A Carnival of Superstitions

The RPG Blog Carnival for October is about superstitions, so here are three little rituals.

Thieves Lock Pick Murmur

Lock picking is a quiet  is an action that takes quiet, patience and a little luck.  The thieves guild teaches its members a murmur to hum as they work. They say it helps a student to focus on the task at hand and steady the breathing. The murmur was once a silence spell to an ancient goddess of rogues.  Now the language and the god are long forgotten but the idea that the murmur brings good luck persists. It’s considered bad luck is the murmur is interrupted before the lock is picked and the thief should start the picking and the murmur again.

Red Moon Jig

Of the seven moons that orbit Thig the smallest and furthest away if Relaron, the red moon. It is rare that the night is dark enough for Relaron to be seen and a very ill omen if it is in the sky alone. As it it hangs in the sky motionless, the people below try to shake off its malevolent gaze.  Whenever they step outside, the dance a small jig to confuse the stationary moon by their random movements. Everyone has their own little set of steps and it’s common to see children excitedly dancing around, unaware of the misfortune they’ve avoided.

Repainting Tattoos

Before the warriors of the Eeceecee tribes went to war, the would repaint their tribal tattoos. The lines and curves spoke of the warrior’s history, family and the power of their name.  To go into battle without them clear and distinct would be an insult to those they fought against. If you are to fight you must know who it is you fight. A thousand years later and the soldiers of Eeceetica adorn their armour and their vehicles with swirls and patterns that would have been familiar to the their ancestors. They do this to honour their houses and bring fortune in battle.


Image Credit – Charmed by remediate.this – CC-BY-NC-2.0