Introduction
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For countless dreadful eons we’ve toiled in silence; for, who could have guessed that the gods would have such grim tidings? Might it not have been best had we not made them aware of our insignificant presence..? ~ Pontifications on the Arcane Rituals of Late Grinneal; by Imeall sciatháin Before the chaining of the elements when mankind had to rely on the unseen guidance of the cruel silent gods, soothsayers used casting runes to channel the divine whispers of fate. Almost a forgotten art by Aislings in our age of dwindling interest in arcane rituals, but the fundamentals of casting runes have permeated many other facets of modern spirituality and there are those on the fringe who still practice this ancient ritual to communicate with the silent gods of realms long forgotten. In this tome I will give a fundamental explanation of the runes, the methods and the purpose of casting runes for foresight and fortune. Be forewarned, though, this old magick is not to be practiced by those with a weak mental constitution, as casting runes will open your mind to the twisted wisdom of entities we cannot fully comprehend.
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History
Mankind was all but extinguished by vengeful gods. Hubris drove our distant ancestors to utter madness as they sought to uncover the secrets of the gods; the only thing they uncovered was wrath and destruction. Those that remained lost all hope and generations passed in the barren lands. A great chasm had separated man from the goodwill and guidance of the gods. Those who worshiped still knew not to whom their prayers went, or if they went anywhere at all.
It was during the fourth aeon, in this period of endless suffering, that a number of women still versed in arcane methods opened a channel of communication between the mundane and the gods. In the hands of a gifted seer, the gods were amicable and enlightened, but when pestered by an unworthy upstart, they sent plague and destruction to punish the land.
Entire generations came and went with little to show, for each day passed exactly the same. Be it horror or hope, the seer was the only one able to ease the tension between the silent gods and the mundane. Both exalted and exiled, the seers were cast aside with one arm and embraced with the other; these vectors for the will of the gods lived outside the village and were sought by all for their gifts.
So it carried on in this fashion for what could have been thousands of years with each generation building off the work of the one before. When Aosda reappeared in the world and brought elemental knowledge to the masses, the favor of the silent gods grew less crucial and the seers lost favor to the new spiritualists. The appearance of the Tuatha brought a new god; one of light and love. The practice of casting runes was largely abandoned and, eventually, considered a forbidden art.
It was during the fourth aeon, in this period of endless suffering, that a number of women still versed in arcane methods opened a channel of communication between the mundane and the gods. In the hands of a gifted seer, the gods were amicable and enlightened, but when pestered by an unworthy upstart, they sent plague and destruction to punish the land.
Entire generations came and went with little to show, for each day passed exactly the same. Be it horror or hope, the seer was the only one able to ease the tension between the silent gods and the mundane. Both exalted and exiled, the seers were cast aside with one arm and embraced with the other; these vectors for the will of the gods lived outside the village and were sought by all for their gifts.
So it carried on in this fashion for what could have been thousands of years with each generation building off the work of the one before. When Aosda reappeared in the world and brought elemental knowledge to the masses, the favor of the silent gods grew less crucial and the seers lost favor to the new spiritualists. The appearance of the Tuatha brought a new god; one of light and love. The practice of casting runes was largely abandoned and, eventually, considered a forbidden art.
Forgotten Art & Rediscovery
While the practice of casting runes has experienced periods of prolonged dormancy, the wisdom of the stones was never lost. As such, during times of confusion, strife and famine the runes were easy to call back to; an open channel of communication to gods long abandoned who had long abandoned us. Like the ebb and flow of the tides, the popularity of casting runes has risen and fallen like as have so many failed kingdoms, yet despite how many centuries pass, the wisdom is always there, waiting.
With the arrival of Danaan and her children, the world, at once, knew the compassion of a living god; no longer was it necessary to entreat with these cruel, unseen divinities at risk of great peril. This, paired with an increasing fear of the unknown and the inevitable discovery of the dark element lead kingdoms across Temuair to outlaw the practice.
Seers were always relegated to the outskirts, so the practice continued more or less without issue, but with every passing generation there were fewer to call upon the humble seer and fewer yet to apprentice in the art. Through manuscripts and dedication the art managed to survive aeons with naught but a few practitioners. Today, as unknown, still, as the art remains, there has been a mild surge of interest in learning the history of our people, our land and the gods. Seers today act less as harbinger or sage and more as mystic historian and fearless medium to the forgotten silent gods.
A special thanks must go to Sister Cia and Sister Dreijer of Astrid, who have taught me much of the craft and helped me gather materials to write this piece. With any luck, this tome will provide instruction for many generations to come.
With the arrival of Danaan and her children, the world, at once, knew the compassion of a living god; no longer was it necessary to entreat with these cruel, unseen divinities at risk of great peril. This, paired with an increasing fear of the unknown and the inevitable discovery of the dark element lead kingdoms across Temuair to outlaw the practice.
Seers were always relegated to the outskirts, so the practice continued more or less without issue, but with every passing generation there were fewer to call upon the humble seer and fewer yet to apprentice in the art. Through manuscripts and dedication the art managed to survive aeons with naught but a few practitioners. Today, as unknown, still, as the art remains, there has been a mild surge of interest in learning the history of our people, our land and the gods. Seers today act less as harbinger or sage and more as mystic historian and fearless medium to the forgotten silent gods.
A special thanks must go to Sister Cia and Sister Dreijer of Astrid, who have taught me much of the craft and helped me gather materials to write this piece. With any luck, this tome will provide instruction for many generations to come.
The Seer
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