The Cerulean Sign is a rune of great magical power. It takes the form of a white, leafless tree with drooping branches within an oval of sky blue. When this sign is drawn and invested with magical energy, it reacts strongly to the presence of aberrations.
The origins of the rune are unclear. Even those who revere it don't understand its true maker. Today, most people discover the rune via someone who already has knowledge of it. The Cerulean Sign is thus passed down like an ember, fanning the flames of each person who wields it. Each wielder then ignites the flames of others in turn.
Those who discovered this rune became the first Keepers of the Cerulean Sign. In the centuries since its discovery, the Keepers fought off a great incursion of the Far Realm into the Material Plane. That great victory popularized the organization, and since that time individuals have been experiencing visions of the Cerulean Sign, often paired with an awakening of psionic power.
Who originally carved the rune? Why does it have the powers it does? Nobody knows. Stories told by aberration-hunters links it to the Elder Elves who opened ancient portals to the Far Realm, or to the gods involved in the creation of the Living Gate, to the words of creation that built the world itself, or to ancient elemental beings of radiance, fire, and lightning.
Those who wield the rune are typically more interested in using it in the field than they are in unearthing its mysteries, however. The aberrant threat is pressing, and they have the abilities to deal with it. The "why it works" is far less important than the "how it works" for most devotees.
Adepts and Keepers
Two major organizations have sprung up around the Cerulean Sign, each with their own goals and agendas. The two may overlap in their regard for the power of the Cerulean Sign, but in practice they tend to keep to themselves most of the time. Each seeks its own path to the meaning of the rune.
The first, and oldest organization is known as the Keepers of the Cerulean Sign. This group is largely made up of human and elven bards who infiltrate cults of the Elder Evils, using the Cerulean Sign as a tool to end those cults and eradicate their magic. These Keepers faced the Great Incursion centuries ago, and managed to protect the world by creating seven mystical seals. They are but a shadow of their former selves these days, with a diminishing and quickly aging population. Keepers wield amulets of the Cerulean Sign, and some have additional blessings that the Cerulean Sign has granted them.
After the Great Incursion, a newer tradition arose, as a few people all over the Material Plane began experiencing visions of the Cerulean Sign in their dreams. Some of these people would awaken the next morning suddenly imbued with psionic power. These people found each other, and dubbed themselves the Cerulean Adepts. They believe that not only did the Cerulean Sign grant them their psionic powers, but that these powers are meant to serve the purpose of the Cerulean Sign: to save the world from aberrations. The Adepts believe that the original Seven Seals created by the Keepers are weakening, and that one among their member will someday become a being they call the Eighth Seal: a divine savior who will restore the Seven Seals, locking the aberrant threat away forever. Their vision of the Cerulean Seal and their psionic abilities were granted to them to help pave the way for this champion.
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