Omens and Their Meanings
Not all prophecy comes in grand pronouncements. Sometimes the future speaks through small signs-patterns in the stars, behaviors of beasts, dreams shared by strangers who have never met. This compendium records the known omens and their traditional interpretations.
- Maintained by the Order of Seers across all temples, updated with each generation''s observations
Omens of the Sky
The Crimson Moon - When the moon rises red without explanation of dust or fire, it heralds a time of bloodshed. Wars begun under a Crimson Moon are said to be especially brutal and difficult to end.
The Double Star - When a star appears to split into two, then rejoin, it signals a choice that will determine the fate of nations. The splitting represents divergent paths; the rejoining, the moment when the choice is made and cannot be unmade.
The Falling Fire - Meteors are messages from the Dragon Gods. A single falling star is a blessing; a shower of them is a warning. A meteor that strikes the earth marks a place of power-or a place where something has awakened.
The Sunless Dawn - When the sun rises but brings no warmth, when daylight feels like twilight, the Void grows stronger. This omen has appeared three times in recorded history, each time preceding a significant incursion of void creatures.
Omens of the Earth
The Silent Forest - When all animals flee a forest simultaneously, when no birdsong breaks the silence and no creature stirs, something terrible approaches. The Groove Guardian''s children sense danger that mortal senses cannot detect.
The Bleeding Stone - When rock weeps water that is red as blood, the boundary between worlds grows thin in that place. Such locations should be warded immediately and watched closely.
The Withering Circle - When vegetation dies in a perfect circle, void corruption has taken root. The circle will spread unless cleansed by fire consecrated to Taninsam.
Omens of Beasts
The Gathering of Crows - When crows gather in numbers beyond counting, death approaches on a scale that will require many guides to the afterlife. Tatsu''s servants prepare for an influx of souls.
The White Stag - To see a white stag is to be marked for a quest. The Groove Guardian sends this omen to those he has chosen for a purpose, though that purpose may not be clear until it is fulfilled.
Wolves Howling at Noon - Wolves are creatures of night and shadow. When they howl in daylight, the natural order is disrupted. Something has changed the rules, and not for the better.
Omens of Dreams
The Shared Dream - When strangers dream the same dream on the same night, the gods are sending a message that concerns all people. Such dreams should be reported to the temples immediately.
The Dream of Falling Endlessly - This dream, common to many, takes on prophetic significance when the dreamer sees specific landmarks or faces during the fall. They are being shown where danger awaits.
The Dream of Speaking with the Dead - When the deceased speak in dreams with clarity and purpose, they carry messages from Tatsu''s realm. Such messages should never be ignored-the dead see farther than the living.
A Warning About Interpretation
For it is written: omens speak, but mortals interpret, and interpretation is fallible. An omen''s meaning may seem clear in hindsight while remaining obscure in the moment. The wise do not ignore omens, but neither do they act rashly upon them.
The future is not fixed. Omens reveal what may come, not what must come. Every sign is also a chance to change direction, to prepare, to choose differently than fate expects.
This is the hope that omens offer: not certainty, but warning. Not destiny, but choice.