Divination bowl
If memory serves, this bowl is tool used by Moon Mages to scry into the future. You remember that bowls carved with such sigils are divination tools used by Moon Mages and preferred by those mages that call themselves the Prophets of G'Nar Peth. Traditionally carved from a single piece of sandstone and etched with the mysterious sigils only Moon Mages seem to understand, scrying bowls are used by mages trained in astrology as a tool for divination. It is said that the first bowls were filled with water from the Garden of G'Nar Peth, though whether that is a legend held by the Prophets themselves or merely a tale told by outsiders is unclear.
Properties
- Availability: Therenborough, Muspar'i
- Visual: Only the magnitude and duration properties are visible.
- Durability: Extremely high
- Bond Rate: Extremely low
- Power Precision: Very high
- Duration Precision: Average
- Sect Affinity: Prophets of G'nar Peth
- Must be FILLed with water to function, which must be replaced after a fumble.
Use
For general information on how predictions work see the Prediction article.
Like all prediction tools, before use the mage must know the ALIGN ability (learnable at 4th circle) and have made a successful observation. Furthermore, before the first use, the bowl must be RUBbed to bond it to the user. Syntax is to ALIGN <skill/skill set>, and then to GAZE BOWL. In order to predict on another the seer must SHOW the bowl to the target and then GAZE into it as before.
Example
- You gaze into the bowl, your hand moving around its lip until it completes a full circle. You dip your fingers gently into the ice-cold water and raise them above the bowl. As the drops fall from your fingertips, they cause ripples which race across the surface. The water quickly grows still, leaving no trace of the disturbance. As you gaze into the water, it becomes illuminated by the white of the Owl and the Sun as their carvings glow steadily along the bowl's edge.
Interpretation
- The temperature of the water relates to the magnitude of the prediction; hotter water indicates a stronger prediction.
- The duration is determined by the ripples, the longer they remain the longer the prediction will last.
- The color of the sigils indicates the polarity. White and blue-white are positive whereas red and red-orange are negative.
- The sigils indicate the skill by showing the sigils used to create a Constellation Jewelry for the skill. Blue-white or red-orange indicate a trine and that rune should be counted double if three separate sigils are not shown.
- Any additional messages have to do with quality changes.
So the example given is a very weak, very short, positive prediction on the Arcana skill.
Qualities
When LOOKed at bowls have four qualities. Qualities are listed from best to worst. As with all tools each message indicates a range. Italics indicate a potential starting value when purchased.
Sigils
in sharp clarity, with wide lines
in sharp clarity
clear, with solid lines
sharp
clear
slightly faded
fading
fading and dull
blurred
blurred and hard to pick out
nearly impossible to distingish [sic]
Sigil Bond
have an excellent chance to read
have a very good chance to read
have a good chance to read
have a decent chance to read
have a promising chance to read
have a fair chance to read
might have a little trouble reading
may have some difficulty reading
will find it hard to read
have little chance reading
probably cannot read
Bowl
its inner edge is perfectly round, without the slightest bump or crack
its inner edge forms a smooth circle
its inner edge is smooth and round
its inner edge is round, with a few small cracks
its inner edge is round and has a few cracks and chips
its inner edge is round, though a few chips mar it
its inner edge is mostly round, interrupted by some chips and cracks
its interior has several cracks and chips
its interior is marred by cracks and several large chips
its interior is bumpy and jagged
many large chips have flaked off and a crack runs through the center
Bowl Bond
have an excellent chance to
have a very good chance to
have a good chance to
have a decent chance to
have a promising chance to
have a fair chance to
might have a little trouble
may have some difficulty
will find it hard to
have little chance [sic]
probably cannot
Explanation
The Sigils modify the magnitude of the prediction and the Bowl the duration, with the bonds modifying the the chance of misreading each. There is no visible indicator for skill accuracy or chance to misread, polarity or age.
Messages
Temperature (Power)
| Color | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Gelid | >=0 |
| Ice-cold | >10 |
| Frigid | >20 |
| Cold | >35 |
| Cool | >50 |
| Tepid | >65 |
| Lukewarm | >80 |
| Warm | >95 |
| Hot | >115 |
| Steamy | >135 |
| Scalding | >155 |
| Nearly boiling | >175 |
Ripples (Duration)
| Direction | Minutes |
|---|---|
| The water quickly grows still, leaving no trace of the disturbance. | >=0 |
| The ripples run playfully along the bowl's edge, and fade away in just a few seconds. | >10 |
| Moving in rapid oscillations, the ripples die down after a moment. | >30 |
| The ripples dance with each other for several seconds before disappearing. | >50 |
| The ripples remain for a short while, then gently subside into stillness. | >70 |
| The ripples form their complex pattern for some time before finally leaving the water as still as it began. | >85 |
| You wait patiently as the ripples slowly run their course, lazily chasing each other in slow moving lines. | >95 |
Sigils
Special
- Your bond with the bowl made this so. - Turned prediction due to bond.
- Your knowledge of the heavens made this so. - Turned prediction due to observation pool.
- You feel a strengthening of the bond between you and your bowl. - Improvement to one bond.
- You feel a weakening of your bond with the bowl. - Weakening to one bond.
- You notice a rough spot on the bowl has been worn smooth by the motion of the water. - Improvement to one physical quality.
- A small chip breaks loose from the bowl leaving an indentation. - Damage to one physical quality.
- The water silvers for a brief moment before clearing up again. - Critical success, improves all physical qualities.
- As you gaze into the water it flashes brightly causing your hand to jostle the bowl tumbling it to the ground splashing the water out. - Fumble, damages all physical qualities. Drops the bowl onto the ground, and causes it to spill the water!
- Suddenly the bowl cracks and splits into many pieces!
Notes
- RP verbs that can be used with bowls: ARRANGE, BREAK (destroys the bowl), BLUSH, BEAM, CLENCH, COWER, COUGH, EAT, GASP, HUG, PRAISE, RUB, SCREAM, SHAKE (spills the water), SHRIEK, and SNEER.
- RP verbs that only work or message differently for Pethians: DROOL, KISS, PAT, and WINK.
- Unlike most tools, bowls require the second hand to be empty to use them. Furthermore attempting to predict without a free hand will force you to ALIGN again.
Variations
"Moon mage" is not in the list (None, Bard, Barbarian, Cleric, Empath, Moon Mage, Necromancer, Paladin, Ranger, Thief, ...) of allowed values for the "Guild association is" property.