Zokutou

One of the more complex deities in the Yuriban pantheon, Zokutou is the goddess mostly closely associated with the Yuriban concept of time, as well as a concept that is described as 'the space between'. She is believed to be one the three eldest goddesses, along with Inishie and The Lady. As such, she is generally not necessarily seen as a very approachable or easy to understand deity. Because of the nature of how the stars were brought into being Zokutou is often shown as a lover and companion of Tenteisei. It is said that Zokutou was so impressed by Tenteisei's display in creating the stars that she fell in love with the Star Bringer. The two Goddesses work together at the end of a persons life to search for the proper path amid Tenteisei's stars to tell where a soul should be placed when they're reincarnated further along their full spiral of existence.

Associations

The symbol of Zokutou is a spiral, the two dimensional representation of the Yuriban concept of time. (Very technically, Zokutou's symbol is actually the space between the lines of the spiral; however, it is hard to depict negative space without the positive to define it.) The native religions believe that time is a vast spiral, slowly expanding and moving upwards. As a soul is born, dies, and is born again it moves from the base of the spiral up and out. Zokutou is seen as the personification of the space surrounding the spiral and between its turns, encompassing all of it.

Zokutou holds that any place that speaks to the soul and encourages it towards growth is a sacred spot. As such, there is little in the way of areas associated with her religion as a whole. However, natives both Lilian and Underhillian often will carve, inscribe, paint, or otherwise mark a spiral somewhere in an area where they have felt this movement, meaning that the island is scattered with hundreds (if not thousands) of locations that are sacred to the relationship between Zokutou and a specific individual.

The animal most closely associated with Zokutou is the bat, or more accurately, mourning bats. Other creatures whose nature lets them easily move between two realms are also tied to her however, such as the seal. She is associated with the Emoniichuan spring, probably due to the bat-like traits of the appearance granted by the spring.

Lore and Teachings

Zokutou's teachings are often presented in the form of statements or concepts very similair to Zen koans. Her philosophy and teachings often relate to the idea that some things cannot be understood by the mind, but can be by the soul. In order to help grasp one's interior knowledge better, Zokutou advocates meditation and reflection, along with self-exploration and honesty.

Due to her ties to the Yuriban concept of time, Zokutou also teaches the importance of self-actualization and movement forward. Followers of Zokutou are encouraged to acknowledge and learn from their past, but not wallow in it. Instead, they are to always focus on the movement of time and the spirit in the spiral, and what they can do to refine themselves as they move along that path.

Sentry

Zokutou has become the third goddess to choose a Sentry, along with Amanohara and Engetsu, having chosen the young woman Ella as her own.