Pontiff
The Pontiff is the highest rank within Phidas' priesthood. Scarterra has three Pontiffs each with an assigned geographic area.
The three Pontiffs are expected to work together but in reality this is not practical. The Pontiffs are too far removed geographically to communicate regularly. Also, anyone who clawed their way to the top of the Mask’s pyramid are going to be very ambitious and not likely to trust rivals.
One Pontiff is in charge of all Phidas temples in West Colassia. In reality, the dwarf Masks in Meckelorn and Stahlheim are loathe to take direction from a human pontiff, but they will at least pretend to listen. They are hoping to see a dwarf Pontiff eventually.
One Pontiff is in charge of all Phidas Temples in Umera and the Elven Empire, but the elf Masks are loathe to follow a human. There was an elf Pontiff once but the Umeran humans are generally prejudiced against elves (all the wars their ancestors fought), so they were even less unified under an elf pontiff.
The Third Pontiff is in charge of all Phidas Temples in Penarchia and East Colassia on paper, but in reality the Third Pontiff is the Pontiff on Penarchia and that’s it. East Colassia does not have a lot of Masks and these Masks are loathe to work together because the East Colassian masks are split between the dark elves of Kahdisteria and the humans of the Colassian Confederacy, mortal enemies. Both the Confederate aligned Masks and the dark elf Masks believe the Pontiff overly favors the other faction, so they are not worthy of respect and obedience.
Appointment
If there is a vacancy, every Pontiff of the second highest rank can volunteer to try to fill the vacancy (and most do volunteer). The Pontiff candidates all face a battery of difficult tests by Phidas’ most powerful questing spirits to determine who gets the promotion.
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