Pitru Punstraia

Pitru Ermení Punstraia also known by his adopted name Senate (Used interchangeably), is the Altan (Religious and Political Leader) of the Arcadian Altanate, a theocratic nation serving as the refuge and authority for all adherents to the Mufijo Faith. He is from the city of Ddaza, a city-state in the foreign realm of his birth, from which he fled after heavy religious persecution and threats of violence. He is the founder and mayor of the town of Wahat Almarjan.

Life in Yuvantiya
Pitru was born 22 years before his exile to Alathra, in the city of Ddaza. The city is located in the realm of Yuvantiya, which Pitru has since left behind and renounced. He was born into a small clan of religious dissidents known as the Punstraia. In his early years, he was discriminated against due to his family's refusal to adhere to the official faith of the city.

Pitru vaguely remembers his parents, two peasants of Clan Punstraia who held no sway or influence within it. His immediate family attempted to lay low and not attract attention, especially given their Punstraia affiliation, something that likely played a part in Pitru and his immediate family's continued survival. Unfortunately for the rest of Pitru's clan, their notoriety as religious dissidents and more bombastic nature would bring about their destruction.

At age 15, all of Clan Punstraia he knew of, every grandparent, uncle, aunt, and cousin were brutally killed by a mob after being blamed for a particularly bad harvest year in the surrounding area. Pitru and his family only survived by falsely submitting to the god of the Ddazans, as they had been doing for years before. Although this would save his life, it would be an act which Pitru would have to repent for in his great years long trek through Alathra. With his father now unexpectedly becoming the Sifan (leader) of the severely diminished Clan Punstraia, Pitru became the target of yet more discrimination and threats. he was constantly harassed with weaponry, and carried nothing on him to ensure he could not be robbed. He could not even sleep peacefully, with near nightly attacks on his family's home by disgruntled neighbors and religious fanatics.

When it seemed circumstances could not get any worse, Pitru's parents were both killed in an outbreak of a deadly disease known as the Ašvat Hibra (Great Reaper), the illness nearly taking his own life as well. By some miracle, he survived, but not before he was stripped of what little property his Clan had left. By virtue of the fact that all his relatives were now dead, the title of Sifan of Clan Punstraia passed to Pitru, although it became nothing more than another target on his back. At age 22, Pitru had become a farmer on the outskirts of the city and intended to live simply to preserve his shaky safety.

Exile from Yuvantiya
But even in this passive state, Pitru drew the ire of the magistrates of Ddaza, who wished to try him for inciting the outbreak of disease, hoping to finally rid their city of the Punstraia for good. Now fearing for his life, Pitru fled Ddaza into the nearby forest in the midst of particularly terrible winter rains. In this forest, he fell asleep, weak and weary from hours of running, only to be awoken by a grand spectacle. Before Pitru were the gods of his faith, Afi - the Sun, Jorb - the Moon, Xamu - the Earth. The three gods warned him of a search party out to kill him, prepared to carry out Pitru's execution ordered by the Ddazan magistrates.

The gods pitied him and gave him the option to leave his homeland, and instead walk through a fissure in realms to a new, safer place. They also bestowed upon him the name "Senate", a word translating to "of the divine" as a way to disguise him from any enemies and show his value to the gods. With no other options, Pitru accepted the gods' gracious offer and was ushered through the fissure by the divine of his faith.

The Great Trek
Senate awoke in a field of low grass and sparse trees. He looked around, hopefully safe from his enemies at last, seeing a blue sky and beautiful nature of a new land: Alathra. The gods came to him once more and promised to uphold his current safety, but only if Senate could survive a punishment for his renouncing of his faith to save his own life. Pitru would stay in this realm, Alathra, for the next 6 years. After serving this penance, as long as he respected the authority and will of the gods throughout it, he would be able to return to his home realm of Yuvantiya and retire to the small farming life he had attempted to start up before his exile. Although he was ill-prepared, Pitru was imbued with a will to survive and persist, resolving to set out into the foreign lands that now surrounded him.

Before they took their leave, the gods gifted Senate with his family's hunting bow, the Malnourished Hippopotamus, an object he had left at his home in Yuvantiya. Although lost for two years after the Great Alathran War, Senate would regain the weapon, leaving it in his possession to this day. The bow is the only object he has left from his old life in Yuvantiya. Setting off from the pristine hills he had found himself in, Pitru travelled south, encountering the great city of Lothridge. Fearing that he would be attacked for his unknown status in Lothridge, Pitru stopped short of entering the city, and began making an arduous journey West. He trekked through the mountains surrounding Lothridge and found himself near a large river that he called the Draxí, named in Arcadian after the flowers he encountered on the banks of the river. Crossing the Draxí would not be easy, however, and Pitru was brutally attacked by a Skeleton firing at him from the shore. Although he survived, Senate was now badly injured and needed shelter and food.

Praying to his deities, the gods directed him to a nearby forest for refuge. The forest seemed mystical in a sense, and although he could not investigate further, Pitru swore he witnessed a bright glow shining from deep in the thick of trees. This mystic nature healed Senate's wound, and he would go on to honor and swear to protect any forest with a tree (Dark oak) alike to the ones in the mystical forest. The forest provided him with enough wild berries to sustain him for a few months and the abundant woods made for good boat-building material. Senate believed by building a boat, he could perhaps sail to a land more conducive for habitation, or perhaps, other signs of civilization (barring his unfounded fearful encounter with Lothridge). He set up a small camp, fished from the nearby Angler Lake, and worked to build up resources for a boat over the course of a month. Loading it with as many berries as he could, Pitru said goodbye to his small camp and climbed in, sailing out towards the sea.

Upon sailing out to the sea, Pitru's tired state and lack of sleep became quite apparent. Phantoms form the sky dived down to harass him as he rowed. With a crudquickly noticed a large landmass on the horizon. He rowed towards it and landing not far from a small fishing village. Going north, Pitru had his first sight of civilization outside of Lothridge: Kais Kogong. He trekked towards the town, not knowing what to expect, and not possibly able to predict that an encounter with the Kogongi would change his life forever.

Beginning a New Life
Through his travels, Senate reached the land of Koganon and encountered a man by the name of Game Glider SKG. Game Glider was one of the founders of the nearby nation of Kogongu, and, in his kindness, offered to help Senate become a resident. While Senate liked the idea of once again becoming a citizen of a nation, he also had his own vision for a society and preferred to make his home on a peninsula not far from the Kogongi capital at Kais Kogong. With the approval of the other Kogongi, Senate joined the nation of Kogongu and founded his own town, which he named after an Oasis of Coral in the vast sea surrounding the peninsula. This village, Wahat Almarjan (Axatu Marǧejá in Arcadian), would have a rocky start. After constructing his home and receiving help from Game_Glider in building the beginnings of a mosque for Senate's faith of Mufijo, Senate entered a long period of simple living. During this time, Senate would farm and pray peacefully and did not interact much with his fellow Kogongi for months on end. Senate also began using his old name of Pitru once more, after he learned of his homeland's grim fate.

Becoming a Leader
This peaceful and static state of affairs continued until Pmak, an ethnic Kogongi not part of the nation of Kogongu, joined the town. Pitru eventually constructed a wall when threats of war against Kogongu were made, and Wahat would begin to grow, along with Pitru's dedication to his faith. Game Glider joined Wahat not long after, with Pitru naming him as Lead Architect. Pitru, Game Glider, and Pmak were then each visited by one of the Three Gods of Mufijo in their dreams, who instrcuted the three to found an independent theocratic homeland for the followers of Mufijo, and to name an Altan to lead it. The gods also bestowed the title of Mumba upon the three avatars of the gods. The Three Mumbas eventually got the approval of Kogongu to form their Altanate, and Pitru, being the founder of the town and the only one of his people who stayed faithful to the gods, was named as the Altan. Pitru rules as an absolute monarch, with the two other Mumbas acting as the only check on his power. Wahat has drastically expanded, and the Grand Mosque of Jiba the Wise finally resumed construction under the supervision of Glider. Senate has in recent times has conducted diplomacy with the nearby town of Atolia and the nation of Elyria and has constructed several buildings in Wahat to improve the happiness of the residents, such as the first ever Dunkaccino's.

Political Beliefs
Senate believes himself and his two fellow Mumbas to be chosen by the gods of his faith, and thus is a supporter of the divine right theory of monarchy. Over his years of rule, however, Pitru has also taken a liking to the increasingly democratic society of Arcadia, as it takes some of the pressure of governing off his shoulders. He has come to trust his people more, and supports them in the name of democratic ideals. Pitru supported the creation of the Holy Senate of Arcadia, has monitored and managed every Arcadian election, and serves as the main source for information on the Arcadian government. He admires the governments of Ashina and Lydoneia, for their long lasting and democratic governance respectively.

Pitru has personally written a draft of Constitution of the Arcadian Altanate, which awaits approval by the Holy Senate of Arcadia. Senate specifically designed the document to give more power to the people and their elected executive, the Prime Minister of Arcadia, as well as the Holy Senate. Although it took him years to fully complete, the reception of the document has been widely positive, and Senate hopes it may put an end to any lingering political instability in Arcadia. Pitru also plans to construct a palace in Wahat Almarjan to be the center of his royal court and complete the massive project that is the city.

Religious Beliefs
Senate is the leader of the faith of Mufijo, and is known to be the hand of creation to the sun god Afi. He has dictated the list of forbidden (Ansolla) and permitted (Consolla) things for the faithful, and has committed to writing down the tenets and Path of Mufijo for the first time in the faith's history. Pitru is currently compiling myths and stories into an official holy book, the Mufijoreon, and wishes to distribute it throughout Alathra to finally fulfill the divine mission of the Arcadian Altanate: converting as many as possible to the faith of Mufijo. As a key tenet of Mufijo is constructing works for the faith, Senate has ordered the construction of the Grand Mosque of Jiba the Wise, which is to be the centerpiece of Wahat Almarjan.

Trivia

 * Pitru is fluent in 3 languages (Arcadian, Kogongi, Dwarvish)
 * Pitru's family, the Punstraia, is one of many clans of the faith of Mufijo
 * Pitru is a farmer by trade
 * In the words of his own player: "Pitru is from Peter Griffin, Ermení is from Armenia because I was thinking about it that day, and Punstraia translates to something like elephant man in Arcadian"
 * Pitru's design is based off Philip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy from 1419-1467