Kovus

A portrait of Kovus

Kovus is a deity belonging to the Imperial Pantheon. He is known as both the God of Time and the Father of the Gods, meaning that he (alongside Astrios, the Goddess of Space) created all the other gods within the Imperial Pantheon. Kovus is often portrayed as a cold and negligent being, unable to understand neither the emotions of his children nor the plight of the mortals that worship them.

Kovus is considered one of the two divine fundamentals - alongside space. This means that, for good or for ill, Kovus will have an influence on all actions, both divine and mortal. Regardless of his influence, however, it is said that Kovus is mostly disliked by his kin. They see him as aloof and uncaring, likely a result of Kovus' vast presence and omniscience across all of time. Mortals, also, see Kovus in a less-than-desirable light, for they believe that to pursue Kovus' favour is to invite only burning madness.

## **Symbology**

Kovus, being the God of Time, is most commonly associated with time-keeping devices such as clocks and hourglasses. From within his divine realm, Kovus can look through these devices like mirrors in order to see different points in time. His main symbol, however, is that of the wheel of history - a dial-like device that is said to show all of history simultaneously.

### **Personality**

Kovus is almost always portrayed as a cold and distant figure, a being that sits beyond even the other gods' reach. Being able to see all of history at once, he does not meddle in the petty affairs of mortals. Why would he, when the result is already predetermined by time. That being said, he likely finds some amusement in those that attempt to defy their fate, and even more in the few that actually succeed.

Traditionally, Kovus is depicted as having a difficult relationship with his children. He unable to comprehend the emotions and thoughts of his kin and so, consequently, the other gods see their father as a harsh and distant figure.

### **Kovus' Realm, the Divine Realm of Time**

   Whereas most gods' realms have their own distinct names, Kovus' realm has none. It is simply called the Divine Realm of Time - it's most basic and standard designation. Interestingly, though, this basic name is almost certainly a result of how incomprehensibly complex Kovus' realm actually is. His domain is an abstract mess of clocks, other time-keeping devices, and an ethereal miasma through which all time flows. At it's centre stands Kovus himself, forever watching all of history take place - again and again and again, endlessly.

The lack of knowledge of Kovus' realm comes from it's effect on mortals. Whereas the most devout followers of the other Imperial gods can, at least in theory, briefly visit the realm of their deity, Kovus' realm is seemingly completely beyond mortal minds. To visit it, if only for an instant, is view something that no mortal was meant to see. Madness almost always follows.

## **Cult and Worship**

The Cult of Kovus does not officially exist. But there is undeniably a small sect of worshippers that dedicate their lives (however short they might be) to the God of Time. These people play an incredibly dangerous game of high-risk high-reward. To earn Kovus' favour is to earn visions of the future more accurate than anything a diviner wizard can create. However, it also invites the risk of incurable madness from viewing knowledge beyond what mortal minds can handle. As a result, it is likely that a large chunk of Kovus' cult are crazed men and women unable to handle what the favour of their god gives them.

Due to the risks that come with worshipping Kovus, he is not a popular god within the Imperial Pantheon. No churches dedicated to him exist, at least ones supported by the Imperial government. Instead, the Cult of Kovus builds their own private shrines for their god. These constructions are often just as abstract and bizarre as Kovus' divine realm itself - or at least as close as a mortal can get to such an unfathomable place. Typical ceremonies are usually not dissimilar from the rituals performed by diviner wizards, though the ones conducted by the Cult of Kovus are often more eccentric and elaborate - and considerably more dangerous.

## **Trivia**

* Kovus has 3 main inspirations: Chronos (the Greek personification of time), Cronus (the leader of the Titans and father of Zeus), and Doctor Manhattan (a character from DC Comics). Chronos inspired the general God of Time concept, Cronus inspired his 'iffy' familial relationship and Doctor Manhattan inspired his aloof and distant personality.