Appearance

Physical Description

Hale and relatively strong.

Facial Features

Heavy brows

Apparel & Accessories

Earrings

Specialized Equipment

Staff of the Pious, Pyrelighter

Special abilities

Pothinus is a level 20 Cleric of the Domain of Ashes. When pressed into combat, he strikes with the fires of the sun. His harmony with the cycle allows him to draw strength from the deaths of nearby creatures, or restore them to life in a burst of holy fire. As Priest King, Pothinus has a direct connection to Zeilar, and can call upon the Sunrider in times of great crisis.

Mentality

Personal history

Birth & Upbringing (6804 -- 6812)

 
 
Pothinus was born on the 20th of Clayvest in 6804. He lost his mother at an early age to a Ravener raid, and shortly thereafter his father left to find her and never returned. Pothinus was raised by his aunts & uncles alongside his cousins. He had few strong friendships in childhood, resonating more with adults than his peers.
 
In 6812, at the age of 8, Pothinus stopped to listen to a Flamemother who'd traveled to his district of Brontha to preach. She told the story of The Prophet Kalor and the great works he accomplished through the Sunrider's grace. Already vaguely aware of the story of the First Miracle, Pothinus found himself transfixed. The story lodged in his heart, and that same day he asked his aunt & uncle to release him to the custody of the priesthood. They gave him their blessing, the priesthood gave them theirs, and young Pothinus left home.
 
 

Training in the Temple (6812-6828)

 
The young acolyte studied zealously, almost ferociously, devoting every waking moment to perusing the Benediction of Kalor and the writings of Nestor the Pious. His passion and intensity moved his fellow acolytes, but still he preferred the company of his teachers and other adults. Pothinus took up the study of rhetoric, enthusiastically engaging with other acolytes over differences of opinion or interpretation. He came across as aggressive--never physically, but intellectually--and though there were scholars who surpassed him in intelligence and knowledge, his ferocious energy and zeal often carried the day.
 
In 6814, Belshazzar Tohsaka was anointed Priest King of Brontha. Pothinus knew the legacy of the Tohsaka family, whose ancestors originally brought Nestor the Pious into Zeilar's light, and he decided on that day that to pursue Kalor's legacy he would strive to sit in the Priest King's throne.
 
 

Priesthood (6824-6839)

 
At the age of 24, Pothinus was anointed Fire Keeper of Zeilar, and took up the duties of a full fledged priest. He joined the ministers of the Councilor to the People, going out into the red brick squares and teaching the wisdom of Kalor to the masses. Pothinus' deep, resonant voice and passionate delivery put him at the center of great crowds. He paid special attention to the work of healing and comfort, wielding the power of Zeilar to cure diseases and injuries wherever he went. When he wasn't preaching and uplifting the morale of the city, he was busy writing treatises on Kalor's words and Nestor's interpretation, reading his works to acolytes in training, and adding to the collected writings of the priesthood.
 
Though slow, Pothinus' rise was consistent. Other priests were either impressed with his spirit and doctrinal passion, or intimidated by his intellectual ferocity. When the Elders of the Church saw fit to criticize or question him, his relentless service to the population of the city served to silence them.
 
 

Ministry of the Walls (6839-6847)

 
The arrival of the Marrowrend Horde of Raveners put all Pothinus' work to the test. Faced with an influx of refugees fleeing to the safety of the walls, Pothinus ran himself ragged tending to the wounded and comforting the fearful. His voice could be heard in the dead of night when the gates opened to bring in more survivors, and when the Sunrider crested the horizon Pothinus was still working. Throughout it all he continued his correspondance with Firekeepers and Acolytes in every branch of the church, challenging them and reassuring them in the same letter.
 
One such refugee was Duanre, an ember dwarf who led her extended family to the safety of Pothinus' care. Duanre was an important leader from her small community, a priestess of Zeilar who also worshipped Ferrouk, and served them both as an architect and forge cleric. Duanre came from modest means and tirelessly struggled to give her people what they needed. The two of them bonded over their shared experiences, and Pothinus found himself in love. She returned his affections, but neither of them had time for more than some meaningful companionship. Eventually she drifted back into the city, but remained in touch, and they visited each other whenever they could.
 
Impressed by his work, the High Priest of Brontha called upon Pothinus to change his vocation from the Ministry of the Councilor to the Ministry of the High Priest. Pothinus immediately accepted, confident that even in his new role he would still be working among the people of the city. When Archon Rephidim of Eythgos launched a full-scale military invasion of Brontha's lands, Pothinus walked along the red-brick walls, encouraging and supporting the guardians defending along its perimeter.
 
The worse the war went, the more fervent and resolute Pothinus became. His writings told the acolytes just starting their training in the safety of the city how important their studies were, just as much a part of Brontha's defense as the Phoenix Knights. Pothinus himself was caught in several vicious attacks, during which he roared to the defense and called fearlessly upon the light of Zeilar to strike The Iron Empire's legions.
 
Throughout the priesthood it was widely assumed that when the High Priest perished or concluded their service, Pothinus was the clear successor. His defense of the faith, reputation throughout the city and connections throughout the clergy made him a perfect candidate to guide the faithful. Pothinus himself knew that Zeilar chose him to serve and to lead, and even when Eythgos' armies closed in around the holy city, Pothinus defied them, absolutely confident in his god.
 

The Second Miracle (6847--6856)

 
On Zeilar's Day in 6847, life in Brontha changed forever. Pothinus was on the walls, under attack from Eythgan war mages and artillery, wounded and sheltering the dying, when dawn broke over the east early, and the fiery wings of the Phoenix spread across the horizon. Amosis Tohsaka, nephew of Priest King Belshazzar, called upon the Sunrider, and the Sunrider answered. In a blaze of wrath Eythgos' armies melted and scattered.
 
The Second Miracle shook Pothinus to his core. All his life he lived to emulate and follow Kalor's footsteps--and the Prophet's greatest work of faith reoccured in his time, before his very eyes. Never had the leonin's faith been stronger, but deep in his heart the wound of resentment ached. For all his work, teachings and service, Zeilar answered his prayers through the faith of another. He worked hard to quell this feeling, calling it evil and unworthy, and for the most part he managed.
 
A year later, Ahmosis Tohsaka was anointed High Priest of Brontha, the role all the priesthood believed would fall to Pothinus. Pothinus himself found no fault with the decision -- Zeilar himself had spoken -- and renewed his prayers to purge envy from his heart and refocus himself on his works. Pothinus became a loyal aid to Ahmosis, never a close friend, but one of the most competent and accomplished subordinates.
 
In this era of relative peace Duanre reached out to Pothinus to renew their relationship, and soon they were wed in the Temple of the Noonday Sun. While never one to neglect his duties, Pothinus made sure that her enclave of Ember Dwarves and former desert dwellers was always cared for and treated well. Duanre assured Pothinus that his service to Zeilar and to the people was its own reward, and that he was still well loved and appreciated for all he'd done--even if he wasn't the vessel of the Second Miracle.
 
In 6856 when Amosis Tohsaka was slaughtered by Designers and his daughter, the Blessed Child, went missing, Pothinus felt his faith truly shaken for the first time in years. Amosis left Pothinus in charge while he was away, and when news reached the capital Pothinus oversaw the mourning of the people, tending to their pain and grief. He himself questioned how the vessel of the Second Miracle, for whom Zeilar wiped out legions, could be slain in the desert by berserk machines. But he set aside his doubt to focus, as always, on service. There was no satisfaction in his knowledge that he would likely take Amosis' place as the High Priest, not with such a terrible price.
 

Reign (6857--6863)

 
Priest King Balshazzar Tohsaka passed away on the 19th of Emberheart in 6856. As acting High Priest, Pothinus once again led the people of the Solar City in mourning. With loss after loss, Pothinus bore the collective grief and defeats of his people on his shoulders. So, too, did he call the Elders of the faith to gather in Kalor's Court, to invoke the Sunrider and anoint a new Priest King.
 
When the conclave emerged, Pothinus himself had been chosen, and on the Feast of Glass in 6857 -- ten years after the Second Miracle -- Pothinus' peer, Flamefather Walagash, anointed him with the holy oils and blessed incense of Pyrelighter. In a time of grim determination and countless losses, Pothinus achieved his long term goal. It was a heavy day for him, not the triumph he'd hoped for, but Kalor's legacy was his to uphold, and he swore to the Sunrider that he would not fail.
 
Now that he held the throne, Pothinus set about fulfilling his duty -- to bring light to the darkness that took Amosis and Garnet Tohsaka from their people. Ever since the disappearance of the Blessed Child, no prayer, ritual or invocation revealed her fate, and Meresan Tohsaka was already leading her Phoenix Knights into the field to search for her daughter. By the time Pothinus took the throne, there'd already been conflict and violence with Bothotlo tribesfolk. A bloody incident involving the search of a Bothotlo village threatened to bring the two cultures into greater conflict, but Pothinus' agents reported that there could still be Infernal conspirators lurking among the Dragon Tribe. While reluctant to cause heedless violence between peoples that should be allies against the Infernals, neither could Pothinus tolerate agents of corruption who killed the High Priest to escape justice. He approved of laws and decrees sending out additional patrols and resources to search for Garnet Tohsaka, and warned that Zeilar's light would reveal any darkness hidden in mortal hearts.

Education

(Lifelong priesthood)

Employment

(Lifelong priesthood)

Accomplishments & Achievements

Preservation of holy texts

Mental Trauma

Death of Amosis Tohsaka

Morality & Philosophy

Judges others harshly

person.sexuality

Bisexual

Known Languages

Common, Celestial, Primordial Ignan, Infernal

Personality

Motivation

Charity. Pothinus wants to be the one who helps people and saves people.

Vices & Personality flaws

He judges others harshly, but himself harshest of all.

Personality Quirks

In conversation, Pothinus stares into the distance while listening, and only makes eye contact when he is speaking.

Social

Birthplace

Brontha

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Priest King, Holy Flamefather

Wealth & Financial state

As Priest King, Pothinus commands the wealth of Brontha. While he ensures that he, his council and his personal staff all have luxurious clothing and eat the finest meals in the city, he is otherwise cautious with his spending.