Achaekek

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Achaekek

(Deity)

Titles

The Mantis God
He Who Walks in Blood
Azlanti period: He of Bloody Claws and Savage Bite

Realm

Blood Vale, Boneyard

Alignment

Lawful evil

Areas of Concern

Current: Blood
Death
Assassination
Azlanti period: Monsters
Murder
Natural disasters

Worshipers

The Red Mantis, assassins

Edicts

Conduct assassinations, spread the Red Mantis's infamy, wield sawtooth sabres in combat

Anathema

Kill a rightful ruler, become fixated on petty matters such as others' gender or ancestry, abandon an assassination contract you agreed to pursue

Follower Alignments (1E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (1E)

Death, Evil, Law, Trickery, War

Subdomains (1E)

Blood, Deception, Devil, Murder, Tactics, Thievery

Follower Alignments (2E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (2E)

Death, might, trickery, zeal

Favored Weapon

Sawtooth sabre

Symbol

Crossed mantis claws

Sacred Animal

Crimson mantis

Sacred Colors

Red

Images of Achaekek

Source: Inner Sea Faiths, pg(s). 4–9 (1E)
Gods & Magic (Second Edition), pg(s). 52 (2E)

Achaekek (pronounced uh-CHAY-kek) is the deity of assassins, and the patron deity of the Red Mantis assassins who are based on Mediogalti Island off the western coast of Garund. Achaekek takes the form of a giant red mantis and kills with professional detachment, taking a middle position between Calistria, the goddess of revenge if not necessarily murder, and Norgorber who is the god of all murder whether paid for or not. His religious symbol is a pair of mantis claws depicted as if in prayer.

History

Achaekek, the Mantis God.

Achaekek's status as a deity is sometimes debated, but many theologians agree that he was the first entity created by the deities to carry out their will. There is general disagreement as to who exactly is responsible for Achaekek's creation, although it was most likely an alliance of several deities—or perhaps, as his own church suggests, Achaekek's creator might have been a deity long ago murdered by Achaekek himself. According to the Windsong Testaments, Achaekek was one of the first eight deities of this incarnation of creation, and originated as a lawful neutral judge over good and evil.✝

When the first deities turned their attention toward the Universe, Achaekek stood sentinel at the edge of Pharasma's Spire to oversee the creation of life. Near the end of the Age of Creation, when Rovagug was rampaging across creation, Achaekek consumed his own impartiality and descended into savagery, becoming a mindless beast.

During the Age of Legend, before he became a patron of assassins, Achaekek was worshipped by the ancient Azlanti as a deity of monsters and natural disasters. In the wake of Earthfall, some of his deluded priests claimed that he was responsible. At some point after that, Achaekek's faith spread to Mediogalti Island, where his new devotees worshipped him with murder and blood.

Whatever his true origins may be, Achaekek was created as an agent for the deities, an enforcer of divine justice, specifically targeting all mortals who hoped to usurp the power of a deity and achieve divinity. Not wishing to be become targets of He Who Walks in Blood themselves, however, they made him incapable of killing those who truly were deities, restricting his powers to slay those of demigod status or below.

The Mantis God has thwarted those seeking divinity numerous times throughout recorded history. The most famous instances include the slaying of Marsis during the Age of Enthronement, and the slaying of Yazanova in the Tusk Mountains in -212 AR.

Relationships

The Mantis God has at most an uneasy relationship with Golarion's deities, as most do not approve of his heavy-handed purpose and methods. None dare to oppose him directly, however, and Achaekek does not himself pursue relationships with the other deities. This extends even to his own younger sister, Grandmother Spider, who often tries to convince him to rebel against other deities, although he is known to be extremely displeased with his followers if they kill Grandmother Spider's adherents.

No deity admits to ordering him to assassinate someone, though there are few doubts that many of the deities have requested his services. Achaekek seems to instinctively find his targets, although some believe that the orders come from some yet-unknown source.

Achaekek's followers have no tolerance for the Skinsaw Cult sect of Norgorber, but allow other worshipers of the god of secrets into Ilizmagorti. They respect Mephistopheles and his domain over contracts. When Nocticula was still the demon lord of assassins, they gave her followers a degree of respect as skilled peers in assassination, though their respect was limited by disdain for their status as lone agents. They avoid initiating hostilities with other religions over doctrine but are staunchly opposed to Rahadoum, the Red Mantis' ancient home, which exiled them after enacting the Laws of Mortality.

Church of Achaekek

A cleric of Achaekek.

Achaekek does not actively seek followers but has been taken on by the Red Mantis Assassins as their patron. He is mentioned rarely in religious texts, but does appear in the ancient Book of Maan and the Path of Ways as a slayer of deities, something his church claims Achaekek is not currently capable of doing. Clerics of Achaekek are also assassins, even if they lack skill, and those who live on Mediogalti Island are expected to provide some service to improve the city of Ilizmagorti.

He is occasionally worshiped by some ruthless druids and rangers who wish to emulate his efficiency in killing. Druids of Achaekek focus on vermin, often have a giant mantis as their animal companion, and are not considered part of the organized church; they forsake all links to friends or family in order to draw themselves as close to Achaekek as possible. As outsiders, they often serve as investigators or even assassins of traitors to the faith.

The largest public temple to the Mantis God is the Pagoda of the Mantis in the Redshore neighborhood of the city of Ilizmagorti, although the center of the faith is the heavily guarded Sarzari Library located within the Crimson Citadel, the headquarters of the infamous Red Mantis assassins located deep in Mediogalti Isle's jungles.

In ancient Azlant, Achaekek's priests revered dangerous animals and beasts, and would often sacrifice enemies of the faith by throwing them into crocodile pits or leaving them in the forest for cats and bears to eat. They revelled in earthquakes and tsunamis, and often claimed that Achaekek was responsible in the wake of the calamity. Nearly all other Azlanti considered them dangerous and savage, and both the empire and enemy faiths regularly hunted them down. Most of his temples were located in remote areas, with a few hidden and kept secret in cities.

Red Mantis Assassins

Achaekek is worshipped by Red Mantis assassins.

The Red Mantis assassins secretly venerate He Who Walks in Blood and use his persona and tactics as a model for their behavior and organization. The Red Mantis seek to emulate their patron's role by never targeting a rightful monarch, just as Achaekek is incapable of killing the truly divine. They see the murder of monarchs as blasphemous and abhorrent, believing them to be the anointed agents of the deities in the mortal world.

Leading the Red Mantis from the Crimson Citadel are the Vernai, also known as the "High Killers" These 13 women are themselves led by the Blood Mistress, a figure considered to represent the Mantis God's will on Golarion.

Heretics

Some of Achaekek's worshipers disavow the Red Mantis assassins but still receive divine magic from the Mantis God, though these heretics are considered enemies of the church by the Vernai. While this sometimes leads to comparisons to Skinsaw cultists, both groups despise even the insinuation of such a connection.

Realm

An opening to Achaekek's realm of Blood Vale is carved into the base of Pharasma's Spire in the Boneyard. The Vale's caverns, which run adjacent to Hell, Abaddon, and the Outer Rifts, are full of crimson jungles. The plane's razor-edged walls include passages to those adjacent planes, and the Mantis God keeps dens on other planes, including Avernus in Hell.

Planar allies

Zyrruthys is a huge intelligent mantis that enjoys destroying villages of blasphemers and is Achaekek's herald. Often confused with Achaekek, Zyrruthys never asks for payment when summoned to perform this task.

Artifacts

The Mantis Blade is a unique minor artifact sacred to followers of Achaekek.

References

Paizo published a major article on Achaekek in Inner Sea Faiths.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

External links

• James Jacobs. He Who Walks In Blood. Paizo blog, 2008