May 12th, 2008
April 12th, 2008
Character Name: Ahti
Pantheon: Egyptian
Parentage: Creator
Patronage: Chaos, Fear, and Disorder
Residence: Since the Egyptians never felt it was worth raising a temple in her honor, Ahti has basically decided to brush the sand from her feet, and reside in the mortal realm. She does still have a home in Egypt, but it is rare that she is found there, except when she gets a yearning for the land of her birth.
In the mortal realm, she tends to go where the wind takes her, renting flats in this city or that, seldom staying in one place for very long. Her most recent apartment is in Albuquerque, as New Mexico's climate is well suited to the Egyptian.
Personality: Ahti has been described as anything from spiteful to vicious, and everything in between-with a great deal of accuracy. As part wasp, part hippo, she could have been a protection goddess, if she'd only been accepted. But buried in the shadows of the greater gods, particularly Set, she was feared rather than honored, and over time decided that if that was how they wanted to view her, she would be more than happy to oblige.
She shows loyalty to few, even less to the gods that have risen above her. Ahti's own loss to history has only fueled her hatred of those who think themselves better than herself. While she has little choice but to obey the Elders, she tries to stay out of their radar as much as possible. If they don't notice her, she doesn't have to listen to them. Besides, they've always been far too concerned with keeping the peace between Horus and Set, in her opinion, to bother with the likes of her. She considers them fools.
As a goddess of Chaos, she is neither innately good nor evil, despite the viewpoints of others. It is the very unpredictability of Chaos that makes others fear her. Chaos and disorder represent change, and people naturally shy away from anything new and different. There is fear in the unknown. She has grown to find that very terror highly amusing.
It is her bitter, hard attitude that make this particular bringer of chaos seem so negative. It is seldom anymore that her interference is for the better good. More often than not, it is her own whims that come into play. And woe to those who scorn her. Her anger has no other release than vengeance. Most often, she bides her time, though, scheming, letting the offending party wait in anxious trepidation for her revenge, until they have finally decided she has forgotten all about them. It is then she will strike, when their defenses are at their lowest.
Despite her disdain for her fellow deities and the land that rejected her, she still carries herself as one of their own. Her wardrobe and jewels reflect the attitude of someone who is used to a lavish and ostentatious lifestyle. Just because she isn't considered a part of the main pantheon is no reason to run around looking like a gutter rat. She carries herself with the air of one who knows she is better than those around her, even if they aren't aware of it themselves.
History: While her history has long been lost in obscurity, Ahti could easily tell any who actually cared to know all about her origins, uncomplicated as they are. One day she simply was, born of some strange whim of the Creator. She crawled her way out of the nest created for her, stunned to find that her back end and head hardly seemed to go together. What had the Creator been thinking? A tiny wasp head on a hippo's body could not have been a more bizarre combination. It wasn't until she met others of her kind that she grew to know that while it was rare, hers was not a unique case. What concerned her most was that others of strange animal morphs, such as Ammut the Devourer, were regarded as monsters.
At first, she was determined to prove otherwise. But everywhere she went, and everything she did was perceived with fear and distrust. The swarm of wasps that attacked a particular town were meant to take down a wicked noble, and it could hardly have been her fault that children got in the way.
She watched as the other gods were revered, great temples built in their honor, priests and priestesses lining up to worship them. All she seemed to receive were strange offerings designed by the giver to placate her, and prayers for her to stay away, rather than to intercede on their behalf. At first, she was certain there had to be some mistake. They couldn't be shunning her? Her stings could save as much as harm, and as for her hippopotamus body, well Tauret was well loved, wasn't she? Yet despite her best efforts, they would do nothing more than consider her a malevolent deity.
Over time, the other deities began to distrust her, too. At first, they seemed to understand and accepted her as she was, and she nearly idolized Set. Then he had to go and take out Osiris, and suddenly it seemed to her that they began to fear chaos in all its forms. For if Set could do this to his own brother, what could she do to those who weren't even family? She no longer felt welcome at gatherings, and with the unfair attitude, her own began to slowly change. She began to feel nothing but disdain for those who would so blindly judge another by her simple association with a common aspect.
There were, of course, a few that didn't bend to the greater viewpoint. Thoth, for instance, had always seemed to find her somewhat remarkable, and he always acted as if she was a welcome visitor, even if she did feel like he was really secretly studying her. But she'd also heard he considered Set a friend, so maybe he really did understand. Rather than be completely alone, she chose to give him the benefit of the doubt. There were a few others, but the numbers were incredibly low.
In time, tired of the treatment she received in Egypt, both divine and mortal, Ahti's bitterness and hatred grew, and she decided it was best if she moved on, hoping to find a place where she was better accepted, or, at the very least, unknown. With time, she slipped nearly out of existence as far as the historical records went, a distinct advantage, as it turned out, even if she doesn't always see it that way. If no one knew of her, they wouldn't instantly run away at the first glimpse of her. Besides, it meant any actions she took in spite would be little prepared for. She does occasionally return to the land of her birth, Egypt is in her blood after all. It is seldom she lets anyone know she's around, however, preferring to mostly use that time to connect to the land rather than its occupants.
Miscellaneous: There is extremely little mythological history regarding Ahti, so most of this is "artistic license". There is no mention at all that I can find regarding parentage, so I am going with the unnamed Creator, considering there are so many creator gods in the pantheon that it is not restricting anyone to have to follow along with it.
Because she was born with characteristics of each, Ahti is able to transform into either a wasp or a hippo at will. She also has particular influence over both creatures when in that form, as they view her as one of them.
Pantheon: Egyptian
Parentage: Creator
Patronage: Chaos, Fear, and Disorder
Residence: Since the Egyptians never felt it was worth raising a temple in her honor, Ahti has basically decided to brush the sand from her feet, and reside in the mortal realm. She does still have a home in Egypt, but it is rare that she is found there, except when she gets a yearning for the land of her birth.
In the mortal realm, she tends to go where the wind takes her, renting flats in this city or that, seldom staying in one place for very long. Her most recent apartment is in Albuquerque, as New Mexico's climate is well suited to the Egyptian.
Personality: Ahti has been described as anything from spiteful to vicious, and everything in between-with a great deal of accuracy. As part wasp, part hippo, she could have been a protection goddess, if she'd only been accepted. But buried in the shadows of the greater gods, particularly Set, she was feared rather than honored, and over time decided that if that was how they wanted to view her, she would be more than happy to oblige.
She shows loyalty to few, even less to the gods that have risen above her. Ahti's own loss to history has only fueled her hatred of those who think themselves better than herself. While she has little choice but to obey the Elders, she tries to stay out of their radar as much as possible. If they don't notice her, she doesn't have to listen to them. Besides, they've always been far too concerned with keeping the peace between Horus and Set, in her opinion, to bother with the likes of her. She considers them fools.
As a goddess of Chaos, she is neither innately good nor evil, despite the viewpoints of others. It is the very unpredictability of Chaos that makes others fear her. Chaos and disorder represent change, and people naturally shy away from anything new and different. There is fear in the unknown. She has grown to find that very terror highly amusing.
It is her bitter, hard attitude that make this particular bringer of chaos seem so negative. It is seldom anymore that her interference is for the better good. More often than not, it is her own whims that come into play. And woe to those who scorn her. Her anger has no other release than vengeance. Most often, she bides her time, though, scheming, letting the offending party wait in anxious trepidation for her revenge, until they have finally decided she has forgotten all about them. It is then she will strike, when their defenses are at their lowest.
Despite her disdain for her fellow deities and the land that rejected her, she still carries herself as one of their own. Her wardrobe and jewels reflect the attitude of someone who is used to a lavish and ostentatious lifestyle. Just because she isn't considered a part of the main pantheon is no reason to run around looking like a gutter rat. She carries herself with the air of one who knows she is better than those around her, even if they aren't aware of it themselves.
History: While her history has long been lost in obscurity, Ahti could easily tell any who actually cared to know all about her origins, uncomplicated as they are. One day she simply was, born of some strange whim of the Creator. She crawled her way out of the nest created for her, stunned to find that her back end and head hardly seemed to go together. What had the Creator been thinking? A tiny wasp head on a hippo's body could not have been a more bizarre combination. It wasn't until she met others of her kind that she grew to know that while it was rare, hers was not a unique case. What concerned her most was that others of strange animal morphs, such as Ammut the Devourer, were regarded as monsters.
At first, she was determined to prove otherwise. But everywhere she went, and everything she did was perceived with fear and distrust. The swarm of wasps that attacked a particular town were meant to take down a wicked noble, and it could hardly have been her fault that children got in the way.
She watched as the other gods were revered, great temples built in their honor, priests and priestesses lining up to worship them. All she seemed to receive were strange offerings designed by the giver to placate her, and prayers for her to stay away, rather than to intercede on their behalf. At first, she was certain there had to be some mistake. They couldn't be shunning her? Her stings could save as much as harm, and as for her hippopotamus body, well Tauret was well loved, wasn't she? Yet despite her best efforts, they would do nothing more than consider her a malevolent deity.
Over time, the other deities began to distrust her, too. At first, they seemed to understand and accepted her as she was, and she nearly idolized Set. Then he had to go and take out Osiris, and suddenly it seemed to her that they began to fear chaos in all its forms. For if Set could do this to his own brother, what could she do to those who weren't even family? She no longer felt welcome at gatherings, and with the unfair attitude, her own began to slowly change. She began to feel nothing but disdain for those who would so blindly judge another by her simple association with a common aspect.
There were, of course, a few that didn't bend to the greater viewpoint. Thoth, for instance, had always seemed to find her somewhat remarkable, and he always acted as if she was a welcome visitor, even if she did feel like he was really secretly studying her. But she'd also heard he considered Set a friend, so maybe he really did understand. Rather than be completely alone, she chose to give him the benefit of the doubt. There were a few others, but the numbers were incredibly low.
In time, tired of the treatment she received in Egypt, both divine and mortal, Ahti's bitterness and hatred grew, and she decided it was best if she moved on, hoping to find a place where she was better accepted, or, at the very least, unknown. With time, she slipped nearly out of existence as far as the historical records went, a distinct advantage, as it turned out, even if she doesn't always see it that way. If no one knew of her, they wouldn't instantly run away at the first glimpse of her. Besides, it meant any actions she took in spite would be little prepared for. She does occasionally return to the land of her birth, Egypt is in her blood after all. It is seldom she lets anyone know she's around, however, preferring to mostly use that time to connect to the land rather than its occupants.
Miscellaneous: There is extremely little mythological history regarding Ahti, so most of this is "artistic license". There is no mention at all that I can find regarding parentage, so I am going with the unnamed Creator, considering there are so many creator gods in the pantheon that it is not restricting anyone to have to follow along with it.
Because she was born with characteristics of each, Ahti is able to transform into either a wasp or a hippo at will. She also has particular influence over both creatures when in that form, as they view her as one of them.