Topic: Priests Arnak?

[dutch206]

 

I am seeking information about the various cults of Priests Arnak which seem to be operating in Jaiman and Emer.  Other  than the fact that they are vaguely described as being 'servants of the unlife' in Master Atlas 4, I really know nothing about them.

1)  What kind of clothing/regalia do they wear?
2)  What do they teach?
3)  What is the 'cover story' they use to avoid being burned at the stake?
4)  How do they interact with Lorgalis, the Dragon Lords, and the various other power groups in SW?
5)  What are their dreams, goals, etc....  (I ask because the goal of the Unlife is the total annihilation of life on Kulthea.  If this is the goal of the Priests Arnak, then they must be barking mad.)

[egdcltd]

Probably the best coverage of them is in Powers of Light & Darkness, which covers all the orders Arnak.

then they must be barking mad

Yes.

[dutch206]

PoLD never occurs to me as a resource.  In my mind, it is filed as "NPC Resource".  I must go dig up my copy.  Thanks!

[Vince]

As egdcltd said PoLD is the book you are looking for,  but the new Xa-ar algo gives a few hints and NPC's of interest about the Athimurl priests, if you want to play in the NW of Jaiman.

 

[Walt]

Hi Dutch, I could kiss you for this question.
So far nothing is written about the Priests, only this vague "Servant of the Unlife" thing. All the publications only focus on "they are bad and here are the stats".

I?m working still on the Yarthraak-Branch. How did they gain in such a short time so much power?
When you check the Jaiman sourcebook, there is the hint of a Sea-god, Karakatus or something. So for the Yarth-branch I?m thinking of ursurping of a god, binding him and using his power.

I?m writing later more, now I?ve got to go the soccer match.

One hint: we (some SW GMs are trying to work at the moment on details like this. To get it a little more colurful and deeper. You would be very welcome to join us!

[Walt]

Okay, coming back to the priests. Like I described I?m focusing on Yarth.
Looking into the timeline it?s written that Yarth arrives 6036 TE in Helyssa and he takes over control in 6050 TE. Pretty fast. And keeping in mind the Helyssa is Iloura dominated, and Shaal for sure also has some ressources they had to have a attracting doctrine.
I went for the "make impossible things happen" approach. Like resurrecting the dead wife of an important person sort of thing. And at the same time workin gfor the poverty. It also became more and more clear that a ship blessed through Yarthraak had much better chances to survive one of the dire storms in the Bay of Ulor and realized better results in fishing. But that?s still no doctrine. I?m thinking of something like the endlessness and mercilessness of the sea, implementing in the believers mind the option of sacred vs not-sacred, some elitism stuff. But so far I have also no real doctrine what they are teaching, only some direction.
For the regalias I use mostly there rings. (but I?m still wondring how is making all those rings. Because from time to time for sure some priest get?s killed and the ring destroyed).
And for the interaction with Logarlis: Aeryk and Logarlis have in my view a long and colerful history together. Some tense cooperation, because it?s not sure if both have the same goal or are only cheating on each other. But in my campaign they have at least direct contact, and are working together (in some aspects)

[dutch206]

Hi Dutch, I could kiss you for this question.

um, OK....but you have to buy me dinner first. 

[Walt]

It?s roleplay...you can chosse between oily pizza and cold chili con carne.

Serious, perfect questions. The Priest Arnak are fundamental in Jaiman. And so far I only saw in each and every supplement the same: stats. No doctrine, nothing.

[RandalThor]

I believe that a basic doctrine can be established by looking at their actions over the years (in the timeline) and understanding that they are all strongly influenced by the Unlife. Basically they try to get others to destroy each other by spreading hate, fear, paranoia, etc. and when their tools are weakened the priests come with their own personal forces to finish everyone off. That is the most basic strategem I would think the priests use, but can be fleshed out and expanded at your (the GMs) hearts desire.

You could have doctrinal problems with newer priests as they are still under the belief that this is just another way of gaining power not something that will completely dominate them and make them work towards total annihilation of everything. (Ain't EGO grand?  )

This could make for some very interesting story lines I ahve always thought.

[Walt]

You could have doctrinal problems with newer priests as they are still under the belief that this is just another way of gaining power not something that will completely dominate them and make them work towards total annihilation of everything. (Ain't EGO grand?  )

This could make for some very interesting story lines I ahve always thought.

Yeah, this gives some interesting possibilities. Terry used it in Xa?ar. But I?m wondering: nobody had so far need to flesh out any doctrine for on of the 6 cults?
I?m still thinking about their heraldic animals, some spiritual focuses, binded by the power of unlife, different levels of worship, nearing more and more the last final truth of velvet silence once and for all.

But if there are tempels, and priest there will be also church services. And in those the priest won?t pray to the big, big absolution of the Unlife.
Like dutch206: what do the pray? what?s there cover story?

And for sure the settled religions didn?t like any new sect forming in their mid and will have done everything to oppress this new sect/cult/religion. So their story must have been very alluring.

[Walt]

By the way Dutch206, here a link to an older thread:
http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?topic=6063.20 (some comments about Arnak and Logarlis)

[dutch206]

There's a whole bunch of stuff about one of the Unlife Cults in the new Xa-ar module, too.

[Walt]

Hmm, I?m sorry, I didn?t find it to helpful. It?s again the same like in all the modules before: a new priest with new stats and some agenda.
But I?m not aware of any module/campaign/supplement where you find substantial information, it?s all only written on the surface. And looks like for the most users that?s enough, some artificial evil cult to work against.

Or did you find answers for the question you initially asked in Xa?ar?

[dutch206]

Not completely, but Xa-ar did help me better visualize their role.  IMHO, they should be played as frothing-at-the-mouth zealots.

[Walt]

I use them much more self-restrained.

They are the highest ranking tools of the Unlife in Jaiman in our campaign.
With virtues like elegance and education in their core doctrine, striving for the perfection the Unlife promisses. No imperfection any more, no mean longings, the cristal clear perfection of eternity. Inapproachable, offering even the underdog perfection in an unperfect world. Promising the end of fears and pain, giving an option no other other religion offers: freedom and peace of mind.
And the only thing you?ve got to give away is your humanity, the compassion with the people around you. But what do you lose? They will learn and will also join the Unlife or they aren?t worth to be your colleagues because they are inclined to stay in imperfection, some kind of cancer what has to expunged before the goal of a painless, perfect world can be achieved.

No, I use them, at least the high ranking ones, not as frothing-at-the mouth. Not at all.

For example while fighting for a change in the power controll of Helyssa, the wife of an important nobel died. And none of the common religions, none of the gods of Orhan wanted to ressurect it. But Aeryk did, resurecting here. As undead, but slowly the undead wife could work on here husband, winning him wirth the idea of eternal love till he himself changed tom the Unlife, giving his life away for his loved wife. That?s how they work in my world, striving for perfection, gaining slowly power

[yammahoper]

Since there are several towers of the priest, the priest can most certainly have different philosophies and approaches, just like many religions in our own world (catholic/protestant divisions come to mind).

One towers philosophies and teachings may appeal to the militant, another to the peace loving, another to the power hungry, etc.  Besides, the intra cult conflicts create great story fodder.

lynn

[Walt]

Certainly, Yamma. And the same is true for each and every god of Orhan!
But I think so far nobody worked on this

[Walt]

Hi Yamma,

after rethinking I?m wondering if your cathlic/protestant example is a good one. I think this really depends a lot of the core doctrine. And for this so far there aren?t any real ideas on the table, are they?

Like dutch wrote at the beginning of the thread: "Other  than the fact that they are vaguely described as being 'servants of the unlife' in Master Atlas 4, I really know nothing about them."

The only try to make up a little bit o Unlife philosophy was the short articel in the Grey world (or Companion V or something), Logarlis speaking with Elor.

And the ever in the dark hunting maniac dark priest, hmm, at least my players are yawning.

[egdcltd]

Reading Powers, the Priests Arnak goal seems to be to advance the aims of the Unlife - the destruction of everything. Not the sort of thing that would appeal to the lower orders of the Priests, who are probably mostly interested in power. The top leadership would basically a bunch of insane individuals capable of faking rationality who want to destroy everything, including themselves, by any means necessary.

[DonMoody]

Reading Powers, the Priests Arnak goal seems to be to advance the aims of the Unlife - the destruction of everything. Not the sort of thing that would appeal to the lower orders of the Priests, who are probably mostly interested in power. The top leadership would basically a bunch of insane individuals capable of faking rationality who want to destroy everything, including themselves, by any means necessary.

When you have a 'force' whose ultimate goal is the destruction of everything, then any of its followers must either be:
- ignorant of this ultimate goal (i.e. unknowing of the 'goal' but somehow 'duped' into being involved)
- fanatically insane (i.e. 'in the know' but delaying their own destruction as a means to making more destruction)

Also, I thought there were some distinct differences between The Unlife and undead.

DonMoody