Altan
Pitru Ermení Punstraia
alt
Pitru's Standard Formal Attire
Pronunciation[ˈpʲi.tru erˈmɛni bunˈstraja]
Born22 BA (Before Alathra) (age 35)
City of Ddaza, Realm of Yuvantiya
ResidenceHouse of the Arcadian Altan, Wahat Almarjan Province, Arcadian Altanate
NationalityArcadian Altanate
CitizenshipArcadia
OccupationAltan of Arcadia, Farmer, High Priest of Mufijo
OrganizationFaith of Mufijo
Known forFounding Wahat Almarjan, Compiling the Holy Texts of Mufijo
Notable workBooks of Ansolla and Consolla, Arcadian Constitution
Height5'10"
TitleHis Divine Majesty, Eternal Servant of the Gods, Great Scribe and High Priest of Mufijo, Custodian of the Great Mosque of Jiba the Wise, Holy Altan of Arcadia, Sifan of Clan Punstraia, Pitru I
Spouse(s)None
Partner(s)None
Children0
Parent(s)Lowborn Peasants of Clan Punstraia (Deceased)
RelativesNone (All Deceased)
FamilyPunstraia

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 oligarchic monarchy. He is from the city of Ddaza, a city-state in his 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.

Biography

Life in Yuvantiya

Pitru was born in the city of Ddaza, in the realm of Yuvantiya, which Pitru has since left behind. 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.

 
Coat of Arms of Clan Punstraia

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 did not seem as if could get any worse, Pitru's parents were both killed in an outbreak of a deadly disease known as the Ašvat Hibra (Great Reaper) and he was nearly killed by the illness himself. 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.

Leaving Ddaza

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 30 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. Imbued with a will to survive, Senate set out into the wild lands of Alathra that now surrounded him, never to be the same again.

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. Although currently an absolute monarch with small checks on his power from the other two Mumbas, Senate has expressed some support for a more democratic semi constitutional monarchy in the future, when the Altanate's population has grown.

Religious Beliefs

Senate is the leader of the faith of Mufijo, worshipping the Sun (Afi), the Moon (Jorb), and the Earth (Xamu). He has dictated the list of forbidden (Ansolla) and permitted (Consolla) things for the faithful. A key tenet of Mufijo is constructing works for the faith, which Senate and his fellow Mumbas have undertaken in their construction of the Grand Mosque of Jiba the Wise, which is to be the centerpiece of Wahat Almarjan.