The Bone Season Wiki

Common soothsayer is a type of soothsayer. They require a numen that is shaped or adulterated by humankind.

Description[]

Common soothsayers get their images or visions of the æther by means of direction and chance or through sudden hallucinations caused by touching their particular numen. Objects shaped or adulterated by humans are used as numen in common soothsaying. Many of these gifts can be weak, erratic, or disturbing in their inaccuracy.

At some point in history, axinomancy was practiced by placing an agate stone upon a red-hot hatchet and presumably watching to see what becomes of it. Axinomancy is virtually useless in detecting the future, but may provide hints as to the presence of poltergeists or archangels.

Macharomancy is practiced by placing a blade in the center of a circle or on a board where it is spun to indicate a particular direction that should be taken or the answer to a question. It can also be hurled, as the axe is in axinomancy. Astragalomancers, shortened to 'stragas, mostly do something complicated with answers on paper.

Types[]

  • Axinomancer: axes/hatchets
  • Cyathomancer: cups
  • Macharomancer: knives/swords/similar long blades
  • Bibliomancer: books
  • Cartomancer: cards
  • Cleromancer: casting lots/sortes
    • Acultomancer: needles
    • Aichomomancer: sharpened objects
    • Astragalomancer: dice
    • Cleidomancer: keys
  • Molybdomancer: melted metal or wax poured into cold water

Known Common Soothsayers[]

  • Liss Rymore (cartomancer)
  • Elspeth Lin (cartomancer)
  • Alfred (bibliomancer)
  • Haymarket Hector (macharomancer)
  • Magtooth/Ronald Cranwell (cartomancer)
  • The Knife-Grinder (macharomancer)
  • Bramble Briar (axinomancer)
  • La Chiffonnière (acultomancer)
  • Lem (cleidomancer)
  • Amelia (astragalomancer)
  • Louise Gilbert (cartomancer)
  • Marie-Anne Lenormand (cartomancer)
  • Ankou (axinomancer)
  • Nuray Erçetin (molybdomancer - melted metal)
  • Witcher Cully (molybdomancer - melted wax)

Trivia[]

  • Axinomancers were once called axe-diviners. An axinomancer famously murdered the first Underqueen the Golden Baroness in 1980.
  • The archaic name for a macharomancer is a knife-grinder.