AJIKA - THE STEWARD OF THE FORESTS

[satinkira 6061]

AJIKA

Steward of the Forests

 

Ajika is a Patron appointed by the Aspects to watch over the forests beyond the realms of the Eternal Forest. It takes the form of a stag with many horns, though it is not unknown for it to be sighted, in moments of conflict - usually with intrusive darkspawn who damage the woods - as an abnormally vast knight, akin to a Tree Lord with green bark for skin and flowing moss for a beard. It is said to wield a magickal axe.

In its usual form, the many-horned stag, Ajika wanders the forests of all the world, of continents known and unknown to descendant-kind. As a result, its being seen on Aevos is an incredibly rare occurrence, one usually spurred by some devastating natural disaster. 

Though Ajika is known as the Steward, they can only be in one place at once, and in all lands with intelligent life, the forests shrink under the burden of the expansion of intelligent life - growth demands resources, primarily, wood. Every tree cut down brings a pang to their heart, every diseased grove a stab at their soul. For this reason, Ajika is a sorrowful, reclusive creature, doomed to watch in distant silence, and wait for the day which it believes will inevitably come - the day when it will have finally failed in its duty.

This is not to say that Ajika will not fight for what is in front of it. Ajika has been known to murder wood-cutters and dark creatures who have been unfortunate enough to harm a forest that Ajika was residing in at the time; they share a deep, profound love for Descendant-kind, especially the Druids, but that love is overridden by their primary purpose: keeping watch over the forests, and keeping them safe and whole.

 

DEATH AND REBIRTH

 

 

Ajika is known to have died before.

As their soul is bound to the protection of the forests, so long as a single tree stands, Ajika can never truly die. They can, however, be slain; Ajika’s blood bears the colour gold, and that blood is known to bear the extraordinary property of the healing of all wounds and scars, no matter their extent, and to extend life thricefold. It is a most valuable elixir, and is thus highly sought-after - as is Ajika.

But the murdering of such a creature as Ajika is a grave moral sin. Save in instances of provocation or damage to its forests, Ajika will never harm nor attack a descendant; from the perspective of the trees, Ajika is their guardian, their immortal comforter. Therefore, those who murder Ajika or drink their golden blood will find that trees and flowers will whisper hateful things to them, condemn them, despise them - even if the individual is not attuned to nature, the blood of the Patron permits them this small curse; of being aware of the deep loathing with which the natural world will treat them. They will find that their walks through the forests become distressing experiences, with constant whispers from the leaves and trees of disapproval and disgust, and not a single animal crossing their path - such is the hatred that nature bears for them.

It is not uncommon for the hunters of Ajika and for those who drink their blood to eventually go mad.

After Ajika is killed, the forest in which such happened grows sickly with despair and sorrow; the trees immediately surrounding the death grow shrivelled and diseased, and unless they are swiftly cut down, this disease will rip through the entirety of the nearby forest, leaving nothing but husks of dead wood in its wake.

Ajika themself will reappear after a short time in some other forest, all the more sorrowful, all the more despairing. 

 

INTERACTIONS WITH DESCENDANTS

 

 

Ajika bears no ill-will to the common man. They are afraid of Descendants, of their magicks and their tricksy nature, and usually observe them, when they do, from a distance; most reports of Ajika tell of seeing them on some distant hill, or perhaps deeper in the forest. 

When Ajika draws near, the leaves rustle, and the wind blows unusually swiftly. The trees know - the animals know - and the Descendants know, always, that it draws near; even if they do not know what Ajika is, they sense that feeling of something momentous, of an old, impossibly old creature drawing near. Darkspawn would note a certain tinge of judgement, and of impending danger - Ajika does not tolerate corrupted things, and will take the aforementioned form as a warrior in green armour in order to slay them. The common dark creature stands little to no chance in a straight fight against the Steward.

Ajika does not request worship, and nor do they demand sacrifice or offering. Druids have recorded attempting to kneel before the Steward, only for it to nudge them to their feet, and for the question to resound through their attuned mind with the voice of a thousand-thousand leaves:

 

“Rise. Does the fox worship the oak?”

 

Spoiler

This piece is partly inspired by a recent viewing of Princess Mononoke. It would never get accepted, so I've put it in creative writing - because it’s a form of deity lore, which means that it’s barred from acceptance. I’m also not an expert in Druid lore, but I am aware that there are other similar Mani and Patrons, and if I were to submit this properly I’d likely have to change some details and tweak some things. (I’d also have to throw in a bunch of redlines!) But I hope you can simply enjoy it as a piece of thematic lorewriting. 

 

People are more than free to roleplay this as the basis of a culture, by the way, if they so wish.

 

[Qctho 188]

3 hours ago, satinkira said:

Ajika is known to have died before.

Spoiler