<< Well, I was reading about the way he went from one myth to another,
changing
them. I read also how a Heroquester, if he changes a myth and enforces it
on the mundane plane, it becomes 'reality' in that area, and if it is
widespread enough it becomes real everywhere (referring to the example by Greg
Stafford about the Hill of Gold Heroquest).>>
He needs the support of worshippers in the mundane plane to make it widespread, but, yes that's essentially correct.
<< So, in a way, is this not what the God Learners did, changing mythology?>>
This was one of the techniques used by the God Learners, yes.
<< If so, Arkat is a God Learner, right?>>
Wrong. Firstly, he lived far too early. But he doesn't even qualify as a proto-God Learner, because he used HeroQuesting for different purposes than they did. The God Learners tried to force the world into their rationalist Malkioni worldview, whether the universe wanted it or not. They had an overarching scheme of how they thought things *ought* to be, and tried to 'prove' it by HeroQuesting (among other things). HeroQuesting was a technique the God Learners used, not the definition of God Learnerism.
<< And, extending this theory, if every Heroquester emulates Arkat, every
Heroquester is a God Learner.>>
It depends what he's trying to acheive with the HeroQuest. Because of the obvious Moral Lesson provided by the downfall of the real GLs, a HeroQuester trying to emulate them is unlikely to get much support from his community, and therefore will be unlikely to have much of a permanent effect.
<< And since cult rituals are a sort of Heroquest, would the priests,
initiates and lay members (i.e. all Gloratha since almost every person is at
least lay member, if not initiate of a cult) who participate in this rituals
be God Learners? >>
Not all HeroQuesting involves changing stuff - that's a very dangerous and difficult thing to do. The vast majority of HeroQuests are intended to keep things the same and to reinforce existing myths, many of which will directly contradict that of the next culture along. This is almost the exact opposite of what the GLs tried to do.
Also, I don't think uninitiated lay members can HeroQuest as such - although they can see the mysteries enacted in the cult rituals, they don't participate. But IMO very few adult people in central Genertela are not initiated into at least one cult, so the point is moot. Western and eastern Genertela do not generally have the same cult structures as the theists do, so the picture is perhaps less clear there.
Forward the glorious Red Army!
Trotsky
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