Ancient Ankhosian Religion

Ankhosian Religion, refers to a system of worship practiced in the Ankhosian Empire. Originating as a Red God-centric monoaltristic religion, it developed into a state-centric, monotheistic religion by 1300 BGE, known as 'Red God Worship' or Divine Law. It focused on the worship of the Ankhosian 'Sha'Mak', a version of the Red God Paramac who incorporates many features of the Yellow, Blue and Green Gods of the Modern Pantheon. Whilst the Purple, Black and Blue gods featured as part of a wider pantheon in the original religious system, the state-driven system of Red God Worship diminished and eventually eradicated these 'secondary' gods from the belief system in the central areas of the Ankhosian Empire.

## Deities

### The Ankhosian Red God

The Ankhosians viewed their Red God, Sha'Mak, as a god of fire and earth. However, contrary to the Modern Pantheon, their Red God held domain over the 'flames' of the sun as well as the 'earth' of the overground. For this reason, they believed the Red God held ultimate dominion over the mortal plane in all matters of heavenly bodies, sky, sea and earth. All of his attributes were believed to work in tandem to bring life and fertility to the world.

#### Development of Sha'Mak under Red God Worship

Over time the Ankhosian Red God absorbed dominion over the 'transcendent' aspects of the universe once ascribed to other gods, such as: space, time, knowledge, prophecy, thought and inspiration. Under Red God Worship the Red God embodied practically all of the traits of the region's early monoalstristic religion and embodied all aspects of the Many in the Modern Pantheon.

### The Purple God

The most notable god featuring in the Ankhosian Religion beside the Red God was the Purple God, who embodied the 'positive' transcendent elements of the universe beyond the Red God's physical domain. These included the 'boundless universe', 'time' and 'that beyond understanding'. The Purple God is also believed to have been the god of prophecy for some period early in the development of Ankhosian religion, though the Red God later took on this role before the advent of monotheism in the region. Whilst worship of the Purple God persisted for some time after the establishment of Anhkosian Red God worship, the Red God eventually took on all the roles of this god.

### The Blue God

Originally, the Red God embodied only physical traits of the mortal plane. For this reason, the Blue Goddess held a role similar to her position in the Modern Pantheon as a keeper of knowledge, as well as presiding other 'thought', '(non-prophetic) dreams' and '(non-divine) inspiration'. However, following wars with Argaiv and a long-term shift towards monotheism the Blue God's role was eventually subsumed into Sha'Mak.

### The Black God

The Black God existed in Ankhosian theology as the antithesis to the Purple God, he embodied 'worthless death', 'non-existence/nothingness' and 'entropy', as well as the idea of 'forbidden knowledge'. Similar to the Modern Pantheon, he existed as a threat rather than a figure of worship and was used as a concept of negativity; he was a model of what to avoid and what not to be. The use of the Black God in this way was completely eclipsed with the advent of the more 'positive' experience of Ankhosian Red God worship, even in many outlying regions of the empire.

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## The Red Lord

The 'Red Lord' ("Sha'Shahaad") is a central character of reverence in Red God Worship. According to Ankhosian writings, the Red Lord is said to have been an avatar-champion of Sha'Mak, sent with divine powers in the form of a 'Red Eye', with which he defeated Ankhos's enemies, before becoming king and proliferating worship of the Red God.

Among Ankhosian scholars, the existence of the Red Lord, in various forms, is heavily debated. However, he is widely accepted to have, at the very least, been an important king who rapidly hastened the advent of Monotheism and Red God Worship in Ankhos and, by extension, the wider empire. He is also believed by many scholars to have been an excellent general who defeated at least one foreign invasion by the Argaivan empire, possibly leading to his ascension to king-hood.

### Mythological Origin:

Around 1400 BGE, Argaiv co-ordinated an invasion with the 'Bajar' (either a people, nation or word for 'barbarian') from the region south of Ankh in order to defeat and absorb the Ankhosian Empire. A force outnumbering that of Ankh 'ten to one' is said to have 'gathered on water and land' and the city's defences were at the point of collapse when a 'strange man with umber skin and burning eyes' appeared. This man is said to have asked for the people's trust and promised to protect them, in return for allowing him to guide them in the future.

The man is then said to have stood before the amassed armies and comanded them to turn away. When they laughed in response he held forth his 'potency' (believed to refer to his godly power) at which 'the ground trembled and fire churned and the armies were no more'.

### Life:

Many scholars believe that the 'Red Lord' was merely a highly skilled general, capable of pulling victory from a seemingly unwinnable position and that his request to 'guide' the Ankhari was merely an opportunistic request to a government facing obliteration. However, regardless of the reason the man subsequently became king and established the monotheistic system of Red God Worship. The king is only referred to as the 'Red Lord' in official scriptures and as such it is unknown if he held any other name in his lifetime or was consistently known by such a title even during his reign.

### After Death:

The Red Lord's death is officially dated as 1325 BGE and was followed by a period of extended mourning. Following his death, subsequent kings and governments solidified and enhanced the religion that he established, with citizens of Ankhos being indoctrinated into increasingly strict, ritualistic and prevalent forms of Red God Worship. By 1300-1250BGE Red God Worship permeated every aspect of Ankhosian society and the Red Lord was revered as their religious founder and an aspect of the Red God himself.

## Ankhosian Religion in Ankh

Ankhosian Religion in the capital of Ankhos and surrounding area developed from a monolatristic religion into a strictly monotheistic system by 1300. This process was rapidly accelerated by the 'Red Lord'.

## Ankhosian Religion in the wider empire

In contrast to the strict monotheism of the capital and surrounding regions, worship in outlying regions was more monolastristic, up until the end of the Ankhosian Empire. The Ankhosian Red God was the primary deity of worship but other gods, in particular the Black, Blue and Purple Gods, were also widely recognised.

## Religious Structures

### Step Pyramids

A number of notable structures including the Great Ziggurat, Temple of the Red Lord and the Golden Palace are step pyramids or have similar features in their design.

### Obelisks

Considered by many as a structure unique to the Ancient Ankhari, obelisks were tall, solid (usually stone) structures that are believed to have severed a purpose as religious structures. It is believed by some scholars that they may also hold a commemorative purpose and others believe this may have been their original or primary intended purpose.

## Iconography

There are a number of recurring religious symbols that can be found in Ankhos and the wider empire, usually featuring as mosaics, wall paintings, reliefs or compositions in religious buildings.

### Heavenly Scepter

A common motif associated with the Red Lord, the Heavenly Scepter features a long, golden scepter with a red jewel at its tip held in place by two golden prongs. Often found as a standalone motif, it can also be found eminating Heavenly Fire.

### Heavenly Fire/Heavenly Rays

Usually found in tandem with a Heavenly Sun of Heavenly Scepter, Heavenly Fire iconography consists of a number of rays, usually depicted in gold, emanating from a central source. They will often emanate outwards as a semi-circle, rather than a full circle.

### Heavenly Sun

Usually depicted a simple red circle or square, the red sun is a simple, but much revered, representation of Sha'Mak. More common as a standalone feature in earlier iconography, as the religious artwork of the Aknhari became more advanced it was instead featured alongside or as part of larger works. The red jewel in the Heavenly Scepter is an example of the adaptation of the Heavenly Sun into another symbol.

1. ↑ The Red Lord, Chapter 2. Translated by Matthias Addlestick