Oracles

Oracles used to be a special type of religious person, male or female depending on region, that predicted what would happen during or after a specific action. The Romans and the Greeks are the ones who would have used them more than others, who use other religious figures to do this. The Oracle of Delphi was probably the most well known of these. Now rarely if ever used, or even remembered, their use has fallen out of favour.

Career

Qualifications

An Oracle would have the ability to foresee & interpret the strands of fate, especially when supplied with the information of the endeavour to be took by an individual. They would have used a form of meditation, especially within a specific building or other demarcated place.

Career Progression

They would have had such visions before being chosen, though weak initially and deemed by the area's priesthood or leaders as a candidate. From there they would have been took to the place they would ply their trade until ill or frail enough they couldn't carry it out any more. Most of the places would rely on gasses given off by underground volcanic activity that is poisonous in large enough or constant enough use.

Payment & Reimbursement

The Oracle would be protected at all costs and some form of payment would always be paid. This could be in form of coin, treasure, food & drink, or even in esoteric objects. This varied depending on the Oracle and their guardians, and as much as the individuals who used their services.

Other Benefits

The Oracle would be lavished all sorts of rare or expensive goods, and fine food & drink too. Also, they could benefit from a certain fear & awe that surrounded their talents as most would have thought to harm one would have affected the fate of their attacker at some point in the future.

Perception

Purpose

They would have been used to predict whether a certain action, military campaign or job would be worth carrying out before it started. As long as the Oracle provided a satisfactory or good outcome, the cost of the Oracle would be worth it. If not, then most would have viewed it as a waste of money at worse, or a safe bet not to carry on with that action.

Social Status

Most would have had a special place in society. Usually they were placed to one side and not really in or of society itself, but high enough, and powerful enough, even the ruling classes would seek out their favour. Superstitious individuals would almost avoid them at all costs out of fear, but the Oracle would be given full respect for their abilities at all times.

Demographics

Most mentions of actual Oracles are found in the old Greco-Roman empires, with the Oracle of Delphi having been a powerful & influential individual.

History

Oracles came about in some of these regions that had volcanic activity, usually with gasses escaping & building up in certain areas. Usually in caves, rooms or amphitheatres the Oracle would be placed to inhale these gasses. May of them would have had some type of minor ability to predict the outcomes of decisions, and the peoples at the time wouldn't have known about carbon dioxide or similar gasses giving hallucinations. Coupled with these, a few would have had psychological issues that created auditory and/or visual hallucinations too, yet again the people would not have known this, believing them to be blessed by the gods. After a time, and the introduction of Christianity to many of these areas, the practise died out. Seen as witchcraft, demonology, or similar it fell out of favour. That and many others practised safer methods of dibination than the Oracles.

Type

Religious