[HQ Ignorance] Scene Ten: Research of the Golden Dwarf

[Lev Lafayette]

Three days later the Golden Dwarf, Gulth, returns to
discuss the findings of his research and meets you in
the public hall with a fine meal of especially-aged
processed food from an old-fashioned vaccuum sealed
jar. Truly this is an honour for the Dwarves only
bring out these delicies for their most special
guests.

Gulth looks seriously at the party over his wire and
glass spectacles and then at his notes and sighs.
"You're really not going to like this...", he begins.
The fellowship protests and urges him own and he
shakes his head wearily and begins again.

"This much we know is true, from our divinations, our
knowledge of HeroQuesting, our algorithims and a
surprisingly good network of spies. Arkat has indeed
returned and probably due to the HeroQuesting of The
Hero of the Seven Storms, Garundyer.

This we expected from our predictions and is in accord
to the Plan for the World Machine. Our expectations of
course, was the return of Arkat Peacemaker and indeed
this instance has come to be. However, it is not the
only example. It seems that when sufficient Power is
invested in an idea it leads to ... interesting
distortions and bifurcations. 

So there's Arkat Chaosbane, who has taken troll form,
and has been seen near Zorakarkat. Not a good sign
that one. Very bad for the Mostal, but to date it
seems to have spent most of its time dealing with
Chaos in Karia, Vustria and the Eastern Wilds. After
that however....

So that's two Arkat's. But then there's more. There
has been indeed the sighting of a chaos monster which
also seems to be Arkat; apparently that one has been
'inspired' by a small cult of political dissidents who
claim that Arkat *is* Gbaji the Deceiver. This one has
appeared in Telmoria, apparently among a community who
yearn for the return of the Illuminates of Dorastor."

Now the fourth Arkat is relatively mainstream, Great
Arkat, the founder of Railos. This has caused a sudden
revival in the fortunes of Erengazor, the Duchess of
Tortun, whose Proven Appearance cult wasn't doing so
well in recent years as Arkat appearance, well, wasn't
proven. Since the appearance, Erengazor has thrown her
weight behind Foyalfine, the Count of Azilos who seems
to have at least contacted this verison of Arkat on
two occassions through the artifact, the Eye of
Worlds.

The final one however has me very worried however. It
appears to have been inspired by an underground
organisation could the World of Loser's Movement. Such
a thing of course wouldn't appear in a Dwarven society
of course, we know how to manage fealty properly. But
in a human feudal system, it seems that there is human
debris at the bottom of the system and they want
nothing else but the total obliteration of
*everything*. Hence Arkat the Destroyer; apparently
causing a lot of joy in Lalia.

What does all this Arkat news have to do with your
quest? Well, it seems Arkat has a finger in every pie,
if I may use the human idiom and in this particular
case, it is related to your friend Talor the Laughing
Warrior, who was Arkat's companion. It is well known
that Talor cursed the primitive hsunchen people for
supporting Gbaji but ensuring that every seven days
they turn into wolves. Some joke about ensuring that
they are 'close to nature', or something like that. 

In any case, the link here becomes a bit stronger.
See, when this region was under the rule of Arkat
Peacemaker Mostal Dwarves, Aldryami Elves and Uz
Trolls were getting along just fine but perhaps a
little too well. Nobody likes to speak of it but there
was, ahh, 'a little experiment'. An excellent concept
really, a genuine attempt to combine the mythos of all
three peoples. We made and grew under the darkness a,
well, monster really, although that's not what was
intended. A being that is part-dwarf, part-elf and
part-troll and it seems, also from hshunchen stock and
thus ended up cursed.

Now by some means it seems the Axe of Talor ended up
in the hands of this being, Wilkairtha, I believe he
is called; and the last time he was seen was a brief
mention at being present at the Court of Rhis in far
Western Sehnela, which makes perfect sense, being near
runesites for the Mostal of the Iron Hills, the
Beastmen and Aldryami nearby. Such a being is not a
part of any their societies, but can certainly live on
the periphery of all.

I shudder to think what he looks like. Ugh.

I told you that you wouldn't like it.

Well... That's it. Any questions?"



 
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