean it for him. She then apologized to the wood spirit for manipulating him into stealing humanity. To make up for this, she agreed with Klakelaya through a set of spirit ambassadors that the spirit and his lover are exempt from the territory rule. As an extra sign of remorse, she made his tree, the meranti tree, the tallest species on the island. She personally stood up all the topped trees and returned the floodwater to the ocean herself. Humanity was stuck here at the whim of the gods, after all; they deserved to have a nice home.

TBC

### Why We Give Offerings

Mazakyel is the Aran'khutu at the center of this myth, as the main character is the daughter of a hunter and gatherer who knows the importance of the forest. As her power was weakened by millennia of constant use, she was worn down to the size of a human. The girl found her lying alone in her temple, very close to hibernation. The only thing the girl could think to do was offer her only loaf of sweetbread to Mazakyel. This replenished Mazakyel's energy enough to restore a degree of order to the forest, for which she was immensely grateful, but she still needed more to regain her full power. Thanking the girl, she urged her to find more people to give offerings in the same manner.

TBC

## Worship

As Mazakyel produced every source of land food, she was one of the most widely worshipped Aran'khutu amongst Kentotrans. Farmers prayed to her to ensure their harvests would be bountiful and strong, and hunters prayed to her and Ro'Gathmu for successful hunts. Families who were more spiritual prayed to her before meals, thanking her for granting them food. Many of her offerings were either from nature or created with natural materials, but she also received a surplus of sweetbread due to its significance as her first offering.

Despite this widespread reverence, more devout followers of her and Klakelaya often argue whether or not she had the right to own humanity despite not creating it. Arguments in Mazakyel's favor acknowledged Klakelaya's hotheadedness and violent temper, including the latter's willingness to endanger her own creation in the name of revenge, and Mazakyel's prophets claimed humanity was in safer hands with Mazakyel. However, the majority of the population saw the fault on both sides and did not engage.

## Trivia

* Why We Give Offerings gave Mazakyel a reputation for coveting sweetbread, many believing it to be her favorite mortal food.
* She was said to have called Ro'Gathmu "Rocky," a nickname he only let her use.