byth'Annen (bʲɪθ⁓bɨθ ɑːnːɛn)
The Questioner
Although in contemporary Raachern she is called Wharrtaxxé /wʰɑʁtæksːĕ/, the Goddess of Time is more formally known by the ancient name byth'Annen. From that name the contemporary Ptarshakkian & Yssian—Annen /ɑnːɛn/—and Jèredethi—Annenn /ɑnːɛnː/—are derived. The Qh'Raa name seems to have originated by way of a reverence for the divine name becoming taboo. Byth'Annen is the Goddess of Ultimate Creation, Time, Destiny, Endings and Beginning and Endings Once More. She is the Prime Mover. One of her epithets is, "the Grand" or "the First Questioner" because it was the question that gave rise to byth'Annen from the ur-Void and from that she self-generated, in the ages before time. It has been said by the rarified scholars and theologians who know of the Old Ways from the Ages Before, that the entirety of the Macroverse and all creations (yes, "creations," plural) is a mere attempt to answer one question: What Does It Mean To Exist? The goddess exists and creates and sustains all that the question might be answered. A cultist of Annen is called an Anneist /ɑnːɑiɪst/ (or Anneyi /ɑnːɑji/ in Qhélssénnish-descended langauges alternatively can also be called Wharrist /wʰɑʁɪst/ (or Wharreyi /wʰɑʁɛji/).
Divine Domains
The domains of byth'Annen/Wharrtaxxé extend to time—in the broadest sense: past, present, future; deep time; the ancient, primal—generation, creation; knowledge, truth and by extension scholars, history; seasonal change; birth, growth, degeneration, decay and death; and finally, the peace and tranquility stemming from acceptance.
Artifacts
Byth'Annen has few artefacts, because in a real sense, all of creation is her artefact/all of the components of creation are her artefacts. However, one notable artefact exists, for a time, is borne by her faithful, is destroyed, only to be found anew in an endless cycle. This artefact is called byth'Annen zdu, or the Cudgel of Deep Time. The Cudgel usually appears as an ancient fire & time-hardened shillelagh that strikes with the divine essence of time, accelerating their degeneration. Any wooden cudgel or stave or truncheon invested with the divine becomes the new Cudgel of Deep Time/byth'Annen zdu. The current bearer of the Cudgel is Oroyonn Jèrdeth, Hierophant of Annen in Port Hren, Hœm.
Holidays
The Anneists are not a merry-making lot, however, specific astral events—conjunctions/occultations of moons, seasonal stellar patterns—seasonal change (lengthing/shortening of days), can be marked as holy days. Births and deaths around can be marked with solemnity and silent prayer. However, like byth'Annen herself, there is an aloof, distant, and detached quality to the Anneists, if they celebrate anything, it is an internal rite.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
In her mythos, byth'Annen is said to have self-generated from the Ur-Void (cf. Ur-Void: the Uncarved Block) with the spontaneous goal of understanding the Question: What Does It Mean To Exist? All that emerged, was created, was born, prospered, withered, and died, all that was, is, and will be, are mere extensions of a meta-cosmic experiment to seek the answer to byth'Annen's question.
Divine Classification
Primal Cosmic High God
Religions
Alignment
Neutral
Species
Church/Cult
Age
Eternal
Children
Sex
female
Gender
woman
Presentation
Rarely presents as more than an abstraction, albeit with a voice of woman.
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