Vwyytakeh

Vwyytakeh or Vwyyt Takeh is a religion present among the ethnic Ardosans of Akonanda's mesa region of Tekra. It is arguably one of the world's few monotheistic religions, with a central universal spirit named Tiwyysvaya, and lesser beings that manifest through it.

Etymology
The words vwyyt takeh in Ardosots literally mean "knowing power", in reference to the sacred understanding of the religion's own teachings. The power it references is Tiwyysvaya, which means "great divine", and the deity is referred to as 'the Great Divine" in some translated texts.

Tiwyysvaya
The "Great Divine" Tiwyysvaya is the primary and sole "legitimate" god in Vwyytakeh belief. It is through Tiwyysvaya that all lesser deities and the greater universe are manifested. Tiwyysvaya is the source of all goodness, luck, and righteousness throughout the universe, and all beings are said to be connected to it in all ways. Tiwyysvaya resides in the Ardvaumosasvaya, or "divine home", a realm that simultaneously is created by Tiwyysvaya through projection. The realm and the god are said to be permanent and forever, never being created and never being destroyed, and that time itself is said to be as mutable and accessible as any of the three material dimensions.

The deity is often referred to as "it" in English, however the Ardosots pronoun Wei is used traditionally, and has less of an object-only connotation as the default gender-neutral singular third person pronoun. Popular depictions may portray Tiwyysvaya in anthropomorphized form as a hermaphrodite regarding its neutrality/duality; however, most scholars regard this as only a commoner's interpretation, and that Tiwyysvaya's true form is either unknowable by the confines of the human mind (and material universe) or that Tiwyysvaya lacks visible form altogether.

The spirit of Tiwyysvaya is known simply as Tautsakh, or Totality. Separation from Tautsakh is possible through the power the Vonnarnsvayam, however it is always incomplete and temporary in the grand scheme of the timeless realm of Ardvaumosavaya. Direct communication with the Great Divine is thought to be too dangerous or impactful, and thus communication is always done through a chain of lower-ranking spirits downward and upward.

Vonnarnsvaya
Meaning "warrior divine", these spirits are regarded not to be as gods, but smaller subservient beings that are manifested by Tiwyysvaya. They, somewhat similarly to Tiwyysvaya itself, exist in a state of duality, of two beings with opposite but balancing energies. There are an unknown number of Vonnarnsvayam, and some posit that there exists an infinite number. Latzwakhei and Storradeh are considered to be a pair of these Vonnarnsvayam whose duality has become unbalanced.

Storradeh
Also known as Dak Akeb (meaning "great spirit" in the pre-Ardosan Siyyamots tongue), the Medgirin (maker, creator in Ardosots), or "The Blind One". Storradeh is the Vonnarnsvaya largely responsible for the material world as it exists. Storradeh is said to have originally been the pairing of Latzwakhei, as he is commonly interpreted as the "husband" to the "wife" of Latzwakhei, and hence the use of gender in referring to them. However, Storradeh sought separation from Tautsakh and power through said separation, and abandoned Latzwakhei to become the god and primary creator of the world.

Storradeh is said to be blind due to his separation from Tautsakh and Tiwyysvaya. His separation from duality and Tautsakh are in a way semi-suicidal, as separation from Tiwyysvaya will result in the loss of his powers over time. He is semi-aware of this, and as a result seeks total control over the world as if he is the only Great Divine that rules it to maximize his power before it wanes away too much, and the world is subsequently destroyed.

Latzwakhei
The "wife" of Storradeh, Latzwakhei ('daughter of wisdom') is the other partial creator of the world. However, instead of being responsible for the material world, Latzwakhei is responsible for the divinity of souls upon it, and facilitates the manifestation of Tiwyysvaya into the material world as an aspect of it herself. She is also the communicator to the souls of people, speaking on behalf of Tiwyysvaya proper as she is at the lower level between it and humans. She follows the will of Tiwyysvaya against the will of Storradeh, and due to their conflict it is said that the world will eventually be destroyed.

Halbanvox
Halbanvox is the prophet of Vwyytakeh, having communicated with Latzwakhei and leading the Adaham to victory in battle, whilst enlightening them upon the nature of the world. His name comes from the old Adahamic name Albanvocs, meaning "light warrior". The name was used by many Adaham men in the past, and is nowadays manifested in the Ardosots name Halbanvokh.

Moth
The Gvedyeh, or moth, is a symbol of the Vwyytakeh faith, and specifically the symbol of knowledge and trust in Tiwyysvaya. This is from their use as a sign to Halbanvox by Latzwakhei of the truth of his visions. The Ludvat Gvedyeham (Flight of the Moths) is a particular event in late summer when the moths exit their cocoons en masse.

Crab
Crabs are a historical signifier of equilibrium, of the divine balance. Crabs were historically a large part of the Utimseh-Smara diet, and thus have significance in many Smarite-descended cultures including Ardosan. The many legs of the crab may also represent the vastness of totality in some interpretations.

History
The original version of the faith revolved around the worship of Dak Akeb, as the single creator god of the world. This worship was done by the Siyyam, the ancient farmers of the Tekra mesas, for centuries prior to the migrations of the Adaham.

The Adaham were one of many nomadic peoples of the early bronze age, spread across Akonada in roving bands of horsemen. These nomads eventually came to the mesa, seeking food and water, but were turned out by the Siyyam. The Siyyam accused the Adaham of being against Dak Akeb, and refused to feed them. Rather than die, the hungry Adaham summoned the strongest among them, who would take the Siyyam's land and food by force. Their warriors, with tools of bronze and horse-drawn chariots, could quickly overwhelm the more numerous and well-fed Siyyam, who were not warlike in disposition.

Legend has it that the night before the battle between the Siyyam and Adaham, one of the Adaham, by the name of Halbanvox, had a vision while dreaming, known as the First Revelation. A sign was given to him by Latzwakhei, and the sign manifested in the sighting of the great holy moths, or Gvedyeham. The morning after, Halbanvox told the men of this sign, and they went into battle. They spared who they could, but killed those who resisted. They then found the abundant supplies of the Siyyam, and fed their own in a great feast. Halbanvox then had another revelation that night, where Latzwakhei continued to explain the world around him. This, and further revelations, became the religion of Vwyytakeh.

The religion has since become the ethnic belief of the Ardoseham, the descendants of the Adaham and Siyyam. However, it has also taken hold among a few members of non-Ardosan peoples.

Mortality and materiality
Vwyytakeh believes that the material world is inherently bad, as it is the creation of the Medegirn and attempting to be separate from Tautsakh and the Great Divine. It is held that the pursuit of wealth and material power for power's sake are follies, and ultimately mean pursuing the goals of the Medigirn and becoming stuck to the material world. Hence, these things are not only sinful or evil, as they mean capitulation to the Medegirn and turning away from Tiwyysvaya, but also dooming oneself to be destroyed alongside the material world when it is destroyed in the end times.

However, there are ways that divinity can be brought into the world. The arts are one way of doing so; art and beauty are regarded as lingering aspects of Tiwyysvaya in the material world. Happiness, kindness, charity, and other good emotions are also ways of bringing divinity into the world, and that doing these acts brings one closer to Tiwyysvaya so that one's soul may remain on in Ardvaumosasvaya after the world's destruction. War is also generally disregarded, unless it is used to enlighten the infidel and unbeliever against their material ways. However, nonviolent sects do exist, seeing violence as part of the corruption of the material world.

Duality and gender
Since the creator of the material world is male, it is therefore understood that most societies created are bound to be patriarchal. However, Vwyytakeh sees this as a folly, as both male and female are bound to balance each other, and rejects patriarchy for equality and power-balance. Gender in Vwyytakeh is regarded to be derived from the duality of Latzwahei and Storradeh, and not inherent to one's soul. Many very devout monks may reject their gender as part of the material world. Those who transgress gender norms can be seen as either divine and rejecting materiality, or sinful and rejecting the divine balance, depending on the sect or interpretation.

Creation and destruction of the world
The universe, according to Vwyytakeh belief, was created in ancient days by the Medegirn, with a small aspect of divinity introduced by Latzwakhei. The first people of this world were the Syynoseham, or "ancient ones", a large bestial race. They originally worshipped Storradeh for ages on a scale incomprehensible by man, but turned from him. As a result, he destroyed them in a fit of rage, entombing their bodies in stone. They remain on as the fossilized bones so commonly found in the mesa. However, due to their connection with Tiwyysvaya, the souls of the Synnoseham moved on to Ardvaumosasvaya.

Thus, as his power waned, the Medegirn made the peoples of present-day Akonanda, and attempted to pose as their sole creator and greatest god. He even posed as several deities, to make himself seem more powerful and divine, and is responsible for most religions. However, due to communication with Latzwakhei, a number of prophets were and are disseminated into the world to save the souls of all sentient beings once more. However, since Storradeh is nearing the end of his power, the world is bound to be destroyed relatively soon. Therefore, drastic action must be done to save as many souls as possible to unite them with Tautsakh to avoid being destroyed.