Tea Mages

Tea Mages is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

Divination: The Art of the Tea Mages

This work is a collaboration with Stellate Ceibhfhionn Malficum of the Order of SPECTRE and SHADOW, a witch diviner of some note. I had approached her in late 5124 regarding a little known erithi divination technique, and she had found hints of these tea mages in Elanith, hidden amongst the Fishmongers' Wives. Together, we were able to earn the trust of these groups, and after much convincing, gain permission to share our findings more widely through lectures and the publication of this treatise.

It is my great wish that you enjoy learning about this unique melding of human and erithi divination sub-cultures.

~ Isienaka, Chief Scholar of Atan Irith

A History of the Tea Mages

The erithi divination art of | aganiri has been the primary method of seeking guidance amongst erithi seers for as long as we can remember, and most likely even longer than that. While it is the most common, accurate, and well-known of erithi divination and seer-seeking techniques, it is by no means the only one. Several hundred years ago, a small group of practitioners began calling themselves "te'raithir," which roughly translates to "tea soul mage." The generally accepted Common name is tea mage.

This small subset of erithi mages and seers believed that there was magic in reading a person’s soul and finding their perfect blend of tea. They posited that once provided with the perfect blend, a person's lot in life could be greatly improved (greatly improved being loosely defined as better health, gaining wealth, and so on). Most considered it relative charlatanism, and despite the acceptance of typical erithi seers and divination by many, the mages who practiced tea magic were dismissed as ludicrous.

Therefore, many of these tea mages left Atan Irith and hid themselves on Elanith disguised as simply unusual elves. As like draws to like, outcasts draw to outcasts, and many of the tea mages found themselves drawn to the Fishmongers’ Wives of the Turamzzyrian Empire, a group of people who also claimed to be seers, telling fortunes by the drawing of tiles.

Time passed, and love matches were made between these two groups. While procreation was rare, it was not impossible, and thus over time, half-human/half-erithi offspring were brought into the fold. These offspring most often look like typical half-elves (sometimes with slightly unusual eyes), but they can also resemble solely one parent or the other and present as fully human or fully erithi.

The Elantih tea mages have mostly been found in coastal human cities and villages, where Fishmongers’ Wives have historically resided. Their practice is not a recognized form of divination by any scholar and are indeed only myth to some and not heard of by most until recently.

Artistic Differences: Atan Irith and Elanith

The methods employed by tea mages of Atan Irith and those of Elanith have diverged somewhat over the years, with the te'raithir of the Empire blending their practice with that of the tile-tellers of the Fishmongers' Wives.

While fairly rare for some time in Atan Irith, there have always been small groups practicing tea magics, mostly in smaller villages and isolated areas. In recent years, however, there has been a sudden rise in interest, and tea mage shops are being found even in the cities of Atan Irith. The Atan Irith te'raithir relies on spellwork and the "reading" of a customer until the seer has determined the three "soul tastes" of the individual. These soul tastes are then interpreted into tea ingredients, and the tea mage will create a blend based on this. The recipient is to drink that tea once a day to improve their fortune, and they should return to the tea mage as needed to purchase more.

In the human empire, a tea mage has a special teabowl filled with tiles. The person seeking their blend meets with the mage and discusses many things. After much ritual, three tiles are chosen. These tiles represent the three ingredients that best fit the tea the seeker should drink for whatever issue divination assistance was sought. The meaning of the tiles varies between practitioners, so there is no one comprehensive dictionary of tile divination definitions nor what tea ingredient they represent.

While there is a similar tiering aspect to the readings (usually based upon amount of silvers willing to be spent), the Empire readings are more frequently aimed at specific outcomes, whereas the erithi readings are more generally focused on the individual's overall good fortune and well-being. The latter is predicated upon the belief that if one takes care of the whole, then the specifics will follow, not vice versa.

Types of Readings:

• General: The seeker will fit into a handful of basic categories, and they will be encouraged to purchase off-the-shelf, premixed teas best suited to their personalities
• Ordinary: This reading is a bit more detailed, and the teas are a bit more expensive, but they are still off-the-shelf, albeit more specific to the individual.
• Personal: For a much larger fee, a tea mage can work in more detail. From there, a customized tea is provided. These aren’t available off-the-shelf, but a blend may be used by more than one person.
• Unique: In addition to the deeply personal reading, the tea mage takes care to create a totally unique blend for their client. They will often name this concoction as well, inspiration coming from the reading itself. While it is possible another tea mage in another area may inadvertently replicate a blend, within a singular community, the tea mages keep these unique for each individual.

Seeking the Soul: An Atan Irith Ritual Experience

This being a firsthand account by a patron of a te'raithir in Nathal-Ra, as told to Scholar Isienaka

I entered a plain facade located off an alley in Nathal-Ra and found myself in a cozy and welcoming shop. Packets of tea blends rested neatly upon a series of shelves, along with neatly labeled canisters of leaves and other ingredients. A few raidanlu scurried about, chirruping in greeting even as the te'raithir came through a heavily embroidered silk curtain to meet me.

I was nervous, for I knew this was not an accepted means of divination, but I was at my wit's end. My fortunes and health had been erratic for months, and nothing seemed to help. Seeing my discomfort and unsurety, the tea mage smiled warmly, bade me sit, and offered me a cup of blackberry oolong, my favorite. We talked for quite awhile, as I shared my story and concerns.

Once the teapot was empty, the te'raithir cast several spells about me. I know little in the ways of magic, but it felt soothing deep within my soul -- like a silvery light was winding its way through to my very heart. Several times during the process, my te'raithir seemed to be disconnected from the corporeal world and gazed at me with incredible intensity.

Finally, the mage stopped her casting and closed her eyes, sighing softly. She told me gently she had Seen into my soul and was now able to help me. Oolong, leaves dried under a summer's sun, mountain tea harvested in moonlight, and a simple yuzu-infused black tea, each mixed in equal parts and sprinkled with dried ghostvine blossoms. This, she claimed, would allow me to right my soul and mend my heart, bringing me fully to the potential I had heretofore been missing.

She crafted this blend and sent me on my way with the admonition I drink one teabowl of it daily and return for a reading when I ran out.

I have returned thrice so far, as I feel remarkably better and more in balance than I have in years. My health has improved, and I have begun my training as a librarian, long my desire in life. I started out a true skeptic, and perhaps visiting a te'raithir is not for everyone, but it was the right choice for me.

Tempting the Tiles: A Turamzzyrian Tea Mage's Process

This being a first-hand account of Stellate Malficum's experiences, in her own words.

In a cramped and dingy shop near the docks of to-be-nameless port town in the Empire, I had my first reading by a tea mage. The cluttered interior was as a far cry from the serenity of such places that exist in Atan Irith, based on Isienaka's tales, but this is to be expected, given the outcast status most had in the Empire for so long. There were bowls of tiles crammed alongside dusty books and tins of tea leaves, and in another room, my tea mage's husband, a Fishmonger's Wife, consulted quietly with one of his patrons. Indeed, the entire shop was a multi-functional family establishment. The front room welcomed customers, selling baked goods and teas, with the tea mage and tile-reading rooms just off to the side. In the rear, off the kitchen, a cousin sold her catches of the day, and upstairs, the whole family resided -- the husbands, a cousin and his wife and young child, and a veritable herd of cats (ever thoughtful, Isienaka brought several common teadragons with him, and I gifted my tea mage with one after my reading; he was appreciative of this reminder of a home shore he had not yet seen but worried how the cats may take the lizardly intruder. He need not have worried; when I returned to interview friends and family, I found it had quickly established itself as head of the cats, ruling the roost with adorable chirrups and purrs).

Ah, but my experience! I tried hard to ensure my natural seer abilities would not interfere with whatever workings my tea mage had in store for me, and I opened myself to the experience. First, we talked. He sat me at a table, peppering me with questions about myself and my needs. Eventually, we decided divining for a tea to assist me in my work would be best. I have been stymied in my quest to learn more of divination techniques when applied to Naidem, and it was on my mind as we were close to being able to return for 5125.

Some tea mages only have one set of tiles, mine told me, but he was a collector and believed in different sets for different people. Thus, he spent a bit of time divining which bowl of tiles to use. Finally, he pulled out a battered chest filled with worn ivory tiles. The designs and symbols were once of bright hue, I could tell, but the reds and greens and yellows had faded. It was his mother's set, he explained. She was a Fishmongers' Wife with a long family history of the practice, and the tiles had been passed down through several generations. She had fallen in love with an erithi te'raithir, and they melded their divination and their lives together. When it was clear their son shared their gifts, she passed her precious tiles on to him.

Tiles in front of him, my tea mage lit several sticks of incense and studied them intently. At last, he closed his eyes and pulled forth three tiles -- a six-pipped tile etched with a crimson dragon, a tile demarcated with a single diagonal slash, and finally, a single-pipped yellow rose tile. According to him, the combination of these meant I was seeking with intent but needed a better focus. From there, he extrapolated that I would need a tea designed to increase my focus without interfering with my own Sight. He provided a blend of rosemary, blackberry leaves, and laentesa, the Nalfein pan-roasted green tea.

He did give me enough for several months, but he admonished me to seek out another reading if I felt my circumstances had changed or if I needed more tea.

I must admit, the drinking of the tea has brought me great comfort, but I have not felt any different with my gift, nor has my research taken any greater strides. The actual ritual of meeting with a tea mage was much the same -- a pleasant experience, but not much else.

Let me be clear, however, this does not mean it is not a valid form of divination. Seer-seeking is at the best of times a fickle and contrary mistress, and this is a field that needs more study. These groups, the tea mages and Fishmongers' Wives, both seem to take their craft seriously, and while there may be a bad apple or two here and there, the goal is not charlatanism but helping people, and to that end, I will happily drink my tea and open my inner eye to its possibilities.

On Tiles: While some tiles may be newer and made specifically for tea mages, these are still most often tiles of Fishmongers' Wives. As previously noted in other works, these tiles vary from practitioner to practitioner, as do the meanings. There are card-like varieties, with four suits and roughly ten numerals. However, in other areas, they are color-coded or symbol-coded and often include up to twelve pips.

Most tiles are made of bone from whatever animal was available, with cherished sets being ivory (and very rarely gemstone). As the awareness of tea mages rises, so too does the commerce of these tiles. Fishmongers' Wives and Empire tea mages are bombarded with requests for selling their personal sets, and since all to a person refuse, artisans have taken it upon themselves to craft new ones for sale to non-practitioners. In a few port cities, the nobility have taken to commissioning elaborate sets made of precious gems and metals, and some seers will provide inspiration for designs for the right price.

Reference List

A Note on the Scholar's Tongue: Thought to be a coded language used by scholars across several races and/or knowledge-based guilds to communicate, the scholar's tongue remains mostly a mystery, even to modern day scholars. If there are guilds that still know the ancient techniques (and one must believe there are), it is kept a closely guarded secret still. However, there are a few extant examples, such as "raen utuva nole" (wandering to find wisdom) and "igno skaellim" (identity unknown), peppered throughout history documents. How this influences the word for tea in Erithi is a cause for debate. Some see it as proof that the erithi originated somewhere in Elanthia and, with Arkati intervention, found themselves in Atan Irith without historical memories. Others feel that perhaps the scholar's tongue is actually influenced by the Arkati themselves, and thus, proof they had some presence on Agan Irith, wherever that may be. In short, theories abound, but answers are lacking. As an aside, while the erithi may not have a full history with the scholar's tongue, we are no strangers to coded language, especially amongst the tea guilds and traders. It is still the practice for a tea family or guild to code their special blends and processing methods so competitors cannot replicate their uniqueness. One prominent tea guild is known for encoding recipes under the guise of lewd limericks and bawdy sea shanties, while another has created their own floral language to convey their secrets, shipping various flowers and herbs ahead of tea shipments to provide instruction to their factors. One guild has even adopted using the colorful and symbol-filled tiles of a popular erithi game as a code.

OOC Info

• Created by GM Xynwen, January 2026 (released in lecture form at EG 2025)
  • Lecture Log: https://gswiki.play.net/SPECTRE_and_SHADOW_Conference_(storyline)/2025-10-11_-_Lecture_1_-_Tea_Mages_(log)