The Great Oracles

The Knetreka Great Oracles were extremely rare, possessing not only the ability to foresee future events, but also the mental stability to maintain their sense of self and place in time, as well as being able to describe what they saw in ways others could understand. The Great Oracles did not necessarily see the future, but rather all possible futures, and not necessarily centered on their own world of Erd’os. Knetreka training allowed them to filter out irrelevant visions, and the First Oracle had learned that the clearest vision of an event was the one most likely to occur. They could also only see events from the perspective of another sentient being that was witnessing them.   All the Great Oracles were at risk of mental instability due to their visions, which could come randomly simply by seeing a person or object that had some importance tied to it. There was also the risk of exploring all the possibilities, some of which led to vastly different outcomes that could alter their view of reality. Another, far more major risk, was that the Oracles could become trapped in a particularly powerful vision and not be able to pull themselves away from it.   The actual identities of the Great Oracles were kept a closely guarded secret, both to protect them, and to prevent the frequent appearance of imposters. The Great Oracles would eventually live in the Oracular Temple on the island of Alonis, where they were attended by Knetreka Oracles who could help interpret their visions.   Before a Great Oracle passed, they would predict when and where the next would appear, and the oracles of Alonis would prepare for their arrival. Unfortunately, these visions did not provide a precise date, time, or location, instead describing the area and noteworthy events near that time.   History would record seven Great Oracles, but it is possible others appeared unknown after the destruction of Alonis in the Great War of Erdos in 98 H.E.      

First Great Oracle

Active 7 BDM-70 YDM   The First Great Oracle appeared several years before the arrival of the Omnos Messengers, and her presence gave the Omnos great interest, as well as concern. The existence of precognition among the population of Erd’os had not been considered in the Omnos plan and could endanger it should she not embrace it. Knetrea would spend immense amounts of time studying the Oracle and helping develop her skills.   Prior to the arrival of the Omnos, the Oracle had already saved the chief of their tribe from being struck by lightning and was skilled at predicting the weather. She advised the tribe to move further north along the River Erg, because the site they had chosen was going to flood (it would several years later). They would gather several other small tribes along the way before arriving at a junction of the River Erg and the River Myk, in the middle of which lay an island. She told them the island was a good location to settle, since it would rarely be attacked, would not flood, and was “not yet important, but would be.”   As the tribes began to settle, she advised against building anything on the southern half of the island, because anything there would be destroyed in a great storm (this was where the Omnos ship would descend and bury itself 3 years later). When the settlers began building traditional reed and thatch huts, she asked why they were wasting their time when they were just going to replace it all with mud brick later. She then directed them to an ideal location to get the clay to make the bricks, and when asked what made that particular clay any better than sources that were closer to the building sites, she remarked, “I don’t know, it just seems like it will leave a useful hole.” A half century later, the site would be dredged to create the South Harbor.   Most of these would be recorded as anecdotes in the lost Book of Truth, while her later, more profound statements would have a considerably wider circulation.   Our task is to bring light to the darkness that clouds the end of vision. (Given in response to being asked what they should do after the last of the Messengers had passed through the Gateway to Heaven)   The Messengers must fall in order to arise. (Overheard being given to Utrajal)   The path divides before reaching the destination.   The Messengers know what darkness is and have now rejected it in favor of light.   Our place is among the stars, but we must ultimately return home to become ourselves.   The next Oracle shall be announced by rain in a land of snow and ice.      

Second Great Oracle

Active 182-242 YDM   The Second Great Oracle was born on an unusually warm day in the arctic mountains to the north of Kri. It was notable that it had rained, rather than snowed, for the first time in generations. The Second Great Oracle would become Voice of the Messengers (essentially king) after the previous monarch died without heirs. From this point onward, the tribe of the Second Oracle would be seen as the leadership tribe, marked out by their white fur. They would begin the construction of the Temple of Alonis for future Great Oracles.   The leadership of the Second Oracle as Voice of the Messengers led to the Tavenso and Knetreka abandoning claims to the city, allowing it to be established as an Utrajalek city, but open to all.      

Third Great Oracle

Active 356-415 YDM   The Third Great Oracle appeared during a period when very little was happening, but the Great Oracle herself was considered unstable. She would frequently begin to suddenly describe terrifying events and developed a strong aversion to going near the sea. None of these events would come to pass… on Erd’os. What she was seeing was the 3rd Enmalex invasion, which would begin in 437 YDM, but this would only be realized over two millennia later when Mykentos was able to compare the lost Book of Truth with Enmalex and Omnos records.   Flames shall consume the sky and darkness will cover the land before the light returns.      

Fourth Great Oracle

Active 763-835 YDM   The Fourth Great Oracle was notable because they had received Tavenso training before being recognized as the Oracle. This training made them extremely precise, as they refused to comment on any question which did not result in a clear vision. This limited the extent of their visions, as the further forward they would look, the more vague the vision would be due to the number of possibilities. They would be the only Great Oracle whose visions would be considered absolute. The vision of their successor was extremely vague however, as if they could not quite determine who it was that was coming.   The next Oracle has come before and will come again in a land without boundaries. They will see the end, but also be the beginning.      

Fifth Great Oracle

Active 917-943 YDM      

Sixth Great Oracle

Active 1136-1187 YDM   The Sixth Great Oracle advised Grand Knight Rikatos to take the throne of the Kingdom of Entani when the old royal line died out.      

Seventh Great Oracle

Active 1465-1507 YDM   The Seventh Great Oracle made a number of predictions which were both dire and extremely cryptic. Most of their visions into the far future made no sense at the time as the world was heading towards peace and unification. It was only during the Great War that many were able to be understood, with others only becoming clear after the formation of the Republic.   Before being confirmed as the Great Oracle, they were recorded as having advised King Unadetes of Entani, and was known to have maintained a close correspondence with the King. The Book of Truth records that it was the Seventh Great Oracle that indicated that the capital needed to be moved from Entani to a new city with no history for unification of the people to begin. Unadetes dutifully founded Yerlaja.   The one that rediscovers the path shall see the Outsider before the sacrifice that ignites the Age of Fire.   The Eighth Oracle shall not know they are the Oracle, until consumed by their single vision.   The golden age requires three hands.   The forge requires fire.      

Eighth Great Oracle (Prophesized)

  The Eighth Great Oracle was never confirmed, but is believed to have been the emperor Aratoxes, his clear vision of the Great War being his only vision as predicted by the Seventh Great Oracle.   The war shall end with the arrival of the outsider. Not of our time, and not of that time. With three hands he shall bring the people together as one again. From the land without end he shall wield a power against which tyrants and priests cannot stand. Even the gods of old shall rest themselves at his feet. All will be drawn to him and the heavens themselves shall be his.      

Ninth Great Oracle, the Great Oracle of Lek

  The Great Oracle of Lek would be instrumental in the ending of the Great War and the founding of the Republic. Though impossible to confirm, it is widely believed that the Hilt Ecipsos was the ninth Great Oracle because he made a number of highly accurate predictions. It is likely that he predicted the supernova that would cut off Neo Mykentia and allowed the colony to proceed in preference to other, ultimately better locations because he foresaw a need for the isolated colony in the far future. He was instrumental in persuading certain people to leave with the colony, and others to stay based on his visions.   The Seekers of Lek were known to have forced Ecipsos to enter a deeply hallucinogenic trance in an attempt to gain more accurate predictions further into the future. As Hilt Ecipsos would enter this state voluntarily several times in secret in an effort to ensure he was keeping the Republic on track.   Like his predecessors, Ecipsos left clues as to the appearance of the next Great Oracle, but he was particularly vague and left open the possibility that they may not appear at all.   The Outsider…The Outsider has arrived, a city walled in white, housing power of lost times. They seek the weapon, the final weapon… With three great hands they will seize the rivers and bind them together as one, a mighty flow that knows no bounds, no limits, until… A force of darkness, ancient and twisted, sweeping over the land, blotting out suns, stars and moons behind a black cloud. They too are here, but they become bound by two pale ones, one following the other to embrace them with two hands. The darkness shrinks to a brook beside the great river, at the end of which lay a city of gold and silver, a beacon of light to hold back all darkness. The six shall be as dirt compared to the one of gold.   The Oracle of Oracles will be known if the darkness is survived, only revealing themselves as the final harbinger of the Golden Republic.   The Republic shall last as long as there are people who care.   A darkness shall fill the hearts and minds of the people, blinding them to what they once were, and could still be.   The three shall become one; the darkness shall turn to light, and from the light comes the promise of hope.   Many pieces shall join, for only wholeness brings salvation.      

Tenth Great Oracle, the Oracle of Oracles

  Though prophesied by Ecipsos, the Tenth Great Oracle has yet to appear. Many believed Mykentos to be the Tenth Oracle, but he never displayed any ability to predict the future. As the appearance of the Tenth Oracle seems to be required for the appearance of the Golden Republic, many possible Oracles have been presented as potentially being the Tenth Great Oracle, the most recent of which being the Rector.