As you may have read before, Qans is the first city that Dorothea visits in Undertones. Home to the Primordial Source of Yellow and to the Asfari, followers of Asfar, the God of Yellow.
Asfar: The God of Yellow
As a Theocracy, the worship to Asfar was a central element on daily activities of the asfari. Every event was a manifestation of His power and the asfari soon developed an intricate doctrine for their faith. They saw elements of everyday life as “gifts” and developed specific iconography for each, calling them ‘The Gifts of Asfar’.
Scarab: The Gift of Life
The Scarab holds the Sun over its head and brings the Light back to Qans after the Darkness. It represents the God renewing the life of the asfari every day. It’s the first and most precious gift and a gift that Asfar offers not only to His favorite, humans. But to every living being in Ismylra.
Bee: The Gift of Labor
Without an occupation, life becomes dull and empty. The bee symbolizes the dutiful work one must do to achieve happiness. The bee is only as relevant as its work and does not rest from its labor. Such devotion is also necessary to sustain human life. If Him had handed the asfari everything needed to sustain life, what would their purposes be?
Butterfly: The Gift of Joy
The Gift of Joy is represented as a butterfly, a species only seen around the oasis next to the Temple of Asfar. Scholars believe that this phenomenon ocurred due to a rare herb grew only at this location. Whether that theory is right or not, it is a fact that few butteflies lived in Qans and that the sight of one was inspiring to the asfari.
There are many more small delights that we should not take for granted as reminded by the representation of the Gift of Joy.
Mantis: The Gift of Worship
When resting, the mantis seems to always be in prayer. There couldn’t be a better symbol to remember the asfari that they must find time to praise Asfar. The One True God gives so much that it is only logical that we give something back.
Prayer is the direct path to Asfar and those that devote their lives to Him will always enjoy his protection.
Grasshoper: The Gift of the End
Grasshoppers are considered by many as a plague that ravages the crops they come across. With the Golden Empire living in the barren conditions of the desert, it is strange that they would adopt an animal that could threat their own survival as religious symbol. And yet they did.
Unlike in other cultures, the asfari did not see death as the end or even the cause for sadness. To them death was the last gift of Asfar, the moment where their labor was done and they could finally rest for all eternity.
They saw the grasshopper not as a plague, but as change. Change that may seem to be initially negative, but that with dutiful labor (represented by the Bee) could lead to growth and prosperity.
