Araka-Kalai is often referred to as a single place, but in fact, it's 
more of an 'area' with multiple sites of note.  Of these, the prime 
site is Ochrynn--  a small village built around the temple of the Order 
of the Ochre Womb.  This is where all the pilgrims go to get blessed, 
and constitutes the *main* pilgrimmage site.

There is also another location, a few miles away, called "Ilvir's Pit". 
This is a sinkhole filled with water, mud, and strange foul-smelling 
ooze and scum.  In the center of the 'pit' there is a solid rock rising 
out of the muck on which a crumbling tower stands.  (Some say the tower 
was built by Ilvir himself in the Elder Days of Harn).  Most pilgrims 
to Araka-Kalai try go to the pit -- although many cannot bear to 
approach because of the horrible stench.

There are also extensive caves, sinkholes, pits, and similar geological 
features around Araka-Kalai which are deemed holy and worth of 
pilgrims-- but the most sacred of these is an extensive network of 
caverns whose entrance lies near Ilvir's Pit.  It is said that these 
caves lead down deep, through treacherous passages, into the bowels of 
the earth to "Ilvir's Court", the divine dwelling-place and fabled 
birthing place of the Ivashu.

At the temple of the Ochre Womb in Ocrynn, there stands a tall stone 
carved in ancient Jarin runes.  A second stone stands at Ilvir's Pit. A 
third is said to stand near the top of the caverns near the Pit.  Four 
more stones are said to stand further down in the caverns-- and the 
seventh of which stands in Ilvir's court itself.  These are known as 
the "Seven Stones" in Ilviran Folklore-- and pilgrims are often said to 
have had powerful mystical experiences, visions, insights, or other 
feeligns upon reading their inscriptions.  It is well-known that they 
are unable-to recite what they read on these stones to others or even 
to recall the words clearly themselves later.

Ilviran pilgrims who go to Araka-Kalai are often known as a "Pilgrim of 
the First Stone", a "Pilgrim of the Second Stone", a "Pilgrim of the 
Third Stone", etc.  depending on how far they went.  To your knowledge, 
there is no-one currently alive in Harn who is a Pilgrim of the Seventh 
Stone.

Anyway... I think Girard could be a pilgrim of the First Stone or 
Second Stone.... possibly of the Third Stone... but probably no more 
than that. At least not yet.  (It's possible that on a future 
pilgrimmage he may be able to proceed further.)

In terms of going to Araka Kalai, given his location in northern 
Kaldor, I'm assuming he probably would have joined a group of pilgrims 
who at first went north to Leriel (in Orbaal/Jara) and from there set 
out with a large group that was making the pilgrimmage by crossing 
through Huxuth Pass in the Rayesha Mountains.

He could have met the Cuchlaen Wheelwright priest either at Leriel, on 
the pilgrimmage, at Araka-Kalai, on the journey back, or at Leriel upon 
his return (or some combination of the above).  It might be kind of 
neat to combine this with some sort of mystical experience had at 
Araka-Kalai... perhaps Girard had a vision... or a voice... or 
something that caled him to be a priest.  And it just so happens that 
he meets this fellow from Chuclaen Wheelwright....

Or, maybe this could be interesting... he has this experience, and 
travels back to Leriel (before heading home) with the CW priest, who 
has persuaded him to come and join his order at Gedan.  However, at 
Leriel, there's also brother Olrau who has returned there on his 
wanderings, and he comes up to you--- and says something strange, like, 
"I believe you may be the one I came here to seek" and asks you to 
follow him on his mission.  Girard, by this point has other plans and 
tells Olrau so-- and Olrau responds, "Then perhaps my inner voice 
deceived me, but it is strange for you have the mark about you.  
Perhaps our paths have crossed too soon.  I beleive we may meet again." 
or some such.

Second: Chuclaen Wheelright--

I really need to give you the info on the order (which is in the 
"Gedan") article so you can read it.  One of the things that may 
require some negotiation is that fact that the CW order really is a 
militant pro-Jarin-resistance, anti-Ivinian order.  You might think of 
it as the 'spiritual wing' of the Jarin resistance, as it were.

Now, there's a lot of reasons I can see from Girard's backgrond why 
this might appeal to him-- young man, Jarin descent, refugee 
background, frustrated at home.  At the same time, I'm not sure I 
entirely see how Girard's leaving the order and joining Brother Olrau 
in trying to raise money for (and then found) a temple in Tharda could 
be construed as an attempt to 'change things' and build support for the 
order and  Jarin resistance.  (Unless I'm misunderstanding something 
here).  I think that that would be a more radical/profound 
reorientation of Girard's practical/spiritual goals-- one that may 
perhaps involve a kind of 'turning away' from the goal of serving the 
Jarin and their liberation and instead to a goal of serving Ilvir by 
bringing a temple to a city where he is not currently known at all.   
Perhaps it's more of a realization that, "No, this isn't really what I 
think Ilvir wants of me, after all" or some such... and then seeking 
another slightly different path--  one that still involves being a 
priest, but  with a different goal and purpose.  Does that make sense?  
And if so, can it work with your vision of Girard?