I know just enough about Glorantha to get stuff wrong. :)
/// Consider yourself well on the way to Illumination, the state of mind where the All becomes clear ;-))
I was just rereading the clan questionnaire in the Kingdom of Sartar. The question concerning Arkat and Gbjai has me scratching my head a little.
/// Many of us have scratched our head at this grand, sad story. As usual in Glorantha, there is no grand, absolute answer. Each culture has its own version of what happened. Did you know dara happans and lunars call Arkat himself "Gbaji", whereas westerns call Nysalor that and Orlanthi use the term for both. Like "Argrath", "Gbajii" is a title, meaning "deciever". And both sides did a lot of deception in that war.
The question implies that Gbjai brought Chaos back. Was there a time after the world was saved when there was no Chaos, and the creation of Gbjai reversed that and allowed it back into the world again?
/// There was no APPARENT chaos for a while, as Reality was firmly set, and brand new. But everything devolves with time. Cracks appeared, and what unenlightened minds call chaos seeped back in. As for what chaos really is, again there are different explanations in each culture. The one I like best is the monsters we call "chaotic" are but formerly normal creatures, but misshapen/mutated by exposure to the Primal Wonder that is Chaos (I am a Godlearner, so note the capital "C").
I always had the impression that Chaos was defeated, but still creeped around in the corners and under the rocks of reality.(Pardon the poetic metaphor)
/// I like this metaphor, on many levels. Chaos is always there. Some philosophers say Glorantha is a bubble floating on/in a sea of chaos. Someday the bubble will burst and we will all vanish back to the Prima Materia.
If that is the case, that really underscores the horror of what the Unity Council did in the course of its failed effort.
/// Keep in mind the Unity Council meant well, and the dara happans, their lunar descendants and many elves think so to this day. They didn't know what Nysalor cultists did far south, in Seshnela. All they saw was a New God of Light, Wisdom and Plenty who gave meaning to their lives. Then came a horrible barbarian-troll-thing from the south which wrecked their culture with its hordes, finally killing their God. Victors write the story, and so Nysalor was cast as the bad guy. But was he/she ? Yes, he/she could change gender.
But I don't know if I am reading too much into the questionnaire or not.
/// First, you read whatever you like. The Arkat/Nysalor/Gbaji (who was, as you now realize, both of them and a third being as well) is old stuff, only partly remembered by every culture, and they know different parts. Sartar Orlanthi remember about the dread times of lokamaydon, a renegade who served Gbaji (here meant as Nysalor) and used his new powers to try to kill Orlanth. Harmast the Good Orlanthi Quested to defeat him, and brought back Arkat. First, it was thought Arkat wad Humaktsson, and he led the orlanthi to glory and plunder in dara happa itself : what a guy ! Then he turned dark and became an Uz, so they left him - and don't care much what happened afterwards. It was over 1100 years ago. I don't think it is important today, but maybe your Clan knows specific secrets about that period, and you want to make it a central issue in your campaign ?
Oh yes : in the Lunar Empire, many know that Nysalor was an Incarnation of the Goddess To Be, Sedeyna. Yes, the Red Moon Goddess herself. She has tried many times to Enlighten the world, and been killed many times. Yet She Loves Us.
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