[Glorantha] Arkat's War

LC:

>I know in general the war took 75 years or so. How is that divvied up? Does
>that start from the crusade on Tanisor, or earlier? How long did he stay
>dead, btw?

That the war lasted 75 years is true if and only if Arkat's struggle is used. He was born in 375 ST during the Sunstop and killed Nysalor in 450 ST.

Other people will reckon it differently - the Heortlings will date the war's beginning to the Immolation of 352 (which broke the World Council) and a few may date its ending to as late as 578 when they finally broke free of the Uz Overlords that Arkat had imposed on them.

Arkat reaches Seshnela around 400 ST or so. His confrontation with Palangio (and subsequent consignment to hell) occurs about 425. He spends two or three years before being rescued by Harmast whereupon he campaigns in Slontos, reaching Kethaela by 440 ST. The last ten or so years are spent fighting his way to South Peloria and then into Dorastor.

There's a number of other dates but they confuse more than they illuminate the period. For example:

         408 ST: Seshnegi Nieby Temple is overrun, beginning of
                 civil war.
         415 ST: Civil War ends in Seshnela with defeat of Iannilr.
         417 ST: Arkat named Grand Marshal of the Crusade.

Now if Arkat arrives in Seshnela around 400 ST (possibly as early as 397 ST), then the Seshnegi are sending troops to Arolanit against Tanisor without the local Nysalorans being repressed or even causing trouble?

If the Vampire Kings are still around after 417 ST (the Crusade is supposed to have been launched against them) then having been bogged down for over seventeen years in Seshnela, Arkat spends the next eight conquering not only Tanisor but Ralios in time to become bogged down in a long siege of Kartolin by 425 ST?

The best way out might be to have an early doom for the Vampire Kings (perhaps before 408 ST) allowing Arkat to campaign in Ralios for over fifteen years. The Seshnegi civil war then becomes a distraction from the Ralian front. But why no hostile move was made against the Seshnegi Nysalorans (or by them) remains to be explained.

>I don't think there is much of a contradiction [between Greg's
>recent statement that Dorastor helped the Tanisor and a
>Dorastor:Land of Doom reference saying they didn't] as I think
>the quote from Dorastor is from a pro-Empire view, and so
>casting it as "we didn't help the people who fell from the way
>but we did those who didn't" is just good PR.

The Dorastor quote is not pro-Empire spin but a historical account. Moreover if Dorastor had sent troops to aid Tanisor then the Westerners would have noticed the Krjalki there and then and not when they marched against the Dari.

--Peter Metcalfe Received on Sun 27 Aug 2006 - 06:00:08 EEST