Go'Shrahd

**Go'Shrahd** is the Aran'khutu god of Time, Life, and Death. He was the son of Olakoye and Kotamotu, the elder brother of Mazakyel, and the father of To'hkadma and Mo'thagrah. He often acts as a voice of reason between the gods, but even he has his conflicts to resolve within himself.

## Myths

### Creation of Kentotra

Go'Shrahd was born to Olakoye and Kotamotu after the latter two created Kentotra. As he aged, he discovered he had the power to move his mother's sky, creating the passage of time. As he was still young, his mother helped him control his power so time did not pass too quickly or slowly. By the time his younger sister, Mazakyel, was born, he'd all but gained complete control over his abilities. Thus, Mazakyel was the first god born with a definite date and time of birth; Go'Shrahd's actual age is unknown, as are those of Olakoye, Kotamotu, Arjolas, and Mytori.

### Creation of Life

He is notably absent for most of the myth and only appears at the end of the accounts I have been able to uncover as a sort of *deus ex machina* wherein he intervenes in the quarrel between his sister Mazakyel and Klakelaya. The latter in a jealous rage tore out his eyes and threw them far into the sky where they became the sun and moon, To'hkadma and Mo'thagrah. Given this discrepancy it is possible that somewhere in history, the origins of the sun and moon were tacked onto the end of a different myth entirely. This might be hinted at by the continuation of the uneasy relationship between Mazakyel and Klakelaya.

Regardless, it is evident that Go'Shrahd resents Klakelaya for a long time after the incident, both for blinding him and for giving him children he did not yet feel ready to raise. Regardless, he does not let that stop him from fathering his new children as best as he can. He and Klakelaya function much like a divorced couple without actually having been "together," so to speak.

### The Reign of Chaos

When the antagonistic human Esthra'ag courted Mo'thagrah, he threw Go'Shrahd out of the realm of gods and onto Kentotra to prevent him from interfering in his plans. With the additional blindfolding of Mo'thagrah's third eye and To'hkadma's birds-eye-view too broad to pinpoint his exact location, Go'Shrahd found himself blind and lost on Kentotra with no way to see where he was going.

The determination to save his daughter fueling him, he stumbled around until he found a middle-aged woman who was willing to lead him to the nearest temple. Much to his dismay, it turned out to be Klakelaya's, but he took the woman's arm anyway. Along the way, he noticed the woman had some internal distress. He soon learned this was due to her mother being deathly ill and the fear of being unable to travel in time to say her final goodbyes. Once they arrived at the temple and Go'Shrahd summoned for Klakelaya to take him back home, he revealed his true self to the astonished woman, promising her a few extra days to visit her mother.

After Mo'thagrah was rescued and Esthra'ag was punished, Go'Shrahd's resentment for Klakelaya started to fade. He realized she'd matured since blinding him all those years ago, reserving her emotional outbursts for the truly wicked. The two were never truly friends, but he came to accept her apologies in time.

## Worship

As Go'Shrahd decided the birth and death dates of every mortal being, Kentotrans often prayed to him for healthy pregnancies, long lives, and painless deaths. He assumed the role of an unofficial fertility god due to this association with birth. His symbol, a black circle that represents the life cycle, was displayed in maternity wards and cemeteries. It was not uncommon to find circles attached to cribs and memorial plaques of particularly devout families. His most common offering was black flowers that also symbolized death, but he also received various fruits as well as trinkets belonging to the deceased.

The Day of Life and Death was the holiday when Go'Shrahd received the most attention. Kentotrans prayed to him the most around this holiday in honor of their newborn and newly deceased loved ones. Copper pendants bore association with him, as Kentotrans would set them out for their deceased loved ones who reached legal adulthood. Babies born within the past year received special ceremonies in which they received his symbol, a black ink circle painted on the forehead.