Re: What did Arkat give Zorak Zoran?

From: Jeff Richard <richaje_at_...>
Date: Sun, 01 May 2005 15:33:24 -0000

> I'm not entirely sure how to turn this into a gameable
> HQ, though. Arkat must have taught the ZZs a quest
> they could do to gain those secrets, that's the first
> step. Would it have been "here's how Humakt learnt to
> command Undead, but ZZ can do the same quest"? Or
> perhaps "ZZ challenged Humakt for the knowledge of
> Undead, and only won because he knew a secret
> weakness"?

I don't think so - Humakt has always hated the Undeath. That's part of his idiom. But Arkat may have shown his ZZ companions how to get around the Humakti wards against the Undeath. Or maybe Arkat "lent" ZZ the Death affinity by means of his grimoire. And so on.

I do not think that Arkat twisted the cults he belonged to - remember the Arkati rule about doing things with respect. He betrayed the cults he belonged to, which is a far worse thing. He gave the secrets of Humakt to ZZ, and showed Humakt's weaknesses to ZZ. A far worse thing, I think.

And something that can show up in a game - for example, maybe a band of ZZ have kept the knowledge of an Arkati rite that makes the Death affinity weak when used against the Undeath. Maybe that same band has figured out how to make that rite work against Destroy Undead. Or maybe a band of ZZ have kept the knowledge of the Humakti gifts and geases and are using that to figure out the PC Humakti's gease based on what gift he shows. Maybe the ZZ have become the heroquesting opponents of the players and will try to repeat Arkat's Challenge - a heroquest challenge that would take some of the player's Death affinity. Stuff like that.

Jeff