we still do not know what nagakabouros is, except that she is probably the most powerful in lore. there are two possibilities: he is a spirit god, so the god of life, of all the souls of runeterra, which makes him the most powerful and incomprehensible spirit in the spirit world. or it is a stronger cosmic entity than aurelion sol who created life.
What do you think?
Waaaarghbobo, lead writer on Illaoi, has spoken about Nagakabouros on a few occasions here and there and, while he hasn't given any clear answers (indeed, I would say that Nagakabouros being something that the human mind can only ever perceive a fragment of is part of its intended mystique) it does paint a semblance of a metaphysical picture, as it were.
Nagakabouros seems associated with life and with living beings and with the cycle of life and death (and therefore souls). It is said to transcend dimensions and that to destroy it one would need to destroy the universe.
I see Nagakabouros as akin to time or space except, where time and space do not necessarily translate to the other planes of existence (spirit and celestial), Nagakabouros does. In our world, we have four fundamental interactions. In the IP, we have (at least) one more if that makes sense, it is Nagakabouros which seems to be the cycle of life in all its entirety (or maybe, the tendency for life to emerge and become sapient and feeling as if some higher evolutionary/creative calling in the setting).
Illaoi's religion believes Nagakabouros has a plan for the universe and that following one's passions advances that plan. They may yet be proven right. Or maybe, Nagakabouros' nature is so all-encompassing that it can't even properly perceive (or if it can, does not necessarily care for) mortal life. Is a person aware of each and every bacteria living in their guts?
I do not think Nagakabouros is a spirit god. It does not appear to be a product of human faith or myth nor does it seem significantly shaped by worship even if its connection to the spirit realm seems undeniable. Buhru's culture and religion may, however, "color" how they channel its power hence the watery tentacles vibe. It is not necessarily what Naga is (if it even "is" in a physical sense, I imagine it exists in all things as a fundamental tendency of creation). It doesn't even have to be sentient in any way that humanity can fathom because the importance of Illaoi's god is not in itself but in how Illaoi (and the people of Buhru) draw and interpret it.
With that said, Buhru worship could have potentially birthed a spirit that reflects their own attempts at describing their deity, a "fake" Nagakabouros born of human thought. Always an exciting possibility.
So yes, out of the two options provided the second seems the most apt. Except, whereas Aurelion Sol (and possibly his "kin") seems to be a purely physical (but extraordinarily powerful) entity (some things may always change), Nagakabouros is a metaphysical power. It is more a pure force of nature than a human construct or a single powerful individual entity or an anthropomorphic personification. It is intertwined with reality in every single one of its magical facets. (Note that this is my own attempt at describing it. Like I said earlier, there are no right answers yet, if ever.)
or it is a stronger cosmic entity than aurelion sol who created life.
Aurelion Sol did not create life, to be clear, although he did enable the conditions for at least some life to emerge. Odds are, Aurelion Sol himself is not aware of how Runeterra truly came to be by the world rune using celestials that crafted it and/or why they would do such a thing (although the planet is now of great interest to him since Targon's hold on him is weakened there). Could they have chosen a different star to do so or is there something special about the sun and/or Aurelion's own method of forging stars? That's a good question.
A few sources and good posts on Nagakabouros, here:
On Nagakabouros faith:
"A god's appearance is limited only by those observing it" -Illaoi
Illaoi's power: Illaoi is powerful because she is personally capable of serving her god--- that's actually a rare gift. That puts her on the same level as Moses at the very least. Channeling her god's power (not generating it) is extremely difficult.
(...)
RE Aol Sol vs- Nagakabouros:
Aol Sol is, at best, a demi-god-- he serves only one reality and exists on only one realm. He mocks humans because they are as small to him as mites to us. BUT comparing him to Nagakabouros is like comparing a dung beetle to the theory of relativity. He's just pointing out he has a better view in the rug.
AOL SOL: Here's the thing: Aol Sol made stars. Check. Aol Sol made a bunch of stars. Check. Aol Sol is super old. Check. Aol Sol is the only dragon. Nope. Dragons are Gods. Meh. (see below)
Aol Sol does not reflect a universal reality or truth. Aol Sol does not exist or travel between planes. Aol Sol can be trapped, contained, and controlled. Aol Sol can die in some ways. (Though does not age)
Ultimately he is "A True Dragon." An extremely powerful being. Is that a type of god? Meh... The definition of a god is pretty flexible (based on different cultural norms) So he could be depending on your point of view. He is super-powerful. He has been worshipped as a god.
NAGA: Illaoi's god is not the only god. (See above: God is a tricky term). Nagakabouros is not even the only god worshipped in Buhru (though it is the most popular on that island). Illaoi's religion is about life serving the universe. But Nagakabouros is see as bigger than that goal. Illaoi knows, she can not comprehend her god or it's plan. So she and her religion are attempting to serve and understand a small portion of that god idea. She is aware that Nagakabouros is a mental construct based on human's limited perception and intellect -- but it is an attempt to illustrate a greater truth (See Brahma vs Para Brahman for an example of this.)
I did a lot of research on pre-christian faiths and Hinduism when creating this religion. Our real world pantheistic religions do not (and did not) believe in individual gods in a childlike way. It was/is a very philosophically complex view of the universe, where elements, and ideas are broken down and given constructs to hold greater concepts. Those constructs exist as dualities == both a truth and as mere symbol of a higher truth. (Thus the signifier is viewed with equal import as the signified) Using those definitions (which is how Illaoi sees the world). A god is not simply "a being of a particular power level" it the reflection of an abstract truth.
It's unlikely he could defeat Nagakabouros, he would need to end the universe.
I think its' kinda obvious despite Riots' attempts to be mysterious. It's laden in the imagery. Ouroboros, she's like a god of cycles but more than just a god shes' more like The Force, a part of the universal law like time and gravity, but she maintains a sort of cycle. Like the cycle of Fire and Dark in Dark Souls or The godlike entity at the end of Dragons Dogma if anyone has played that. More recently in Sekiro (love this game btw) as a game mechanic, after you die you can revive on the the spot without going to a "bonfire", but as a direct result some sort of mysterious energy in the world becomes "dense" and gets clogged, making NPCs sick with "Dragonrot". Naga is the force that keeps the energy moving and unclogged which is why shes opposed to The Shadow Isles, Ascension and other forms of eternal life and why Illaoi and her faith practice a sort of directed hedonism as "living in the moment".
I like to think about this in a way that Terry Pratchett established in his discworld-novels: Gods start as small, cosmic entitys swarming the astral plane. Once they find believers, they grow stronger.
In order to gain followers, a yet small god must attach himself to something people will be ready to believe in. They feast of belief and the bigger the following, the bigger the god.
Nagakabouros is a god to sailors, fishermen and pirates, so she established this sea-driven-persona around being in flow etc. She's the personification of both traits that a sailor should have (be strong, rooted in the moment, go with the flow of the ocean etc.) and characteristics of the sea. The sea is a pretty good base for a god, as the people who believe in Naga are constantly around/on it and witness it's power. By assuming that the sea's power is Naga and praying to her, the goddess grew extremely big.
However, she's not "the" goddess, she just managed to establish a big following. She uses a prophet - Illaoi - to spread the Nagakabouros-cult and gain more believers. Because if people would stop to care about Naga, her power would shrink again. She relies on all those different perceptions, names, myths etc. the people of Bilgewater have about her in order to stay alive.
If she really was that much of a superhuman, powerful being, I doubt she would care that much about how people think of her. But she actively helps Illaoi by using her idol as a vessel amd communicating with her. So she is obviously interested in the crazy-cult-lady doing her job.
I think that you're new to lore right? If you want you can join our discord and chat with us about lore http://discord.gg/wxRnKet (just say that you came from boards so we know that it's you)
Naga is the Phoenix Force, except wet and tentacley instead of fiery and feathery.
To which I must respond, 'eww, vitalism'.
