Amphitrion
The whole of this world knows not your equal,
you, who created the first crowns worn,
gave them, splended, to us savage men
and strove that man's culture may be born.
One of the Three Holy Wills central to the Triumthelite faith that has dominated the Laparan Empire in the past few centuries, the god Amphitrion, referred to in awed whispers as "the Lord", has long been a deity worshiped in the Queen of Cities and the cult surrounding him dates back to a time before the earliest histories of the city. In the early years, however, Amphitrion was primarily worshiped by a small cabal of elites looking to retain its hold on power, given the influence the god holds in the realms of the public sphere. As one of the Three Holy Wills, worship of Amphitrion has expanded to faithful from all walks of life and has spread to even the furthest corners of the empire.
Divine Domains
Early cults devoted to Amphitrion centered on the favor he was known to bestow to the better sort in their rulership over the various peoples of the Akanthan peninsula. It is from this patronage of rulers and the favors that he has granted to stabilize the realms of men that the god has received his epithet, “The Lord”. When Loukas Aristenos was officially recognized as the first basileus of the new Laparan Empire, it was in the temple of Amphitrion, under the god’s watchful gaze, where his anointing and coronation took place.
Not limited solely to the affairs of rulers, however, Amphitrion takes an interest in all human affairs in which competition takes place. The exterior grounds of his temples, unlike all other gods revered in Lapara, are open to the public and serve as sporting fields. Prayers are offered to the Will, in the hopes that the supplicant may succeed in whatever competitive field they are currently engaged and he is known to have a particular interest and soft spot for the underdog.
Following from his primary interests, Amphitrion is deeply involved in industry and the development of the productive arts, particularly metalworking. Knowing that a society without success in these fields will fall, Amphitrion is known to offer his favor to those who will use his gifts to further the society in which he lives. The development of Hepatizon and Black Copper are said to have been whispered by the god into the ears of sleeping metallurgists. Concretely, he granted the Hammer of the World Anvil to the expedition set out by Manuel II Aristenos .
Tenets of Faith
The kind-hearted Amphitrion’s favor is easy to earn, but even easier to lose. A god of industry and progress, there is little he despises as much as idleness. His followers, therefore, constantly strive to improve themselves and the societies in which they live, having dedicated three major principles to his worship.
Rule of Law
As the overseer of order and rulership, Amphitrion takes a strong look at those who disobey the rule of law. Hierarchical structures have been put in place for reasons, and the order of society demands that all involved live harmoniously in accordance with the laws of the land. Unjust laws and ordinances may be challenged, amended, or repealed, but they must never simply be ignored.
Industry
Leisure is permitted and is even encouraged to be enjoyed by the faithful as a necessity to life, but never is leisure to bring about idleness. The faithful must stay busy for themselves and for society as a whole to flourish. Committed to improvement of the self and those around them, Amphitrion's followers number among the most productive craftsmen, rulers and authors the empire had known.
Struggle
Whether physical or metaphorical, there is always a foe greater than the self and the true follower of Amphitrion must push themselves into competition and conflict with that foe, overcoming it with their greater commitment to personal and societal industry. It is through this struggle, through this competition, that the individual gains their motivation to avoid contentment, stagnation, and idleness.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Having personally seen the First Age, Amphitrion knows that mortals are capable of phenomenal achievements beyond their wildest imaginations. He also knows, from the Sundering, that they are likely to push their achievements to the ruin of all without proper guidance. First among Amphitrion’s goals, therefore, is to aid the mortals in the creation of an advanced society that rivals the accomplishments of the First Age and pushes beyond their achievements in terms of longevity. This society will, in turn reward his tireless service to them by worshipping only the Three Holy Wills.
In service to this goal, he has lent his support to the unification of Eudokonia under the single banner of the Laparan Empire, which he has helped guide from its infancy. The events of the Siege of 602AFE, however, shattered the unity brought about by his chosen empire and it is little known which state he supports as the natural successor to the Empire, although both Ravenia and Achenae claim to have his undiminished favor.
Three Holy Wills
Along with his counterparts Autourgos and Thalassa, Amphitrion makes up the Three Holy Wills revered in Triumthelitism, the dominant faith throughout the Laparan Empire. Officially sanctioned during the reign of Nikolaos Zenōn, the Triumthelite faith dedicated Lapara and her colonies to the Three Holy Wills exclusively in return for their continued favor.
Hammer of the World Anvil
Rumored to be the mallet with which Amphitrion fashioned the first tools used by mankind, the relic known as the Hammer of the World Anvil was housed in a dedicated chapel in the massive Temple of the Three Holy Wills in the central districts of the imperial city of Lapara until the city vanished following the victory of Loryn Korba'Rel following the Siege of the great city. The fate of the Hammer and the bloodstone Xanthipor it protected are unknown.
A Threat to Survival
In ages past, Amphitrion witnessed the dangerous misuse of arcane energies and the eventual cataclysm modern scholars call the Sundering. Helpless to stop the event from occurring then, Amphitrion has taken an active role in the developments of the modern age to prevent it from happening again.
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