The Amatsukami

The Amatsukami, more commonly referred to as the "kami", are divine beings worshipped by many cultures across Othard, such as in the nations of Doma and Hingashi.

Origins

Unlike the Eorzean Pantheon, ‘Kami’ - the word for ‘god’ in the Far East - has a significantly broader definition than the equivalent term in Eorzea. Gods are not simply beings of their own caliber, but can have widely varying origins and domains; like the Eorzean gods there are entities presiding over the Sun and Moon, but kami can also be personifications of nature (not unlike the Elementals, but also not completely the same), long-lived flora or fauna, objects imbued with spirits, and even great leaders deified in the afterlife. Even within a singular culture, there may not be a single unified origin story, standardized rituals for worship, or even one particular kami that is worshipped over others.

Similar to Eorzea’s Twelve, there exist celestial entities who preside over the sun or moon, but there are also sacred mountains and rivers, as well as exceptionally long-lived flora and fauna that have attained the status of godhood. Great leaders deified in the afterlife, objects infused with divine spirits, and even certain creatures of supernatural proportions all qualify to join the ranks of the kami. Proponents of different faiths are largely tolerant of each other’s deities, and often afford the same level of respect to every kami. It is not unheard of for Easterners to assimilate the mythology of a foreign god should they perceive the entity in question sufficiently similar to their own deity. This open-minded approach to faith has resulted in a pantheon of kami with multiple origins, and caused the hand-wringing of many a Western theologian attempting to define this nebulous system of belief.

Heavenly Gods

The amatsukami are those divine beings who descended from the heavens in some long-forgotten era to dwell in the mortal realm. One version of their tale portrays the kami making their way downwards through Heaven-on-High—the staggeringly tall spire found on the island of Onokoro. Many are the names of the kami which are spoken in the Far East, but perhaps the most esteemed of these belong to the three greater deities: Amaterasu, God of the Sun; Tsukuyomi, Lady of the Moon; and Susano, Lord of the Revel. All of these entities are considered amatsukami, yet due to the local variations in myth and legend, it is difficult to be certain of their genders, let alone settle upon a definitive depiction for any one of them.

Though Susano is a prominent presence even amongst the amatsukami , there exist myriad interpretations of the entity itself . The Kojin , for example , believe the Lord of the Revel to be a " tsukumogami " whose essence is divided between several sacred receptacles - a belief which was borne out when three potent relics were gathered together to summon a primal incarnation . Y'shtola of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn insists , however , that the primal should be considered nothing more than a faith - fueled manifestation of the Kojin's own conception of Susano , as opposed to definitive proof of the kami's true nature.

Known Kami

God-like Entities

• Amaterasu, God of the Sun
• Tsukuyomi, Lady of the Moon, who has been summoned as a Primal given form in a human body.
• Susano, Lord of the Revel, who has been summoned in Primal form like Tsukuyomi.
• Izanami, presides over life and death. She gave birth to the nation of Doma, and ushers souls of the departed unto the land of the dead

Tsukumogami

Ancient relics, including man-made objects such as exceptional tools or weapons, which have acquired a divine spirit over the course of decades. The word “tsukumo” can be transcribed with the Hingan characters for “ninety-nine” and represents a period of time just shy of a century.

One such example is the Ame-no-Habakiri - A sword that was kept by the Kojin of Tamamizu until it was stolen by the Garlean Empire, believed to have once been wielded in battle by the kami Susano against an eldritch threat.

Another is a doll centering in the Kojin Daily Quests.

Auspices

An animal that has ascended to godhood, originating from a creature who has far outlived its natural lifespan, gaining intelligence and self-awareness, and gradually amassing a mystical strength until they one day awaken to powers of "divine magnitude."

These ascended animals are, however, plagued by a dual nature. When the boundless calm — the nigimitama — comes to the fore, an auspice often serves as a benevolent guardian, protecting the people from malicious entities. But when the primal rage — the aramitama — takes over, the auspice runs wild, wreaking disasters of divine proportions. Many a folktale and minstrel’s verse is the recounting of a heroic effort made to contain these rampaging beings.

Foxes and members of the fox family are more commonly witnessed to ascend to auspices.

Known Auspices

• Tamamo Gozen, Guardian of Doma. She fought valiantly to repel Garlemald's forces during the Empire's invasion. Sadly, the wounds she sustained during the conflict addled her mind, and the fox is said to now wander the land in a state of dangerous confusion.
• Kinko Kugane, an auspice whose territory spanned the southern reaches of Shishu. When Kinko encountered workers felling ancient trees as they prepared the way for the growing port town, she surrendered her spirit to the fury of the aramitama. Records describe how her victims fell in droves before her corporeal form was finally slain. It was a geomancer by the name of Kazan, however, who was called to soothe Kinko’s uncontrollable spirit. He erected a barrier anchored at four shrines around Kugane, trapping the fox auspice and containing her power.

• The Four Lords, namely:
  • Byakko
  • Suzaku
  • Seiryu
  • Genbu

Ascended Mortals

Powerful and/or influential people who ascend to godhood after death, though the path they take to arrive there is not uniform. Some individuals are invited to godhood in recognition of their deeds in life, others refuse to move on after death and their spirit becomes bound to the land in some way that eventually empowers them. Ganen, the first king of Doma, is one such individual; over time, the people have come to worship Ganen’s eternal spirit as a kami of martial and scholarly learning.

Natural Features

A worship of Moutains and rivers, believed to house divinge spirits, is common in the Far East. There are plenty of shrines and festivities celebrated in villages to worship nature. Daitenzan, the highest peak on the Hingashi archipelago, is revered by the locals as a snow-crowned kami.

Relics

Relics such as those collected by the Kojin include receptacles for divine spirits, or objects that have otherwise been infused with divine power. Contrary to a tsukumogami’s receptacle, a relic blessed with the sacred energies of an amatsukami or similar entity is considered a tool to be used rather than worshipped. This category of relic is often incorporated into rites and rituals as a focus for manifesting arcane phenomena.