Fiction:The Firmament/Princepterath

"Why not make a deal with the devil? You are already damned anyway."

- Unknown

Princepterath is the god of power, control, dragons and pacts, famed for being the progenitor of the Great True Dragons and for being the highest recognized authority of the plane of Irkalla, elevated beyond the ranks of the demon lords and their lesser ilk.

Appearance
Princepterath is an awesome sight to behold for he is a colossal dragon, reminiscent to a demonic cross of a flame wyrm and a shadow wyrm with dark red scales which let out a searing flaming aura capable of turning the earth molten by his mere presence. His head is adorned with three pairs of curved horns which resemble a crown, and beyond his fore- and hindlegs, a third pair of dexterous grasping limbs grows out of his chest, which he uses to articulate himself.

History
According to certain draconic legends, Princepterath is among the oldest of all gods and had a hand in the creation of the realm of Irkalla, breathing the realm into existence and creating the first Great True Wyrms from his shed scales, which rained down upon the Firmament and led to the birth of the first dragons.

Despite the presence of the demon lords in the conflict, there is no indication that Princepterath himself was involved in the Great Gap and the war which led to Varagarash Narahil's imprisonment at the Abyssal End. The dragon god claims to not have been involved because doing so would upset the balance of the Firmament too much and prove disadvantageous to him in the long run, though he was quick to provide support to Varagarash's prison once the World Worm was sent down to the deepest pits of Irkalla.

Realm
Princepterath rests at the Throne of Hell, the highest peak of Irkalla, from which he watches the squabbles of the demon lords. Only the mightiest demons are allowed to even approach this unholy place, for the dark power of the Father of Dragons is such that any lesser fiend who approaches it is completely consumed by it. Princepterath himself generally lays on top of a pile of gold-encrusted skulls, surrounded by sycophantic minions and loyal bodyguards.

Personality
Representing the worst vices of dragonkind, Princepterath is a being of infinite arrogance and lust for power. He believes the chaotic nature of mortal life is detrimental to the Firmament and that only servitude under his ideals is the correct way of existing; the Firmament will only be complete with the eradication of free will. Princepterath is fond of tempting mortals into sin through deals and contracts, often sweet-talking those who reach him into selling their souls in exchange for boons, only to damn them to eternal torment when he no longer has an use to them.

Relationships

 * Allies
 * Kaharvoth - Among the demon lords, the damned wyrm matriarch is the only one to receive Princepterath's blessing and the two are irregular mates.


 * Ambivalent
 * Aether - Princepterath believes himself to be a fundamental aspect of Aether, made to subjugate chaos and install eternal order.
 * Demon lords - Princepterath is generally content to leave the lords of Irkalla to squabble among themselves, being humoured by their constant wars. In turn, even the mightiest demon lords would rather not incur the dragon god's ire.


 * Enemies
 * Varagarash Narahil - The World Worm is a grave threat to the Father of Dragons' goals and he works to leave him imprisoned for all eternity.
 * Princepterath - The Lord of Hell and the King of the Heavens are polar opposites in all aspects.

Cult of Princepterath
Despite being credited as the creator of most dragonkind, Great True Wyrms are not known to be religious and only a few ever pledge themselves to Princepterath, a fact which does not necessarily bother the god; he knows his spawn are headstrong and expects them to be like that. Princepterath is most often approached by mortal cults of humanoids who seek him out in exchange of boons, and these are among the most dangerous of their kind in Telamon; such cults are generally not allowed to exist if discovered.

Princepterath is also the deity most worshipped by the kobold race, who are naturally attuned to his tyrannical views. Most clerics and priests of the Father of Dragons in Telamon are kobolds, and some of these have even obtained the favour of the god, transforming them into exceptionally powerful spellcasters. Meanwhile, most demons do not worship Princepterath but are fine with working for him, seeing it as good opportunities to further their own agendas.