Myths of Aquora

Annette MoodyBlake ShafferAnd Samantha Lindemann

Group 3: Water World

We, the Aquora are the only civilized organisms on the planet Akelu (whom is the embodiment of our Father God.)The stories of the gods and goddesses are told to all Aquora as children and often they are referenced in every day life.

Pantheon

Akelu- The father deity. In the creation myth he is the male deity floating in space alongside the female deity, their relationship creates life and causes change in the world.

Ykini- The mother deity. The opposite role of Akelu in the creation myth, the mother deity experiences many different kinds of consciousness and embodies life and change, it is her who brings these elements to the world.

First contact of Akelu and Ykini

Zorielle- Zorielle became a bright light upon the impact of Akelu and Ykini. She sprang out between them almost as if the collision was as flint and steel. She shines happily and seems to chase Chandisnor across the sky, trying to get him to play with her.

Chandisnor- Chandisnor was nothing but a solemn rock floating outside of the water world, minding his own business. When Zorielle was created from the collision of(the two worlds/gods) she shone so brightly that Chandisnor awoke out of sheer annoyance.

Zorielle

Chandisnor

Miforia- Miforia was nothing more than a slight consciousness in the deepest part of Ykini. So deep in the watery abyss was she that she could see or hear nothing. Miforia could only think, at first only one thought, hunger. When the two worlds (Akelu and Ykini) collided Miforia was split in half, one half being pulled up with part of the trench she dwelled in, the other stuck in the aforementioned trench. Part of the trench was pulled out of the water and formed a volcano.

Miforia

Majere- God of Western currents, twin brother to Hinatuan. He was born from a whirlpool created during the flooding. He is married to a water witch and father to Amoria. Majere controls the warming of water climate around the currents, as well as offering godly help to travelers going West. His is Identical to Hinatuan except he has green eyes that match the algae growing in his warm waters.

Hinatuan- God of the Eastern currents. Twin brother of Majere. He was born from a whirl pool created during the flooding. Hinatuan controls the cooling of water climate around the current, as well as offering godly help to travelers going East. He is identical to Majere except he has icy blue eyes that match his cold waters.

Majere

Hinatuan

Amoria- Goddess of love. Daughter of Majere. She was born when Majere concentrated all his feelings of love for the water witch into the form of Amoria as a symbol of his love for her. Her symbol is the butterfly, like the feeling of first love. She assists mortals in love and marriage, as well as lust.

Riven- A once-mortal goddess. She went through trials to prove herself and become the only mortal to ascend to the pantheon through deeds and be considered a god. As a goddess she assists with courage and willpower, as well as strength and sacrifice.

Amoria

Riven

MythsCreationIn the beginning there was a great nothingness, vast and empty with no characteristics to speak of. From this emptiness came two entities completely different from one another, we would call them the mother and father of our universe. Akelu, the father, floats through space lifelessly, never moving or changing, an observer might compare him to a barren planet composed of rocky mountains and deep canyons. Ykini, the mother, was similar in size to Akelu, but she was made up of a substance similar to water, she appeared as a huge droplet of water floating through space. The two entities noticed each other, Akelu showed indifference, resigned to float alone for all of eternity, but Ykini was curious, flowing and ever changing, she sought his company.

Ykini followed Akelu for a thousand years, during this time asteroids and comets formed from the debris that fell from the two. Eventually Akelu was caught, and the sudden impact of the two planet sized deities caused the formation of Zorielle, the Sun. The mother and father were caught in her gravitational pull, so it became their fate to orbit Zorielle for the rest of time. But the impact created more than just our Sun, it brought significance to Akelu’s life where once it had been unfulfilling. The collision with Ykini left water on his surface; plants, animals, and even humans started to appear on the world. Akelu’s heart had started beating again, with a fiery passion for Ykini. He enjoyed making love to her and being the protector of their children, as all living beings lived on him. Their relationship was unique, every hundred years or so they would line up with Zorielle to create a beautiful eclipse, where the sun shines through Ykini and brings strength to the inhabitants of the world, to prepare them for the great change that is to come afterwards.

Creation continued

Flood MythIt is known, that the first contact of Akelu and Ykini brought life to our world. Without their love for each other there would be no life, no Aquora. The first time these beings showed their love for each other was so magnificent, Ykini left some of herself behind in her excitement. This formed the rivers and lakes for life to form on Akelu. Man was among the first species to inhabit the world, along with trees, fish and rabbits. Obviously, men and women were the most curious, quickly moving across the planet to see the wonders it held. During these early times, women were rare. Females were seen as gift and were only born to deserving families. Which was only possible during the time of The Great Eclipse, in the months before and after. For hundreds of years there were great floods, bringing more change and growth to Aquora.

Every new century brought with it an Aquoral Eclipse, during this time the great light of Zorielle shone through Ykini to bring her love and strength to all the beings of the world. A chosen few among each species was given the strength to survive the coming floods. For three months after the eclipse cycle ended, Akelu and Ykini came together to bond and bring about more creation, sometimes at the cost of destroying earlier creations. This continued for thousands of years, our ancestors once roamed the land above and hunted with bows on the backs of wild animals. We eventually had to evolve to live in the ocean because the mother and father have found this to be necessary for our survival. There were still some who dwelled on land, few in number, but very wise and strong to have survived any of the great floods. Time came for the next Aquoral Eclpise, which would cover the remaining land. Everything that breathed oxygen would parish and the dead would litter our world.

Flood continued

Hero Myth

Riven was the daughter of Saka and Nala, a couple whom were wise and powerful. They were blessed by Ykini and Riven was Ykini’s gift to them. Ykini advised them to raise Riven to be a perfect balance of their selves. Thus, Riven was strong and intelligent, like her father Saka. She was also wise and caring to all animals, like her mother Nala. At this time many Aquoral Eclipses had taken place and the world was almost entirely water, few islands remained. Monsters reigned in the depths, and the only safe place to build a new civilization was near the surface, where it was easiest to be aware of your surroundings. Riven’s father was defeated by two suck monsters, the most horrific ones seen. During meditation after her father’s death, Riven saw her father as a spirit. Saka told his daughter that she must find a way to speak with Ykini, to get her to stop flooding their world. Riven was determined to fulfill her father’s last request.

Riven meditated for a long time, sending a projection of her spirit out to Ykini. At first she was overcome with a desire to drift towards Zorielle and let the light of the Sun consume her. Just as her astral body was about to drift into the surface of Zorielle, Riven took control of herself and pushed off in the opposite direction. Riven spent months drifting through space, having never navigated as a spirit before. When she was finally confident she set her sights on the original goal, Ykini. Riven was inside the body of Ykini before she realized it, and then she was greeted. However when a voice spoke, it was not Ykini. Riven could tell, the person she was hearing was no mother, it was the voice of death. Miforia came to meet Riven where she sat suspended in the liquid. As always, she was hungry, ready to devour this soul if she was lucky enough. However, when Miforia came upon Riven she was immediately distraught, because she knew it was not the soul of a dead person, but only a projection of a living one. So the goddess of death thought to herself; I am cunning and immortal, I can trick this little girl into staying with me. She will provide entertainment until her body dies and then I will have another delicious soul to eat.

Hero continued

So Miforia took the form of Riven’s father, Saka, the sight of which made Riven forget her duty. Riven spent weeks with this copy of her father, until she finally remembered her goal. When she tried to leave Miforia tried to keep her, bribing her with power. Riven refused and grabbed Miforia around the neck to drag her to the rim of her own volcano, the source of Miforias devoured souls. Riven held Miforia from the top of the volcano, threatening to throw her in to be devoured by herself, but Miforia begged forgiveness and swore to lead her to Ykini. So Riven let her go and made to follow her. When the unlikely duo came to find Ykini the goddess was asleep, awaiting the next Aquoral Eclipse so that she may bring more life into the world. Riven had to pressure Ykini for seven days before she finally awoke. Riven pleaded with Ykini to put her love for Akelu on hold, she begged her to find another mate or practice abstinence so that her world may survive.

Hero continued

Riven explained that each time Akelu and Ykini made love, the world Riven’s people lived on was slowly being drowned. Ykini was saddened by this but with Riven’s help, Ykini was able to have a different kind of relationship with Akelu. From then on they drifted together in harmony, preserving life in the Universe.

When Riven finally returned to her body, her mother had died of old age. Having lost both her parents, Riven was deeply saddened and felt alone. She went back into her meditative state and let the sea floor consume her. Because of her great deeds, she did not even have to stand trial by Miforia, she was granted the stature of the Gods and to this day watches over her people, now as a goddess. Riven encountering Miforia

Hero continued

Myth of Two BrothersMajere’s wife, the water witch, began to tire of him. When the water witch looked into Majere’s eyes she saw his devotion and warmness, however in his brother’s eyes was icy coldness. The water witch began to lust after Hinatuan. She traveled the currents east knowing he would have to offer her assistance. When he appeared to the water witch, she spoke of her desire for him and he sent her away, neither returning her lust or wanting to anger his twin. When the water witch returned to her husband she told him that Hinatuan had made advances on her and wanted her for himself. She advised Majere to ask Amoria if there was lust between Hinatuan and the water witch. Amoria told the truth, their was lust in between them. Majere went to confront and punish his twin causing a water cyclone between the currents. Hinatuan denied the advances and told Majere from the other side of the cyclone to ask Amoria if it is Hinatuan or the water witch with lust in their heart. Grudgingly, Majere asked Amoria and she replied it was the water witch. Heartbroken, angry, and deceived Majere cast the water witch into the underworld to be devoured by Miforia.

The water witch

Myth of LoversOnce there were two merchants. One who traveled west and one who traveled east. The one who went west traveled with his daughter, Gemma. The merchant who went east traveled with his son, Tanis. One day the merchants and their children passed one another while traveling the currents. Gemma and Tanis saw each other only for a moment but they fell in love instantly. The two lovers begged their fathers to let them travel in the other directions but both men said no. Both prayed to the Goddess of Love, Amoria, to help them find a way to be together. Amoria took pity on the young lovers for she saw in their hearts true love and not just lust. However, Gemma was always going west and Tanis east. Amoria knew that in any form the lovers would still love one another, so she turned them into sea weed. Gemma was a weed in the current going west and Tanis in the one going east, but their roots tangled and danced together underneath the sandy ground. Even though the young lovers were still going in different directions they held on to one another never letting go.

Gemma and Tanis

Afterlife and the Underworld

Miforia, always hungering and always yearning to be whole again, continuously draws the souls of the dead to her. Upon death, the spirit of the deceased travels through the gap between Akelu and Ykini. In the deepest parts of Ykini the soul travels to the lair of Miforia. Depending on how the goddess of death feels she will either keep them to entertain her for a time or they immediately get drawn up to her other half due to her constant reaching. The deeds and thoughts the soul had during life determines what happens next. Either the soul falls into the volcano where Miforia devours them, or they are expelled from the volcano as a puff of smoke.

If the soul is expelled from the volcano they fall like rain on the only island on Ykini, Paradise.

Dying/Resurrected Deity MythThere was a time that Amoria, goddess of love, was stuck in the underworld with Miforia. Amoria is beloved by all and indeed loves all others as well. She once wondered about the goddess of death, Miforia. Miforia is alone within Ykini. However her being is so unlike that of the Mother Goddess that the two, while intimately aware of each other, cannot communicate. Amoria could not bear this thought. The goddess of love traveled from Paradise to the depths of Ykini, to Miforia’s lair. There she found Miforia who, predictably, lurked in the darkness alone with her hunger. Miforia enjoyed Amoria’s company so much that she refused to allow the goddess of love to leave. The prolonged absence of his daughter made Majere so depressed he ceased to move. This caused an area of water to become stagnant. Hinatuan went to Riven, the most courageous of all gods, and requested she retrieve Amoria. Riven, whom had once encountered Miforia herself, went straight to the death goddess and demanded she release the love goddess. Amoria halted the conflict with a smile. She promised Miforia she would visit once every decade, since then Miforia requires less souls than she did.

By Annette Moody, Blake Shaffer, and Samantha Lindemann