Ananke · Shadow Slave · Wiki

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Overview

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“ Ananke greets the Children of Weaver... ”

― Ananke to Sunny and Nephis,
Chapter 1284 Hail Weaver

Ananke was the owner of the ketch who rescued Sunny and Nephis in the vastness of the Great River.^[1] She introduced herself as the Priestess of the Nightmare Spell.^[9]

Appearance

Third Nightmare

A person who was shrouded in a dark mantle, making it difficult to identify their gender. The person was of small stature, terribly thin, and had long white hair. Their face was obscured by a black lacquered wood mask resembling a ferocious demon's face. The mask had bare teeth, four fangs, and three twisted horns. Inside its eyes, there was pure darkness. It was the Weaver's Mask.^[1]

Underneath the mask was an extremely old woman with a spiderweb of wrinkles covering her tan skin and emaciated face. Her long, thin hair revealed glimpses of the brown parchment of her scalp. Her eyes, which had been piercing once, were now dull and obscured by milky cataracts. Her small, hunched body was frail and thin, as if ready to collapse from a gale. Her dark mantle hung listlessly and was too big for her, but she exuded a feeling of unimpeachable dignity, willpower, and sanctity.^[10]

As time passed, Ananke's condition improved, with more energy, longer lucidity, and a regained appetite. Ananke's condition became more apparent. Her hands stopped shaking, her grip on the steering oar became firmer, and her eyes regained some sharpness. She was no longer hunching, and her voice was not as weak as before. She grew less tired and dozed off less frequently, appearing to be growing younger.^[11] (See more information about Riverborn)

Ananke looked to be in her sixties with her figure which remained small and gaunt. She regained her original blue eyes without the cataracts. Her thin white hair turned grey and full, and her tan skin still mapped with wrinkles but became less brittle and transparent. Her frailty and fragility were replaced by wiry tenacity, making her a healthy old woman.^[12]

In Weave, Ananke was exquisitely beautiful and with her small stature and glistening ebony hair, dusky skin and piercing blue eyes, she looked like an enchanting river spirit. Her lovely face was lively and captivating, and her disarming smile was bright enough to illuminate the world.^[13]

She used to look only slightly older than Sunny and Nephis in Weave. Passing the third house, she was of the same age as Sunny or Nephis, or even younger. Reaching the fourth House, she seemed to be in her late teens.^[14]

Inside the eye of the Time Storm, she resembled a girl of ten years of age at most. She had a short and unruly ebony hair, and a lovely face that had become round and immature, with clear blue eyes and cheeks that had yet to lose all of their baby plumpness.^[15]

Real Tomb of Ariel

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Ananke appeared as an exquisitely beautiful young woman wearing a black mantle. She had a small stature and glistening ebony hair, along with dusky skin and piercing blue eyes. Her lovely face was lively and captivating. Overall, she resembled an enchanting river spirit, and her presence was further emphasized by her bright and melodious voice and a disarming smile bright enough to illuminate the world.^[5]

In Chapter 2957, Ananke was described with a waterfall of poisonous snakes replacing her hair, the serpents slithering and hissing with scales that glinted like dark jewels, while her eyes blazed with an amber glow. Grasping a harpoon, she moved decisively into battle, trailing behind her a vast nebula of silver strings that twisted through the air. These infinitely thin threads of essence silk were sharper than a razor, slicing apart the enemy as she manipulated them by drawing them taut with the fingers of her free hand. Her presence in combat was overwhelming, marked by lethal precision and the ability to unleash destruction upon the opposing forces.

In Chapter 3144, in the gathering of demigods, Ananke is described as a young woman with tantalizing features, wearing a nebulous black mantle. She has an elegant figure, glistening ebony hair, dusky skin, and piercing blue eyes. She has a captivating smile and bows gracefully to the others.

Personality

Despite the Demon of Fate being a master of lies, Ananke seemed to believe in the benevolence of the Spell.^[16] She was also very humble and subservient.^[10]

Aspect, Ability, & Flaw

Ananke possessed a curious Aspect that was largely benign and utility-oriented, centered on the manipulation and application of her own soul essence. It seemed purely constructive and nurturing in nature except for when her Transformation Ability was concerned.^[17]

Show/Hide Aspect Abilities

Received in	Ability	Chapter Mentioned	Status	Aspect Abilities
First Awakening	Dormant	2947	Active	Her Dormant Ability allowed her to manifest her soul essence as matter. It was similar to Shadow Manifestation, but the source of the manifested matter was innate to her rather than external, which was why the silver strings were her soul essence given material form.^[17] These strings of silver silk were the most natural form her essence took and the first she learned to use, but as her skill improved, she became adept at manifesting her essence into many shapes and forms, from fishing lines to tools and weapons, effectively creating almost anything. Most importantly, the matter created from her essence maintained its form permanently unless she wished otherwise.^[17] While she sometimes created tools for convenience, she mainly used this ability to produce materials such as metal, stone, silk, and soil for others, making her Aspect a blessing in resource-scarce environments. As her Rank increased, the innate quality of the matter she created also improved, and unlike other similar abilities, the quality of her manifestations did not degrade even when made permanent.^[17] Essence Silk The strings of soul essence Ananke wove were described as very much like the strings of shadow essence Sunny used to create Memories, except they were given a material form. Up to that final step, the process of creating them was practically identical to his own method, even if it was instinctual for Ananke while for him it was a learned skill. Ananke was not a weaver because she lacked the ability to perceive spellweaves, though Sunny still felt she had the capacity to become one if someone showed her the way. He also considered that the ability to weave might be hidden within the facets of her Aspect, waiting to be discovered, similar to how he had found applications of his own powers beyond the strict limits of the Aspect Abilities defined by the Nightmare Spell.^[17]
Awakening	Awakened	2947	Active	Her Awakened Ability allowed her to transform matter—specifically inanimate matter—much like an alchemist capable of turning lead into gold, enabling her to change any element into a different one. She could also alter the material composition of her manifested essence, which made her Dormant Ability highly flexible. Through this, she could seamlessly adjust what she created, giving her fine control over both naturally existing materials and those formed from her own essence. This transformative capability worked in tandem with her manifestation power, letting her not only create matter but also refine and alter it at will.^[17] Additionally, this Ability made her a perfect mender, as she could infuse a broken thing with her essence, fusing damaged parts together while replacing the lost ones with essence manifested to flawlessly match the material of the original object. This precise control over material composition allowed her to restore items completely, making mending one of her primary occupations and a defining application of her Awakened Ability.^[17]
Ascension	Ascended	2947	Active	Her Ascended Ability was described as a continuation of the skill she had developed through her earlier powers, allowing her to infuse both inanimate objects and living beings with her essence, perfecting and improving them. This enhancement was likened to the rebirth an Awakened undergoes when reaching a new Rank, albeit on a smaller scale. Through this infusion, the soil became more fertile, trees bore more fruit, and people who received her blessing grew stronger and healthier, with clearer minds. The effect of this blessing persisted until the infused essence was exhausted, which took a long time, and even after it was gone, those who had received it continued to benefit from having been transformed into a better version of themselves.^[17]
Transcendance	Transcendent	2947	Active	Her Transcendent Ability, tied to her Transformation, reversed the effects of her other three Abilities and turned her otherwise constructive Aspect into something destructive. Instead of manifesting her essence into matter, she could disintegrate matter to replenish her essence. Rather than infusing objects or living beings with soul essence to enhance them, she could siphon their essence to enhance herself. Her power to transform inanimate matter was also inverted, allowing her to change the material composition of living things—gazing upon someone to turn their flesh to stone, touching them to turn their bodies into gold, or wounding them to turn their blood into acid. At the same time, she weakened others by draining their souls to heal and empower herself, while replenishing her soul essence by destroying matter around her.^[17]
Supremacy	Supreme (Sovereign)	2947	Active	Her Supreme Ability was not clearly defined, as she wasn't very clear as to what it was capable of, since she had no Domain and no subjects. In theory, however, it was tied to gaining access to a vast sea of spirit essence, which could make her other Aspect Abilities drastically more potent. It could also extend the reach of her powers on a much larger scale, allowing her to grant the benefit of her blessing to an entire land she ruled or to an entire people who followed her.^[17]

Sorcery

Third Nightmare

Despite being the priestess of the Nightmare Spell and a follower of Demon of Fate, she was unaware of Weaver's sorcery. She was still a sorceress but instead of using runic sorcery created by Hope or sorcery belonging to Weaver, she used the ancient Sorcery of Names, the foundation for Hope's runic magic.^[18]

Ananke knew of few Names: Name of the wind, Name of moving across water, Name of the sail, Name of concealment and Name of being hidden from predators. The ketch has a True Name which serves as an anchor for the entire verse.^[18]

She mentioned her talent in sorcery is not that good.^[18]

Real Tomb of Ariel

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Reveal

She possessed a high level of mastery over sorcery, particularly through her ability as a Shaper and her refined control of her Will. She is described as an experienced Shaper whose skill as a sorceress seemed to have greatly developed, and she is now capable of wielding her Will directly. Through this, she channels a Verse that enables the ancient ship, the Time Slayer, to fly despite it lacking any inherent ability to do so, such as a sacred tree or runic array. Her control is precise and sustained, as she masterfully keeps the ancient ship afloat in the air, demonstrating both technical proficiency and powerful application of her abilities. Additionally, her role at the helm, navigating through absolute darkness without reliance on external guidance like the Guiding Light, reinforces her competence and control in otherwise impossible conditions.^[19]

Will

Real Tomb of Ariel

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Reveal

Ananke's Will is shown through her ability to actively sustain and control the flight of the Time Slayer by channeling a Verse, despite the ship lacking any inherent ability to fly. As an experienced Shaper whose sorcery had greatly developed, she could now wield her Will, using it to masterfully keep the ancient ship afloat in the air.^[19]

Possessions

Third Nightmare

	Description
Weaver's Mask	The Sacred Memory is a lesser facsimile of the true Mask of Weaver. Ananke inherited the Weaver's Mask from her mother, who was one of the few who received a Sacred Rank mask. The Sacred Memory only possesses two enchantments.^[8] In Chapter 3023, it was mentioned that Sunny modified Ananke's black wooden mask by weaving a new enchantment into its weave. Inspired by the [Where is my eye?] enchantment of the true Weaver's Mask, the enchantment did not allow its wearer to gaze upon the great tapestry of fate. Instead, it granted the ability to perceive the intricate spellweave of Memories. Through the enchantment, Ananke was able to see the spellweave hidden within Memories.
Dark Garment	The dark garment seemed to be a perfectly mundane robe but sewn from some mystical material. The dark mantle contained a strange spellweave. The weave of the ethereal strings was elegant and vast, but not as complex as the Memories.^[20] All Memories shared universal patterns, such as the connection to the soul of the owner, the ability to manifest from and dissipate into soul essence, and the ability to self-repair in the Soul Sea. However, the weave of the mantle lacked these fundamental patterns. The weave of the mantle was created by someone else, possibly by the High Priest of the Nightmare Spell or one of his students. The weave of the mantle was technically not a Memory.^[20] See also: Ananke's Mantle
Ketch	The ketch was about seven meters long with very simple layout. There was only a single deck, with no roofed interior or cabins. The deck was completely open, with two masts, a longer one and a shorter one. It was made with a simple yet exquisite craftsmanship, with tastefully engraved wooden surfaces showing all sorts of flowing images. Despite its old age, the boat was maintained with care, remaining in near-perfect condition. At the stern, where the steering oar was supposed to be, there was only a mundane wooden bench. The ketch seemed like the loving creation of a supremely skilled artisan.^[1] The ketch cannot be sense by other creatures.^[21]
Others	Sunny and Nephis were gifted with three tools by Ananke for navigating the Great River:^[22] Bronze astrolabe - not really an astrolabe, as there were no stars in the Tomb of Ariel.^[22] Something resembled a sextant but its principles were different from the waking world.^[22] Strange compass that showed direction between past, future, dawn, and dusk.^[22]

Real Tomb of Ariel

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	Description
Ark Amulets	Ark Amulets were enchanted lockets that contained a small pocket dimension of its own, its inhabitants frozen in time, created as lesser versions of the Ark and entrusted to seven champions to preserve the remaining River People.^[23]

Background

Ananke was born after Weave was already established, a Riverborn.^[7]

Quotes

Sunny: "I am sorry, Grandmother… but why did you call us the Children of Weaver?"

Ananke: "Because you are the Chosen of the Nightmare Spell. You are... a miracle. Your existence is Weaver's triumph."

― Conversation about the Awakened,
Chapter 1285 Ananke

Trivia

She was different from the prisoner of the ruined cathedral. The dark mantle and the mask were the same, but the body hidden beneath them was not. Even with its features obfuscated, one could tell the difference.^[10]
She verified that the spell was created by the Demon of Fate.^[9]
She was a native inhabitant of the Great River.^[9]
She could summon a Memory as it was the ability of those infected by the Spell.^[24]
She only met a true defiled once.^[25]
She had considered going on her last journey but was stop due to her supposedly mission.^[26]
In Chapter 1306, she mentioned that she reached Transcendence not too long ago.
Ananke was one of those who refuse to become adults for decades.^[27]
Her favorite fairytale was Well of Wishes.^[28]
It was mentioned in Chapter 2933 that the actual Ananke (not the Nightmare version) reached Supreme rank.
In Chapter 2938, Ananke stated that she found herself missing several belongings.
- She once had a gorgeous vanity made from gold and ivory placed in an empty corner, complete with a polished bronze mirror, described as a relic from the world outside the Tomb of Ariel and passed down among the priestesses of Fallen Grace through generations, but it was simply gone.^[29]
- She also said she was missing her finest cutlery, as well as her best fishing net, which had been a Memory, kept safely in her soul, but it also disappeared.^[29]
In Chapter 3023-3024, Sunny is teaching Ananke of Weaving.
The River People gave Ananke the title "Ananke of Weave, the Silk Weaver" after learning how she had carried them across eternity within the Ark Amulets to a new world.^[3]

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Chapter 1283 Ketch
↑ Chapter 2932 Under Heaven
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Chapter 3021 Web
↑ Chapter 3144 The Gathering of Demigods
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Chapter 2930 City of Bones
↑ Chapter 1333 Farewells, The Storm
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 Chapter 1292 History of Time
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 Chapter 1297 Where Nightmares Come From
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 ^9.3 Chapter 1285 Ananke
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 ^10.2 Chapter 1284 Hail Weaver
↑ Chapter 1300 Riverborn
↑ Chapter 1303 The Great and Terrible Lord Sunless
↑ Chapter 1308 Weave
↑ Chapter 1320 Childhood's End
↑ Chapter 1326 Eye of the Storm
↑ Chapter 1295 No One Knows
↑ ^17.00 ^17.01 ^17.02 ^17.03 ^17.04 ^17.05 ^17.06 ^17.07 ^17.08 ^17.09 Chapter 2947 Silk Weaver
↑ ^18.0 ^18.1 ^18.2 Chapter 1299 Nameless Things
↑ ^19.0 ^19.1 Chapter 2935 Outside Time
↑ ^20.0 ^20.1 Chapter 1340 New Perspective
↑ Chapter 1287 Blissful Ignorance
↑ ^22.0 ^22.1 ^22.2 ^22.3 Chapter 1335 After the Storm
↑ Chapter 2936 Serpent's Ark
↑ Chapter 1286 Fortuitous Encounter
↑ Chapter 1293 Defilement
↑ Chapter 1305 House of Parting
↑ Chapter 1319 House of Youth
↑ Chapter 1331 The Well of Wishes
↑ ^29.0 ^29.1 Chapter 2938 Vile Spawn

Site Navigation

List of Awakened Humans by Rank

Sleepers	Andel ^† Caster ^† Gemma Gunlaug Harper ^† Harus ^† Kido Park Scar ^† Stephen ^† Stev Tessai ^†
Awakened	Aiko Ardon ^† Auro ^† Belle ^† Carin ^† Dorn ^† Elyas ^† Julius Luster Kim Kurt ^† Nameless Guy Pill Samara ^† Song Jiwon ^† Yutra
Masters	Amiran ^† Bast ^† Dale ^† Davis ^† Felise Fleur June Immortal Flame ^† Jesse ^† Karna ^† Mercy Morrow ^† Orum ^† Pierce ^† Quentin Rain Randall ^† Ray Rock Sean ^† Skif ^† Telle Tristan Tyrant (Alias) Verne ^† Warden ^† Welthe ^† Winter ^†
Saints	Aether Arelen Aidre ^† Beastmaster Bliss Bloodwave Ceres Cor ^† Cormac ^† Dar ^† Dire Fang ^† Erlas Gantry Gilead ^† Gorn Hel Helie Irian Jack ^† Jest Kaor Knossos ^† Lonesome Howl Ling Madoc ^† Moonveil Naeve Noctis ^? One in the North ^† Revel Rivalen Roan Sagramore ^† Saint of Sorrow ^? Shadow Lord ^† Shakti Shim Sid Sevras ^† Silent Stalker Smile of Heaven Siord Solvane ^† Sun Prince ^† Tamar Tatal ^† Thane Typhaon Tyris Wind Flower of the Twilight Sea ^†
Sovereigns	Ananke Anvil ^† Asterion ^* Azarax ^* Broken Sword ^† Cassie Daeron of the Twilight Sea ^† Effie Eurys ^* Jet Kai Ki Song ^† Mason ^† Mordret Morgan Nephis Nightwalker Seishan Sunny

“	Ananke greets the Children of Weaver...	”
― Ananke to Sunny and Nephis, Chapter 1284 Hail Weaver

Appearance

Third Nightmare

Real Tomb of Ariel

Personality

Aspect, Ability, & Flaw

Sorcery

Third Nightmare

Real Tomb of Ariel

Will

Real Tomb of Ariel

Possessions

Third Nightmare

Real Tomb of Ariel

Background

Quotes

Trivia

References

Site Navigation

Sources & history