Mithros

Template:TU Gods Mithros, also known as Bright Mithros, is the male ruler of the gods and is the head of the main pantheon of the Tortallan Universe. He is the consort of his wife and sister, the Great Mother Goddess, the Queen of the Gods.

Influence

Territorial designations

Mithros is worshipped widely throughout the world, including the Eastern and Southern Lands. He and the Great Mother Goddess are also worshipped on the other side of the world, under different aliases, by the Teasai people.

Mithros is the god of sun, light and fire, law, war, and magic.

Sacred people, animals, and magic

Mithros's main concern is order and justice, and as such is credited with mathematics and theory. As the gods like to use mortal vessels in order to aid their cause in the Mortal Realms, it is unknown how often he uses vessels.

Worship

Temples dedicated to Mithros could be found throughout the Eastern Lands. He was also worshiped in Carthak, and his temple in Carthak City was said to be quite beautiful. Two common features of Mithros's temples were polished sun-disks and candles, torches, or lamps to represent light. Mithran priests wore orange or yellow robes.

In the fifth century HE Mithran priests taught the pages at the Tortallan royal palace in "thinking arts" like reading, writing, and mathematics. The Mithran cloisters at the City of the Gods trained mages. Advanced studies included theology as well as magic- students became either priests of Mithros or priest-mages. A Mithran black and gold robe indicated mastery. Mithros's clergy was exclusively male, just as the Goddess's clergy was exclusively female.

Rituals

Marriages before Mithros involve the couple lighting a fire together and exchanging necklaces of marigolds. A priest of Mithros, along with a priestess of the Goddess, preforms royal marriages in Tortall.

On Midwinter, mummers may dress as animals and ask Mithros to bring back the sun.

Likeness

Mithros takes the appearance of a black man in gold armor, holding a spear with a white-hot tip. He uses a golden shield, which is one of his main relics.

Involvement in the Mortal Realms

Like many of the gods, Mithros involved himself in the affairs of mortals.

• In the 170s HE, Mithros and the Great Mother allied themselves against Kyprioth the Trickster, the patron god of the Copper Isles, in order to seize it for their own territory. They came over with Rittevon of Lenman, and the other luarin soldiers.
• In 452 HE, the Great Gods decided to punish Ozorne Tasikhe and Carthak, but left the execution of the punishment to the patron goddess of Carthak, the Graveyard Hag.
• Later that year, Mithros forced Veralidaine Sarrasri to choose between the Divine and Mortal Realms and between godhood and mortality. The gods claimed that half-gods always caused trouble if they were allowed too much freedom.
• In 460 HE, the Great Gods appointed the Chamber of the Ordeal with the task of finding a vessel to kill the necromancer called Blayce the Gallan, as he upset the balance between immortality and mortality. The Chamber chose Keladry of Mindelan and chose wisely.
• In 462 HE, Bright Mithros and his sister discovered that Kyprioth was meddling again, but Alianne of Pirate's Swoop vouched for him, saving him from a bad fate with the great gods.
• In 463 HE, Kyprioth had one of his lesser trickster minions steal the golden shield of Mithros and hide it, keeping the great god occupied. He and the Great Mother were angered to learn of Kyprioth's return to power.

Appearances

As Mithros is mentioned in nearly every book, this will just be a list of his appearances by order of publication date.

• The Immortals
  • The Realms of the Gods
• Trickster Series
  • Trickster's Choice

Real life connections

Mithros's name comes from the ancient Persian god Mithras.