[AR-kat]
Western, Orlanthi, and Uz pantheons — ancient hero
Arkat is the most important ancient hero. His leading of the epic struggle to destroy Gbaji, the Chaos God, ended the Dawn Age. Arkat discovered the means of deliberate heroquesting, and spread his knowledge among others. For years his cult controlled all active excursions onto the hero plane. Arkat retired to Ralios and founded a widespread, peaceful empire.
Although he destroyed Gbaji, Arkat underwent unusual metamorphoses which alienated his followers. In the Second Age, political and magical enemies destroyed Arkat’s empire. Membership in his cult was at first discouraged, then outlawed, and eventually became superfluous amidst the growing abuses of the Jrusteli God-learners.
Due to this persecution Arkat’s cult went underground for centuries, but its remnants helped spearhead the destruction of the hated Jrusteli. Since then it has maintained a widespread, but scattered, existence.
Arkat is represented in many different forms. Western manuscripts describe him as a huge burly redhead and clothe him in sixth-century armor and fashions, including his coat of arms: a black shield with two gold crowns. Orlanthi barbarians depict the same man but carrying two swords and wearing barbarian clothing. Trolls carve images of him in marble, shaped like a dark troll but with prominent teeth, a heart shape on his chest, the sign of the Redstone Zorak Zoran temple on his back, and a bronze nail driven through him from head to foot.
