Pholtus
| Greyhawk Deity | |
|---|---|
| Pholtus | |
| |
| Pholtus of the Blinding Light, as depicted in Dragon #294 (2002). | |
| Title(s) | Pholtus of the Blinding Light |
| Home Plane | Mechanus |
| Power Level | Intermediate |
| Gender | Male |
| Class(es) | |
| Alignment | Lawful Good (Lawful Neutral) |
| Portfolio | Light, Resolution, Law, Order, Inflexibility, Sun, Moons |
| Domains | Good, Knowledge, Inquisition, Law, Sun |
| Alias(es) | none |
| Superior | none |
Pholtus of the Blinding Light is the Oeridian god of Light, Resolution, Law, Order, Inflexibility, the Sun, and the Moons. Pholtus's symbol is a silvery sun with a crescent moon on the lower right quadrant. His colors are white, silver and gold.
Description
Pholtus himself appears as a tall, slender man with pale skin, flowing white hair and bright blue eyes burning with the fires of devotion. He always wears a silky white gown and a cassock trimmed with gold and silver, embroidered with suns and moons.
Realm
Pholtus is said to reside in The Path of Law, a domain in the Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus. Dragon #294 placed him in Mount Celestia instead.
Relationships
Pholtus has an unfriendly rivalry with Saint Cuthbert and despises the Oeridian wind deities (Atroa, Sotillion, Telchur, Velnius, and Wenta).
He is opposed by Trithereon and Xan Yae. Clerics of Norebo particularly enjoy bothering his followers. Pholtus is allied with Heironeous and Pelor.
Dogma
Scriptures
The Libram Snactus Vox is regarded by many to be among the Pholtan faith's most sacred writings (LGJ#2.30).
Worshipers
Worshippers of Pholtus are called Pholtans. Some Pholtans claim that he set the sun and the moon in the sky and maintains them in their rigid procession to show all creatures the One True Way, a strict path which allows no deviation but absolutely assures rightness. Such claims are not regarded as doctrine.
The Pholtan church is the state religion of the Theocracy of the Pale, and is the only religion permitted or recognized within that nation. An even more severe Pholtine theocracy exists in the Bandit Kingdom state of Dimre. Pholtus's church is also widespread in Nyrond and the Shield Lands.
The faith of Pholtus often conflicts or works at cross purposes with that of Saint Cuthbert, whose alignment is also borderline lawful neutral/lawful good.
Clergy
Pholtus's clerics are most active in cities, where they seek to reveal the light to unbelievers. They act as lawyers, judges, and arbiters when they're not preaching about their god. They are never completely without light if they can help it. Magical light is preferred, but a candle or a piece of luminous fungus will serve if no other light is available.
Paladins
Paladins of Pholtus are known as templars or inquisitors. They consider questions of morality to be secondary to faithfulness to Pholtus and his One True Way. They seek the destruction of chaos, darkness, and evil, in that order. While some individual Pholtan paladins can be as merciful as paladins of Pelor or Heironeous, doubt and mercy are not considered virtues in their tradition, and many believe them to be weaknesses.
Pholtan paladins traditionally dress in white and pale yellow tunics of fine linen or silk, with silvery borders decorated with suns and moons or excerpts from Pholtan scripture.
The Knights Templar of the Theocracy of the Pale are the most infamous of Pholtus's paladins, combining Pholtan conviction with nationalistic zeal.
The Lords of the Gloaming are a group of Pholtan paladins who seek to destroy portals to the Lower Planes of existence. Saint Ceril the Relentless was among their number.
Temples and rituals
Buildings consecrated to Pholtus are white. Services include many brightly burning candles, long sermons and choruses of the worshipers' anthem, "O Blinding Light".
Gallery
Bibliography
- Gygax, Gary. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
- -----. "The Deities and Demigods of the World of Greyhawk." Dragon #68. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1982.
- Holian, Gary. "More Holy Warriors of the Flanaess: Paladins of Greyhawk." Dungeon #104. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, November 2003.
- Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K. Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
- McComb, Colin. On Hallowed Ground. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1996.
- Moore, Roger E. The Adventure Begins. Renton, WA: TSR, 1998.
- Noonan, David. "Beings of Power: Four Gods of Greyhawk." Dragon #294 Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.
- -----. Complete Divine. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2004.
- Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
- Ward, James M. Greyhawk Adventures. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1988.
