Bone Reading Tradition / Ritual in Pondera | World Anvil

Bone Reading

An ancient process developed long long before the last consumption. Though not inherantly magical, it is believed that bone reading can help predict the nature of the world, and what it expects from us, by using the nature of life and death to answer our questions.

Execution

Though many cultures perform this differently, there is a common process among all societies on how bone reading takes place.
  1. Ask Question:Before any bone reading takes place, a question must be asked.

  2. Find a bone: This will usually entail that the person asking the question chooses a bone, usually provided by the reader themselves, though some cultures reccomend a bone from an animal they kill or eat, as it is said to bring one closer to nature.
  3. Signal the question:Once a bone is picked, the bone itself is usually altered in some way to ask the question. Pictures are drawn, paints are applied, or prayers are made over the bone itself. Cultures start to vary wildly in this regard.
  4. Answer the question: From here, the bone is usually smashed, burned, poked with a hot iron stick, thrown, tossed into a bag with other assorted objects, buried in some substance or fed to an animal. It is from this final step that a practiced reader makes their final premonition based on the markings of the bone.
From these steps, an extremly wide variety of interpretations can be made based on the markings made after the initial carving. In practice, a marking over one of the symbols, and how many markings are over that symbol gives the answer based on cultural numerology.
Related Ethnicities

Readings


Ragia Raflesia, carved symbols of Wealth, A Dragon, and Magic upon a lamb chop they had recently consumed. Poviott 12/625
"You have a crack through wealth from left to right. I read poor fortune in your future. Be careful on the next person you would give money too, as it could come back to haunt you."
— Akari Tanaka

Eleanor Primrose Dusk carved a crude image of themself into the bone of a lamb chop they had recently consumed. Poviott 12/625
"There is a crack from the top to the left side of your head... You have suffered a grave injury, but your journey will allow you to heal. It could also mean coming to terms with ones self and finding peace."
— Akari Tanaka

Nahemah Dai'Gishkin after thinking upon her decision all night, carved symbols of Rhamnasia, protection and healing into the bone of a lamb chop they had recently consumed. Poviott 13/625
"You have a split between safety and health, and another one encircling Rhamnasia. This tells me that you are going to have to make a choice between two equal goods. A choice between the safety of one, and the health of another."
— Akari Tanaka

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