[DeathStrobe]

So I was talking with a friend about what Ghostwalker was doing before jumping out of the Watergate rift before the Year of the Comet. I guessed it might have been some kind of astral alchera prison that only appeared when Halley's Comet appeared at the site of the Watergate hotel.

My friend had a cooler idea and that Halley's Comet itself was Ghostwalker's prison and that the rift acted as some kind of astral shortcut to teleport Ghostwalker off the comet.

Anyway, despite how cool these theories are, I was wondering if there was ever an official word as to what Ghostwalker was doing before he jumped out of the rift in 2061?

[Chrona]

I vaguely remember hearing about him having been on a centuries long astral hunt, I don't know who or what after.

[CanRay]

What dragons typically do.

Whatever they want. 

[Mirikon]

I believe he was hunting in the metaplanes for thousands of years. Hunting what? Don't know. Probably best for us all if we never find out, because if he was hunting it for all this time and didn't finish it off, we're all very screwed.

[SoyCaf]

I don't think it said anything more than him being on an astral quest. He just happened to get stuck.
He could have been hunting for something to help Yuichotol, a horror, or for information.

[CanRay]

Or lunch.

[Red Canti]

I believe he was hunting in the metaplanes for thousands of years. Hunting what? Don't know. Probably best for us all if we never find out, because if he was hunting it for all this time and didn't finish it off, we're all very screwed.

How do you manage to talk about something so cool in a way that kills every, single, solitary ounce of my enthusiasm for such an idea?

To remain on topic, I think he was mainly dicking around, which is why he was in such a foul mood when he hit Denver and found out his Brother was dead.

[DeathStrobe]

To remain on topic, I think he was mainly dicking around, which is why he was in such a foul mood when he hit Denver and found out his Brother was dead.

I figured Ghostwalker must have already talked to the Big D. Or else, how would he have known to attack Denver and specifically Aztlan, and if CanRay is right about Dunkelzahn's Will and the line about "Rock in the Sky" being Red Rocks Amphitheater (which sounds pretty accurate) and that it holds a lot of nuyen and weapons for Ghostwalker, or if Shadowrunners found it maybe it had instructions to weaken Aztlan and make deals with the other nations for Ghostwalker's arrival. Basically, Ghostwalker must have already known before he jumped out of the Watergate Rift about his (or Dunkelzahn's) end goals and how to execute them.

And why would he need an astral rift to get in and out of astral space? Can't dragons project into astral space whenever they want?

[SoyCaf]

The big D probably told him via an artifact as events happened. They have the eyes of all-wings.
I want to think his physical body was dead from being on the astral too long and had to be revived before he could pick it up.

[Mirikon]

No, there isn't any resurrection magic available so far in this cycle. Otherwise, Ghostwalker and the other Greats would have at least tried bringing Dunkelzhan back, or any of the other dragons killed by dragonslayers during the off times. Most likely, Ghostwalker's body was in a suspended animation type situation, maybe similar to the Petrify spell?

At any rate, while it is true that dragons with the magician quality can astral project (I don't know of any dragon adepts or mystic adepts, but they could be out there), Ghostwalker was clearly going deeper into the metaplanes than people normally go, hence having to break through walls to return (and letting the shedim in).

[SoyCaf]

They would have to kill one dragon to bring another back. What's the point of doing so if they can't kill two birds with one stone.  Bringing the big D back would only be one bird. They would need another reason.
He could have performed something similar to the rite of Inviolate Self-Direction first. Doesn't allow anyone to interfere during or do anything once it's said and done. Likely to keep his brother or other dragons from doing anything hasty to try and save him or bring him back.
Maybe his self sacrifice blood ritual used so much magic it brought the levels down again.
Most of the dragons killed by hunters weren't particularly powerful anyway. Just ensures only the strongest and most cunning live to pass their traits on.

[Nath]

I figured Ghostwalker must have already talked to the Big D. Or else, how would he have known to attack Denver and specifically Aztlan

Year of the Comet, page 68
Mr. WHITEBIRD: [...] As I have been given to understand, long ago the entirety of this area was under Ghostwalker's protection and guardianship. It was his home, but he had to leave through circumstances as yet unrevealed to me. Now that he has returned, he wishes to regain what he has lost.

As for targeting Aztlan specifically (on his first attack at least, since he later attacked targets in all sectors), Ghostwalker would only need to cast Detect Magic and a bit of assensing to determine that the Aztechnology pyramid has the most potent magical lodges in town and that they had been used to practice blood magic, putting it on top of his list.