I was looking in the new MRQ2 Glorantha book, and saw where it said that after defeating Gbaji and setting up the Auterchy, Arkat went off on a quest to try to rediscover Wonderhome.
I recalled that during the Hero Wars, there are all sorts of Prophecies of Arkat's return.
This got me thinking - Did Arkat find the Uz homeland? and given his propensity for changing sides, would it necessarily be Arkat Kingtroll who returned if he did?
The big battle in Dorastor was "Arkat fighting Nysalor, and Gbaji was defeated". I recall reading accounts which suggest onlookers could not tell the combatants apart.
Both Arkat and Nysalor were "Illuminated".
If Arkat was looking for Wonderhome, he would have journeyed into the Underworld.
The Red Goddess* quested in the Underworld, where she "met Nysalor and was illuminated", before returning with the Crimson Bat.
So, I wonder, was it actually Nysalor that the Red Goddess met, or was it Arkat? Lunar Heroquesting is more "experimental" in nature (eg Jar-Eel's inserting herself into Belintar's quest as "The Red Woman" to ambush him). Could the Lunar Empire be following the teachings of Arkat, and be the true heir to the Auterchy (the Red Empire following the Black Empire, which, following Lunar Philosophy, will, in turn become the White Empire?)
Or maybe the Red Moon is the new incarnation of Arkat, who has replaced the Red Goddess during her Underworld quest. While the Ralians are waiting for Arkat's return (S)he is already here!
(This argument could be used by Pro-Lunar stygians to justify their support, or by factions opposed to both Stygians and Lunars to strengthen the opposition to both factions...)
Powered by hypermail