Arkat, and those 7 Mothers again

From: David Cake <davidc_at_cs.uwa.edu.au>
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 1995 15:11:53 +0800


(sorry to all for the flagrant ignoring of rule 3)

 Peter Metcalfe <P.Metcalfe_at_student.canterbury.ac.nz> replied to me
>> Very likely. Jakaleel is mentioned as a ZZ priestess, and ZZ is
>>associated with Arkat - perhaps she started in ZZ, was then allowed to join
>>the Arkat cult, and eventually penetrated to its inner ranks and was
>>illuminated.
>
>Doubtful IMO. Arkat is a Ralian Cult (or should that be plural?) first
>and foremost.

        Try not to take such a hard line on this one. I agree that Arkat is first and foremost a Ralian Cult. I only said Jakaleel was perhaps in the Arkat cult, I did not imply that the Arkat cult in Peloria was as large or organized as the one in Ralios. I was imagining it more like, say, Subere - small numbers, but important people. The Arkat cult in Peloria is not strong, agreed, but it is not strong in Kethaela either, but they still definately exist. And if Jakaleel is Illuminated (or Benighted) (the evidence for which seems strong, to me - unless the Nysalorian and chaotic aspects of the whole thing where concealed from her until too late, I can't really see a non-Illuminated ZZer going along with the whole thing), then who else but the Arkat cult would teach a ZZer? I guess there might be some Carmanian school of Dark Truth, but everyone else who is interested in illumination in Peloria seem to be Light worshippers

> The Trolls only revere Arkat outside of this area because
>he gives them sorcery.

        Well, sure, that is the big issue.

> They do not revere him for the Illumination he
>possessed and I doubt if Illumination is needed for them to maintain the
>link with Sorcery.

        I agree with the second at least. I think the Illumination is a big cult secret of the inner hierarchy, perhaps only a few dozen spread across all Peloria. I also see Jakaleel as the sort of person who ends up in that inner hierarchy.

> Therefore, IMO, Arkat is linked only with Zorak Zoran
>in Ralios.

        Arkat was stomping around Peloria at the head of a ZZ army. I think the ZZ cult of Peloria are going to remember the connection. Not necessarily stress it, but I think some links will remain. I can certainly imagine Arkat wanting to make sure that some of the local trolls had enough knowledge to deal with the particularly insidious threats of Nysalor.

> The Bog Standard Writeup in Trolls Gods of Zorak Zoran makes
>no mention of Arkat.
>

        Yep. I am sure in many places there is no connection at all. Even where there is a connection, I think outside of Ralios it remains a pretty simple one.

        All I am really postulating is that 1) there exists an Arkat cult among the Uz of Peloria 2) there exist some illuminates in the higher initiates of this cult and
3) initiates of the Arkat cult must first join another troll cult (the Troll Gods writeup)- in the Pelorian region, this is often Zorak Zoran, as Arkat is remembered as a great war leader, and general kicker of chaos and light worshipping butt, by the ZZers of Peloria.

> The Cult of Zorak Zoran in the
>Jord Mountains (whom Jakaleel belongs to) is, IMO, known as Deshkorgos
>(or Derdromus) and is a Spolite Cult. This carries a whole new set of
>indigenous spiritual relationships.

        I agree. But surely Arkats storming into Dorastor at the head of a ZZ army is going to be remembered by such a cult?

>>Probably after the Red Goddess manifested chaotic powers she
>>was extremely unpopular with the hierarchies of both, and had to abandon
>>them in favour of Subere, and perhaps closer relations with the Annilla
>>cult.
>
>Cult Hierachies of both? In a war against the Carmanians? There is no
>seperation of 'Church and State' at this level. The Cult members on your
>side are stout Defenders of the Faith.

        No matter how bad the Carmanians are, I can't see the Zorak Zorani being happy about the use of chaotic powers (or the Arkat cult being happy about a resurgence in Nysalsors teachings). I am sure that a few of the ZZers do go along with Jakaleel - but equally sure that when Jakaleels new goddess starts manifesting Chaos powers, most of the ZZers are appalled and turn against her. Which is the start of the gradual decline in ZZ power among the trolls of Jord mountain, etc, and the ascendence of the Annillans, as proselytising leaders like Jakaleel and Bina Bang attempt to weaken the more rabid anti-chaos troll cults, and foster Lunar cults, for mutual advantage.

>And Subere
>is *not* against chaotic powers.

        Exactly. When the ZZ cult hierarchy is shocked by Jakaleels willing alliance with chaotic powers, she turns to the less dogmatic Subere cult.

[bit about IO and YT on the LBQ deleted]
>In which you have stepped away from the initial theory that they
>deliberately _failed_ the rituals into one of deliberately _perverting_
>the rituals.

        No, my theory is that the rituals themselves involve a failure of abilities - on the original LBQ, LM finds a fact he can't know. If they didn't fail in this sense, they would not be doing the LBQ right (if they didn't fail, they wouldn't get to the last phase). My theory is that IO knew that he would fail, but arranged it so that instead of finding a fact he couldn't know, he finds a lie he can't tell from truth - which is just as good a ritual failure in the quest, but a lot more convenient for his use of Glamour powers later.

> As I have said before, I don't believe Yanafal faced
>Humakt until after the Birth of the Red Goddess. And I don't think that
>Irrippi Ontor used Glamours until afterwards. This is because of my
>belief that the act of participating in the Ritual _transfigured_ their
>mindset and their attitudes.

      I think that they had a good idea of what might happen to them when they went into the quest. You may be right, to some extent. But our views are not necessarily contradictory. Where did IO get the knowledge of Glamour powers? Where did YT get the knowledge of how to be a resurrectable Humakti? Are these abilities coincidences, or did the 7 Mothers have some idea of the powers they where dealing with?

> But afterwards, their worldview about
>what was good and what was bad had become completely changed. The image
>of Irripi Ontor manifesting the power of the White Lie at the Battle of
>the Four Arrows of Light to confound the Dark Truths of the Carmanians
>would have been utterly repugnant to the Irripi Ontor before the Birth of
>the Red Goddess, IMHO.
>

        I think IO was a lot more prepared for what might happen. But I don't think it will be resolved with the information available to us anyway.

     Discussion about exactly what YT does on the quest deleted - but I was impressed at Peters version of events. I agree that YTs famous duel with Humakt may not have taken place on the quest himself (though I think something, at least, takes place on the quest that weakens YTs commitment to death in a spiritual sense, allowing him to consider resurrection), though I am not sure that it does not either.

        Cheers
                David


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End of Glorantha Digest V2 #44


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