Moontide 02 - The Scarlet Tides

by David Hair

  Amteh (Antiopia): The Amteh Faith developed in the deserts of northern Antiopia and is principally associated with the Prophet Aluq-Ahmed of Hebb, who rose to importance in approximately A100 (Y450BV). His new teachings, collected in the Kalistham, superseded preceding religions based upon propitiation of gods that may have been related to the Omali faith. It is highly male-dominated and demanding of both time and conspicuous worship. The only deity is Ahm, a male Supreme Being. He reigns in Paradise where only the faithful go. The wicked are condemned to a place of Ice ruled by Shaitan, the eternal enemy.

  The modern (Y900+) Amteh Faith has its centre in Sagostabad (Kesh) and holds sway in all of the northern lands of Antiopia and even parts of Lakh following the Keshi invasion and establishment of the Mughal line in Y834. There are some breakaway sects, notably the Ja’arathi, a more liberal sect that does not follow the more restrictive practices of Amteh (it separates secular and religious jurisdiction, does not require women to wear a bekira-shroud and allows widows to remarry without consequences). It has a following among the wealthy and the intellectual élite. The Ja’arathi claim their path to be a more accurate reading of the original teachings of Aluq-Ahmed.

  There are also several fanatic Amteh sects, the most notable being the infamous Hadishah, outlawed by the Sultans of Dhassa and Kesh but harboured in Mirobez and Gatioch and widespread in the north.

  Omali (Antiopia): Founded in Lakh in pre-history, the Omali faith posits one Supreme Being (Aum), who is both male and female and can manifest in many ways, but principally as the gods and goddesses of the Oma. The Omali assign specific virtues to the different Oma, and there are at least fifteen major deities and hundreds of minor ones.

  The Omali believe in a cycle of death and rebirth called samsara, in which the same souls are reborn time and again into new lives, until they perfect themselves, attain a state called moksha and become at one with Aum. The prime deities are collectively known as the Trimurthi and encompass three male deities, the spirits of creation, preservation and destruction.

  The Omali religion is the dominant faith of Lakh, despite the military conquest of northern Lakh by the Amteh-worshipping Mughal dynasty 100 years ago (around Y834).

  Zainism (Antiopia): Zainism is believed to be derived from Omali and the teachings of a man called Zai of Baranasi (whom the Omali believe to be an incarnation of Vishnarayan the Preserver). He preached removing oneself from worldly forces to seek spiritual, intellectual and physical perfection. Zainism’s tenets still include the cycle of samsara and the seeking of moksha, but renounces worldliness. Zainism remains a fringe cult, but due to its liberal attitudes to gender equality, sexuality and the arts and its martial techniques, it has a following among élites.

  The Gnostic Arts

  Basic Theory: The Magi teach that when a person dies, their soul leaves their body. This disembodied spirit usually lingers for some time in our world and therefore has powers of movement and communication. The Scytale of Corineus enabled the magi to tap into these powers without having first to die, giving the mage ‘magical’ powers in life.

  Mage’s ‘Blood’: The child of a mage inherits powers equal to the average power of their parents: so a full-blooded mage and a non-mage would produce a half-blood with commensurately half the basic gnostic strength of the pure-blood. The ‘blood-rank’ of magi is therefore determined by their percentage of mage-blood.

  Note that the children of Ascendants are not as powerful as their parents: consuming ambrosia generates greater power than can be inherited genetically.

  Ascendants: Those who survive drinking ambrosia are Ascendants, and they wield the highest powers of the magi. The ambrosia is risky, however: not everyone who drinks the potion is strong enough to take the mental and physical strains; there is a strong likelihood of dying, or becoming insane.

  Souldrinkers: Magi descended from ‘God’s Rejects’ can access and maintain the gnosis only by using the energy of consumed souls. They are a secret sect that are held by the Kore to be wholly evil.

  Magi and Society: Magi are prominent in Yuros society, and because of their skills, they generally do well financially, as well as acquiring great status and influence. They have special status in religious worship. They are expected to set the moral example and personify Kore’s teachings.

  Both male and female magi have fertility problems. There is great stigma should a female mage bear a child to a man considered beneath her and/or out of wedlock. Males have more licence and father many mixed-blood magi out of wedlock, but this is limited by their poor fertility.

  Gnosis and Law: The use of gnosis is carefully controlled by the Church and the Arcanum (the fellowship of magi who control education and policy). Some Studies (especially within Theurgy and Sorcery) are closely monitored, but all gnosis is capable of misuse.

  The Facets of the Gnosis

  There are three facets to the gnosis: Magic, Runes and Studies.

  Magic: Magic is the use of basic magical energies, such as discharging energy at an enemy (a ‘mage-bolt’), lifting or moving an object with gnosis (kinesis), mind-to-mind communication, or protecting oneself with gnosis (shielding).

  Runes: These are a series of symbols from the old Yothic alphabet (the ‘runes’), assigned for convenience to specific gnostic abilities. The symbols don’t have intrinsic power; they are merely a form of shorthand for magical abilities. Some are assigned to general-use powers (like the Chain-rune, or wardings), and others represent powers accessed only through Studies (see below).

  Studies: These are the most sophisticated applications of gnosis, and even the best and most talented magi are usually only capable of using two-thirds of them, as their minds are conditioned to perform some tasks better than others. There are four Classes (or Fields) of gnosis and within each Class, four specific Studies (meaning there are sixteen Studies in all). The combination of Studies that a mage finds himself able to use is determined largely by personality (or ‘affinity’).

  Class Affinity: There are four Classes of gnosis; a mage will normally find they have more affinity to one than others, and therefore antipathy towards the opposing Study: for example, Thaumaturgy is the antithesis of Theurgy, and Hermetic the antithesis of Sorcery.

  Elemental Affinity: Each mage will also have an affinity to an element that will shape how they operate. This combined with Class-affinity will determine the abilities that mage will excel at, those they will merely be functional at, and those they cannot perform at all.

  A mage who has an ‘absolute affinity’ has supreme mastery over a Study. It requires single-minded devotion to one Study for which they already have a strong affinity (in both Class and element). A mage with absolute affinity often has a narrower selection of Studies at which they are proficient.

  The Classes (or Fields): Thaumaturgy: the manipulation of the prime elemental forces: earth, water, fire and air. Earth and Air are held as antithetical, as are Water and Fire. This is the simplest Class.

  Hermetic: use of gnosis on living organisms, divided into Healing (restoring someone to normal), Morphic (altering ‘normal’ forms), Animism (emulating and controlling creatures) and Sylvanism (manipulating plant-matter).

  Theurgy: use of the gnosis to affect the mind; divided into Mesmerism (influencing other minds), Illusion (deceiving the senses), Mysticism (communion of minds), and Spiritualism (projecting of the spirit).

  Sorcery: dealing with other spirits; divided into Clairvoyance (using the ‘eyes’ of the spirits to observe other places), Divination (using the ‘eyes’ and knowledge of spirits to predict the future), Wizardry (control and use of spirits), and Necromancy (communion with the recently dead).

  The Studies

  Thaumaturgy: Fire: an aggressive Study; gives a resistance to fire and an ability to douse flame. This Study is primarily used by the military, as well as in metal-working. Air: a versatile Study that gives the ability to fly and also to manipulate weather. It is widely used in commerce and by the military.

&
nbsp; Water: the ability to shape water, to purify water, to breathe water and to use water as a weapon at times (the more skilful have been known to drown a man on dry land).

  Earth: the ability to shape stone is valuable in construction. Earth-gnosis is also widely used in mining, hunting (tracking) and smithing, and has even been used to create or still earthquakes.

  Hermetic: Healing (Water-linked): restoring flesh to its normal undamaged state. It can be applied against illnesses and viruses as well. It is regarded as unglamorous. Morphism (Fire-linked): the manipulation of the human form can be used to enhance (or deplete) musculature or appearance, right up to taking on the appearance of another person. Often used to gain special endurance for a task. The most feared use – to disguise oneself as another person – is illegal. It cannot be sustained for long periods.

  Animism (Air-linked): can be used to enhance the senses, to command the behaviour of other creatures and even to take on beast-form oneself. Many applications, both in civilian and military context. Sylvanism (Earth-linked): can be used to enhance or deplete wood and plant material. Often used in construction of buildings, tools and transport, in both peace and wartime. Wide use of potions and unguents for temporary Gnostic affects.

  Theurgy: Mesmerism (Fire-linked): this is the use of mind-to-mind interaction to aid, dominate or mislead another. Can be used to strengthen another’s determination or sense of purpose, but more infamously used to manipulate and mislead.

  Illusion (Air-linked): the ability to produce false sights, smells, tastes or sounds to deceive others. Can also be used for protection from the same, to deceive attackers, and to entertain.

  Mysticism (Water-linked): the communion of minds, permitting rapid teaching, deep-probing of minds to restore lost memories and to heal mental disorders or calm anxiety. Can be used to link the minds of magi to enhance the power of gnosis-workings by sharing energy.

  Spiritualism (Earth-linked): the ability to send one’s spirit out of the body, where it can then travel long distance and use limited gnosis once there. Used in communication, also in scouting and similar.

  Sorcery: Clairvoyance (Water-linked): the ability to see other places, the distances being determined by the skill and power of the mage. It can be blocked by concentrated layers of earth or water, and certain other restrictions.

  Divination (Air-linked): questions can be asked of the spirit world, which will then give information (often captured in visual symbols) and will allow the mage to predict a probable outcome based on the known information. Unreliable and subject to distortion by personal bias and knowledge gaps.

  Wizardry (Fire-linked): the ability to summon a spirit and control it, either in its natural spirit form or within a body supplied by the caster. Perilous, due to hostility of spirits, and considered theologically dubious. Can give access to all other Studies secondhand, so widely used to achieve indirectly effects provided by other studies.

  Necromancy (Earth-linked): the ability to deal death through forcing the spirit to depart; can also be used to communicate with the recently dead, and even to bring a spirit back to reanimate a dead body. Its acceptable uses are to question the recently dead on crimes related to their deaths or to help a spirit ‘pass on’ (exorcism), but reanimation especially is illegal and other uses are morally and theologically dubious.

  Gnosis Affinity Table

  Below is a Mage Affinity table.

  STUDIES EARTH (element) FIRE (element) AIR (element) WATER (element)

  THAUMATURGY (The manipulation of inanimate matter) Earth-gnosis Fire-gnosis Air-gnosis Water-gnosis

  HERMETIC (The manipulation of living matter) Sylvanism Morphism Animism Healing

  SORCERY (the manipulation of spirit beings) Necromancy Wizardry Divination Clairvoyance

  THEURGY (the manipulation of mind and spirit) Spiritualism Mesmerism Illusion Mysticism

  How to use the table:

  All magi have a primary affinity to a Study, and/or to an Element. Most have an affinity to both, and many have a weaker secondary affinity.

  Any affinity creates a blind spot to its opposite:

  FIRE EARTH

  AIR WATER

  Fire and Water are opposites

  Air and Earth are opposites

  THAUMATURGY THEURGY

  HERMETIC SORCERY

  Thaumaturgy and Sorcery are opposites

  Hermetic and Theurgy are opposites

  So a person with affinities to Fire and Sorcery will be strongest at Wizardry and most vulnerable against Water-gnosis.

  Glossary

  Rimoni

  Alpha Umo: First Man; an expression meaning the leader of a group of men

  Amici/Amica: Friend (male / female)

  Amori/Amora: Love(r) (male / female)

  Arrivederci: Farewell

  Buona Notte: Goodnight

  Castrato: Castrated man; in the Rimoni Empire it was common to castrate boy singers and male servants.

  Cojones: Testicles

  Condotiori: Mercenary

  Cunni: A woman’s genitals (obscenity)

  Dildus: A colloquial word for a penis

  Dio: God

  Donna: An unmarried woman, the equivalent of ‘Miss’

  Drui: A Sollan priest

  Familioso: A term for a family clan that runs criminal activity in a town

  Grazie: Thank you

  Pater: Father

  Paterfamilias: Head of the family (male)

  Rukk/rukka!: Fuck! (obscenity)

  Rukka mio!: Fuck me! (obscenity)

  Safian: Homosexual woman

  Si: Yes

  Signor/i: Gentleman/gentlemen

  Silencio: Silence

  Keshi/Dhassan/Jhafi

  Afreet: Evil spirit of the air in Kesh mythology

  Bekira-shroud: Loose-fitting black over-robe worn by Amteh women

  Dome-al’Ahm: Amteh place of worship.

  Eyeed: The three-day festival after the Holy month of Rami

  Fatwah: A religious death sentence decreed against those who have offended Ahm

  Godsinger: A person assigned to call the faithful to prayer

  Godspeaker: A senior Amteh priest and scholar

  Raki: Rice-based spirit, known in Lakh as arak

  Scriptualist: An Amteh priest

  Shihad: A holy war decreed against a people or place for religious reasons

  Souk: Market

  Wadi: Dried riverbed

  Lakh

  Achaa: Okay or Yes or Very well

  Arak: Rice-based spirit, known in Kesh and Dhassa as Raki

  Babu: ‘Big man’, a word for a local community leader

  Baksheesh: A tip or a bribe or a gift, depending upon the context

  Father: Father

  Bhai: Brother

  Chai: Tea, usually heavily spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, mint and other herbs and spices

  Chapatti: Flat bread

  Chela: A trainee Omali priest or sadhu

  Chod!: Fuck! (obscenity)

  Chodia!: Fucker! (obscenity)

  Dalit: An ‘untouchable’; the lowest, most menial class of Lakh society

  Didi: Sister

  Dodi Manghal: The pre-dawn meal before wedding

  Dom-al’Ahm: Lakh (originally Gatioch) word for an Amteh temple

  Dupatta: A scarf worn by women with a salwar, and often used to veil the face from the sun or for modesty

  Fenni: A rough and cheap spirit distilled from wheat

  Ferang: Foreigner

  Ganga: Marijuana

  Garud: A bird-deity; the steed of the God Vishnarayan

  Ghat: Terraced steps leading down to water, used for worship and washing in Lakh

  Gopi: A milkmaid

  Guru: Teacher or wise person

  Havan Kund: Part of the wedding ritual, where the couple separately and together circle a fire, performing ritual words and actions

  Haveli: Walled style of house with an inner courtyard common among the well-off of Lakh

  Jadug
ara: A witch or wizard

  Jhuggi: Slums, shanty towns where the poor dwell

  Lingam: Male sexual organs

  Mandap: The holiest place in a shrine, and the consecrated place where wedding vows are exchanged in a person’s house (which is blessed to become a temporary shrine)

  Mandir: Omali Shrine

  Mata: Mother

  Mata-choda: Motherfucker

  Mela: A fair

  Nehin: No

  Pandit or Purohit: Omali Priest

  Pooja: Prayer

  Pratta: A religious ban; e.g. the Blood-pratta that bars a menstruating woman from male company

  Rangoli: Decorative floor-paintings

  Sadhu: Itinerant Omali holy man

  Salwar Kameez: A pull-over one-piece dress worn with drawstring baggy pants and a scarf (dupatta)

  Siv-lingam: Religious icon representing the penis of the God Sivraman and his consort’s yoni.

  Tilak A prayer-mark on the forehead

  Vridhi Pooja: Ancestor prayers

  Walla: ‘Fellow’, usually associated with a job, e.g. a chaiwalla is a tea-boy

  Yoni: Female sexual organs

  Acknowledgements

  Writing books is actually a team sport. I’m very lucky to have a group of wonderful supportive people who have contributed to this one.

  First up, many thanks to Paul Linton for slogging through the first completed draft and providing so much valuable feedback. Likewise to my fabulous agent Heather Adams and her partner Mike Bryan, without whom none of this would be happening.

  Huge thanks to Jo Fletcher for her guidance, expertise, eye for detail, continuity and what works. Much gratitude and respect. Also thanks to Nicola Budd and the rest of the JFB/Quercus team, Emily Faccini for the maps, and Paul Young, Jem Butcher and Patrick Carpenter for the cover.

  And of course, love and mega-thanks to my wife Kerry for going through every draft and giving her insights, opinions, time and support to make sure this book was written.