The Cult of Arkat Peacemaker

I. Mythos and History

Arkat came to end the wars, to end the horrors, the tyrany of Gbaji the Deceiver who walked the nigts and days in a Mystic Veil that only Arkat could see through. Only Arkat could tell who or what Gbaji was. He united all the Lawful and rightful heirs to Ralios to detroy the discordant Chaos and Evil. Then, keeping his magnificence formed an Empire to rule and keep Harmony.

The people of the Dark Empire lived in peaceful harmony for many, many years. The three hundred and fifty Laws of Arkat Lawspeaker served to promote a blissful existence, and so as all Kings and Leaders whould, Arkat retired. He took to the Sky and shines down upon his kingdom at night, keeping a watchful eye upon us.

However, Gbaji rose again, the Laws were not honoured and the Harmony was shattered, infected with Disorder. Gbaji destroyed the paths to Arkat, sundered the Dark Empire and raped it for it's secrets, destroying all that Arkat had created. Or so they thought, for the one true Harmony can never be extinguished, and our cult survived the evils of the God Learners, so that we might unite once more and bring Arkat back to the world so he might rule fairly and bring the New Empire to us. He will crush the false gods, destroy the false prophets and burn the false laws, bringing his Kingship back to Ralios again, and bringing Harmony to his people.

The cult of Arkat Peacemaker know that it's most truly diligent worshippers go to Arkat's Rosary Halls where they await the return of their Hero. However, most worshippers settle for the afterlife offered by other cults they are in - something perfectly acceptable to the Arkati.

The Runes of Arkat Peacemaker are Harmony and Mastery.

II. Cult Ecology

The Cult of Arkat Peacemaker seeks to return Arkat to his rightful place as head of Ralios, so that Peace and Harmony will once again settle over the northern continent under the able skill of his own progeny and cult. While the cult believes in ultimate peace and solace, they see violence as a necessary means to achieve this. The cult, as a whole, are pacifists, they very rarely engage in violence, instead hiring warriors and private armies to fight for them. As Arkati cults often clash violently, or require to use violence to spread their creed, these armies are seen as a necessary evil. The last military campaign was in 1579 ST where the cult of Arkat the Destroyer and Arkat Peacemaker met on an open battlefield to fight over territorial rights.

Arkat Peacemaker does not enjoy, and can barely tolerate, the presence of other aspects of Arkat. They believe that all other aspects are perversions of the one true Arkat - most priests will not initiate a candidate if they worship other aspects of Arkat. St. Arkat the Liberator is an exception to this rule.

III. The Cult In The World

Arkat Peacemaker, as a bliss seeking pacifist cult, is popular throughout Ralios. It has a lot of support in Helby and Azilos - and even has support outside of the Ralios basin. Trolls do not worship Arkat Peacemaker, only humans.

The cult is organised as most other temples are - a selection of priests with groups of initiates beneath them, normally including at least a few hired warriors. The cult always proselytizes, sometimes to extreme degrees. It allows lay membership by donations to the cult. Long term lay members (membership terms measured in years or decades) are quite common.

IV. Initiate

Candidates must have served one season as lay members, and be known to either the priest, or have three initiates of good standing put the candidate forward. As the cult organises lots of social activities, from religious readings to hunting parties, most lay members are well-known by the cult by the time of initiation.

Any who acknowledge the cults strictures can join by sacrificing one POW. All candidates must be at least the age of 12.

All initiates must wear a black dove medallion (bought from the cult for about sixty pennies, or thereabouts) on their clothing to display their membership. No initiate may carry a weapon other than a knife or dagger, and may wear no armour, unless commanded to by a Priest. Initiates must dedicate at least 10% of their time and income to the cult.

V. Priests

Priests are any worshippers who have walked all four Paths (see below) and have learnt the sorcery spell, Worship Arkat Peacemaker. They need not run a temple, but often do so or participate in the running of one. All priests must spend 90% of their time and income on the cult, most time is spent preaching the Laws of Arkat. No priest may ever carry a weapon other than a dagger of a staff. They gain access to Divine Intervention, which initiates do not.

VI. Special Arkat Peacemaker Rune Magic

Arkat himself grants no Rune Magic. Instead the Rune Spells are to be gained from the Four Lieutenants, cult spirits who are ascended souls of Arkat's own followers. Using the correct ritual sorcery spell a HeroPath can be opened. Each Cult Spirit has it's own HeroPath. Once the Quest is completed, the rune spell can then be sacrificed for. All Rune Magic from the cult is gained in this manner.

Pollelerate was one of Arkat's companions, and ruled several units in the pacification of Ralios. He was one of the companions of Arkat who accompanied him on the HeroQuest to steal Zzabur's Blue Book, and was made an honourary troll for his work.

Pollelerate ascended in the year 500 ST to the HeroPlane to live in a Red Tower. He can be found there, with his wife, by all those who climb the rocky mountains and precarious bridgeways to his home. He is said to lament muchly on how silent Arkat is, and every so often petitions Questers to revive the ancient pathways to Arkat's Star.

He is a warrior of peace, if such a paradox is possible. He seeks to pacify all about him to be governed by the infinite wisdom of his Lord Arkat. He grants Pacify.

Pacify
2 points
ranged, temporal, non-stackable, reusable
This spell can be cast on any non-chatoic being. If magic points are overcome, the affected target will become unable to make any attack with either a weapon or a spell, or any form of other offensive action. They are still fully able to defend. This lsats until the spell expires or is dispelled.

The people of Halikiv sent a human slave child to Arkat upon his initiation into Zorak Zoran. The childs name was Agarin, or SpiderTouched in DarkTongue. He was the Bondmaker and Oathtaker for Arkat, becoming a Sword of Humakt and a Lawspeaker of Lankoring. He was a complete pacifist, never lifting a weapon in anger or to cause harm to another. He used his powers only to make peace with the foes he faced.

He vanished in 479 ST ona HeroQuest to make peace with a Dehori Spirit. Later HeroQuesting showed that Agarin had been captured by the Demons he went to make pace with. To gain access to his magic one must travel to Hell, past the Dehori and into Agarin's cell. Agarin will never allow himself to be rescued until he has placated the Dehori and made peace bonds with them. However, he will freely grant his magic to Questers.

He grants Fate Link, a two point one-use Rune Spell that achieves the same as an Aranean Divine Intervention (see Troll Gods p.16).

A Dara Happan Nysalorian who turned against his former God when he saw the vile awfulness of Gbaji and the growing cancer in the Bright Empire. He blinded himself from that day forth so that he might see the world more clearly, and departed on a long pilgrimage to discover the secrets of Illumination. He uncovered great secrets and light in his search and evenutally offered these powers and information to Arkat when he invaded Dorastor. Illyin died when he met with a guardian at the Bridges of Nysalor and engulfed both himself and the guardian in purifying fire.

To reach him now one must be Illuminated and travel to the Court of Yelm. Here they must convince the Luxite angels to give audience to Illyin, who will then grant his magic to all good worshippers of Arkat. He grants Harmonize.

Both the cult spirit of reprisal and the cult spirit of the afterlife. Ago was a spirit in the service of a God destroyed in the Greater Darkness. When Arkat encountered him on the Spirt Plane they suppped red wine together and befriended each other. Ago accompanied Arkat often, but was not with him at the final conflict with Gbaji.

Ago was befriended by a Priest of Arkat Peacemaker in the early years of the Third Age. The Priest had unearthed the secret rites to contact the spirit as the Cult of Arkat had done so in the early Second Age, the height of the Dark Empire. He can be summoned by any who know the appropiate sorcery spell. As long as the summoner and the spirit exchange red wine they will have good relations. Ago is the easiest spirit to contact and grants the spell Dedicate Soul. In his position as Spirit of Reprisal, the summoning priest must prove the excommunicated victims crimes against the cult (breaking strictures, unnecessary violence etc...) and the spirit will agree to aid in reprisal. The spirit will accompany a group of Arkati in hunting down the apostate and engage him in Spirit Combat. Ago has POW 36 INT 14.

Dedicate Soul
1 point
Ritual (ceremony), one-use
This rite will ensure that upon death, instead of going to their appointed afterlife, the Arkati will go instead to the Rosary Halls. This portion of the Spirit Plane is where all dedicated Arkati go to await their Gods return. The person this spell is cast upon must be willing and a member of Arkat Peacemaker. This spell does not save their soul from external influences - it can still be devoured by chaos or captured by Hero Magics etc... Also, Ago will refuse any person who has been excommunicated that he has been called to attack as Spirit of Reprisal. In such cases the soul is instead sent to Hell to be tortured.

VII. Special Cult Sorcery

The cult spells in circulation are the ritual spells for the HeroQuests to gain Rune Magic and summon Ago. There is also the Worship Arkat Peacemaker spell. These spells are all fairly common and taught from one priest to a worthy initiate. All five spells must be known for a candidate for priesthood.

VIII. Notes

Only Priests can gain Divine Intervention from Arkat Peacemaker. It is limited in power, though. Arkat can only Divine Intervent for defensive, pacifistic means, oftn sending Ago as an aide to the supplicants. Having access to Divine Intervention is the single factor that signals that you are now a Priest of Akrat Peacemaker.