Archidomides the Undying, Vessel of Tondiji and Ikadz - A Fonritian Delecti?

[dumuzid]

In reading up on the history of Fonrit for the RQG game I'm running, I've stumbled across something that's really piqued my curiosity.  The overlord of Golden Kareeshtu, the most powerful confederation of city-states in Fonrit at the start of the Hero Wars, is a man called Archidomides the Undying.  He is entitled the Vessel--high priest?  avatar?  actually possesed?--of Tondiji, the god of the city of the same name, said to be the most powerful city god in Glorantha at the end of the Third Age, and of Ikadz, the god of torture, a powerful and pervasive cult in Fonrit.

The Guide is sparse on biographical detail for Archidomides.  He's ruled Golden Kareeshtu openly since the collapse of the Confederation of Fonrit in the early-mid 1300s, and has an unnaturally prolonged lifespan.  The gazetteer portion of the Guide to Glorantha covering Fonrit refers to him a few times in describing lands he rules, owns outright or conquered during his reign, but says little else directly about the man.

What first got me interested in Archidomides was his name.  It's such a classically Greek name for an area of Glorantha so heavily based on West Africa, it made me curious.  And then I happened across this passage, from the Guide's description of the fall of the Middle Sea Empire in Fonrit, p. 554:

Quote

The cities of Fonrit expelled their imperial governors and submitted themselves to the Jann of Afadjann. Even the city-states of Kareeshtu rebelled – worse yet, the rebellion was led by the imperial governor – and their warships chased off a Jrusteli expeditionary force that was intended to reconquer the rebellious lands.

Now maybe what I suggest next should've gone in the Dumbest Theory thread, because it's based on only scant evidence, but: isn't anyone else a little curious about the identity of that unnamed rebel MSE governor who led the Kareeshtan revolt?  Wouldn't someone in the position of 'MSE imperial governor of Kareeshtu' have been in a splendid position to mine the secrets of, oh, the rites of Tondiji's city-cult, say, or the inner mysteries of the Ikadz torturers?  For your consideration, I contend that this 10th Century imperial governor and His Holy Munificence Archidomides, the Heartless and Openhanded, are one and the same.  I think he gobbled down enough power and secrets in his official capacity that when the Six-Legged Empire started to shake apart he saw the chance for unfettered autonomy and grasped it, 'going native' to lead the Kareeshtan revolt from a position of social and religious power as, say, the freshly anointed high priest of Tondiji.

I reference Delecti in the thread title because he managed something similar on the other side of the ocean: in the wreck of the EWF, Delecti the Necromancer accumulated enough lore and power to secure his perpetual existence, if not his life, and a realm within which to exercise it.  Delecti and Archidomides strike me as peers, atavisms sustained by the same magics they used to secure their survival through the fall of their former empires and the end of the Second Age.

Or maybe there's just sources I'm unfamiliar with that throw a bucket of water on my little theory, there's always that possibility.  If that's the case though, I'd love to see the citations and read the evidence myself.

So, what do you think?  Is it intriguing?  Am I way off base?

[John Biles]

That sounds like a great idea.

 

[metcalph]

I think Archidomides' immortality stems from his city being in the Gods World rather than any undead magics as such.  If he was the Middle Sea Empire governor, then he probably was driven from power by the Invasion of Water and took control once again in the aftermath of the collapse of the Yranian Empire.  

I'm not sure Delecti is comparable (I've a sneaking suspicion that he is in fact Surnestor (an Archduke of Slontos who was caught by the EWF and converted) in that Archidomides has a vast empire bowing to his will while Delecti has an undead filled swamp with ducks for neighbours.  

[metcalph]

A possible Archidomides timeline.

908 ST - Archidomides leads the Kareeshtuan City-States to revolt and chases off a Middle Sea Empire Fleet in doing so Guide p553

955 ST- Closing smites Kareeshtu.

956 ST - The Pillars of Water arise.  Archidomides flees.  Where does he flee to?  It just so happens that there's a God Learner fleet in Koraru Bay active around this time (Guide p565) which gets into a pissing contest with Dumanaba.  Where was it based?  Goan has extensive middle sea fortifications but seems a bit out of Koraru Bay to me.  Then again there is an Ikdaz Priesthood that rules the city providing a possible link with Archidomides.  Another possibility is Yarbur.  

1077 ST - Invisible Fleet sinks God Learner Fleet.  Archidomides sent to Hell.

1319 ST - Yranian Leapers take power in Fonrit.

Unknown Date: Yranian Leapers resurrect Archidomides at Tondiji to help them build their fleet.

1331 ST - Yranian Leapers disappear.  Archidomides left in power in Kareeshtu.  Empire building begins.

 

 

[Sir_Godspeed]

He might also be a descendant of the rebel governor. A closed-off dynasty still keeping some traditions from the old country, as it were. Some sort of Fonritan Ptolemaics. 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Sir_Godspeed

[dumuzid]

3 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

He might also be a descendant of the rebel governor. A closed-off dynasty still keeping some traditions from the old country, as it were. Some sort of Fonritan Ptolemaics. 

Going further on that line, the Undying bit could be the result of him body-swapping down the years, jumping into the skin of a descendant before his current flesh wears out.  Which, combined with the magical city more-than-half in the Gods World to add @metcalph's speculation, would make him a bit of a Fornitian Belintar.

[Darius West]

I think Delecti should be hero worshiping Archidomedes.

[dumuzid]

Well, one of them got to set up shop in one of the more materially sophisticated and population-dense places in Glorantha, even after the Closing, while the other had to grow a marsh to hide in after the Dragonkill annihilated every major surrounding population center in a way that denied him the raw materials for most of his best tricks.

If anything, Delecti probably curses the fate that saw him stuck in Dragon Pass, hemmed in by mostly-hostile Elder Races, while Archidomides is out there glutting himself on God Learner secrets and living like a god-emperor.

[Sir_Godspeed]

19 hours ago, dumuzid said:

If anything, Delecti probably curses the fate that saw him stuck in Dragon Pass, hemmed in by mostly-hostile Elder Races, while Archidomides is out there glutting himself on God Learner secrets and living like a god-emperor.

Which begs the question: what are Archidomedes' plans, ambitions, schemes? Does he have some secret plan that needs foiling by heroes, or is he already kinda preoccupied with regional politics and basically working at top capacity?

[Joerg]

8 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

Which begs the question: what are Archidomedes' plans, ambitions, schemes? Does he have some secret plan that needs foiling by heroes, or is he already kinda preoccupied with regional politics and basically working at top capacity?

At a guess, an immortal ruler mainly has the ambition to keep things as they are. The Vadeli intermezzo was troubling, but thanks to the loss against Hoom Jhis from Maslo, even though it cost him the better part of his navy, Archidomides is back at the helm again.

Unlike Godunya, it doesn't seem like Archidomides has any transcendent goals. His appetite for expansion is documented with the conquest of Kumanku after the fall of the Vadeli. In the conflict between Afadjann and the blue rebels he remains open to either side, shifting his support as he sees opportune, while profiting from the trade that goes to Dindanko rather than Garguna in these times of trouble.

Keeping the uneasy balance between the cities while avoiding assassination is probably occupying much of his activity. Sending out assassins with lousy hances of success may be something of a spot between the Mazarin rulers. While everybody enjoys witnessing a gruesome execution, there are misdemeanors that may be punished by sending the perps against another ruler while keeping their families as hostages, probably under torture in order to expedite the task.

I have not idea whether the Fonritian rulers use doubles for public appearances, and if they do, how they avoid being replaced by such doubles. In other words, while there is the claim for an unbroken record of rulership by that one person, is this really the same person?

I wouldn't be surprised if Archidomides had a bunch of adventurous captains or commodores as retainers, probing into new areas of expansion under his name, much like a certain Christophorus Columbus had for a certain Queen of Spain. Establishing colonies/trading outposts on distant shores, raking in wealth and thereby power, can be rather cheap. The Nochet venture certainly paid off, providing a stream of exotic slaves, some with exotic magics or abilities.