Ahm
The Eternal; Koyaaniskeia; God of Time, Silence, Peace, Cyclicity and Plants
Ahm is the Material Patron of time, memory, cyclicity and plants, particularly the ancient forests where his presence can sometimes be felt. A protector of forgotten things. A being of both infinite patience and ephemeral beauty; sometimes its magic is ancient and cold as the granite, other times fleeting as a ray of light through the leaves. It is the Grandfather of the Elves (sometimes named the Ahmunna after it) and Shepherd of the Varya. Ahm is a peaceful being, thought to be protected by three Elder Spirits known as the Swords of the Procession.
Records of Ahm's existence predate the arrival of the First Empires, making it one of the oldest known deities on Waking Materia aside from the Overbeings. Whether it is a primordial thing or perhaps an Ascendant among the indigenous races is nigh impossible to determine. Some believe it is an avatar of Materia itself.
It is said that deep time and untouched places are gateways into the the Duskscape—hence why the Veil is weak to nonexistent in ancient forests and the furthest depths of the Sunken Expanse—and thus Ahm has a certain rapport with it, even though it is ostensibly a Material God.
Ahm's alignment is True Neutral.Appearance & Heraldry
See also: Ahm Image Gallery (External)Ahm is unusual in that it is rarely portrayed bodily, but instead as a force of nature, such as a sunrise or an epic storm. It is a genderless entity, which is especially apparent in the drow's Zhirai Rhulat conception, though most Waking cultures accept the Ahm/Illu/Koyaaniskeia conceptions (see Epithets, below), which are of a more grandfatherly figure. As such Ahm is sometimes also given masculine pronouns.
Epithets
The name 'Ahm' is primarily of Meranthic human etymology. The Eladrin have various epithets depending on context, most often Ilhaaluit ("The Eternal") and Koyaaniskeia (their term for the light beams that penetrate the tree canopy). The Enari most often call it Illu, First Leaf to Fall. The Drow worship a being analogous to Ahm, whom they call Zhirai Rulat, or "Host of the Dream": they believe all reality is a manifestation of its sleeping mind, culminating in a paradise known as Nidavellir, which Zhirai Rulat's chosen people (the drow, of course!) are destined to rule.Worship
Mortal warriors and sages of Ahm are most often called the Knights of the Procession, and often ally themselves to one of the Swords of the Procession in particular, based on personality, inspiring experiences or just intuition. The vast majority are druids, clerics, rangers or barbarians, though the True Neutral god of peaceful silence may also inspire good-aligned paladins and lawful-aligned greyguards in places where the primary threats to Waking Materia's body (of which Ahm is the Herald) are forces of evil or chaos. The ironic reality is that peace must be fought for.
Ahm is also worshipped frequently on the continent of Marai, where it is known as Aum, the Tree at the Centre. This tree very much exists, located in the holy and politically neutral I-Ju-in Forest, bordering the lands of the Zazen clan to the east, the Nikata clan to the west and the Okara clan Voidward. It is believed Aios, whom they call Amaterasu O-Mikami, carved Waking Materia out of the Duskscape by defeating four great Dark Lords in each capital direction, granting them each a divine fortress at these four sites, and conscripting their service protecting the newly-created Brightlands from their kin. Aum was the first tree to grow at the central crossroads between these four holy sites.Domains
Ahm's primary Domain is Time. Its secondary domains are Nature, Vigil, Memory, Repose and Sorrow. Those who align themselves with one of the Swords of the Procession may instead choose its Domains.Favoured Weapon
The Eternal's is unique in that it neither carries nor favours any weapon; it is an utterly peaceful thing. Dedicated monks and clerics of Ahm will learn unarmed self-defence techniques, and may choose this as a favoured "weapon" for class purposes. However most mortal swords of Ahm align themselves to one of the three Swords of the Procession, who do have favoured weapons: the shillelagh (Sword of Morningtide), the battleaxe (Sword of Eventide) and the chained kama or kusarigama (Sword of Nyxfall).
AHM
Godhood
Material, otherwise unknown, possibly primordial Alignment
TN Domains
Time, Nature, Vigil, Memory, Repose, Sorrow. Or those of a Sword of the Procession Favoured Weapon
Unarmed, or that of a Sword of the Procession Relic Weapon
None, or that of a Sword of the Procession
Comments