Lore:Arkay

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ON-icon-heraldry-Deities Arkay.png
Arkay
Arkay says: Honor the earth, its creatures, and the spirits, living and dead. Guard and tend the bounties of the mortal world, and do not profane the spirits of the dead.Ten Commands: Nine Divines

Arkay (or Ark'ay), known as the Lord of the Wheel of Life, and the God of the Cycle of Birth and Death, is a member of the Divines, and also a popular god in other cultures. Arkay is often more important in those cultures where his father, Akatosh, is either less related to time or where his time aspects are difficult to comprehend by the layman. He is the god of burials and funeral rites, and is generally associated with cyclical occasions, such as the seasons and life/death. His priests are staunch opponents of necromancy and all forms of the undead, and are empowered to bestow Arkay's blessings which prevent the forceful misuse of a mortal soul. Thus, any body properly buried by a priest observing the proper rituals is protected by Arkay's Law from being raised as undead. Therefore, necromancers view Arkay as their ultimate enemy, and make covert efforts to undermine his worship throughout Tamriel. Because of this association with, and protection of, mortality, he is sometimes called the Mortals' God.

There are two legends about Arkay's origin. One told by the Bretons is written in the book Ark'ay, the God of Birth and Death. It states that Arkay was once a mortal shopkeeper with a passion for knowledge. He found a book written in a strange language and spent years upon years attempting to decipher it, slowly ignoring everything and everyone else around him. Eventually Arkay realized the book explained life and death itself, but by this time was at death's door with an incurable plague. Praying to Mara as a last resort, Arkay asked for more time to interpret the book. Mara gave him a choice: die now or become a god for eternity, charged with keeping the balance of death and life in the universe. The alternative is contained in The Monomyth, which suggests that Arkay was one of the very first spirits to "crystallize" after the start of time.

Sources have conflated Arkay with the Yokudan goddess Morwha in the past although it’s unknown if this was speaking to a true connection or was simply a scholarly mistake. Other sources connect Arkay with Tu'whacca through the early Nedic precursor To-Arcka. Indeed, symbolism strikingly similar to Arkay's wreath appears on many ancient Yokudan tombs.

Arkay created the Sword of the Crusader for Pelinal Whitestrake, to help him defeat Umaril the Unfeathered.

The Order of Arkay has temples in Sentinel, Ilessan Hills, Shalgora, Dragontail Mountains, and Orsinium.

Small stone talismans resembling eyes shut in eternal rest, known as closed eyes of Arkay are often given to mourning families.


Planet[edit]

The planet Arkay, sometimes called RKHET, is one of the Dominion Planets in the skies of Mundus, and according to the Warrior-Poet, Vivec, it is one of the eight worlds known to the Dwemer. No other planet orbits Arkay. Arkay marks the eye of the Thief constellation. The planet is simultaneously Arkay and the plane of Arkay, just like the other planets and their eponymous patrons.

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References[edit]

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.