Divination

There is a moment between can and can’t. The moment where you go from seeing seemingly random arrays of dice, of cards, of stars, of tea leaves – and then you look past that, and see the shape of the world, written not in an order you can immediately comprehend, but still written large in bold letters. It’s not a second sight – it’s a second breath. The first one comes when you’re born.

Cleo of Fiona, Ruminations on the Art of Divination (1914)

Diviners, seers, soothsayers, and fortune tellers all have the potential to have very real magic behind them: the art of divination is subtle and nuanced, but situationally extremely potent. Some perform their art in tea houses or on the street, hawking answers to complex questions to whatever passersby can spare a scrap of silver. Others perform at the pleasure of lords and kings, to whom the near future is an extremely pressing concern. Still others all but withdraw from society, seeking answers obscured to an eye clouded by the travails of the everyday world.

Astrology

It is said that after Clovis pierced the veil with his mighty blade Skyrender, and demons issued forth through the holes in the curtain known to us as stars, he taught his followers and mortal servants to predict the shape of the future by seeing the patterns that these holes took in the sky, that they might better protect the world from the demons issuing forth. For this reason, Clovis is the god of stargazers and astrologers alike.

Astrology is one of the most traditional forms of fortune telling in the Lakes Region, but not the only one. A skilled reader of tea leavings, a rune caster, or a cartomancer might all gain that obscured insight into the near future. While not as potent as some of the techniques available to the most advanced masters of divination, the fortune telling that falls under the broad heading of “astrology” in the Lakes Region will offer enigmatic glimpses of the future, best pieced together with a good understanding of what’s already transpired. For this reason, on particularly portentious nights, fortune tellers will often band together to compare notes and see what details their combined insights may glean.

Charlatans and Cheats?

While there is real magic to both astrology and divination, the subtle nature of these art forms – so much less splashy than the magics worked by clerics and wizards – mean that someone with a good understanding of human nature can take advantage of those seeking answers. In many cases, this is an answer to a need that may not be directly met by true astrology: often, seekers of wisdom already know the answers that they’re looking for, and are simply seeking a sympathetic performer to validate their choices.

Nevertheless, this does mean that those who ply their trade casting runes or reading tea leaves do so under a cloud of some not wholly unjustified suspicion. Diviners who give wrong answers with an air of authority one too many times may be run out of town as charlatans or crooks – all the more so, because some of the magic of divination includes tricks of the mind. Even a trained and capable diviner may use their magic for the purposes of trickery, a fact well known to many on the trade routes of the Lakes Region.

The Magic of Rituals

While diviners do not have pools of energy like mages and clerics, their rituals, which use implements such as sand, divining rods, cards, dice, rune stones, and candles, take time and dedicated focus to complete. Different diviners use these implements in differing ways; some seem to work better in silence, while others narrate their activities. Most importantly, these implements help them to focus their minds, their most potent tools in navigating the magic that they wield.

Their energies focused, diviners will often go into a trance-like state, taking a moment to comprehend the information that their magics have made visible. In other cases, the subjects of their magics will take a moment to fully comprehend what they now know or perceive to be true. In either case, it is the rare but extant diviner that uses their magic in battle as a warmage would – being stabbed or clobbered in the middle of delicate work is certain to disrupt their concentration, and spoil the ritual.

In Society

People who are considering a major life decision will often consult a diviner before doing so. While the stars rarely move to shed light upon whether a new career will be successful, a diviner can sometimes gain glimpses of whether a decision is likely to lead to weal or woe. Even when magic and stargazing reveals no specific details, many is the seer with lived experience and a willingness to share it – although advice is often worth what you pay for it, free being no exception.

Divination spells are also useful to guards and constables of the watch. Diviners may be able to see the last moments of a corpse, perhaps revealing the killer, or to question a spirit as to what befell them. Some divination spells compel those subject to them to speak only truth, although the risk of abuse of this ability on behalf of the guard has led to laws that allow suspects and witnesses to decline this option.

The Guild Arcane is known to employ divination techniques, often performed by wizards that have decided to add an additional string to their bows. The ability to identify the mystical properties of artifacts, as well as to detect for curses, have helped the Guild in past to avoid deadly mistakes, as well as to save on costly components.

Some rare diviners even make it into the courts of the landed nobility, offering their wisdom and mystical insight to the gentry in exchange for a stipend, hot meals, and a warm bed in which to sleep.

Becoming a Diviner

Many diviners begin their studies as apprentices to more senior practitioners of the art. More than a few towns have a wise person, often older, who may have at least studied some basic fortune-telling; from this, many diviners get their start, before seeking more experienced tutelage. The search for teachers – and ultimately, for truth – is the start of a lifelong journey for some diviners, whose curiosity drives them ever onward.

Some faiths encourage the pursuit of the art. Clovis is the god of astrologers, and some of his temples will offer rudimentary instruction into this discipline. Fiona, goddess of knowledge, is also the goddess of diviners; her disciples may teach those that they deem worthy. It is even possible that Kell, god of secrets, may smile upon the occasional seer, provided that they keep what they learn to themselves… but for obvious reasons, if or how often this occurs is impossible to know.

Finally, some learn the art of divination through self-study. Although more difficult, it is possible to enter the correct mindset through careful reflection and meditation. Whether they are prepared for what they see when they reach that mindset is another question altogether.

Authored by: Andrew Dunlop
Fantasy Alive Lore Team 2026
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