The Hand of Fate

The people of Hellonde, especially those in Carrida and the Endless Desert, believe that separate from the Deities is Fate. Some consider this to be the The Jewel itself, while others think it is a force from beyond the Jewel. The Deities are still worshipped in a similar manner to the other continents, and Fate does not have a church or cult associated with it.

The Hand of Fate, specifically, is the concept that Fate has a desired outcome and uses the people of the Terrene to enact it. Believers think that Fate will cause unusual situations or coincidences that direct the world in preferred directions. Large scale events, such as a sandstorm wiping out a merchant caravan, are considered the Hand by most residents of Hellonde, while small scale events such as a particular bird roosting over a building entrance are considered a sign by only the most Fate obsessed among the population.

The Hand of Fate is the motivating force for when the Eye of Fate has found someone.

The Hand of Fate is the idea that Fate calls to specific people to acheive some unknown purpose. People who have an outsized influence on society are considered to have been touched by the Hand. This has the effect of almost all wealthy people in the region being considered "Touched by the Hand", granting a convenient excuse for taking actions that would not be acceptable from most people. It also provides an out for the powerful to affect anyone who begins to gain power that threatens them, as those individuals dying in unusual circumstances to be part of being Touched.

Beyond its more convenient uses, there is some evidence that there are truly people who have been Touched, although the vast majority of people who claim it have no evidence in support. Those who may actually be Touched are rare, almost nonexistant for the majority of the time. In the days following the Shattering, there were a significant though still small number of individuals who seemed to actually be influenced by the Hand. In almost all cases, these individuals were drawn to each other, either forming groups that would have an even greater influence, or warring against each other. Groups of Touched individuals working together fits with the general idea of the Hand directing people to Fate's preferred outcome, but the warring groups does not. Some philosophers believe that this is because some groups that think they are being guided by Fate are actually being guided by a specific Deity, while some believe that Fate's design requires that war to occur, rather than for either side to be successful.

The number of Touched individuals appears to be on the rise again. The Oracle of Carrida has identified at least four groups that are likely Touched - the Justice Society, the Arcane League, the Shennanigans, and the Purple Lotus. The Oracle watches several other groups as well, and they have said that there are groups blocked from their vision by distance or magic.

The evidence for being touched is circumstantial, and applies to a tiny fraction of the population. During the years after the Shattering, a group of warriors known as the Khazi formed in what was left of the city Carrida is currently built on. They are considered the clearest example of the Hand affecting the world, and their path is used as indicators of someone being touched. The first indicator is a rapid rise in power that eclipses those around them. For the Khazi, this was seen as they went from refugees struggling in the aftermath of the Shattering to powerful figures within a year, far faster than most. They continued to gain power over the next several years, their skills outmatching most they would vie with. This was just an indicator, however, as they were not unique, just unusual in that regard. Several other groups matched them around the same time, as there was ample opportunity for people to gain skills if they were willing to risk their lives in the pursuit.

The second indicator was contact with beings from other planes. While priests and holy warriors often have contact with representatives of their Deities, those Touched have been much more likely to have contact outside of priestly rituals. Often, interacting with such creatures has been enough to change the shape of the world.

The third indicator is acquired artifacts. There are many items imbued with magic throughout the Terrene and there is currently an increase in the amount of items being forged throughout the world. But these are items of lesser magic, things that are prodcued through codified methods and used as tools. The artifacts that Touched come in contact with are unique creations, made through deep magics or stolen from extra-planar beings. For hundreds of years, no such objects were found or used in the Terrene. Around the year 800 Af., however, such items began to appear, and to date there are dozens scattered about throught the world, being fought over or used for good and ill. A person encountering one such item may be happenstance, but when someone encounters several over a short time frame, it is almost certain that something is putting them in their path.

None of this proves that there is such a being of Fate, nor that it moves things to influence the world. It has been suggested that with the number of people in existence, some outliers will exist and the sapient beings of the Terrene have simply called it Fate to explain it. But if that is the case, is that really any different than people being Touched by Fate?

The Hand of Fate is only truly believed in by the people of Hellonde north of the Spine Mountains. The desert is an unforgiving place, where death awaits beyond every dune. But the city of Carrida and the great river Shiryan are lands of plenty, where food is ample thanks to the blessing of the river and the mountains provide that which cannot be grown in the fertile fields. For a land where some are so clearly blessed in comparison to those around them, the idea of Fate pushing people to where they must be is both a comfort and terror, and easy to believe.

The belief is known in Helion and the Children as well, although it is not commonly known. Very few of those who have heard of it believe it at all, and are convinced that it is a superstition of the southern continent. Anything that is attributed to Fate is attributed to various Deities outside of the desert.

The Hand of Fate is a common topic of various fiction books, including a series of novels called The Hand of Fate written by a series of authors over a 200 year span. These novels all deal with a hero, usually known as Calladim, who adventures across Hellonde. These books feature the hero getting into desperate circumstances before being saved by the Hand of Fate stepping in to put the world in order. Some of the books play it straight while some are satirical, but most have been successful. Many youths throughout Carrida have tried their hand at writing a Hand of Fate novel, and most successful authors there started with one.

The Hand of Fate is a common motif in Carridan art, second only to the Eye of Fate. While it is rarely the sole subject of a work, it is often subtly worked into the piece. Many paintings and tapestries, especially those depicting battles or historical events, will have a hand in a linchpin position. A good example of this is the painting, "The Fall of the Scopulaen," a work depicting the final battle of the Scopulae Revolt, where Kahn Siniji fell to the forces of Carrida. The arrow that pierces Siniji's throat is angled differently than the others falling on the Scopulae army, and a faint image of a hand can be seen just below it, giving the impression that the Hand turned the arrow to end the revolt.

The Hand is also a major influence in the bardic tales of the region. The Hand of Fate is used as a metaphor for love, destiny, loss, regret, and more, depending on the song. Nearly half of all songs that have been performed in public more than once involve the Hand in some way.