Re: Death Rune and creating undead

From: Tim Ellis <tim_at_BodIiUXbG4GITLfrhwIqkgF-enyv2nWOQELwgoML7YRQB2KRkgZi1jxXLUaZ_Q11Kb-R_qAW>
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:41:09 -0000

• In WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com, Greg Stafford been discussing Zorak Zoran and his possible connection to other Gods

>

>>He shares magical powers with Storm Bull (berzerk),

>
> Strictly speaking, SB shares them with the originator of the power.
>

Are you suggesting ZZ is the "originator" of Beserking, or that Urox and ZZ both obtained this power from a common source (along with any other beserking gods)

>> and Fire Gods (salamanders).

>
> Which we know he stole from a conquered god.
>

A number of people have suggested that maybe ZZ had these powers (or some of them) before the Hill Of Gold. So maybe we don't "Know" it for sure...

>> the uroxi go to hell for the berzerkergang power (recreating maybe
>> the time when Urox was killed by the devil then brought back to
>> life with new powers  (berzerk)),

>
>
> YGWV. From whence this data, that he acquired berserker powers
> after his death? For me, he always had these--they were revealed in
> his initiation.

I don't recall any suggestion that Urox got his beserk powers after death - I didn't think he actaully died for long enough to gain new powers as Eiritha gae him her power when he should have died...

>> The third strange thing, one that I could never figure out the >> reason for until now, was the Arkat thing.

Certainly any "secret history" of Zorak Zoran will have to take Arkat into account. But it may just be that Arkat decided ZZ was the premier Anti-Chaos God - especially since the Uz had a personal score to settle with Gbaji. (Also every time Arkat changed he could be seen as betraying his former allies. After defeating Gbaji as a Zorak Zorani, he went on to rule Arkat's dark empire in a very un-ZZ like manner...)

>> It was all still fuzzy for me until I read a small passage in the
>> Cults of Terror that talked about a god called Rashoran. Rashoran 
>> was said to come during the gods war, he wandered around teaching 
>> everyone not to fear Chaos, 

>
> The Rashoran story has many interpretations. Might the above be
> anoher way of saying that he was filled with mystic insight, and
> tried to share that with others?
>

That was my reading of Rashoran - he was the the original illuminate, whose power was reborn in Nysalor...

>> Presumably, they used his secret as the final
>> ingredient for their plot to bring the devil into the world.

>
> A presumption.
>

I wouldn't have thought any of the Unholy Trio were Illuminated (although the CoT Cosmology* suggests otherwise)- although you might be able to argue that being illuminated is what allows Malia to appear chaotic only where worshipped by broo

(* http://www.glorantha.com/library/history/cot-cosmology.html - The Conspiracy of the Unholy Trio)

>> when Yelm was killed he became illuminated,

>
> Sorry: nonense. Gods don't "become" illuminated. They either are or
> are not, by virtue of their creation.
>

>> and that part of him manifested as Rashoran

I agree with Greg that Yelm was always illuminated, and with Philbert that the illuminated aspect of Yelm is Rashoran (just as other aspects of Yelm are Dayzatar, Murzahelm etc)

But I think that Zorak Zoran is also illuminated? Does he not have a mystics "Third Eye"?

>> What do you think?
>

A great piece of God-learning!

> And this is the kind of thing that there may well be a Gloranthan
> cult or phiosophy which beleives this.
> But NIMG.
>

Hmm - Yelmic Trolls, or ZZ worshipping Dara Happans - could be fun...