Great Hierophant

The Great Hierophant was the spiritual and political leader of the people of Serpent Isle during the era of the Ophidians.

History
After the death of Mondain and the chaos that ocurred in the Lands of Danger and Despair, the Great Earth Serpent approached the human survivors of the isle to teach them the philosophy of Balance. The Great Earth Serepent somehow contacted an unnamed human who would become the first Great Hierophant. This man visited Sunrise Isle, and on the top of the mountain on the isle, the Great Earth Serpent explained the Way of Balance. The Serpent also told the future Great Hierophant to build the three Grand Shrines of Balance, Order and Chaos, and the Serpent Gates.

This first Great Hierophant explained the Ophidian Virtues of Balance, Order and Chaos to the rest of the people, who decided to follow their path. The whole society of the Ophidians was created after this, with the Great Hierophant being the central figure of their civilization. The Ophidians divided their society in the followers of Order, under the Order Hierophant, and the followers of Chaos, under the Chaos Hierophant. Only a few were chosen and able to follow the path of Balance and lived with the Great Hierophant. All the people, however, revered and followed the teachings of the Great Hierophant.

Sheshevra was the Hierophant who commissioned the first two Temples of the Forces, the Temple of Tolerance and the Temple of Ethicality. Sheshevra was particularly remarkable for his Harmony. Sessessej was the Hierophant that comissioned the last two Temples of the Forces, the Temple of Emotion and the Temple of Logic. He was particularly remarkable for his Rationality. At least one other Hierophant existed between Sheshevra and Sessessej, who comissioned the Temple of Enthusiasm and the Temple of Discipline, though his name is not known. It can be infered that this unnamed Hierophant must have been particlarly remarkable for his Dedication.

The last person to hold the rank of Great Hierophant was Ssithnos. Ssithnos was the Great Hierophant at the time of the rise of Exodus in Ultima III, when the Great Earth Serpent was abducted from the Void into Sosaria. Ssinthos was weakened by the abduction, and the imbalance that it created eventually led to the War of Imbalance that destroyed the Ophidian society. Ssinthos was killed by the forces of Order under the command of Calithiss the Order Hierophant, which sparked the War of Imbalance.

Right before his death, Ssithnos wrote a letter titled Principles of Balance, trying to preserve the philosophy of the Ophidians for the future, and to ask for help in repairing the imbalance. This letter was also copied in the book Beyond the Serpent Pillars by Erstam, who found the scroll years later.