Ascension Day
Era beginning/end
Apotheosis of Arthanios
The apotheosis of Arthanios, last king of Arethas. King Arthanios was deeply in love with the goddess Timurantia and wanted to marry her. He decided he had to ascend to godhood for this. Arthanios succeeded and for all of a day he was a god. He no longer felt the need to marry Timurantia. He called upon his people to recognize him as the true godly protector of Arethas and reject Timurantia. Timurantia and Arthanios fought. Arthanios was defeated and unknown powers consumed him. Timurantia felt betrayed by the people of Arethas and decided to leave them. So ends the apotheosis of Arthanios, the last king of Arethas.
The apotheosis of Arthanios, last king of Arethas.
Apotheosis, also called divinization or deification, is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity.King Arthanios was deeply in love with the goddess Timurantia and wanted to marry her. She rejected Arthanios, saying that it was not possible, nor necessary, since gods are beyond those concepts. Timurantia rarely spoke to the people but acted regularly in subtle ways. Blinded by his insane love, King Arthanios thought the fact that she spoke to him had to be proof of her love. He thought this simply meant he had to become a god in order to marry her. Timurantia was devoted to the people of Arethas. The people loved and worshipped her. They knew she was their goddess and they were but her subjects and never aspired to change their respectful loving relationship. The kings were her most loved and trusted people. They ruled in her wisdom and were blessed with long and happy lives. Arthanios traveled to the Azeth Divinity to learn to ascend. The Azethian Twins granted him an audience, believing they could use his desire for their own political gain. Arthanios discovered that he was being played by the Elves and left. Vowing to lay ruin to them after his ascension. Years passed and Arthanios became increasingly more desperate. Despair created sorrow and he turned to darker paths towards immortality and divinity. It is unknown what changed but suddenly Arthanios had new hope. He was certain that he could now ascend and become a god so he could marry Timurantia. In only a few years Arthanios developed a deeper understanding of what it meant to ascend. Finally Arthanios held a final ritual to seal his devotion and ascend. He succeeded and for all of a day he was a god. The wedding, which he had carefully planned for years, was ready but Arthanios had no need for it anymore. He revealed his godliness to the people of Arethas and they were stunned with awe. Arthanios now saw himself as the one true protector of his kingdom. It was now Arthanios that rejected Timurantia and he called upon his people to do the same. Timurantia tried to reason with Arthanios and make him aware of his limitations. Arthanios did not listen, he actively opposed Timurantia. This led to a fight. Arthanios was defeated, he returned to Aerlad as he was before his ascension. Immidiately upon taking his old human form he was consumed by unknown powers and disappeared from the world. Timurantia saw what had become of her people in so little time. She felt betrayed by the people that she once loved so dearly. Bitterly she decided that they would be better off without her involvement. Timurantia abandoned Arethas aside from the people that stayed devoted to her. So ends the ascension of Arthanios, the last king of Arethas.