Caloton
From Almeopedia
Caloton [ka ˈlo ton] is the name of the sun god of Caďinorian paganism, and a common given name in Eretald.
Etymology: Caď. Caloteion or Caloteon from calo 'heat'; Ver. Caloton, Ismaîn Şalodeṭn, Bar. Kalotech.
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Sun god
Caloton is the sun god, patron of Day and Summer, called the Druk Uestuë, the Friend of Man. Though Enäron is the chief of the gods, Caloton— familiarly, Calto— is undoubtedly the most popular. The three largest temples in a Caďinorian city will be those of Enäron, Išira, and Caloton; and his will be the best attended.
His disposition is befittingly sunny: he is always cheerful, optimistic, merry, somewhat lazy; friendly to man, delighting in the sun-washed white walls of Verdurian cities and the fields of farmers; so friendly to man that he searches out the tiniest crack in a roof beam to shine his light through (and for the same reason, said to be penetrating in his judgments). He is also the patron of travellers (due perhaps to their preference for sunny days). He is the husband of Fidra. Children born in his month, Calo, will share his pleasant disposition. The fourth day of the week, calten, is named after him. He is portrayed as a Californian blond, tanned and fit.
His attendants are Solial and Crefu (Dawn and Dusk); minor gods in his service are Olašu, the god of beginnings, Neméria, goddess of hot muggy summer afternoons, and Ceräk, god of the Road.
King of Verduria
Caloton was a king of Verduria, the first of the Soley dynasty. He was a descendent of both the Prežeons and the Salúer family, who had supplied many of the Lords of Verduria. He was originally Duke of Pelym.
In 3128 the general Boďomor Kušďey took power from the last Prežeon king; though he declared himself king, he was regarded as a usurper, and when he died in 3131 the country declined into civil war. For some time it appeared that each province might go its own way as an independent kingdom, except that anyone who did well regionally felt entitled to try to reunite the kingdom. Caloton made this his ambition.
His father Ponvuran had tried his own hand at seizing the sash, with no great success, but Caloton had distinguished himself both on the battlefield and in the more important campaign to win support from other nobles. After becoming Duke in 3138, Caloton concentrated on pacifying the Svetla corridor: Pelym, Anaseri, and Vyat in Verduria province, and the province of Šerian. Stability allowed the river trade to recover, and convinced Verduria city to offer its support. He now had the resources to raise an army of more than provincial size, and used it to cow the rest of Verduria province into submission, and then Aodo— not exactly a power center, but representative of his reach and ambition.
He now felt settled enough to call up the Biyetora, the ancient assembly of nobles with the right to elect kings, and let it declare him king (3142). By now he was unstoppable; by a combination of charm and force he succeeded in enforcing his authority throughout the kingdom within the next four years.
He continued to consult the Biyetora, believing that nobles who felt that their voices were listened to would not rebel. He got along so well with them that he expanded it, adding more kešana (borough) members, all the guildmasters of Verduria city, and 20 members at large; the expanded body was called the Esčambra and for the first time had legislative power. It was understood that he trusted the new Esčambra more than he trusted his heir, Efaristo.
| Preceded by: Boďomor Kušďey | Caloton 3142-73 | Succeeded by: Efaristo |
Other Calotons
- Caloton Abolineron, son of Mëranac 1e, father of Ažerey 2e
- Caloton Matrey, current duke of Célenor
- Caloton is also the name of a hill just east of Verduria city, looking down on Trevmesti
See also
| Author: Furius |
