Yfansi Harioli (Weaver)

Personality Traits: Yfansi is a creature of habit. Though having a routine on the road is tough, she has developed little morning and evening rituals that help keep the world in sense and order.

Ideals: Being is a thread; living twists and twines that thread over, under, through thousands of others; and thus fate is woven like a tapestry. Divination culls understanding out of patterns — recurrence is predictable. // Causation is often traceable if you know how to pay attention. // This too shall pass.

Bonds:

Flaws: Yfansi is somewhat withdrawn from quotidian reality. Her perspective on the scope of things has whittled her compassion.

Backstory: Yfansi was born into great expectations. A direct descendant of the Chasmic Wyrdseer at Haruspex, she was groomed into the arts of divination from a very young age. She lived a cloistered and orderly childhood, dominated by truth-seeking lessons from some of the finest oracles and sages in the continent. From the moment she could conceive it, Yfansi’s future was plotted and certain — she was to become a Soothseer apprentice, she was to follow her grandmother’s thread.

Yfansi was a docile child and willing student, but she was also naturally curious and prone to stray in thought. She had a vexing habit of asking more questions than were expected of someone who was supposed to Be Quiet and Listen. Still, a handful of her teachers were rather fond of her old soul, and she responded in kind. 

Yfansi studied herbalism under Petrichor Hals, a firbolg Wrotseer. He was patient, kind, and fond of a distraction. Yfansi did not learn as much as she might have under more focused tutelage, but she had a friend with whom to satisfy her most harebrained curiosities.

Yfansi studied weaving under Alvanlila Zavit, a human Flumseer. Though stern, they were remarkably clever. Yfansi appreciated that they never seemed to talk down to her, and she felt challenged to keep pace. Their lessons interlaced the mechanical task of weaving with the philosophies and worldview of the Soothseers. Whilst maneuvering her fingers through crisscrossing fibers, Yfansi was better able to focus on Alvanlila’s words and their meaning. She began to understand being is a thread; living twists and twines that thread over, under, through thousands of others; and thus fate is woven like a tapestry. There are patterns in the fabric that a keen mind can pick out. She began to fathom the depth, reach, and intimacy of truth-seeing.

Yfansi studied mediation under Lamia, a Yikaria (Yakfolk) acolyte. An encouraging and doting teacher, Lamia taught her about the energy bound within living things and how to manipulate it. Yfansi displayed an unparalleled aptitude in this skill. Her quick advancement prompted Lamia to teach her how to harness the energy within herself into physical prowess, which was rather unorthodox. When whispers of this eventually reached Yfansi’s mother, she quickly called off the lessons, claiming they were diverting attention away from more worthwhile skills. However, Yfansi continued to beg and badger Lamia for lessons. The acolyte reluctantly obliged, but she asked Yfansi to keep quiet about it.

Finally, Yfansi studied omen literacy under her grandmother, Chasmic Wyrdseer Moira Harioli — a mouthful which a privileged Yfansi was allowed to shorten to Yiayia. From her, Yfansi learned to observe the land and the people, and she to maintain this awareness constantly and instinctively. She learned to pick out signs and draw meaning from them. Yfansi idolized Yiayia, and hung to her every soft, deliberate word. She absorbed and imitated the way Yiayia seemed to command herself with measured intention. Yiayia also taught her how to cast bones. 

And so Yfansi spent days and months and years, content to spin the thread of her prearranged path in measured leisure. Then one day, as quickly as it was certain, it all unraveled. It began with a knot. 

Yiayia oddly came to take breakfast with her family, and seemed oddly tense. No one else seemed to notice, but Yfansi was sure Yiayia’s piercing amber gaze, oddly more vulpine than normal, rested on her with particular intensity. 

After the meal, Yiayia asked to talk to her privately. She said: “You’ve given more thought to the existential condition in thirteen years than most people will in their lifetime. I know you understand things that are beyond your experience, and still I fear your innocence is blinding, and the only medicine for that is sorrow. Your world is about to tear, child, and I am sorry. This river runs too deep. For what it’s worth, it couldn’t be helped. For what it’s worth, in niz bogzarad.”

TBC.

Haruspex
Haruspex was established around Hlenker Wyrd, nexus of fate. A sacred site atop the — Mountains, it attracted pilgrimage from various peoples. Sages settled at this spot as it began to draw people seeking prophetic counsel. These sages became the first Soothseers, an oracular order that assumed authority over the growing settlement of Haruspex and the prescient arts performed in harmony with Hlenker Wyrd.
As Haruspex gained importance, it gained population; and as it gained population, it gained importance. Many leaders and politicians from other cities in the realm sent representatives to seek council from the Soothseers at Haruspex.
Conflicts between the Soothseers and some nomadic groups in the region brewed as the latter disagreed that Hlenker Wyrd should belong to anyone. The Soothseers insisted that under their protection Hlenker Wyrd would yield world-saving wisdom and could no longer be abused for nefarious purposes. They invited agitators to assimilate into the growing dot of civilization, but would no longer allow indiscriminate access to the sacred site, as they claimed this would be irresponsible and dangerous.
Notably, a group of Yikaria (Yalfolk) led a series of military incursions against the nascent Haruspex. Given their history with slavery and the perception that allowing the Yikaria to access Hlenker Wyrd would be a threat to Haltaria as a whole, Ralberg moved to support the Soothseers’ wrest for exclusivity. Haruspex, received support from —, an adventuring company sponsored by the capital city. The Yikaria sustained heavy losses and yielded. Eventually, an uneasy peace was struck, but tensions have remained since. Yikaria who integrated into Haruspex have since been hegemonized; they are generally considered to be suited for menial tasks and labor and have been systemically denied to rise into political power.

Customs and Quirks

• Family names are inherited according to merit. Old and renowned names trump new or unremarkable ones.
• Though the Wyrdseers represent the highest authority of the Soothseer order, the Soothspeaker (Speaker, for short) overtakes the day-to-day task of governing and administering the city in their stead.
• Though requests to establish a permanent teleportation circle at Haruspex have been put forth, the Wyrdseers have denied permission every time. According to the Soothseers’ beliefs, the perilous excursion up the mountain is an essential part of knowledge-seeking. Still, some speculate that a sigil exists that only a select few are privy to.
• Many Soothseers at Haruspex are also able artisans. Weaving is a sacred practice that is believed to structure the mind in ways that are conducive for divination. Woven fabrics and crafts sourced from Haruspex are considered quaint finery. The Soothseers keep alpacas, aurochs, and even almiraj from which they source fine fibers, which they thread naturally or dye in the traditional soft red, blue or yellow colors.
• Impersonation, theft of will, and theft of consciousness are outlawed and severely punished in Haruspex. Many believe this was done in an effort to make the Yikaria ability to possess another creature’s body criminal and taboo. Many are not wrong. 

Soothseer Hierarchy (WIP)

• Wyrdseers: 
  • Moira* Harioli (Shifter) – Chasmic Wyrdseer
    Deals with deep divination. It delves into the fundamental truths of the cosmos, including flux, order, and chaos.
  • Banyan Hals (Firbolg) - Brumal Wyrdseer
    Deals with fluid divination. It delves into the web of truths into which creatures stow and out of which creatures pluck understanding. It centers around connectedness and isolation.
  • Jurd Kweigraf (Human) - Sharp Wyrdseer
    Deals with piercing divination. It delves into the personal truths that belong to individuals, including ideology and intention.
• Soothspeaker: Garnan Kweigraf (Human)
  Charged with the administrative responsibilities of governance and representing the will of the Wyrdseers to the inhabitants of Haruspex.
• Ghastseers: Anima, aura
• Wrotseers:Root, cause, origin
• Flumseers:Path, trajectory, journey
• Acolytes:
• Apprentices: