The Lightbringers’ Quest was the final quest that ended the Great Darkness and allowed the world to be remade. There were many heroes in the Great Darkness, and the world would have been a worse place if it wasn’t for their sacrifices. But without the Lightbringers, there would be nothing. Many cultures in Glorantha, even those which otherwise do not worship the Orlanthi gods, acknowledge the Seven Lightbringers and the role they played in saving the universe.
The Lightbringers’ Quest began with Orlanth the Storm King, who had slain Yelm with Death and plunged the world into the lesser darkness that would lead to the Chaos Age. Orlanth knew that all of the suffering that had befallen him and others was his doing, and that he was the only one who could fix his mistake. He set out to find the Underworld, where the Dead Emperor languished, and restore him to his place in the sky. He was joined by six others:
- Issaries the Talking God
- Lhankor Mhy the Knowing God
- Chalana Arroy the Healer
- Eurmal the Trickster
- Flesh Man
- Ginna Jar
Flesh Man was a mortal. He had seen Eurmal slay Grandfather Mortal and the destruction that Old Death had unleashed. As a result, he was quite insane. But he could see that alone of all the gods, Eurmal was comfortable in the Disorder of the broken world. So he chose to follow Eurmal.
Ginna Jar is a mystery. That she was a Lightbringer is an indisputable fact, but no one knows exactly who or what she is. She has been identified as dozens of different entities: as the Wyter of the Lightbringers, as the ghost of the goddess Glorantha, as the ghost of Ernalda, as the nascent Arachne Solara, as an aspect of Sedenya or even some combination of the above.
They are the Seven Lightbringers, and they are featured in every version of the myth. They are sometimes joined by other gods and heroes, but they always leave the Lightbringers or die before the end. The events of the quest itself can also vary heavily, but they always follow the same outline. The quest is divided into four parts: the Westfaring, the Long Descent, the Hall of the Dead and the Dangerous Return.
The Westfaring: This is the journey the Lightbringers made from the center of the world to the western edge. This is where the heroes of the quest meet each other and eventually form their company under the advice of Ginna Jar. They journeyed overland before coming to the sea. They traversed the Western Ocean on the back of Sofala the Turtle Queen, fighting Chaos on the way. They arrived at Luatha and overcame its violent residents, finally reaching the Fortress of Dusk and entering the Underworld.
The Long Descent: This is the journey the Lightbringers made into the Underworld. Following the trail of Yelm’s blood, they encountered many horrors in the Hells they passed through. Here, each Lightbringer found an obstacle they couldn’t overcome and suffered great losses, but they each learned a valuable lesson for it. Despite impossible odds, they managed to find their way to the Hall of the Dead.
The Hall of the Dead: Orlanth boldly approached the Dead Emperor, who sat on his throne surrounded by the other dead gods who had followed him. Orlanth made his bid for friendship; Yelm made his demand for atonement. Orlanth made his demand for recognition; Yelm made his requirement for proof. Orlanth made his promise of the future; Yelm made the demand for trial by combat.
Orlanth began with the Song of Truth, and the dead who still cared for him were free to prepare him for the tasks to come. First was the Trial by Combat, where he fought the Keepers of the Gate, the monsters that were keeping the dead imprisoned. He slew them all.
Orlanth made his Promise of the Future, and said it would be like the past. “Which past?” demanded Yelm. Orlanth replied, “Like all of them.”
Orlanth then suffered the Requirement for Proof: an acid shower made of the hatred of all of his foes. He would have died then, if he wasn’t supported by those who still loved him. Thousands of mortals in the Middle World suddenly woke from a terrible nightmare, and prayed to Orlanth that it would not be so. Orlanth emerged alive, and all those present could see that he had changed.
His Proof accepted, Yelm made his Statement of Recognition, proclaiming that Orlanth and everything he stood for had a place in the universe. Orlanth returned the Emperor’s Demand for Atonement, and made his obeisance before the other gods. Orlanth would be High King of the gods, and Yelm would be the Bright Emperor, and there would be no more conflict between the two.
Then Orlanth surprised everyone and made his formal bid for friendship. Both deities were reluctant to do this, but even though it would not be necessary to repair the world, it would make things easier. Urged by Issaries and Lodril, Chalana Arroy and Dendara, Yelm accepted Orlanth’s friendship.
At that moment Arachne Solara appeared, and laid great plans between Orlanth and Yelm, which the two gods swore upon. All the other gods joined them, as they knew that the alternative was to become nothing.
The Dangerous Return: Arachne Solara weaved a net, and every god grabbed part of it. Kajabor and his armies approached, but they were swiftly defeated by the gods. The assembled gods then left the Underworld and emerged at the Gate of Dawn. Arachne Solara cast her web over the universe, catching every single thing inside of it. The Sun rose, and Time was born. The gods strode across the world, bringing life and light to everything. Mythology ended, and history began.
The Lightbringers’ Quest is the most important myth cycle in Orlanthi religion. In the First Age, Harmast Barefoot became the first mortal to embark on the Lightbringers’ Quest, performing the Heroquest to resurrect Arkat. Now the quest is recreated by the Orlanthi at every Sacred Time to bring about the new year.