Groovetronic

Dumbest Theory - Argrath and Jar-Eel are both the Red Emperor in disguise, because shenanigans and illumination 😛

As an aside, Cults of Terror states that Illumination "...rids the chaotic being of the hatred which rules their lives." Thinking has somewhat changed regarding Illumination over the years, because in the 2018 Gods of Glorantha Gencon preview, Illumination is now a skill, and allows the Illuminant to ignore the behavior checks required of characters who have a Rune over 80%. So, a Broo with 90% in the Chaos rune who is also an Illuminant can make an Illumination skill check to ignore the Chaos impulse to ruin, destroy and commit perversion. Illumination can be just as liberating for Broo as it can be for Humans. This hasn't been officially published yet and YGWV, but it seems to track with the Lore.

Argrath and Jar-Eel are the same person in different costumes.

I love Argrath's answer to this. No, Chaos is the doom of Glorantha, and Gbaji always lies. http://www.princeofsartar.com/comic/98-time/ If Yelm had not sought to steal the Earth, Chaos would never have entered the world. Yelm the Illuminant is the most terrifying chaos god. Universal authority belongs only to the celestial court, which was stolen. YGWV.

I'm looking forward with great anticipation to the actual published Arkat cult!

Now yer giving me sniffles, man! 🙂

Im starting Company of the Dragon. Reach out to me over private message.

Player characters are more heroic, obviously. A PC who could qualify to be a Ring member is something I don't have a problem with. Also, becoming a Runemaster is literally *giving up your life to your god*. There may be many people who are politically powerful and essential members of their communities who don't want to become holy people and step into the realm of myth quite yet.

I'm considering that for my Glorantha that I want rarer Rune Lords. I'm thinking that for my Glorantha that having 5 90% skills should be unusual, even for chieftains. I like the idea that a clan ring should be mostly Initiates with 1 member (usually the clan priest) being a runemaster. This is obviously my Gloranatha. I like the idea that most of the Clan Ring has skills in the neighborhood of 75% and that folks have 90% have that because they are prodigies or they have decades of experience.

Well, for my Glorantha, Yelmalio will be treated as a Dara Happan invader cult imposed by the bright Empire during the reign of Palangio that never left, and that now exists only because it provides high caliber mercenary troops. Elmal has a place in a player character Orlanthi clan, and Yelmalio does not. Yelmalio is an NPC cult for standard clan-based dragon pass games with a typical Orlanth chieftain. Yelmalio is a Stranger and an invader. This is different in places like New Pavis, for example, where PCs can come from different communities and where Yelmalio has a nearby community presence. Nostalgia for classic RQ2 is not enough to declare that Yelmalio is the default, King of Dragon Pass had it right and is MGF for me. YGWV.

And as good Lunars and Dara Happans we know that entities that do not appear on the God's Wall are either transitory, false, or incorrectly named. Praise Yelm!

Hello, Chris Bell here. Thank you everyone who has supported Simon and I in the creation and promotion of this book. Also thank you deeply to everyone who has purchased. Simon provided the layout, art and heroquest essays, I did the actual myths. Simon has been a terrific partner and I thank him for this opportunity. I hope that this product helps make your Gloranthas and Glorantha games richer and more fun. Also, buy the rest of Simon's works, they're amazing!

I'm interested in what powers these aspects of Arkat can provide to PCs, and whether or not they can be worshipped by non-Illuminants.

When I met Greg Stafford at GenCon '99, the most disappointing thing he said to me was, "I have no interest in other people's Gloranthas." Well, I do. For one, the fate of my Glorantha and the gods of my setting will not be that of the gods as detailed in King of Sartar. What are your heretical Gloranthas and 4th age outcomes? Does Sheng win? Does the Glowline encompass both of the continents and the Red Goddess rule benevolently over all? One idea I am playing with is a Harshax setting, where outlawed, renegade scholars try desperately to bring back the magic of the gods while on the run from the agents of the Harshax, before Wakboth returns. Another is where the Throne of Yelm is won by an Osliran Illuminant who passes the 10 tests, and Yelm the Thief is cast down, the Red Goddess is now white, and an Azure Empress who incarnates the ruling powers of Oslira sits on the throne of Peloria in splendor and power. A third is where when Sheng Seleris returns, he does so because Argrath sacrificed himself to teach Sheng a draconic lesson he can not refute, and Sheng goes on to become Glorantha's Buddha, and the Red Emperor becomes his greatest disciplie. Share with me your heretical Gloranthas and 4th age visions.

In regards to the 90% tithe requirement, also remember that the temple sees to a full priests needs. Need a new suit of bronze plate commissioned, and a new horse? The temple has you covered. Gifts to impress that local chief? Done. Jewelry and clothing as befits your station? Covered. But any gifts you receive go to the cult and your community. You get a 500L reward for that daring rescue? 450L goes into temple fund and you get to keep 50L for expenses. Also, remember, as a Priest, you have real power. Need an initiate bodyguard? Done. Need bodies for that worship ceremony you want to enact? As long as the high priest agrees, you got em. Need access to the clan's magic resources? Make a reasonable request and you'll probably get it. The downside? You have to play politics. This is why some Priests request demotion and go take care of a small shrine as an Acolyte. With power comes responsibilities.