Olakoye

**Olakoye** is the Aran'khutu of the sky and weather. She is the wife of Kotamotu and the mother of Go'Shrahd and Mazakyel. As one of the primordial gods, her wisdom is sought by gods and mortals alike.

## Duties

As the creator of the sky, Olakoye holds domain over everything that exists within it. She changes the weather, utilizing water provided by the water goddess Klakelaya. She purifies every drop to bring clean rain and snow to humanity, and she forms great clouds to alert them of changes. Water is not needed for every weather change, however, as she can move air to bring winds and form plasma for crackling lightning. She is also the sole creator and governor of the stars. Though Zeala rearranged them to form constellations in later myths, the act was only done with Olakoye's permission and supervision.

## Myths

### Creation of Kentotra

Olakoye was the third god to ever come into existence, appearing alongside Kotamotu in the near empty void. The two panicked at first at their sudden consciousness, but they were calmed by Mytori and Arjolas, two other gods who had appeared millennia before them. The four became fast friends, marveling at each others' divine abilities. But no feeling was greater in the four young gods than one singular drive: to create.

Olakoye's role in the creation was to form a protective atmosphere to shield Kotamotu's earthen sphere from any other spawn of the void. She crafted this atmosphere in hues of blue, two halves of light and dark with a myriad of colors in between as transitions. She decorated both halves with floating clouds, but the darker half was additionally adorned with gleaming stars. She watched in admiration as Kotamotu carved his sphere, amazed by his strength and resilience in creating such a strong foundation. As the planet was completed to the best of their ability, the two gods fell in love with it as well as each other. Together, they named their new world "Kentotra."

As Olakoye and Kotamotu rested from creating, they soon discovered their ability to bear children. First came their son Go'Shrahd. Olakoye was startled to find that Go'Shrahd could rotate her atmosphere, but his inexperience led to him spinning it alarmingly fast. Olakoye raced to stop him before her clouds and stars were flung from their places in the sky. As her son aged, Olakoye helped him control his power, allowing time to move at a reasonable pace. Go'Shrahd came to adopt his mother's serious but gentle demeanor through this close mentorship.

Next came Mazakyel, Olakoye and Kotamotu's daughter and second child. Mazakyel proved to be as determined and resilient as her father, which her mother was proud to see. Olakoye supported her as she covered her father's ground in plants, but was of no help when they struggled to grow. When Mytori and Arjolas sacrificed themselves to resolve this problem, Olakoye sobbed over the loss of her friends. She and Kotamotu helped each other and their children through the grief. As Mytori and Arjolas' daughter Klakelaya rose from the newly formed ocean, and her old friends' divine energy floated by to create the seasons, Olakoye's heart soared. Her friends weren't gone, after all.

Unfortunately, her heart came crashing back down as Klakelaya displayed her quick-tempered, rebellious side. Olakoye tried to reason with the young goddess, but there was no swaying such a stubborn girl. Olakoye was at a loss of what to do; her own two children didn't pose such a challenge, so how should she help this child who didn't even want to be raised? Her relationship with Klakelaya was significantly more transactional than that with her children, the two mainly interacting for the sake of creating rain for the plants. Despite her sadness that she could not be closer to the young goddess, she was confident the latter could look after herself when it really mattered.

Overall, the Kentotran creation myth characterizes Olakoye as a passionate creator as well as a caring friend, wife, and mother. Unlike many godly mothers in other mythologies, she is not merely said to have raised her children in the background. She instead gets descriptions of how she raised her children placing more value upon their relationships. As the first mother said to exist in Kentotran history, her first steps into parenthood involve her learning her way around different personalities of children. This depiction of the gods as flawed but ultimately well-meaning individuals is not unique to Kentotra, but is noteworthy in how it uses worshipped beings to teach lessons and otherwise be relatable to mortals on some level.

### Creation of Humanity

Olakoye's presence in this myth is mostly relegated to the background. She joins the other gods in breaking up Klakelaya and Mazakyel's fights, she marvels at the newly created humans, and she meets with all the gods to settle on the true ownership of these humans. It would appear as if she does not hold a major role in this myth. However, there are a few notable moments that keep her from becoming a background character of sorts.

After Klakelaya realizes her mistakes and weeps in the middle of the destruction, Olakoye comes down to her from the sky. She embraces the younger goddess, comforting her in her time of intense regret and sorrow. Once she knows Klakelaya is sufficiently calmed, she unleashes a torrent of scolding that could have been heard for miles around. She then goes to check on Go'Shrahd and nurse him in his unimaginable pain. Once that is done with, she summons Mazakyel over and expresses her disappointment over her daughter's pettiness. Though everyone already had it in mind, Olakoye is the one to call the meeting to settle the constant conflict once and for all.

For one thing, it is apparent that Olakoye has learned how to "parent" Klakelaya even though she is now an adult: strictly, but sensitively. She has also learned the value of keeping eyes on both of one's children (something my own parents had to learn with three energetic boys) and to not have a bias for one or the other. She demonstrates not only the existence of parenting as a learnable skill, but an important one to grasp for the good of a society's future.

Moreover, it is possible that this myth solidified the common view of Olakoye as a de facto leader for the Aran'khutu. She takes charge of all the younger goddesses, attending to their needs and holding them accountable for their actions. She takes action to discuss what needs to be done to prevent future incidents. She can be gentle or strict depending on the needs of the group, and she handles the transition between either with a tact that the other gods lack. Though she was never confirmed a leader of anything or anyone, the "queen" epithet would stick with her for a while.

### The Queen and Thom'kota

Olakoye appears when the arrogant king (name) demands Aran'uvum from her to become immortal. Having watched this king from afar for many years, she disapproved of his attitude and even despised him. However, she decided to give him the simplest "worthiness" test she could think of to determine if he had any humility left in his heart. She brought out a sword as a part of the test, but she barely got to explain the test before the king snatched the sword away and aimed it at her. He threatened to draw the divine wine out of her himself, implying he would stab her without hesitation if she refused to grant him immortality. Enraged by this threat and fed up with this morally degraded man, she brought a bolt of lightning down onto the temple. The king died immediately, his body singed beyond recognition.

Olakoye stopped to breathe and calm herself. One of these deep breaths brought a whiff of smoke into her nose. Concerned, Olakoye stepped out to realize the lightning bolt had set the entire forest around her temple on fire. She froze in horror as she saw the fire had already raged its way down the mountain to the capital city in which the king resided, burning much of it down and endangering many innocent people. In a rush to rectify her mistake, Olakoye threw a windy rainstorm down the mountain to put the fire out. By the time the last flame finally died, more than half of the city was ruined, and many innocent mortals were dead.

Olakoye was distraught, horrified at herself for causing this tragedy with her own lost temper. She fled down to Kotamotu's underground forge. It took hours, but Kotamotu managed to console her. As he finished doing so, he realized a mortal was making off with his pickaxe. Olakoye stopped him from reacting in anger as she had, and she recognized the mortal as the queen of the destroyed city. After the queen explains why she needs the pickaxe, Olakoye helps her carry it out of the forge.

Once the queen returned home with her new lover, Olakoye gave them her blessing for marriage, the new king being much more virtuous than the previous. She granted the city clear skies as they rebuilt their city, supporting the royal couple in all their endeavors.

This myth showcases a new side to Olakoye, particularly the limits to her patience and how she reacts to reaching them. The deadliest extent to the gods' flaws is displayed.

## Worship

As Olakoye's patron city was the capital city of Kentotra, she was regarded as an unofficial leader, or queen, of the pantheon.