Superstitions

There are stories people tell when the sun goes down. Tales of things in the night, or creatures that lurk in the winter snows. They tell tales of the broken hearted lovers who pined away to nothing at all and who long to get the feeling of love back again, of widows who invited their husbands back in after they were buried and found they had something quite different to contend with. Of men with the beast in their hearts and women with ice in their veins.

And they swear that these are true.

There are beliefs that are passed from generation to generation. Put fresh herbs above your door to ward against sickness, the spirits of pestilence will turn aside at the smell. Don't tread on your own shadow, or you'll only invite the dark gods to reach into your heart.

Call it hearth wisdom, call it the old ways, call it superstition; call it what you like. But never, ever doubt it, for the people of Sharoban are a cowardly and superstitious lot.

The beliefs that drive the everyday lives of the people of the city are frequently nothing to do with their history or religion. The Luminal Pantheon and the Shadow Gods feature, but often wedded to older, more primal beliefs that have survived from older times.  These customs survive because they are so deeply embedded culturally that even the adoption of a new faith cannot wipe them out entirely. Old gods become bogeymen or spirits. Old rituals are diminished, their meaning becomes lost. Even if the old women touch the spinning wheel when they enter the house as a matter of course, the acknowledgement of the craft spirits becomes a private matter.

Superstitions in many ways are the grease on which Sharoban's society runs. From the traditions concerning beds and bonfires to the old beliefs that have been salvaged from the folk traditions everyday life, is bound with these customs. For instance, it is bad luck to wear anything new when a contract is signed. Similarly, it is considered bad luck to mention dead relatives in business matters or when a child is born, to the extent that comments about the infant having a grandfather's eyes or nose are strongly discouraged.

Alcohol-based traditions are common, drinks are used to seal deals and celebrate the traditions. This does lead to drunkenness however, leaving any drink in your glass is considered unlucky as is putting a tankard with drink in it on the table after you've begun to drink. There are rituals covering when to drink and how to drink, often governed by when one arrives or leaves, if one is married or single (married people drink twice, once for themselves and once for their spouse).

Animals are associated with luck as well. From the Jorvin Empire, the tradition of raven blessing has travelled east and it is common for the Council and the High Priest of Merida to bless the local birds. In Jorvin culture, the birds were meant to have led the settlers to the Jorn islands and when the people fled Ember's Rage, the ravens led them to safe shores. Another beast venerated by the Jorvins, wolves, are placated by prayers and blessings to keep them strong, even if the people of the city do not welcome them. More locally the bear is held to be the soul of the land, their disappearance into sleep, a sign that the winter is truly on its way. Farmers will often wait for news of bear sightings before planting crops. Cats are a thorny issue. They are celebrated as both the eyes of Mycra, the light goddess and as defenders against the things in the dark, they have also been accused of being servants of the dark gods. In some places, they have even been burned, for fear of what they're capable of.

Next: We return to the political side of the city, the council and steps of the Great Game.