Agamotto
Agamotto the All-Seeing (a.k.a. Vishanti | Son of the Evening Star | Third of the Three | The World-Killer)
Agamotto was the first Sorceror Supreme , and is commonly cited as the founder of the Masters of the Mystic Arts (although this may be apocryphal).
There is considerable disagreement between sources about almost every aspect of his life, but all agree that although he likely was immortal, he eventually either chose to die, or ascended to godhood and is therefore no longer present on earth.
He is worshipped as a god by the Cult of Vishanti.
Divine Domains
Protection, magic, humanity, marriage
Artifacts
Holy Books & Codes
The Book of Vishanti is primarily a spell book, but also contains a number of sacred myths of his cult
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Little concrete is known about Agamotto. His historicity is not disputed, and most sources agree he was lived at some time in the early 57th Century BCE, in Mesopotamia. Beyond that however, we have only myths. What follows are therefore three of the most popular or influental myths relating to his life, rather than proven historical events.
Birth or Creation
A number of myths about his birth exist, but the most common is that he was not born, but was created as an adult being by the goddess Oshtur (also called Ishtar), although even this story has disputed elements. The oldest version of the tale yet discovered, taken from a cuneiform tablet believed to date from only 200-250 years after his death, says that the goddess witnessed a blind and deaf man who made offerings to the gods to thank them for allowing him touch and taste, and she was so moved by his piety that she weapt, and her tears became a being of pure magic who took the name Agamotto.The religious texts of the magical cult known as the cult of Vishante worshipped Agamotto as a god, and believed that he was created by Oshtur to be a balance to herself and Hoggoth, and ancient magical being (possibly one of the Many-Angled Ones) also worshipped by the cult.
Other origins claim that he was a human priest of Oshtur who attained magic through study or divine favour, or that he was a physical incarnation of either Oshtur or Hoggoth.
Finally there are a fringe group who, citing his common epithet of 'the All-Seeing', claim that he was a Hrimthurs, the ancestors of the modern Asgardians and Giants.
Mastery of Time
Accordingly to a popular story from the life of Agamotto, the king of Nineveh had a daughter who was renowned throughout the land for her beauty and wisdom, and many men asked for her hand, but her father believed none of them to be worthy, and so would set impossible tasks for them which had to be completed by sundown on the same day. When they failed, many of these men were so overcome with sorrow that they died of broken hearts.One day a suitor came to the palace who seemed suitable in every way. He was handsome beyond compare, a proud warrior and brought many costly gifts for the king and princess. Nonetheless, the king set him a challenge: to empty a deep well of water using only a single cup before the sun set.
To everyone's amazement, the young man acomplished the task, but the king could not bear to part with his daughter, and so he set a second task: to harvest every field of grain in the kingdom in a single day. Again the young man accomplished the task, but once again, the king reneged on his word and set a third trial. To weave all the linen in the royal stores - four large barns of unprocessed stems, into finest cloth in a day.
He was sure that even if he did possess some magic, the man would not attempt the task, as weaving was the work of women, but once again the man rose to the challenge.
Realising there was no challenge he could set that the man would not accomplish, the king said that the despite all his victories, the man could not marry the princess as he had surely cheated.
Finally incensed at this ill-treatment, the man revealed his true form: that of a powerful demon. Using the same magical emerald with which he had passed all the tests, he froze time in the palace, trapping the king and all his courtiers and servants in a single frozen moment, and seized the princess, taking her down to hell with him.
The people of the kingdom, seeing what had happened to their king, called on Agamotto to save them.
Agamotto consulted with his mother Oshtur, who told him that the emerald, like all gemstones, desired a setting, but that this setting must contain the power of the gods themselves in order to be strong enough. Accordingly, Agamotto took a golden dagger and put out his own eye. This eye he took into the heart of a volcano, and there, using a hammer made of giant's bones, he forged it into an amulet.
Finally, he descended into the underworld in search of the demon and the lost princess. That night, when the demon was distracted with boasting of his deeds to his fellow demons, he visited the Princess, and explained to her that he could free her, but only if he were to get the emerald.
The princess, being wise and cunning, immediately set about brewing beer for the demon, each cup of which was strong enough to knock out a mortal man for a week. Three gallons of this she brewed, and that night she played the part of the dutiful wife, talked admiringly to the demon, paid him many compliments, and never let his cup run dry.
Eventually, after all three gallons of beer had been drunk, the demon fell into a deep sleep, and the princess unlocked the door of the demon's house for Agamotto, who entered and took the emerald, placing it within the amulet the demon had made.
Immediately the demon awoke, but Agamotto used the power of the emerald to freeze the demon, and taking the princess, returned to earth, where he unfroze the king of his courtiers. Learning what had befallen him due to his breaking his word, and learning of all that Agamotto had done to aid him, the king was contrite, and gave the Princess to Agamotto to be his wife.
The Shattering of Subwhere
The dimension known as Subwhere was home to many species, both benevolent and malevolent, but none where more powerful or more dangerous than the Many-Angled Ones, who sort to conquer the Earth and add it to their dominions.Although they were pushed back each time, each incursion into reality lasted longer, and cost the defenders more.
Seeing that humanity would never be safe as long as the Many-Angled Ones dwelt so close at hand, Agamotto sought a solution.
No weapon or magic yet crafted by Gods or Men had the power to push back the Old Ones, he sought out a power greater than even the gods. For ten years he travelled, asking every person, animal, bird, and fish he met what power was greater than the Gods, but none could tell him. Finding no success, for a further ten years he travelled, asking every tree and flower and blade of grass, but they could not tell him. Finally, he decended into the underworld, and there he asked every demon and dead soul, but they could not tell him.
Finally, after thirty years, he returned home. There he realised there was one person he had not asked: his wife.
"When you left I was a pious woman, and I loved you with all my hearts, and I thanked the gods for sending you to me, and honoured your mother Ishtar. But now I have been thirty years alone. A widow might remarry, but for thirty years I have waited with no companion to share my meals or my bed. I have waited with no son to raise or daughter to teach, and now I curse the name of Ishtar for sending you to me. And so I say to you, my hushand, that what is greater than all the gods is sorrow."
Finally, Agamotto's quest was at an end, but there was no rejoicing, for hearing her impious words, Ishtar struck his wife dead. Then Agamotto knew that she had spoken truely, for the sorrow he felt was greater than any magic he had ever wrought.
Taking his sorrow, he crafted it into a weapon fit to battle even the Old Ones, but it was too powerful for even Agamotto to weild without dying.
But from his travels, every person, animal, plant, fish, and bird in the land knew him, and loved him for the great toil he had undertaken to protect them, and they loaned him their magics, small but many, and together with their power, he took the weapon into the dimension of Subwhere and shattered it into a thousand pieces, and into the furthest of these pieces he sealed the Old Ones.
Finally, knowing his work was complete, Agamotto took the weapon, and with its power, he raised his wife, who had loved so faithfully it destroyed even her faith, and gave her life. But the weapon was a thing made of sorrow incarnate, and it could not give without taking away, and he knew at once that though his wife lived, and would live forever, she would live only in the shattered Subwhere, a place he could never return without facing a mortal death.
He named her Queen of this new land, this Archipelago of Anguish and Redemption, and gave the weapon into her keeping, charging her to guard it always.
Relationships
Divine Classification
Demi-God
Previously Held Ranks & Titles
Date of Birth
Approx. 5,700 BCE
Date of Death
Disputed
Circumstances of Birth
Disputed
Circumstances of Death
Disputed
Birthplace
Mesopotamia, possibly Ur
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Pronouns
He/Him
Gender
Male
Aligned Organization