sunnikapar

[sunnikapar]

In ancient Ankghora the concept of justice was divided into two parts, Damina Approxa the protecter and Damina Titana the punisher. They were arguably the most revered of Ankan gods and viewed as equally important parts to the equilibrium of the world. As a Magistra Agata* noted in their texts “Mehkai* knew it was not the absence of Sungold** of Seashorn*** that would bring the crumbling of the world but rather the Apranos***** (justice)”

Ankoran society was unique in the regard that it acknowledge its changes in society with the implementation of new deities via the symbolic death of their old ones. In this case the Apranos replaced Moonglow and Sungold after the death of Moonglow. The abridged version of the myth goes as follows, Moonglow was in love with Seashorn but as they were respectively goddesses of the above and below it was forbidden. One day they are discovered and Moonglow is chained to the skies by the night lord where she gradually loses her light, crying all of it into pearls which fall into her lover Seashorn. Without the moons light the world is thrust in temporary unbalanced which is only restored when a devasted Sungold agrees to shine her own on it. However the light is not nearly as bright as before and the gods instill a new pair of balancers, the Apranos who were long time companions of Moonglow and had been studying the earth for some time.

The gods of above sending the stars from their realm down below is a symbolic example of progression in society. While the Apranos more or less fulfilled the same function in regards to balancing their key difference was their direct interaction with mortals. Damina Approxa roamed the land on Azarya-ma a steed made of water in search of those in need of healing and and her energy manifested itself into a healing light called Mezra, for which the holy city of Ankghora is named which was said to be able to coax ones from “the clutches of Krocus itself”

On the flip side Damina Titana roamed the skies in search of evil to defeat on Yazra the air serpent with her power manifesting itself into a blazing green fire referred too as Mekni which “devoured all but the worthy in its path like acid”. More powerful then any known substance those who desired to wield it had to offer themselves up to its blazing flames and let its flames scour their hearts in search of their true selves. The worthy were given it and became attendants of Damina spreading her message where she could not be and the unworthy were devoured in its flames whole.

While it might seem that the Apranos were two opposites they were in fact two sides of the same coin made of exactly the same material. There are many tales of Damina Approxa enacting vengance on behalf of the innocent and the tale of Damina Titana and Crocus is one of the greatest love stories/tragedies in Ankoran history rivaled only by the tale of Seashorn and Moonglow.

Ankoran = male/general term of the people

Ankan= female form of the people

*= title given to a sacred ankan story teller

**= lit “unbalance” it is unclear whether “he” was an actual god or simply a manifestation of the storms which leveled Ankghora

***= Ankan goddess of the sun, prior to the manifestation of the Apranos she and her sister Moonglow were the balance keepers of society

****= While technically goddess of the seas she is seen as the keeper of all the waters due to her mother Almagua evaporating into divine mist

*****= lit meaning “stars” referred to Damina Approxa and Damina Titana as one whole and references that prior to becoming gods they were two stars observing the human world

******= Ankoran underworld