Zzukiss appears in Dreamspace as a man with three heads (which he says represents his watch over the three philosophies of Good, Neutrality, and Evil), eight arms (for his actions through each of the eight extreme alignments), a silvery sheen covering his body, eyes with a fiery glow, and two legs. Zzukiss claims to represent the Dark Side of the Universe, also called the Destroyer. (Possibly similar in principle to Shiva, though I'm not up on my Hindu pantheon.) He is true neutral, though he is often mistaken for evil. He represents the forces that oppose stagnation (which he says stifles birth), and he considers Ganeth to be one of a few Good beings able to cope with this philosophy. He is contrained to act during new moons and solar eclipses, and can only be visited then. He is also Ganeth's sponsor in Dreamspace.According to Zzukiss, a Red One is a dweller of some a world who is chosen by him to bring Destruction (his caps) to those not of that world. (Sort of; it is apparently more a path that Ganeth has chosen than something that has been imposed on him.) A Red One is a tool of change, and is not necessarily a force for any alignment (though one obviously can be).
Commentary: At the very least, it fits with G's propensity for blasting demons back to wherever they came from.
As with most interesting things that involve extraplanar affairs, the ki-rin aren't allowed to say much about it, but they give the impression that a Red One is a weapon of chaos that tends to be used against some other chaos.Commentary: The chaos source fits with this, though it's not entirely clear who the target will be. Rakni is the prime suspect at the moment, but her Lawful Evil alignment makes this interpretation problematic. (Still, if anything gets to be inconsistent, it's Chaos.)
The githirats say that a Red One is a follower of Truth and a destroyer of Lies.Commentary: Githirats sometimes use "Lies" as a euphemism for "Demons", so this seems consistent.
The whilg have provided two interesting quotes on this topic:Commentary: The first quote seems somehow consistent with the theme of opposing stagnation (getting stalled things moving); the second echoes the often violent methods of the Destroyer. (Incidentally, when Ganeth asked whose blood was being referred to, the reply was, "It's all the same once it's been spilled.")
- 1. "As a Red One, your goal is to finish tasks that have been promised but remain incomplete."
- 2. "Red is for the blood."
The dwarves believe that Red Ones are warriors who are born to fight a particular enemy. The combatants meet only once (though there is the possibility of "false meetings" from a distance and the like), and during this battle Clanggedin imbues the warrior with supernatural powers. The enemy is normally destroyed during the battle; the Red One always is.Ganeth's current attitude is that the Red One concept seems to be somewhat fluid (not surprising for a Chaotic construct), so in the end it might only mean what he allows it to mean. Sending Rakni back to wherever is fine, but detonating Ganeth's spirit like a big metaphysical bomb is not considered an acceptable method. We'll see where this all goes...Commentary: Ganeth has been fighting against various manifestations of Spiders since he began adventuring, and has had a degree of fascination with them for nearly as long. Working along these lines, Lolth and Rakni emerge as prime enemy candidates. (Plant Dude's remark that Ganeth will "go make Rakni no is" and Mountain Breeze's note that Rakni has been "warned" about Ganeth support the Rakni hypothesis; however, Rakni is known to be Lawful Evil.) The part about the Red One not surviving the experience may fit with the Cuthbert's appraisal of Ganeth.
Maintained by Erich Greene; last changed 12-17-95