“Really? Me a puzzle?” Great! thought Edwyrd, what was he going to do if the man started yelling ‘Demon!’ all over the place.
“Yes, when I look at you, I see a young man who may be what he claims, a journeyman animage who manages to get by as best he can.” Maelen glanced sideways to judge Edwyrd’s reaction in the dark. Edwyrd hoped the man couldn’t see too much of his expression.
“However, when I Look at you, I see so much Animus and Mana, all tied up into one being, that there is no way I can believe you. Surely, I say to myself, he must be a relatively powerful practitioner, possibly disguising himself, or else he’s under some major enchantment.” Maelen paused at this, “but not a wizardly enchantment, I don’t detect that. So, what? I ask myself, is he hiding?”
Edwyrd was feeling rather tense at this point. He didn’t know how to respond. The guy was obviously capable of seeing through him. Just how far the man could see, was unclear. What the man would do with his knowledge was even more unclear. Maelen was staring out to sea as he continued.
“However,” and the old man paused for dramatic effect, “when I See you, I see a confused young man who is in over his head. A young man lost and far from home, trying to get by as best he can. A good young man.” At this point Maelen was once again looking over his shoulder and into Edwyrd’s eyes. Somehow finding them unerringly in the dark.
“It’s an interesting dichotomy, really.” The man remarked, as if to himself. “Which do I believe? I’ve trusted both for almost all my life.” He turned his head away again, putting his hands on the rail in front of him to lean on. “The other thing I see are demons.”
“Demons?” Edwyrd echoed weakly.
“Yes, demons.” Maelen glanced back over his shoulder again. “Several demons, some of them extremely powerful. Past or future, I don’t know for sure which, but I suspect both.
“Now, of course,” Maelen went on in a tone similar to a lecturer, “this would explain why you are in over your head. Any young man mixing with any type of demon is in over his head. Especially when mixing with ones this powerful.”
Edwyrd gave a small mental sigh, the man suspected him of something. Not the truth, however, he hadn’t gotten that far yet. Was there any way he could divert the man that wouldn’t make him more suspicious? He couldn’t think of any. What exactly was the man saying with the funny emphasis on ‘see’ and ‘look’ was he some sort of psychic? Rupert had admitted that these animages might be able to do such things.
Maelen stood up suddenly, placing both hands on Edwyrd’s shoulders. “I know you’re not ready now, but if you should need someone to talk to... I am available. At least for the duration of the journey.” Maelen paused, then tilted his head with a small quirk of his mouth, and added more hesitantly, “And maybe again in the not too distant future.”
He removed his hands from Edwyrd’s shoulders and stood up straight. “Well good night Tom. I hope you have pleasant dreams.” He nodded with a smile and then walked fairly briskly back to the ladder and then down.
Edwyrd watched him go with a strange feeling inside. He didn’t know what to think. He slowly turned back to the sea, placing his hands upon the rail. He took a deep breath to clear his mind and watched the starlight and the just emerging moonlight dance along the waves.
Astrology and the Elements
As any good wizard will tell you, there are five elements: Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Spirit. Fire and Water naturally oppose each other, as do Air and Earth, while Spirit opposes itself. Moreover, as the druids explain, there are positive and negative manifestations of all things, including the elements, themselves. The positive aspect of an element is the active, assertive side of the element, the way the element makes its impact on the world at large. The negative aspect is the receptive, passive side of the element, the way the element is acted upon by the world.
Taking these two factors into consideration; it becomes clear that there must be ten element-manifestation combinations thus there are ten astrological signs in Astlan. Each has an element and embodies either the positive or the negative manifestation of its particular element.
“Of course there are ten signs,” the wizards reiterate. “Five elements plus three oppositions (fire-water, air-earth, spirit-spirit) plus two manifestations of each element equals ten.” They continue, “ideally, there would be a prime number of signs, but ten is the sum of three primes and is a pyramid number, since 10 = 1+2+3+4.”
Infernos — Hotheaded, outgoing, boisterous, talented, tireless, eloquent, irritable, and mostly combustible: these are the watchwords of the sign of The Phoenix people. Many are skilled artisans due more to pure talent than inspiration of design. Because they often get into scrapes, Infernos individuals frequently have to start over several times in life, but like the legendary phoenix, they always rebound.
Chrysos — Chrysos influences people in a much more subtle way than its positive earthen counterpart, Paleos. Negative earth people are generally calm, unassuming individuals with a knack for using patience to achieve the impossible. Rockworm people are imminently trustworthy, reliable, and honest, or at least maintain such a reputation.
Hydros — Positive water’s influence makes Hydros individuals skillful entertainers, storytellers, swindlers, salesmen, and public figures. Many of Astlan’s most famous bards, dancers, crooks, and monarchs were born under the sign of The Hydra. In the same way that the hydra has many heads, Hydros people can hold many opinions and morals at once and can flow like water to apply the one most appropriate at a given moment.
Vacuos — This is the sign of the wise cleric, the ancient druid, the solitary sage, the individual who knows much but says little. If there is a secret to be discovered, a riddle to be solved, or a code to be broken, a person born under the sign of The Manticore can handle the conundrum quite adroitly.
Animos — This is the most extreme of all the signs. Those under the influence of The Titan seem to do everything by sheer willpower and have a talent for inspiring others to do the same. Animos people often overestimate their capabilities, but still accomplish what they set out to do, again through force of will.
Fluos — Just like their symbol, the Remora, these people frequently intend to help others, but are often misunderstood. Not as extreme as their Hydros counterparts, Waterfall individuals take a more balanced approach to life. They make excellent sorcerers and seers and seem to know almost as much as Vacuos people. Fluos individuals usually specialize in one profession and rise to the tops of their fields due to their calm, patient natures.
Arios — Where Vacuos works in a subtle manner, Arios takes a more dynamic approach. The Gryphon seeks knowledge frenetically and many adventuring sages, spell-seeking wizards, and fanatical clerics fill the Arios roster. Ironically, Arios people strive to stamp out ignorance and backward thinking, while they, themselves, are usually quite opinionated.
Moltos — Moltos is the negative fire, the flame that burns slowly, that tempers, that warms. People born under this influence make excellent healers, artisans, and chroniclers. They are usually generous (though some are more generous with other people’s things than with their own) and they are forgiving (sometimes forgiving their own faults too readily).