by David Hair
6th (holy) day Sabbadai Jome Shanivaar
The time is measured using sand-timers, and the hours are rung by a man assigned to staff the tallest tower of every city, town and village. There are varying numbers of hours to the day and night: at the instant of dawn, a bell is struck, and then again every hour until sunset, when a different (lower-toned) bell commences. Depending upon the season and latitude, a day might contain as many as sixteen daylight or night-time hours or as few as eight, but a day always totals twenty-four hours. Due to variability in quality of timing devices and vigilance of timekeepers, the time-keeping can be quite variable. The hours of the day are named as follows:
• Sunrise is the first hour: Day-Bell One
• Midday is typically Day-Bell Six
• Sunset would normally be considered Day-Bell Twelve, or Night-Bell One.
• Midnight is typically Night-Bell Six.
The Primary Religions of Yuros and Antiopia
Sollan (Yuros): The Sollan Faith was the dominant religion of the Rimoni Empire and evolved from the sun and moon cults of the Yothic peoples that spread from the northeast prior to the formation of the Empire. Sol is the male deity and progenitor of mankind, together with his wayward wife Dara, or Luna, who is associated with the moon. The Sollan faith is kept by priests known as drui whose primary function is to keep records, advise communities and observe the seasonal rituals. The Sollan faith was outlawed by the Rondian Empire in 411 following the establishment of the Kore. It still thrives in parts of Sydia, Schlessen, Rimoni and Pontus, and also among the Rimoni of Javon.
Kore (Yuros): The Church of Kore was established alongside the conquest of Rimoni by the Rondian magi. It believes that Corineus, the leader of the group who discovered and consumed ambrosia and gained the gnosis, was the son of God (or ‘Kore’). The Church elevates people of mage-blood (i.e. related to one of the 300 Ascendants who led the conquest of Yuros by the Rondians) and holds that Kore gave the gnosis through the death of his Son. The Kore is the prime religion of Yuros, except where Rondelmar does not hold sway (parts of Sydia, Schlessen, Rimoni and Pontus). The Kore is male-dominated and places religion and the magi above secular society.
The Kore promises eternal life in Heaven for the faithful, a status that magi automatically gain, but ordinary men can aspire to. The wicked burn in Hel, a fiery underworld ruled by an evil spirit called Jasid (which is also one of the names of the Shaitan of the Amteh Faith).
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 Attiya 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 one-quarter 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 applic
ations 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.
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 second-hand, 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
THAUMATURGY
THEURGY
AIR
WATER
HERMETIC
SORCERY
Fire and Water are opposites Thaumaturgy and Sorcery are opposites
Air and Earth 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
Bastidinio: Little bastard
Buona Notte: Goodnight
Castrato: Castrated man; in the Rimoni Empire it was common to castrate boy singers and male servants.
Cichita:
Young woman
Cojones: Testicles
Come sta: How are you?
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
Froci: Homosexual (principally male, singular: frocio)
Giovanotto: Young man
Grazie: Thank you
Pater: Father
Paterfamilias: Head of the family (male)
Ragazza: Young girl
Rukk/rukka!: Fuck! (obscenity)
Rukka mio!: Fuck me! (obscenity)
Safian: Homosexual woman
Si: Yes
Signor/i: Gentleman/gentlemen
Silencio: Silence
Stronzo: Arsehole (also with connotations of stupidity)
Keshi/Dhassan/Jhafi
Afreet: Evil spirit of the air in Kesh mythology
Bekira-shroud: Loose-fitting black over-robe worn by Amteh women
Dom-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
Tribaddi: Homosexual woman
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
