The Undying Cycles of Creation
Connects to: 02.03, 05.18, 19.31, 25.31, 29.07.03, 37.01 and the City of Shuttered Windows.
Long ago the gilded fleet of the Imperium Undying set out from the utter west to colonize these Shrouded Lands. Little remains of it now but rumors of the Prince of Men (29.07.03) sleeping beneath the waters of Mirror Lake (37.01) and the pact that the elves of the Kingswood entered into with the Prince that they honor yet though all men have forgotten its terms.
However the calendar that is still used by diviners and astrologers across these lands has been handed down since the days of the Prince of Men and the Jahuri two-faced god Iano seems to be a revival of the ancient gods knows as the Fools that were worshiped by the ancients. And the lesser gods are still paid homage to in every gambling pit in Shuttered where the grim face of the Father still glares at gamers as the King of Winter along with all of the rest of the twelve Dreamers. And even the greatest fool can see the shapes of the old gods when they look up into the sky. The Fools: The creators of everything in existence and in dream, and progeny of their own creation. The Fools think only with their hearts. They are two, yet one; fourteen, yet none. They are associated with the inexplicable, the unavoidable, the undesirable, and the unspeakable. They are generally portrayed as a single two-faced god or a pair of youths of uncertain gender; one dressed in red the other in black. The Messenger: The bringer of tidings, both good and ill. He is associated with falling stars and the color yellow. Horses and birds are sacred to him, and winds are said to follow wherever he goes. On his Day he brings news of the great King’s death, and his time is midnight on any day before a battle. He holds domain over the wind, roads, and knowledge. The Maiden: The virgin, innocent and bold. She is associated with the moon. Her colors are white and pink. Butterflies and hummingbirds are sacred to her, and flowers are said to bloom in her footsteps. Daybreak of any holy day is her time on on her Day the Fools visits her at dawn and deliver to her the Youth as her betrothed while the Bard begins wooing her at nightfall on her Day. She holds domain over the dawn, temples, and acts of pure joy. She also holds sway over the victims of betrayal. The Youth: The boy, brave yet naive. His colors are blue and red. Dogs are sacred to him, particularly strays. On his Day he is wedded to the Maiden, a time of new beginnings and trials of bonding. Offerings made unto him on his Day also have worth, but worshipers should be prepared to make solemn vows. He holds domain over the spring, childhood, and thievery. The Bard: The trickster. A minstrel and a storyteller, a student and a teacher, the Bard brings joy and knowledge to the world, but cannot be trusted. He is associated with back alleys, crossroads, and the color red. Coyotes are his sacred animal, and he is said to often take their form. On his Day he begins to sing the song that will eventually win over the Maiden’s heart. He holds domain over hills, trade, education, poetry, and music. He also holds sway over acts of betrayal, and self-serving crimes of all kinds. The Lover: The essence of beauty and desire, a seductress and a confidante. Her colors pink and red. Doves are sacred to her, and a dove’s egg properly sacrificed to her is said to bring fertility and bliss. On her Day the Maiden finally succumbs to the Bard’s charms. Her time is any post-coital, but only when the act was done in bliss, and was the very first time the lovers had thus embraced. The Hero: The champion, strong and daring. He is associated with Mount Scorshia (02.03) and the colors blue and gold. He holds sway ever battle and on his Day, a day of silence, he strikes down the Bard in a jealous rage. The Hunter: The searcher, finder, and slayer. He is associated with all forests and stars, but particularly those with no names, and also with the colors green and brown. On his Day he fells a stag of such size that the Pilgrim can fill his pack with jerky and set out on his journey. His time is the dawn of any day that is sacred to none. The Mother: The nurturer, possessed of intuition into all souls. She is associated with the home and hearth, but particularly that of the Four Sisters in the sky, and also with the colors red and green. On her Day day her belly swells full with the spirit of the Fools. Her time is any the moment a child is born, but particularly when the child is of noble or accursed blood. The Father: The provider, and punisher. He is associated with the field and fences, with the great Grey Mountains, and with the colors silver and black. His Day is the day of the Great Harvest, and all should take pains to sacrifice a grand meal to him by nightfall. The Pilgrim: The introspective wanderer, questing for salvation. He is associated with roads, particularly those leading south or beneath gallows, and the colors black and white. On his Day he passes Death’s Door on his journey, where he meets the ghostly Fools themselves, already full and pregnant with the Youth and the Maiden of their own accord. His time is early morning, while all others are still asleep, particularly when one of the sleepers will not wake come sunrise. The Queen: She is associated with castles, eclipses, and the colors silver and gold. On her Day her husband the King is said to have left her for battle. Her time is dusk, particularly on nights when silver stags ride the sky, or when all ravens cease to crow at once. The King: The ruler, with dominance over all. He is associated with battlefields, particularly those with bloody and tragic histories, and his colors are purple and gold. On his Day the King is slain by the fools, as was witnessed by the Pilgrim at the end of his journey. His time is moments before death, or when great judgement is being passed.
In each cycle there are fourteen years: the Year of the Messenger, the Year of the Maiden, the Year of the Youth, the Year of the Bard, the Year of the Lover, the Year of the Hero, the Red Year, the Year of the Hunter, the Year of the Mother, the Year of the Father, the Year of the Pilgrim, the Year of the Queen, the Year of the King and the Black Year. The Red and Black Years are holy to the two-faced god while the others are of the twelve Dreamers.
Each year begins with the first day of the Month of the Messenger, which begins on the day after the first new moon after the end of the Long Night. Most years have twelve months (one for each of the Twelve Dreamers) but Red and Black Years have a thirteenth month to honor the two aspects of the two-faced god.
Each month is 29 days long. The final day of the month is on the last day and is considered unlucky. The rest of the month is divided into two fourteen-day weeks. The first week is Rising Week during which the moon waxes to full while the second is Falling Week during which the moon wanes. The days follow the same order as the cycle of years. So, for example, the first day of every month is the Day of the Rising Messenger, the sixth day of the month is the Day of the Rising Hero and the 28th day is the Day of Falling Black. There are also six feast days that do not fall in any month.
Depending on the year, there are often a few days left at the end of the year after the last month is over and before the new moon announces the arrival of the next year. These are fallow days not part of any month or year in which people fast and avoid the start of any major projects.
In order to distinguish one year from the next, many are given nicknames such as the Year of the Flayed Hero or the Year of the Drunken Pilgrim but many astrologers organize the fourteen year cycles into 196-year eras and 2,744-year eons.
Astrologers take careful note of the movements of the stars and the day of a child‘s birth to discern the future. In ancient days, the Priests in Red would tattoo a child‘s guiding sign across his or her forehead at birth so that all could know the child‘s true nature. Many wizards also use to calendar to select the day of important rituals. For example if it is the Day of Rising Black during the Black Month of a Black Year, necromantic rituals are said to be especially potent.
Connections:
- The old coronation ceremonies of Gore seem linked to this ancient religion (05.18).
- Isane the Beauty) is skilled at interpreting the Cycles.
- The Pilgrim’s Spire is holy to the Pilgrim (24.31).
Hooks:
- Are any of these days still celebrated in these lands?
- How much of the old religion has been revivd in Jahur?
- Is there any other presence of these ancient gods in these lands?
- The four suits correspond to the seasons with the various Dreamers being represented in the face cards while the jokers are the Fools. What card games are played in Shuttered with these cards?