Author: Kristofor L. Carlson

Mythi came into existence less than a score after the First Cal-Elo War. The conflict between the two might city-states resulted in casualties and destruction across the region. Some cities became embroiled due to alliances with one side or the other, but many other cities suffered indirect losses as the conflict spread. Innocent travelers were collateral damage, crops and livestock were ransacked as supply trains stretched thin, and unaffiliated towns found themselves transformed into battlefields.

The origins of mythi can be traced back to a single event: the Concordat at the Periphery. A gathering occurred at war’s end with representatives invited from every city, town, and village that experienced losses during the conflict. Calibar and Eloria were not invited. The First Cal-Elo War was also the first organized use of magi in war. Whole battles were fought by magi. Many of those that attended the gathering were magi, and perhaps due to the sheer number of funerary rites performed in the region, many of those were the well-regarded magi of the souls: necromancers.

The gathering discussed how to stop the destruction of unaffiliated locales and the deaths of innocent bystanders the next time a war broke out over a large region. The gathering may have been prophetically inspired as, of course, the Second and Third Cal-Elo Wars were even more devastating. These debates ended in an agreement between the various represented municipalities and the necromancers in attendance. This agreement was the Concordat at the Periphery, and its hundreds of pages detailed the responsibilities of the necromancers in limiting deaths during large-scale conflicts. The Necromantic Oath also traces its origins to this document when later generations rebelled against it and sought a return to the idea of a “natural time of death.”

After the Concordat at the Periphery, huge numbers of necromancers sought to make good on the pact through the instantiation of a complex, permanent working that was powered by the energy released when a soul passes into Endscape at death. The working is imbued with a base morality that judges the nature of the deaths. Too many violent deaths of innocent people in an area, with innocence primarily being determined by not reciprocating violence, and a nearby living soul connected to the deaths in a positive way, such as a family member or close friend, is empowered with some of the collected energies. Such a person becomes a salvus mythus, the first type of mythus to walk the orbs.

The mythi legacy is much more complex all these compositions later. Other types of mythi have formed, organically or through manipulation, and artificial mythi further pollute the characterization. The beginnings clearly show that mythi were intended to be a force for good, and so perhaps the tavern tales of heroic mythi can be believed… to an extent.

The Order of Wands was a militant order of magi. Its members, known as guardiennes, were originally all female. After dozens of scores as a female-only fighting order they eventually admitted men, but the feminine term was applied equally to both. In the order’s earliest rotes it was known as the Sisterhood of the Guardiennes, and its adherents strove to prove that magic made the genders equivalent when it came to combat. This goal of gender neutrality eventually led to the inclusion of men and the change from sisterhood to order. The Order of Wands was chosen as the final name due to their wands being a defining characteristic. Guardiennes can be identified by their use of short, thin metal wands as opposed to the longer and thicker wooden wand used by most magi. The wands of a guardienne were usually between 4 and 6 inches long.

By the modern era, guardiennes were known as the best bodyguards. Unfortunately for the wealthy and elite who desired their protection, guardiennes were not mercenaries. They traveled between nations and sought out worthy causes to support or people to protect. A guardienne could not be bought, but some tried to sway them. Those who gained the defense of a guardienne through chicanery were made examples of when the truth came out. To deceive a guardienne was to invite violence.

Guardiennes had no distinctive appearance beyond their wands. Many guardiennes wore the traditional wrapped attire of a magi, but others specifically eschewed any identifying clothing or other characteristics. By blending into the crowd, guardiennes were better able to identify threats without being noticed. Other situations called for a visible bodyguard, and guardiennes were perfectly flexible in this area: both stealth and panache could be weapons. Unlike the majority of magi, some guardiennes did choose to wear armor.

The Order of Wands believed they could change the course of history through the proper application of their extreme combat training. They did not seek to violently remove leaders, but instead sought to keep people, and sometimes whole movements, alive and well to continue working for the common good. A benevolent lord, an inspired advocate for peoples’ rights, or a remarkable healer all might find they had a guardienne watching over them openly or in secret.

The sanctums of the guardiennes were castles in the wilderness or fortresses in the midst of major city-states. As the longest-lived militant order of magi, they took their combat role very seriously. Legends claimed the guardienne fortress in Amathast was their oldest stronghold. It predated the change away from the original name of the Sisterhood of the Guardiennes, and most of the order’s agents trained there for at least a few movements.

The Order of Mysteries was regarded as the oldest of the many orders. Official members of the order were known as mysterians. While there were few true mysterians, frequently a city only had a handful of full members, many people learned basic history at the feet of a mysterian. Mysterians maintained a sanctum in every city-state and many smaller towns. Knowledge was important and was regarded as the greatest possession by many omrun cultures. The mysterians acquired knowledge, but they did not do so to share it. The Order of Mysteries believed that too much knowledge could be dangerous. They also believed a lack of knowledge was dangerous. So mysterians recruited likeminded scholars and other gifted individuals to the Order of Mysteries. They hoarded tomes and manuscripts in locked vaults and meted out parts of history only to those who proved themselves worthy. The mysterians created a cult around learning. They held power and sway amongst nations because over time they had secreted away bits of history that were lost outside their sanctuaries. The mysterians claimed their practices prevented the loss of previous knowledge, but in many ways they encouraged it with the silence brought about by their elitist nature.

The Order of Mysteries was famous for the zeal of its adherents. Everyone who was part of the Order, whether a full mysterian or not, had a numeric ranking. The rankings were earned through extensive learning and testing. It took gyres to move upward through the ranks, but that number determined what parts of history or teachings you could know. The basic elements of history were taught openly, and mysterians referred to these as the Rank Zero teachings. This led to those outside the Order being called Zeroes in reference to their lack of numerical rank.

Full members of the Order received deep black sashes without adornment or pattern. Legends claimed that a person could stare into the abyss of the black sash and secrets would be exposed. The sashes were generally not thaumines, though the Order of Mysteries did recruit magi and a few black sash thaumines were created. Their exact purpose and powers was only known to their creators.

Mysterians believe their founder, who lived hundreds of scores ago, was reincarnated in every generation. Everyone who joins the Order is told about this constant reincarnation of the founder, and encouraged to remember previous lives. The founder lived an ascetic lifestyle and was said to spend rotes fasting and meditating next to a pond. Nature was believed to speak to the founder and aided in expanding the founder’s working knowledge of all things. If low-ranking mysterians attempt to emulate this in the hopes of realizing they are the reincarnation, so much the better.

The sanctums of the Order existed everywhere. Some whispered that mysterians traded in current knowledge, such as political secrets, as well as ancient knowledge. It was rare for any government to accuse mysterians of spying, since without the libraries and teachers the Order provided a nation could lose its intellectual edge, but Order of Mysteries was excellently positioned throughout the orbs and had zealous followers. If the Order partook in clandestine activities, few would be able to pierce the veil of mystery.

Describing the detailed skin patterns of omruns as “foreskeletons” is a misnomer that stretches back to some of the earliest histories kept by the melodians. One such tale, The Skeleton Tribe, claims the term comes from a no longer extant group of people whose foreskels were long lines in an off-white color. It is no surprise this tribe would equate these markings with skeletons.

It is common in many regions for foreskels to be referred to as whorls. This more recent name for the natural designs coincides with the spread of a few large civilizations, such as the Elorians, whose foreskels are curved or wavy. Eschewing use of the more traditional term for whorls is thought by some scholars to be a form of exclusionary tactic. Again going back to the Elorians, they often conflict with the Sheofites whose foreskels are angular lines or triangles.

There is a long history of bias when it comes to the foreskel. With overarching elements being regional it is a naturally-occurring labeling of outsiders. Noting colors, or angles versus whorls, is often the first thing observed about a stranger. With foreskels covering so much of the body it can be very difficult to conceal in foreign lands and has been pointed to by many scholars as a reason why immigration is not common.

Foreskel patterns are unique to an individual, but they have similarities within bloodlines. Experts can frequently identify family connections between people after examining the patterns on their bare backs. Such experts, known as lineage readers or sometimes as skin cartographers, can generally identify a close family connection from patterns on part of an arm or the neck. This is a well-established method for proving paternity without the use of sensitivity.

Any history of the foreskel would be incomplete without some mention of those born without the markings: the unpatterned. There is debate about the earliest references to people without foreskels, but most scholars place it between 6,000 and 8,000 gyres ago. These early unpatterned, then known as blanks, were thought to be cursed or perhaps banished from the sight of the Initiator. Later legends claimed that unpatterned were immune to magic, though this has been proven false. Many unpatterned do find the use of magic distasteful, and there has never been a verified instance of an unpatterned becoming a magus. Whether that is due to the social stigma or to an actual inability is presently unknown.

Lastly, it should be noted that some claims have been made about unique foreskels; people born with markings that match neither parent or even the region. These stories have existed for hundreds of gyres but remain in the realm of fiction. Every attempt to verify these stories has resulted in the unique foreskel being proven a fake. All foreskels are variations of the same patterns that have existed since the first omruns.

For hundreds of gyres, cerebremancy was one of the specialties of the magi. It was understood and accepted at least as well as its brethren specialties such as theramancy and channeling. It was in the Age of Acceptance, when magi emerged from hiding and joined society as productive citizens, that cerebremancers first saw concerning signs. The mental magics were silent, subtle, and in many cases undetectable, which caused them to stand out from the more physically obvious specialties.

The insensati of the time began to tell tales of magi that could read a person’s innermost secrets with a glance and even steal control of a person’s thoughts. The fear of this invisible magic made people question every action of their neighbors, and people with unpopular opinions were accused of being under the influence of cerebremancy. Fear turned to hysteria, as it is wont to do, and the persecution of magi resumed in some city-states.

It was not only the mundane insensati that reacted to the fear. Magi of other specialties began to distance themselves from cerebremancy and deflected by claiming it could only be performed by those who specialized in it. It was in these rotes that the name the Hidden Arts was first applied to it. This attempt at making it seem to be a secret known only to certain magi created an othering: a separation of the more obvious magics and the hidden arts.

Displacing blame onto a small group in a population as a means of dealing with a societal issue worked as well as usual. The fears escalated until the violence became too much. A large scale conflict between insensati and magi felt inescapable. This resulted in the Schism.

The magi knew there were at least a thousand insensati for every magus. Open conflict had to be avoided. A council of magi from dozens of city-states, realms, and nations came together and banned the practice of cerebremancy. The most vocal proponents of the ban were the Elorian magi. A recent scandal that involved a mind-controlled magistrate was central to the hate espoused by these magi from the Capital of Empire. As Eloria had long taught and shown with its own naming practices, names had power – especially simple and descriptive names, and so they renamed cerebremancers as the Hidden Masters to highlight their nefarious ways.

There were only a small number of magi who voted against the draconian ban, and they were all from the Sheofite Kingdoms. Sheof, Gateway, and the other city-states whose alliance dominated an entire coast rejected the decision of the council and offered succor to any cerebremancer who could reach the kingdoms.

After the rotation when the ban on cerebremancy was announced, its practitioners began to disappear as if they never existed. Some were killed. Many more went into hiding in the same manner that magi had hidden for generations before the Age of Acceptance. Some stopped openly practicing cerebremancy and claimed to be a different type of magus.

 The ban on cerebremancy was intended to wipe out its use. Books were burned, workings faded into obscurity, and the ban almost succeeded in removing the specialty entirely. The Schism, the great divide between hidden masters and magi, kept it alive. Many cerebremancers undertook a quiet journey to the Sheofite Kingdoms where they gathered in their own council in a mountain between Sheof and Gateway. From there, they released several proclamations.

First, they willingly took up the name hidden masters with which they had been derisively branded. They would never again call themselves magi or cerebremancers. Second, they declared the hidden arts the most intrinsic and powerful of the specialties. The mastery of the mind allowed magi to absorb energy for use in instantiating workings. The hidden masters used this proclamation to broadcast the hypocrisy of the previous council.

The third and final proclamation was the creation of the Three Immutable Laws. All practitioners of the hidden arts were required to swear to obey these laws above all others. This enforced moral compass was meant to show that the hidden masters were not the insidious evil the previous council claimed.

1. The Law of Killing. No practitioner shall kill. The murder of a fellow being hampers proper growth and evolution. Life must always be respected.
2. The Law of Command. No practitioner shall command a non-practitioner. It could not be proven if a command from a practitioner was obeyed willingly or throughout mental influence. Practitioners advise and recommend, but must not command non-practitioners either through the powers of the mind or through the achievement of rank within a society.
3. The Law of Magic. No practitioner shall use magic. The easy magics that exist outside of the powers of the mind are a temptation that must be avoided. They weaken the body and mind with curses and repercussions and corrupt the user. Those who walk this path, the magi, must be opposed at every opportunity.

The Three Immutable Laws are often debated. For instance, some hidden masters claim that the Law of Killing applies only to intelligent beings and therefore allows hunting. Other hidden masters take the stance on the avoidance of killing so far that they become vegetarians so that others do not have to kill for them to eat. The violation of the Three Immutable Laws resulted in execution originally, with the hidden masters at times turning one of their own over to Sheof for the actual execution. Debate on the appropriateness of executions given the Law of Killing resulted in the more common modern punishment: banishment from the mountain.

Six hundred gyres have passed in animosity with the hidden masters secure in their mountain fortress in the Sheofite Kingdoms, and the magi claiming everywhere else as their domain. Many would claim the magi have won this long conflict, but the mountain home of the hidden masters holds many secrets and should not be underestimated.

The terminology for most units of time are inspired by music. This is believed to be because of the status of melodians as early keepers of history and tradition. For some units of time, the omruns look to the movement of the celestial bodies they can see – the orbs.

• Beat. Equivalent to a second. There are exactly 1.18 Earth seconds in a beat.
• Measure. Equivalent to a minute. There are 50 beats in a measure. The measure is therefore equal to 59 Earth seconds.
• Bar. Equivalent to an hour. There are 50 measures to a bar. The bar is therefore equal to about 49.17 Earth minutes.
• Rotation. Equivalent to a day. This is often shortened to rote. There are 30 bars in a rotation, making one rote equal to about 24.583 Earth hours.
• Movement. Equivalent to a month. Sometimes shortened to move. There are 40 rotes in a move. The movement is equivalent to about 40.972 Earth days.
• Gyration. Equivalent to one year. This is frequently shortened to gyre (pronounced \ˈjir\ or jeer). There are 360 rotes in a gyre, making one gyre equal to about 1.01 Earth years or 368.75 Earth days.
• Score. There are 20 gyres in a score, making one score equal to about 20.192 Earth years.
• Composition. There are 100 gyres in a composition, making one composition equal to about 100.958 Earth years.

There are other, less common, units of time. “Cycle” is used in many rural communities and refers to a period of 100 rotes that is a typical harvest season from beginning to end. “Tick” is a tiny unit equal to approximately 1/10 of a beat that is used in some scholarly circles. There is a sensitivity working that aids magi in measuring this brief unit. An “octet” is a historical unit of time that is composed of 8 rotes. It fell into disuse a dozen or more scores ago but is seen in aging manuscripts and scrolls.

There has been ardent debate amongst rolled scholars as to why the modern units of time are a mix of musical and celestial terms. One popular theory espouses the idea that there were once two distinct systems for measuring time and they merged in the distant past. With melodians being the gatekeepers of the ancient past, and the pride they take with the music-based terminology, some scholars have accused the melodians of concealing the truth. A subset of this argument involves the movement unit. The word could refer to the movement of the orbs across the sky or a movement in a musical arrangement. The ambiguity will likely never be resolved and which of the two timekeeping systems it originated with is only really of interest to the most cerebral of historians.