It would perhaps be good to differentiate between what has been published on the one hand--and why--and personal interpretation/speculation on the other. Especially as the history of publishing on this matter has, to put it lightly, been poor. More and more folks get confused, and it's getting beyond a joke.
It is in part because of this that the two most recent books on the issue--Issaries' 'Glorantha: Introduction to the Hero Wars', and Mongoose's 'Glorantha: The Second Age'--can't even get the Volcano Twins' names and/or genders and/or localities correct. (Errors that are not the fault of the authors, it should be stressed, but woeful editing.)
Simon's theory above is one that he and a couple of others have had for a while. It results from an attempt to reconcile a series of varying myths, from different perspectives, from earlier Gloranthan publications. If you like the result, that's grand! Go for it.
I'd just point out that such ideas are not necessarily behind the myths themselves, nor in the minds of those who are writing for Glorantha. Some folks don't like such a literal attempt at reconciliation, or even believe that the myths should necessarily be reconciled in the first place. Veskarthan/Lodril has always been associated with the Vent in some folks' minds.
It is worth mentioning here that Greg didn't create the Volcano Twins (Caladra and Aurelion). I apologise to Greg for the following, rather objective note on his creativity, but I think it will help understanding. The Volcano Twins are Chuck Huber's creation, which Greg happily accepted into Glorantha with a little revision along the way. They are, after all, a great idea.
But Greg had ideas of a big volcano down there before the Volcano Twins came onto the scene. I don't think the Twins are as prominent in Greg's thinking as many people think. I don't mean to be dismissive here. A few years ago, I wrote my doctoral thesis--it consumed my life for a number of years and through it, humility aside, I became a bit of an expert in that narrow field. Now I can remember sod all of it. You're asking Greg to be intimate with something somebody else created three decades ago, was last published in any depth a dozen years ago, and are not, it is fair to say, central to many of the issues he's currently working on in Glorantha.
This is apparent if you look at recent writings, such as 'History of the Heortling Peoples', etc. When Greg, Jeff et al. have gone to the Vent, they've gone to Veskarthan--not the Volcano Twins.
Please also bear in mind that the masculine Caladra of 'Glorantha: Intro' and the Veskarthan of recent writings are the same force. Same myths, same role, same ideas.
Best,
Stew.
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