The Prophet Ahmas
From Mizahar Lore
 Do not weary of doing good | |||||||||
| Race | Benshira | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 447 AV (aged 76) | ||||||||
| Place of birth | The Burning Lands | ||||||||
| Title | The Prophet of Yahal (Ahmas) | ||||||||
| Gnosis | 3 from Yahal, 1 from Priskil | ||||||||
| Skills |
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In Yahebah the people are governed mostly by family councils, but when authority in necessary, they look to Rapas and ultimately to The Prophet. The current Prophet is Ahmas of the tents of Kadmiel of the sons of Benha.
After the collapse of Hazhadar and the government it represented, the Benshira scattered without guidance. To bring the people together, Yahal appointed the Prophetess Ziborah.
A Prophet serves for as long as they are able, often until death. If the Prophet was true to Yahal, he would appoint his successor by giving him a handwritten section of the Penita Scroll he found comforting during his time as a Prophet. If the Prophet turned away from Yahal, Yahal would strike the Prophet dead, then appoint another through divine signs.
A Prophet can come from any line and be of either gender. These Prophets are the informal leaders of the Benshira, and serve as the voice of Yahal. Stubborn as the Benshiras are, they do not always listen to their Prophets, and heads of families might defy them.
History
As a young man the last thing on Ahmas's mind was the role of the Prophet. He was a content young man working with his older brother as a potter in Yahebah. Known for kindness and good character, he was respected among his small circle but of no especial notoriety. His customers knew him to be honest to a fault and that he always remembered details they shared about their lives.
The only thing for which he was famed, was the loveliness of his intended, Basemath. A wealthy shepherd's daughter, she had been raised in the desert amidst danger and wildness. She wore men's trousers and turbans in vivid colors and had a passion for falconry. It is said her daughter inherited her keen green eyes.
A somewhat selfish creature, Basemath strayed from her betrothal. Goodness and love did not satisfy her, she wanted the thrill of the hunt. The wife of Basemath's lover caught them in the act and demanded punishment. For Basemath, that meant a blackening of her palms through painful tattooing and an evening in a pit with a poisonous adder.
Rather than see his intended suffer, Ahmas stepped forward as her Kiban and took the punishments himself. To this day, his black palms hide his gnosis marks from Yahal and keep him from sacred rooms in the temple.
Unable to bear the guilt she felt when she looked at kind Ahmas, Basemath vanished after only a few eras of marriage, leaving her daughter behind. In the midst of this pain, Ahmas was brought to a new place in his life.
The last Prophet had died, and knowing his own failings did not choose an heir. Ahmas's neighbors looked on in awe as a sign of Yahal settled over Ahmas's shoulders: a transparent manifestation of gold and emerald wings. On that day, a stunned Ahmas and his young daughter were ushered into a newly built Arch and the responsibilities of guiding Yahebah.
The story of Ahmas's life has come to be a lesson that simple men are made great through sacrifice and faithfulness to virtue.
Personality
Ahmas is a patient man not easily stirred. He is thought kind, but will not stray from challenging others to reach higher ideals or urge them to faithfulness despite present pain. Because of his willingness to address difficulties, he has angered some of the heads of Tents.
Even if Ahmas knows the answer to a question, he will often let those under him discover it for themselves. He will nudge and ask the proper questions, but leaves the revelation to the petitioner.
When requiring pause from concerns, Ahmas will play the dulcimer and drink tea.