why doesn't Achaekek kill Unity

[Elthbert]

In Iron Gods,

SPOILERS:

why does Achaekek kill Unity?

Achaekek kills those who try to become gods? Why does he leave Unity and Hellion alone?

[I grok do u]

Absolutely just speculation here, but some possible points:
1) Achaekek targets those who would "usurp divinity," so those that are not gaining their divinity at the expense of existing gods may avoid the deadly mantis (he doesn't just hang out at the Starstone whacking everyone that attempts the Test)
2) Achaekek targets "mortals," so, as an AI, Unity might not have been on the hit list
3) "Evil entity attempts godhood" is such a common story trope that we can't have Achaekek constantly ruining the stakes; we'd have a major adventuring industry collapse
4) He's busy or on vacation

[Claxon]

I like the above ideas, and mostly think it's #1.

Unity isn't usurping anyone's divinity.

[Niemand]

deux ex machina

[Foeclan]

To paraphrase Ryan George in Pitch Meetings: So the AP can happen. :)

[PossibleCabbage]

#1 is correct. Achaekek has been around a long time (he was around in ancient Aztlan) and in that time a whole bunch of people have achieved godhood: Aroden, Norgorber, Cayden, Iomedae, Irori, probably Nethys, Arazni, Nocticula, countless minor deities, etc.

So there's obviously a diverse array of procedures for apotheosis that don't offend Achaekek. Nominally his purview is to eradicate those who would "steal a god's divinity" but that's the normal procedure for the Orc pantheon (in which recently deceased great Orc heroes will challenge existing Orc gods for their divinity). So there's probably more going on with the Mantis God than we know yet.

[Mysterious Stranger]

It seems to me that choice #1 is the most reasonable answer. From what I understand he basically protects the status quo. He was created by deities as an agent of divine retribution to enforce divine justice.

[Claxon]

PossibleCabbage wrote:

#1 is correct. Achaekek has been around a long time (he was around in ancient Aztlan) and in that time a whole bunch of people have achieved godhood: Aroden, Norgorber, Cayden, Iomedae, Irori, probably Nethys, Arazni, Nocticula, countless minor deities, etc.

So there's obviously a diverse array of procedures for apotheosis that don't offend Achaekek. Nominally his purview is to eradicate those who would "steal a god's divinity" but that's the normal procedure for the Orc pantheon (in which recently deceased great Orc heroes will challenge existing Orc gods for their divinity). So there's probably more going on with the Mantis God than we know yet.

My guess would be, because it's Orc tradition for Orc gods to accept these challenges from orc heroes, Achaekek doesn't get involved. In the same way that I imagine if deity decided to hand over their position to someone else, Achaekek wouldn't get involved. This is kind of the same thing, except with an extra step of challenging being involved. And possibly that the existing Orc god may not have been willing (but the Pantheon is). In fact, I think Achaekek might get involved if an Orc deity refused a challenge because they were afraid of losing. I mean, I imagine the other Orc deities would get involved first, but I feel like Achaekek could get involved because denying the Orc hero the chance to fight for deific power is kind of stealing the power.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

So basically he would go after people like Karsus, possibly ur-priests.

[Claxon]

Bjørn Røyrvik wrote:

So basically he would go after people like Karsus, possibly ur-priests.

Ignoring that those are different IP, Karsus clearly was usurping a deity's power. Someone committing similar actions in Golarion's setting would likely face Achaekek, assuming no one else intervened beforehand.

Ur-Priests again not part of Golarion's setting. I think, because they're only siphoning a fraction of a deity's power Achaekek probably wouldn't get involved. The Ur-Priest isn't trying to become a deity, instead they're more like an off-brand cleric. And rereading modern descriptions of Ur-Priests, it sounds like deities knew power was going to Ur-Priests and let it happen using them as a sort of free agent. Part of the description I read even said that Ur-Priests powered by a deity that encountered a cleric of the same deity would find themselves without their spells. Implying the Ur-Priest never really "took" the power but instead was granted power by the deity, with the Ur-Priest not really understanding the relationship.