Ptharos
Lord Ptharos is the Great Father, leader of the Triad and, in the Imperial Tradition, King of the Gods. He is the god of wisdom and rightful rulership, whatever form that takes. In the Aebasan Orthodoxy, Lord Ptharos once went mad with power and became a tyrant, until he was overthrown and replaced with the Celestial Council. In the Koramian Heresy, Ptharos realized that he had become corrupt and passed the scepter of rulership to Vortumnus. In both of the latter traditions, he is depicted as a wizened old man who acts as an advisor, not a ruler, to the gods.
Due to these disparate belief systems, worship of Lord Ptharos is paramount in the states of the former |Great Empire, where his clergy are king-makers and even crown the Emperor himself. Conversely, on Duria and Gallorea, worship of Lord Ptharos is rare except in Temples to the Triad, which also support Baelthor, his son, and Betshaba, his daughter.
The liturgy of Lord Ptharos claims that he has no enemies, as he has forgiven all of the trespasses of other deities, including that of his own brother, Dagon, for trying to destroy creation. Though the clergy of Lord Ptharos do not call Crusades of any sort, they are often called upon to stand up to the machinations of Dagon or his descendants.
| Ptharos |
| God of Air |
 |
| Descriptive Info |
| Gender: Male |
| Avatar: Lord Ptharos has a multitude of Avatars, though his most popular are Garethon the Aged and Augustus Ptharus |
| Consort(s): None (though, through Dagon's trickery, Ptharos begat Luna on Mania) |
| Allies: All of the Triadic, Ptharosian, Betshaban, and Baelthoric deities, and the Iuvenes owe homage to Lord Ptharos and generally obey his commands; amongst those, Betshaba and Baelthor (his first children, with whom he is head of the Triad), Aridnus (god of Judgment), Cthos (god of the Underworld), Evander (god of Gates), Gyges (god of Thunder), Luna (goddess of the Moon and daughter), Melpomene (goddess of Clouds), Ophion (god of the Sun), Thalia (goddess of the Hearth) and Zelos (god of the State) are his staunchest allies. |
| Foes: The liturgy of Lord Ptharos claims that none are beyond his forgiveness, even his brother. However, Dagon and his lineage, the Inimicures and the Dagonian, Maelphegorian, Enosian, and Taltosian deities, have long been enemies of Lord Ptharos. Chief amongst these of course is Dagon (god of Fire and Evil) himself. |
| Spiritual Info |
| Rank: Greatest |
| Nature: Ordered |
| Ethos: Benevolent |
| Major Influence: Air |
| Minor Influence(s): Rulership, authority, wisdom, truth, goodness |
Symbols
The primary symbol of Lord Ptharos is a green triangle, almost always depicted above the brown triangle of Baelthor and the blue triangle of Betshaba. The three-leafed clover is an extremely important symbol of the Triad, and is often used in religious ritual by the priests, or kept in a locket for luck. The four-leafed clover is considered extremely bad luck, and is to be destroyed where-ever it is encountered. Mica is the most important stone to Lord Ptharos, and divinations are often carried out staring into a specially-prepared sheet of the stone. Any priest of Lord Ptharos who attempts a Divination Casting with a sheet of Mica gains a 1 DR bonus for use of the casting.
The number seven is also significant to Ptharos and it is said that he graces groupings of this number.
Dwelling Place
Lord Ptharos dwells in the Palace of Erystes, but he holds court in the Grand Pantheon, adjacent to his palace.
Servants
Mattatron is Lord Ptharos' greatest attendant, King of the Order of Archangels. Other archangels, including Michahel, serve Ptharos through him. Other attendants include Aridnus, god of Judgment, who sits at the left hand of Lord Ptharos; Zelos, god of the State, who sits at his right hand; Ophion, god of the sun, who carries the Truth of Ptharos across the sky; and Thalia, goddess of the Hearth, who keep the Hearthfire of the Gods burning for eternity.
Doctrine
No information available on the doctrine of Ptharos
Mission
No information available on the mission of Ptharos
Geography
No geographic information available on Ptharos
History of the Church
No historic information available on Ptharos
Organization
No information available on the Organization of the Church of Ptharos
Garments
Priests of Lord Ptharos must wear green on their person, and the robes of those of higher station are lavish indeed, with gold trimming and tall, embroidered hats. Monks are permitted only a rough robe, dyed green, with Abbots being permitted a small emblem to adorn their robe to signify their station. Priests are encouraged to only cut the hair on the top of their heads, and permit the rest of their hair to grow uncut and unhindered (particularly during ceremonies…at other times, it is permissible to tie the hair into whatever fashion is popular). The holy symbol of a priest, a green triangle, must be worn around the neck, or else on a band over the forehead. It must be visible at all times.
Religious Practices
No information available on the religous practices of the Church of Ptharos
Customs
The worshippers of Lord Ptharos follow the Creed of Truth, an ancient document which details the operations necessary to appease the High Lord. It commands that the children of Lord Ptharos, Betshaba and Baelthor, must be worshipped in the same temple, which has resulted in the unusual four-point design of a typical Temple of the Triad (an entrance hall with three temples protruding from its apex). The Creed of Truth also commands that his worshippers must speak the truth in all things, particularly to their superiors. Sex out of wedlock is considered a highly deceptive sin, as the couple is pretending that their union is recognized by Lord Ptharos. Failure to produce a child once married, however, is also a sin, as those married under the Church of Ptharos must promise that their union will prosper. Any marriage that does not produce an offspring in its first seven years is considered annulled, and the couple are not permitted to remarry each other. Divorce before this time is rare, but possible through extreme penance for both parties. The Creed of Truth also commands that children must obey their fathers, and that they must give precedence to the eldest brother of a family. It is often considered a darker sin to disrespect one's brother than it is to disobey one's father. Of course, worshippers are permitted a certain amount of leeway, to be forgiven by a priest in confession, but a priest who transgresses this code is stripped of his position and his Vow becomes void. Those who violently disregard the Creed of Truth are often excommunicated by an Archisacerdos or one of his superiors. An excommunication by the Pontifex himself is rare, but cannot be revoked by anything short of a pronouncement from Lord Ptharos himself. Those excommunicated by a priest of Lord Ptharos are not permitted to enter any temple, and often flee to the comfort of one of the Dagonian deities for spiritual guidance.
Most services to Lord Ptharos take place during the middle of the day, except for the Dedication of the Triad, which is described below.
Taboos
Priests of Lord Ptharos are required to obey the Creed of Truth, as described above. Worshippers must give at least ten percent (a tithe) of their income to the Church, though this tithe may be given in the form of land, to be granted to the Church upon the death of the worshipper. Worshippers are also forbidden to keep a fire lit during Dagon's Hour, from midnight to one in the morning, and any fire that they do keep during the other hours of the night must be minimal. It is said that Dagon can see into the world only through flame, and may manifest only in a flame burning during his hour. Though the exact definition of a "minimal" flame is a question of much debate, local social mores often dictate when a fire is too large. Nighttime bonfires are always considered extravagant, and bordering on the worship of Dagon himself.
The only colors restricted from usage by the priests of Lord Ptharos are orange and yellow, which are the colors of Dagon in religious practice.
