Pholtus

In-universe
subject = a
described_object = a fictional deity
category =

Greyhawk Deity


caption=
bgcolor=#000
fgcolor=#fff
name=Pholtus
title=Pholtus of the Blinding Light
home=The Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus
power=Intermediate
alignment=Lawful Good (Lawful Neutral)
portfolio=Light, Resolution, Law, Order, Inflexibility, Sun, Moons
domains=Good, Knowledge, Inquisition, Law, Sun
alias=none
super=none

In the "World of Greyhawk" campaign setting for the "Dungeons & Dragons" roleplaying game, 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.

Publication history

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

Pholtus was first detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game in "The Deities and Demigods of the World of Greyhawk" by Gary Gygax in "Dragon" #68 (1982). [Gygax, Gary. "The Deities and Demigods of the World of Greyhawk." "Dragon" #68 (TSR, 1982)] Pholtus was subsequently detailed in the "World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting" (1983), [Gygax, Gary. "World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting" (TSR, 1983)] and in "Greyhawk Adventures" (1988). [Ward, James M. "Greyhawk Adventures" (TSR, 1988)]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

Pholtus was one of the deities described in the "From the Ashes" set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign, [Sargent, Carl. "From the Ashes" (TSR, 1992)] and appeared again in "Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins" (1998). [Moore, Roger E. "Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins" (TSR, 1998)]

His role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in "On Hallowed Ground" (1996). [McComb, Colin. "On Hallowed Ground" (TSR, 1996)] Pholtus is described as one of the good deities that celestials can serve in the supplement "Warriors of Heaven" (1999). [Perkins, Christopher. "Warriors of Heaven" (TSR, 1999)]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

Pholtus's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the "Living Greyhawk Gazetteer" (2000). [Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. "Living Greyhawk Gazetteer" (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)]

Pholtus was one of the deities detailed in "Dragon" #294 (2002), in the article "Beings of Power: Four Gods of Greyhawk." Noonan, David. "Beings of Power: Four Gods of Greyhawk." "Dragon" #294 (Paizo Publishing, 2002)]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

His priesthood is detailed for this edition in "Complete Divine" (2004). [Noonan, David. "Complete Divine" (Wizards of the Coast, 2004)]

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.

Worshippers

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.

Pholtus's 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 worshippers' anthem, "O Blinding Light".

References

Additional reading

*Brown, Anne. "Player's Guide". Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
*Conforti, Steven, ed. "Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign," version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online: [http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip]
*Findley, Nigel. "Greyspace". (TSR, 1992)
*Gygax, Gary, and Frank Mentzer. "The Temple of Elemental Evil" (TSR, 1985).
*Holian, Gary. "More Holy Warriors of the Flanaess: Paladins of Greyhawk." "Dungeon" #104. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, November 2003.
*Reynolds, Sean K. "Core Beliefs: Saint Cuthbert." "Dragon" #358. (Paizo Publishing, 2007).
*Living Greyhawk Journal no. 3 - "Gods of Oerth"