Seeing the future: A guide to fortune telling

Excerpts from a book on fortune telling by a Bast scholar.

Level of superstition

I am often pressed to rank how superstitious each culture is about their ability to tell the future with their chosen method. I would say more savage places such as the Sugazeh, Wretches and Bakanese are incredibly ready to believe fortunes with desperate Kratians following close behind. Then I would say there are those that view it with science such as cetain methods practiced here in Bast and those of Paradigm and The Drowned Lands. The Renyans are unique in their heavy disbelief while practicing more forms than any other culture.

Astrology

The Bastites with use of their superior technology can view the celestial bodies and predict mundane events such as seasons. Some believe they are also use this to predict less mundane events and that different actions in the sky such as a shooting star will lead to reactions in Lanmet.

Dreams

The Bakanese and the Parads both only have a single method of fortune telling that they prefer; that of reading dreams. The Parads believe there invisible creators are giving them visions while the savage Bakanese believe the dead are - and believe anyone not on their island is dead! Kratians use a similar practice in thought to the Bakanese, they will channel their ancestors to tell them about their futures. Often this will be done when they are out at sea. Renyans will do the same but more often as a parlor trick.

Cartomancy

Both the Bastites and the Monts practice reading cards based on ancient traditions. Other regions will often pick up packs of fortune cards and use them in divination or play, making it rare but practiced everywhere in Lanmet. Decks will be regionally based but there is a common deck used in Bast with cards representing places all around the world.
Some common cards include: Tower, Death, Eidolon, Drown, King, Metal, Sleepers, Madcapped, Peace and History

Runes

While I hate to justifiy the superstitious practices of slaves, for completeness I will note them. Wretches will carve bones and roll them in order to tell the future. I understand the escaped slaves have started taking to carving rocks for this purpose. Some parts of Al Renya have taken to this practice, or using them as part of inscrutable dice games.

Animal entrails

Some regions use the savage practice of sacrificing an animal and reading the future from the organs inside. As expected Sugazeh follows this practice and have influenced the nearby cultures. The northern Monts have taken up this practice and often a hungry Kratian family will use this method to try an work out if they will live.

Rare forms

Most forms of telling the future can be found in several places around Lanmet, the exception to this is the historical method that The Lost use. They will look at flights of birds look for direction, number and time to predict events.
The Sugazeh also use a unique and historic form which is suited to their environment. The Sugazeh of the burn will use divining rods to try and find water.
I should note that Renyans also have unique forms of so called fortune tellers in tents that claim to be able to see the future, either through communing with the dead, palm reading or sheer force of will. I do not think these are serious attempts at telling the futures as the others, both the reader and the visitor seem to subtly agree that these attempts are not real.

Show Spoiler

A well performed ceremony, dire prophecy or moment of importance can often attract Eidolons who will then work to make the fortune happen.

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