Ikarrak

Ikarrak, or Vision Rock, is a method of divination employed by certain members of the giantman Araime Sun Clan.

Learning

This art is taught by the pairing of a mentor with an apprentice and follows various stages as any other craft does. Those interested, or those gifted as is usually the case, are paired with their mentor at a relatively young age and begin minor tasks that will guide them on a path to understanding the runestones.

The apprentice learns through observation, study, and by the completion of tasks set forth by the mentor. The process can take many years and be filled with tasks whereby the apprentice never knows if they have achieved their mastery until they are specifically given that title.

Indeed, in this unit there is no rank other then mentor and apprentice. When an apprentice is finally given the title of mentor it can frequently be said that the bond between the pairing has grown to such a degree that the apprentice will only accept the title of mentor when his or her own is no longer able to complete the task of divination. It is only then that the apprentice will become the mentor and take on an apprentice of their own, while frequently providing care for their own mentor in the case of old age.

Part of learning this art is not confined to the ability to memorize what each rune on the stones mean, but in the ability to create the runes and their place in clan life. Typically, the mentor will provide services for the band they travel with that range from inscribing runes on items of value to blessing and then, of course, the service of divination.

Scrying

Typically, and most frequently, the runestones are found contained in a basket woven of natural, yet stiff, material. Fronds, river reeds, sea grasses, and other pliable but firm items are used in its creation and then dyed to colors that are appealing to the practitioner. The stones are also natural and it can be understood that a mentor and apprentice will search their entire lives for smooth stones that are uniform to one another. Once a set of forty-two identical or nearly identical stones is accumulated they are painted with symbols that fall into four categories - Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Translation of the stones varies very little amongst the Ariame Clan, though many of the other clans have either their own complete set of translations or an adaptation of the base translation that the Ariame use. And while there are forty-two stones painted for this use, it is not confined to only forty-two translations, for if the rune is drawn upside-down, or inverted as the practitioners favor, then there is a completely different meaning for the stone. This allows that there are a grand total of eighty-four possible outcomes for one basket.

However, the runestones are never drawn alone. Depending upon the elemental magics used to bond a basket to its owner, the runestones are frequently drawn in groups of three, six, and nine. Each of these groups is read as a whole and not alone.

For example, the Blizzard Rune has a meaning of clearance, testing, karmic lessons, but reversed it means drastic changes. It is part of the Air Family.

Symbol	Meaning	Reverse Meaning	Family
a pair of crossed war hammers	justice, clairvoyance	Shaman	air
blizzard	clearance, testing, karmic lesson	drastic change	air
circle	mystery, magic	divination	air
empty waterskin	counseling, intuition	things hidden	air
glory	success, recognition of achievements	reward	air
a pair of boulders	discipline, knowledge	focus	earth
harvest	change, cycle turning	reward	earth
landslide	sudden loss, ordeal, destruction	disaster	earth
sheaths of wheat	inevitable development, productivity	motion	earth
the dot within a circle	inheritance, home, permanency	legacy	earth
the horse	transportation, motion	assistance	earth
the ram horn	protection, defense	warning	earth
the shoot	farming, growth, health	balance	earth
spear shaft	conflict, strength, physicality	a wound	earth (a Warrior's path)
the acorn	fertility, health, growth	new beginnings	earth (feminine)
a boulder	hardship, painful events	introspection	earth (masculine)
a pair of ox horns	the unconscious, primitive mind, irrationality	Shaman experience	fire
a torch	creativity, inspiration	enlightenment	fire
birch tree	change, initiations	confronting fears	fire
black willow	turning point, transformation	death	fire
empty pot	poverty, hardship	discontent	fire
energy	power, will, communication	recklessness	fire
sun	success, positive energy	power	fire
sunrays	health, fertility	activity	fire
the star	happiness, success, fulfilling life	hope	fire
an ox horn	passion, vitality, fertility	rite of passage	fire (masculine)
flame	wisdom, insight	solution to a problem	fire (feminine)
a waterskin	emotions, unconscious mind	revelations	water
box	rebirth, new beginning	prophecy	water
fate	change, destiny, progress	life lessons	water
fortune	marriage, partnership	love	water
ice	inactivity, blockage, potential	stagnation	water

Items

Description

a bone-toggled woven black ash basket

Woven of thin strips of black ash, the basket is simple, yet sturdy. Dangling decoratively from its surface, small bluejay feathers and bits of bone are suspended from short sinew cords. The toggle is made from what looks like a goblin finger bone.

Scripts

Rummage

Slipping his hands into his woven black ash basket, Giantman pulls forth three smooth stones.  He slowly opens his hand and arranges the runestones in his palm.   After a moment's study, Giantman tilts his hand to display an inverted waterskin rune, a sheaf of wheat rune, and a shield rune.

Slipping your hands into your woven black ash basket, you pull forth three smooth stones.  You slowly open your hand and arrange the runestones in the palm of your hand.   After a moment's study, you tilt your hand to display an inverted waterskin rune, a sheaf of wheat rune, and a shield rune.

The baskets can only be used by giantmen.

You reach inside your woven black ash basket for one of the rune-painted stones laying at the bottom, but the stones feel awkward in your hands and you are filled with an overwhelming sense of wrongness.  Perhaps you should find a giantman.

Human begins to rummage around in a bone-toggled woven black ash basket, but stops suddenly and withdraws his hand.

See Also

• A Comprehensive Guide to Divination in Elanthia (saved post)