> it says in Cults of Terror that Arkat was Illuminated and it was a
> big secret
> has this been gregged?
Not to my knowledge, its just that all us GM's know the truth. Personally, I never realized Arkat was Illuminated until about a year after playing RuneQuest when I came across a footnote in an old copy of the Daily. It came as a sort of Gloranthan surprise. I don't think most people "know" Arkat was Illuminated. Those cultures that know enough about Illumination to tell you whether someone is Illuminated or not would most likely refute it in Arkat's case anyhow i.e. the Lunars might tell you that Illumination is really, really good therefore Arkat must have been nonIlluminated as he was NOT what a Lunar considers good. I think the Lunars might think Arkat was trying to become Illuminated, and use him as a warning for those people who seek to become Illuminated to the exclusion of all else.
Arkati Illuminates don't normally know they are Illuminated. I think that the head honchos of an Arkati sect that has Illuminates within it, might understand how Illumination works, what it means etc... but, by the by, most Arkati Illuminates just never realise their unique enlightenment. I think Illumination in Arkati sects may have too much emphasise placed upon it, I think that alternative ways of looking at Arkati sects should be encouraged - especially considering Pete Metcalfe's excellent piece on Esoteric Arkatism.
> Also to take advantage of the synchronicity of this
topic I'd like
> to ask if anyone would be kind enough to review my newly expanded
> section on Illumination on my site. I was inspired by reading Cults
> of Terror on the weekend and then came to work and found out
> Illumination has suddenly become a thread!
Hmmm... having read the piece, I'm afraid it doesn't really fit into what I think illumination is. Obviously this is only IMHO. Personally, I see the ideals of Illumination only affecting the transcendent aspects of the Illuminate, and where you have magical healing, telekinesis, disease resistance etc... as "powers" related to Illumination, these are more magical and physical powers, as oppossed to transcendent. I don't think that Illumination changes you as a character that much. Certainly what you describe might exist in Glorantha as a magical form (or a form of mysticism, there might be a mystic sect that teahes these powers) but IMO it is not Illumination.
Those powers related to Illumination that do not affect the Transcendent world, such as Immunity to Excommunication and Spirits of Reprisal etc... are, IMVHO, either the result of elevating yourself from the Divine World to the Transcendent i.e. now you are Illuminated, and understand (reside in?) the world of the transcendent, you are no longer part of the Divine World in the same way and thus cannot be affected by it. My alternative opinion, is that as Nysalor was a God, a real actual God, that when he was alive he granted Rune Magic and Gifts etc... just like the Gods do now. When he died these powers went (no Nysalor Rune Magic in MY game) but these special powers - Immunity, Ignoring Gifts/Geases etc... - are due to the fact that Nysalor was a magical being as well as a transcendent one, and was magically able to protect you from the Gods. In the end , it makes little difference. Soon I'll have a cult description of "Arkat Kortagisoul" which gives a myth for why Nysalorians cannot be excommunicated etc...
Most of the additional powers I have added to Illumination affect my HeroQuest system - Illumination powers affect the Passions/Personality Traits of the Illuminate giving them greater freedom with the Traits. This is still in an embryotic stage at the moment.
All IMO,
Nikk E.
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