Illumination

An illustration I did for Moon Design's HeroQuest: Glorantha book, which you can buy over here -> www.glorantha.com/product/hero…

This is a wall fresco from the House of Black Arkat, a temple dedicated to the ancient hero, found in the city of Arkat's Hold.

The fresco portrays the power of an Illuminated individual, a person who has achieved enlightenment with the cosmos, through the teachings of Arkat.

Center: We see the Illuminate seated in a meditation, making a gesture of reassurance and peace with her right hand, while holding a common depiction of Black Arkat (the hero Arkat in his form of a Darkness demon) in her right. The woman is tattooed with various clan, cult and magical tattoos, showing that she is (or was) a priestess of Ernalda, from the great temple of Ezel.

She is seated in front of a representation of The Spike, the cosmic mountain which, in the God Time, was at the center of the world and held everything in place.

Surrounding the Illuminate is a runic halo, showing the various runic forces of Glorantha protecting and detaching her from the pull and influence of the Gods War that rages around her.

Top left: Orlanth the Thunder King slays Yelm the Sun Emperor, using the sword Death.

Top right: Humakt, the Orlanthi god of Death and War slays the first human being, now known as Grandfather Mortal.

Bottom right: Argan Argar, a god of Darkness and Wealth has subdued Lodril, the lustful god of earth, fire and fertility, and is taking away his "spear" for himself.

Bottom left: Ernalda the Earth Queen is seated amongst a lush garden, watching her lover Orlanth slay the Emperor.