Pteethtack

Pteethtack is a myth which most ascribe to being about the end of the world, and the three figures that will usher it in throughout history, each representing a step towards the end. These three figures are said to be the False King, the False Hero, and the False God.

The Pretenders

The Pteethtack myth originates from a document of unknown origins, which most have traced to a location with no other known signs of life or civilization. Due to this, some believe it to be a forgery, meant to make people fear the theoretical end times.
The initial document itself is where it originates, and yet there are also plenty of stories it has spawned. Wives tales, fables, myths, and legends on its true meaning. These are all conjecture, theories on what this ancient text could possibly mean. Much of it is fearmongering.
However, it is difficult to separate the original myth and the stories that spawned from it now, and when most think of the Pteethtack myth, they think of stories developed afterwards, interpreting and recreating the myth. All the original myth consists of are a few translated, unconnected words. Still, it is believed by most despite the unclear nature of its origins and meaning.

An Unknown Language

Pteethtack is, for the most part, written in an indecipherable language, which is why most of this is unknown. There are only six words in the document that have been translated, which was thanks to another discovered fragment of a document containing those words as well as a translation into another language.
These words are as follows:

• Pteethtack- False


• Fleat- King


• Oomsou- Hero


• Thel- God


• Hwuo- End/Half

The word Hwuo is debated heavily, as the translated secondary document used it to mean both half and end. What it means, then, is uncertain and many think it means end.

False Figures

The other known words speak of the three figures of disaster: Fleat Pteethtack, Oomsou Pteethtack, and Thel Pteethtack. Most of what is known about them comes from the myths developed after the translation of the original document, from those who wrote further about the idea of the Pteethtacks.
First, there is the False King, Fleat Pteethtack. Said to be a ruler with a potential claim to a throne. War will follow him, a brutal war of brothers, civil war engulfing the lands near and far. His birth alone is an omen, and his ascension is a sign the world has entered a period of turmoil that will only conclude with the end times.
Then, there is the False Hero, Oomsou Pteethtack. The tale fabricated around him is that he will claim to be out to slay a great monster, a threat that targets the whole world, and yet he will be the true threat. He will lead a movement that will bring about disaster and tear the planet apart, killing more people than he saved not by his blade, but by the actions that result from it.
Finally, there is the False God, Thel Pteethtack. It is said that Thel follows in the footsteps of Fleat and Oomsou, the final of the three pretenders, and the first sign of the end of what was and the beginning of what will be. Many believe this to mean an apocalypse is ushered in by Thel Pteethtack, the end of the world itself heralded by the False God. It is believed by some he will tear heaven down, with some thinking this means killing a God or multiple Gods, and others saying it means making Totania into a Heavenly Realm. Some wish for the arrival of Thel Pteethtack, but many more fear him.
Despite the fact that it is said there shall be a long period from Fleat to Oomsou to Thel Pteethtack, it is said that all three will still live when the end times come. How this is possible, no one is certain. This mostly leads people to believe all three are from long-lived species like Elves or Dwarves. It is a popular myth in Dwarven culture that it will be them that heralds in the apocalypse, a point of pride instead of fear, as they think having the three Pteethtacks would be a sign of their might and influence.
In Elven culture it is believed that all three of these figures are Half-Elves, as the one translation of Hwuo implies. They have a heavy disdain for those not of full Elven blood, calling the pretenders anyway, and thus find the correlation lines up perfectly. Thus, any Half-Elf that claims to be anything of the sort, a King, a Hero, or a God, is immediately cast into a negative light.

Spread and Reception

There was quite some time when the Pteethtack myth was known only in academic circles. But as these academics wrote about it, it spread to more commonfolk. However, what made it spread more was the writings not in study of the myth, but in addition to it. The stories that told more about the pretenders, sermons warning about them, legends about the end times.
Due to this, the name Pteethtack is cursed around the world, feared by most everyone in the world.
There have been many figures that have risen up, pretending to be one of the pretenders or who has been called one of them. Cult leaders are always thought of as Thel Pteethtack, though few have ever been given the respect of anyone actually believing that, as Thel Pteethtack is much more than a cult leader. Any pretender king is considered Fleat Pteethtack, but as long as the civil wars caused do not spread, it is disregarded. Oomsou Pteethtack is far more difficult to get a grip on, and many fear that it may not be possible to exactly discern who could be the real Oomsou Pteethtack, if and when he appears.
Any Dwarf that is suspected of being a Pteethtack finds no shortage of followers hoping to gain glory. However, Dwarf, Half-Elf, or any other suspect is targetted by the Elves, particularly the Elven Guard, who are sent to take them out in any way they can. The Elves intend to do whatever they can to take down any potential Pteethtack.
The myth is less believed in other nations. Most fear the possibility if they think of it at all, such as the Kingdom of Man, the Korvians, and the Lizardfolk, the latter of which figure it to be another disaster they need to prepare to endure. Many Draconians consider the possibility frightening, as magical events generally center around them, and their lack of mention in myth seems a bad omen to them. The Orcs, however, welcome the end. Their version of the myth is used as a rousing tale of times where Orcs may fight against the end of the world.
Is the myth true? It is unlikely that it is, for the original myth is unknown. However, magic is the power of will and belief. If enough people believe in Pteethtack... perhaps one day it may come to pass.