I have to weigh in on this one. Andrew Joelson and I are sharing similar vibes. IMG the Waertagi who have sailed through Hell have been in a sort of stasis (neither dead nor alive) since it has been 500 odd years of heroquest. As a consequence 95% of those who went down Magasta's whirlpool are dead. The other 5% are scary, since they survived centuries down in Hell sailing around trying to get out, lost and confused, (think of that American sci-fi series of the 70's ? where the moon gets blasted out of orbit).
Anyway they meet Dormal on his heroquest once he starts over the edge of the world, wrest/bargain his secret from hhim and get directions and so rise back into the world. Having no idea what has happened or how long it has been. For all they know the GLs are still in power.
Thus their contacts with the normal world have been very limited and to my mind they have sent out a few disguised sailors (badly I might add) to try and find out what has been going on. Of ocurse all those 500 year old maps aren't much use, since half of the ports have sunk, things have changed, etc. etc. (see the Tales Sea Special)
When they encounter other Waertagi that were trapped on the surface and have been living normal mortal lives they are severely disappointed. After all being a demigod is now a fairly average situation for those who survived. Meeting all these inferior cousins is just downright embarrassing.
As a result they turn their back on the world and look for something they are used to: their old allies the Brithini. "They are now combing the Sea of Fog in an effort to bring back the Brithini" (see the Genertela book). Using their knowledge acquired at great price in Hell they will eventually work out a way to bring Zzabur back from his massively botched spell and then go onto destroy the upstart coastal towns by the end of the Hero Wars.
Now of course the normal mortal Waertagi are pretty pissed off by the
"returned" Waertagi treating them as incompetent children who spent their
time cowering in the mortal world rather than risking their souls in
Hell. So they probably ally with the humans producing lots of differing
histories of the Waertagi being the doom of the world or the saviours
depending on whose side you are on (sailors perspective of course).
"The Brithini are coming back. Be afraid, be very afraid"
the words of a gibbering beggar on the streets of Sog City (the barely recognisable magic symbols on his robe, covered in dirt and filth, identifying him as a once proud member of the University)
Cheers, Andrew
PS For more information you will have to wait for my Handra write-up in Tradetalk 5 and my adventure "The Angry Sea" hopefully to be squeezed into TT #5 as well if I can persuade Ingo.
PPS My take has been informed by Nick's write-up of the Waertagi in HtWWO and an unofficial chat with Sandy. Any one else who has contributed I acknowledge in absentia (I think I got Greg to agree with me in one of the Lore Auctions, but maybe my memory is faulty).
End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #444
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