Xuth

Xuth is a fictional deity that appears in several works of speculative fiction and in related games. In most depictions, Xuth governs beginnings, thresholds, and the passage of time, and is portrayed as a liminal figure who both invites change and enforces consequences at moments of transition.

Origin and name: The term Xuth is a constructed name within these narratives, with authors sometimes linking it to ancestral or primordial languages in their worlds. There is no single canonical source, and interpretations of Xuth's origins vary by author.

Domains and symbols: Xuth's domains commonly include dawn, gates, memory, and duration. Symbols often associated with Xuth are an open gate, an hourglass, and a circlet or crown. Shrines are typically placed at river crossings, city gates, or crossroads near lunar alignments.

Worship and practice: In-fiction cults hold dawn ceremonies, threshold rites, and calendar events aligned with equinoxes or eclipses. Oracles and chronomancers are depicted as consulting Xuth to determine the most opportune moment for transitions, such as the founding of a settlement or the initiation of a ruler's reign.

Cultural footprint: Xuth has appeared across novels, role-playing games, and graphic works, influencing world-building elements such as calendars, toponyms, and temple architecture. Critics often treat Xuth as a flexible symbol of liminality and time, useful for exploring change, fate, and responsibility.

Notes: Xuth is a fictional concept and not part of real-world religion. References to Xuth exist only within created works and their ancillary materials.