Light Speakers

It was in the aftermath of Starfall that the first other-world Stranger arrived. They would not be the last, but it was their arrival combined with the age of devastation and heroes that kickstarted much theory and speculation on the nature of the world, and the Saurians place in it. The star that had fallen had brought magic into the world in its light, and now this unusual person brought with them knowledge that revolutionized Saurian understanding of their skies. The sun was a star, and all stars were suns but far, far away, and the moons did not cast their own light but merely reflected the light of others, changed in the process. More Strangers arrived, and it became clear that magic was old in their home, and Saurian theosophists began to speculate that perhaps the Saurian world was a reality in the shadow of others. That it lay beneath and behind them, and that starlight in all forms reflected through this other world onto theirs, bringing with it power and knowledge if the light could only be heard properly. It was from this foundation that the first Light Speakers rose, Saurians who wielded light as weapon and augur alike, joining the ranks of the Starfall legends.

In the modern day Light Whisperers are those who divine the shape of things from the ways natural light interacts with the world, with the more confrontational talents of their order having been lost to time. They're generally broken into three specialties: Sunlight, Moonlight, and Starlight, with Moonlight being the most common, and Sunlight the least. Each light source is said to lend towards different styles of divination and information gathered, and so different Speakers may be consulted at varying stages of a project or problem. For example, a family may go to a Moon Speaker when planning for a clutch, and then once that clutch is laid consult with a Star Speaker on the well being and fates of their soon-to-be children.

Moon Speakers: Those who look to the moons seek to gather information on a smaller scale. Moonlight is said to be the kindest of the starlights, and even the smallest of villages who put their faith in the stars have a Moon Speaker to ask for advice on questions regarding crop cycles, hatching times, and other cyclical events that reflect the moons patterns. While the moons phases may be taken into account for some readings, it is the moons rise and set, the clarity of the light, and other aspects which mean more to the interpretation. New moons, especially dual new moons, hold special significant spiritually, as it is a time of rest when that moon is quiet and their world exists only in the shadow from whence it originated. Moon Speakers encourage Saurians to treat the New Moon as a time of reflection and peace.

Star Speakers: Those whose focus lies on the stars are said to be distant from the immediacy of the world around them. Starlight is faint, and focused, and the most difficult to pin down with certainty. When a Star Speaker reads someone their fortune is it of the next year? The next ten years? Only the best Star Speakers can say for sure. Vague impressions and whispers of words are more common than clear understandings, but even these are considered valuable when making choices that will have long-term effects. Star Speakers may favor different stars or constellations for their focuses, and Star Speakers may tell a person to watch specific areas of the sky for a sign if they feel it will hold some significance for them. In large cities it is also common to have a Star Speaker present in government meetings, or for officials to have a personal Star Speaker, as part of their duty is to remind those in power that their work and their ambitions are only ever a small part of the spectrum of reality's light.

Sun Speakers: Sunlight is the hardest starlight to divine from, and the most powerful when attuned to. The rare Sun Speaker who discusses their art may compare it to trying to find a pebble in an ocean, it takes a powerful will to cast through the overwhelming tide and find what the Sun wishes to say on the topic being divined. Perhaps 1 in 50 who enter an apprenticeship in the Light Speakers go down this path, and of those maybe 1 in 20 who make the rank of Master Speaker. Sun Speakers cannot see the small things, but instead divine broad patterns, both good and bad. Unlike the other specialties, which any Saurian race may walk the path of, Sun Speakers are rarely anything but the longest lived individuals, Dromeus and Ceratians make up almost the entirety of the Sun Speaker order. The public tends to hold Sun Speakers in a mixture of awe and fear, as when a Sun Speaker proclaims knowledge it almost certainly means change is on the winds.

Training to be a Light Speaker works on an apprentice system, with those who think they've heard the call of starlight entering the Order spending a minimum of five years learning in both classrooms and from direct experience under those who are already full Light Speakers. The first two years of an apprenticeship includes catching up on any areas that have been neglected in previous education, and eventually selecting which specialty the apprentice wants to continue with. If they're judged as being up for the next steps, they'll be moved to a working apprenticeship for their fifth year, and may stay in that position for anywhere from one (unusual, but does happen) to five (also a little unusual) years, at which point they graduate to full Light Speakers.

Becoming a Master Speaker is a much less standardized affair. Master Speaker ranking must be nominated and seconded by current Master Speakers, and then pass a set of trials (the contents of which are guarded with great secrecy). Rumor holds that the greatest Master Speakers become so in tune with their light that they themselves begin to radiate it and influence reality around them in turn.