Fiction:Ara Maya

Ara Maya
Creator	Gorzill(Talk • Contributions) Glynn Tarrant(Talk • Contributions)
Religious information
Religion origin	Drakenism
Texts	Stones of the Sea Tome of the Deep
Biographical information
Titles	Goddess of the Void Matron of the Deep Bearer of Truth The-One-Who-Lies Witch of the Sea 4R4-0
Gender	Manifests as female, though is possibly genderless.
Family	Ama Maka (Sister) Asa Miki (Sister)
Alignment	True Neutral

“The others call me a liar...wrong...evil. Oh how they have deceived you. It's their fault that you suffer so. Come, I can save you from them.”

- Ara Maya

Summary

Ara Maya is one of the three major deities acknowledged by the religion of Drakenism, and often appears in stories and other religions as an adversary or "shepherd". She is known to see creation as a mistake that must be corrected, however her followers believe that she is a just and loving goddess. Individuals who worship her are known as Mayists, Arists or in some cases the umbrella term Voidists. Followers of her sister goddesses Ama Maka and Asa Miki call her "the enemy" among other titles that insult or discredit her.

She is known to be among the "nicer" gods of the Universe that claim dominion over the Abyss and the Void, however she is just as dangerous if not more so. She prides herself on telling the truth to those who seek her out, however it should be noted that Ara Maya is known for being very persuasive and or manipulative

Ara Maya's followers are often seen as cultists and even heretics, seeing as her brand of Drakenism outright denies creation and religions that approve of it.

History

Unlike other the self proclaimed gods of the Void, the origin of Ara Maya is shrouded in mystery. However there are some extremely ancient texts that do paint a picture of what her true origins might be.

According to her Drakenist followers, Ara Maya is said to have descended from a greater being, or rather a concept, known as Azorava Mangna. Drakenists say that she, along with two other beings known as Ama Maka and Asa Miki, were born into a place before time and space.

Afterwards, according to the texts Stones of the Soil, Stones of the Sun, and Stones of the Sea, Ara Maya lived alongside her sisters in that timeless and spaceless place until Asa Miki created the physical universe. This act was apparently frowned upon by Ara Maya and Ama Maka, and the two set out to take over their sister's creation in their own way. Ama Maka believed in recreating the universe in her own image, while Ara Maya wants to plunge all of creation into the Void.

According to the Tome of the Deep a text that was supposedly written by the goddess herself, Ara Maya spent the early days of the universe watching galaxies form. However at some point, Ara Maya corrupted a group of Persacron into the Daya, which would be the first instance of a Void deity creating Voidspawn. In that same text, Ara Maya mentions that she granted a boon of some kind to a "castaway". While it is unknown who exactly the castaway was, it is speculated by scholars of the Abyss and priests of Voidism that Ara Maya was referring to Padunas Ori, the first mortal to harness Void Energy.

If the theory that Ara Maya was the one to grant Padunas Ori the ability to harness Void Energy is true, then that would mean that Ara Maya was indirectly responsible for the history of the Tyris Major galaxy, as well as some portions of the history of the Mirus Galaxy.

Most appearances of Ara Maya in other religions and historical documents after those ancient eras are scarce, mentioning her only briefly if at all. Supposedly most deities that have ascended to godhood through the Abyss were granted such a boon by Ara Maya herself, however said gods would probably never admit to it.

Powers and Dominion

“When the old game ended and this new one began, I discovered what you would call “time”. That immaterial law that was stitched into the patchwork of all that you know. Unfortunately, like most things where you are, you are limited by it. For beings such as my sisters and I, it is but a word.”

- Ara Maya, Tome of the Deep, Tome 1: "Time"

Ara Maya is counted among the most powerful of the Miruso-Tyrisian Pantheon. She is unaffected by the flow  of time and appears to move adjacent to the fabric of space. It is believed that Ara Maya is capable of tremendous displays of power, as similar gods that are considered weaker than she is have been able to obliterate planets with ease and even rip the fabric of space. She also appears to have strong telepathic abilities as well as the uncanny ability to manipulate mortals and even weaker gods to do her bidding.

It is also believed that Ara Maya is the closest thing to the personification of the Void one can get, and the Abyss is simply an example of her power interacting with the barriers of the universe. That being said, some scholars suggest that if Ara Maya becomes marginally more powerful than her sister deities, she would drag the universe into Void and crush it with her might. Some believe that she is already strong enough to destroy the universe and that she is simply "playing the long game" with her sisters.

It is assumed that Ara Maya would be impervious to conventional forms of damage based on observations made about Void-Infused mortals. Merely coming into physical contact with Ara Maya would most likely annihilate the atoms of the object that touched her.

According to a Soldarian legend about their patron god Soldar, if one were to discover her "true name" then she will grant any wish to that person. While this is likely just a tale spun by Sodlarian elders, scholars in recent times have begun to study the story and its origins after considering that beings such as Xizothano Ada were once myths too. And seeing how Ara Maya is believed by some to be one of the largest threats to all planes of reality, any chance at defeating her is being studied.

Physical Description and Iconography

“The form you see before you is an echo. An echo of tonal structures which do not and can not graze this patchwork. A creature like you would not be able to comprehend the original, for its form and nymic are paravant to the spatiotemporal laws that you are limited by.”

- Ara Maya on her physical form

The symbol of Ara Maya

In truth, Ara Maya's true form is unknown. However, she does have physical representations in various cultures throughout the gigaquadrant. In her most recognizable form, Ara Maya appears as a robed pale-skinned woman with thick horns protruding from her head and black scales that start from under her chin and continue down her chest. Her face is somewhat angular and her ample mouth is often pulled into a welcoming smirk. Her delicate looking hands are just as pale as her face.  Ara Maya's fingers are often steepled into a pyramid shape and her nails are long and carefully manicured. Her robes are rather loose and simple, however they do pull in tight enough to draw attention to this form's feminine features.

In other cultures, Ara Maya is depicted as a mass of writhing tentacles, a large horned serpent, and oftentimes merely a shadow with horns. Ara Maya is also associated with the number zero, referencing her role in the "game" with her sisters and her beliefs. She is also associated with a black triangle with a white circle in the middle. It is unknown why this symbol appears to represent Ara Maya, but scholars suggest that the symbol was created by an extinct culture that revered her in some way. Evidence for this hypothesis is nonexistent however.

Associated Texts

There are a few texts that are said to have been written by the goddess herself or mention Ara Maya in some extended capacity.

Written by Ara Maya

• Stones of the Sea
• Tome of the Deep

Mentioned Only

• Stones of the Sun
• Stones of the Soil
• What I Heard in the Deep
• Tablets of Sshtival
• Journal of Emperor Pulporious IV
• Epic of Soldar

Appearances in other Religions

Followers of Voidism see Ara Maya as a lesser prophet when compared to their primary three. However, this is only true in the Voidist sect of Adaism. Moaists believe that all prophets besides theirs are false prophets. Orists do not seem to reference her as a being, but instead see Ara Maya as a shapeless force of nature.

The Draeconic Order sees Ara Maya as a deceiver, and in some cases, a seductress. Soldarism view Ara Maya as one of the "sea monsters" that lurk beneath the waves of reality.

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