>Anyone gaming in Ralios who has explored this path? I am still
>thinking about
>the unspecified kinds of Arkat to plague the HW. Sounds like
>great fighting to me...
Yes, my Ralian campaign is even getting close enough to the stage where Arkat returns, so I'm very interested in ideas people have had about this.
I asked Greg at Convulsion '98 about the why's, how's and wherefore's, and received a non-commital answer, but generally referring to the Ralian hero Wars campaign material that will be coming out. Basically, each one will be entitled "Arkat Retuns" (or a variation thereof) and detail different facets of the arrival. But, as I can't wait for Hero Wars material, and it'll probably be against my version of Glorantha anyhow (I'm already dreading seeing what's written about Otkorion : ) I've had to form my own ideas. A lot of these ideas are (a) all in my opinion and created just because I need something interesting and epic to signal Arkat's return and (b) still being formulated.
I think that there are going to be at least five versions of Arkat. Each version will proclaim to be Arkat and claim that the other versions are all faces of Gbaji. The so-called Chaos Monster is Ralzakark IMO. He fits the bill perfectly, IMG he would be the face of Arkat the Destroyer (see my webpage for more information on my various Arkati cult ideas) - after all he displays a lot of properties that could be pinned on Arkat such as being Illuminated, being rescued from the dead by God Learners just as Arkat was rescued from the dead by Harmast, having a variation on the multiple personality syndrome - the are many faces of Ralzakark and there are many faces of Arkat. Certainly IMG he is definitely going to be one of those who "is" Arkat.
Note number two, is about Statham Well. In Troll Gods this is said to be where Arkat Kingtroll retired to. IMG the trolls are seeking to reopen the paths, and will succeed. My PCs will even witness the ritual, and the return of Arkat. But, he will be the wrong Arkat. As a matter of irony, IMG and IMO the trolls will bring back a form of Arkat, just not the one they were hoping for.
Other ideas that have been put forward have been that one of the forms will be female, another that Argrath will be one of the Arkat's when he travels across the Ralian basin on his Lightbringer's Quest, and Liberate it as he does so (I'm not too keen on that idea as Argrath's LBQ is far far into the future of my game, and I want as much plot useage from Arkat's return as possible - the PCs will just never be around when Argrath appears so this idea is pretty useless for me).
I DON'T think that the Arkat's that return will fit nicely and simply into the mold of Arkati cults, so there WON'T be an Arkat the Saviour, Arkat the Liberator, Arkat Chaosbane etc... as these cults are just impure reflections of the true Arkati way. Certainly the Arkat's will share certain attributes with these people, but try not to use these stereotypes of Arkat for forming your images of those Arkat's that return.
Also, I don't think that all the Arkat's that return will return in the same manner. Some might be pulled from the HeroPlane (as in my example of the trolls bringing back Arkat from Statham Well), another might be Arkat being reincarnated, another might be Arkat incarnating into a high priest of an Arkati cult. Also, I think there will be lots of false Arkat's and near the start of the Hero Wars it will be difficult to decide who is an Arkat and who is mistaken, pretending or insane.
What I would like to know, and have been thinking about, is the relationship between the Arkat's, why they return, what they do to each other, their ideas about "what actually happened" at the Tower of Dreams etc... etc... But this looks as if it will require some knowledge of the Real Thing (tm) to decide.
Check out Peter Metcale's piece on Arkat on his webpage if you want better insight into Arkati thinking. It certainly helped me.
Hope that helps,
Nikk
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