Rakkar¶
Contested
Named in the open question Rakkar: Riven god or Night God: the Sancturi-era lore counts him among the powerless Riven with the Kalari, while the Fifth Age roll of deities counts him among the Night Gods who survived the Dark Sun.
Rakkar is the Lord of Strength, Vitality and Conquest, "The Resurrected God" (S372), head of the Rakkarim and patron of the wild races. "Lord of Strength" in the Domain of Life and "Lord of Conquest" in the Domain of Union (S420), he made the Draconians, Orcs, Ogres, Trolls and the lesser Giants, turned many of the Primal Dragons from Kalar, and is the one god who ever came back from the god-sleep. Also called Rakkan (S372, S429) and Rakkor (S384, S372).
Domains and creations¶
"Common symbols include Fist, Crocodile" (S429). He is "creator of Draconians, Orcs1, Ogres, Trolls, Lesser Giants (Hill, Stone, etc) and Blade-Demons" (S429). "A large number of primal dragons have been corrupted by Rakkar, and they and their broods no longer serve Kalar" (S429); see Primal Dragons.
History¶
Rakkar's quarrel with Kalar is as old as the Ventari, who "became fractured as some decided to follow Rakkor, while most remained loyal to Kalas" (S372, S384). "After Rakkar and the other Dark Gods had split with Kalar, the Titans became pawns in their conflict. Many were destroyed, taking with them a portion of the planet's life and mass" (S429).
He alone returned from the sleep of the gods. The sleeping gods "have had their mortal forms destroyed on the material plane, leaving their spirits to wander blindly ... Several attempts have been made to bind their spirits to new forms, but so far only Rakkan has successfully returned from the sleep in this way" (S372). The newer cosmology agrees: immortals whose spirits are captured and split "lack the energy sufficient to fully manifest", and "only one Immortal is known to have ever reawakened from this state: Rakkar" (S018, S421). See The Einar.
Worship¶
The Kalari week has six days, "one for each of the 7 old gods, minus Rakkar" (S388). In the Fifth Age Brusau, "at constant war for as long as anyone can remember", takes him for patron: "the patron god of Brusau is Rakkar (Lord of Strength and Conquest)" (S319). Altandon has a "Temple of Rakkar -- Vigil & Monks" (S189). The Sancturi lump "the priests of the Kalari and Rakkar" together as Riven, and both say of the Sancturi dead that they are "transitioning just fine … directly to Hell" (S318). In the Hellgate War Rakkar is one of the Riven triumvirate with Arya and Khardas (S132). The Urok'gar Confederation of orcs, ogres and goblins in the Proturan era "worship the Sun God, Rak'or" (S057), a name the register files among the Demigods.
The Fifth Age roll of deities tells it differently: Rakkar is fourth among the Night Gods, the "gods which have been well known for much of recent history and remain active (survived the age of the dark sun)", organised under Necatus (S020). The two readings are filed together.
Earlier accounts¶
The compendia of the Earlier Ages place "Rakkan, Lord of Strength, Vitality and Conquest, The Resurrected God" first among "The Dark Gods, The Rakkai" (S372), a grouping the later overview marks out of date (S429), and the newest reckoning dissolves (S420).
Gap
No source describes Rakkar's doctrine, rites or priesthood, how or when he returned from the god-sleep, or whether Rak'or of the Urok'gar is Rakkar under another name.