The history of Fatalistic traditions and practices within Magnagora goes hand in
hand with its very evolution â€" from inception to its current stage. The
founding of the city was based solely on the passages found within the most
famous prophecies Lusternia knows â€" the Verses of Magnora â€" passed down from
Keph of a Thousand Eyes, who has been said to have touched minds with Magnora
Herself, to Mugowumpois of the Fifth Circle. Those prophecies have been since
scattered across Lusternia, lost during the Elder Wars, and their peculiar
nature seemingly allows them to turn up places and times that the verses refer
to, serving as a warning and insight.

And so it was that during the reign of the Holy Celestine Empire, the time for
Magnagora to rise upon the south-eastern side of the Basin of Life has come. In
the age of mostly race-centered cities and communes, Magnagora was quite the
sensation with its cosmopolitan nature as people of various races, cultures and
backgrounds flocked to it enticed by what it promised. It was known as the City
of Prophets and worshipped the Three Fates and all arcane means of divination.
The House of Prophets was raising proudly over the brilliant Stone of Truth, the
city’s nexus, and was filled with Fatalists and Geomancers alike who cast
runes, read tarot cards and practised all other means of reading what the future
may hold. It is unsurprising given what the future of Magnagora itself was to
hold â€" it was promised transformation and great power - thus it adhered to and
followed that which perhaps it did not fully understand as time has shown.

Little to no data has been unearthed and recovered so far thus most of our
knowledge of Fatalism is unfortunately pure speculation. What is certain and
rather relevant, however, is that Shallamar, occupied by the Holy Emanations and
the Three Fates, and the Earth, were both Magnagora’s native planes. Curiously
enough, antediluvian Geomantic writings (and later the Libellus Geomancie) seem
to indicate a strong link between the teachings of each of these planes,
something currently in existence as well but on an entirely different level. In
the pre-Taint era, it would appear that Truth was the hallmark principle and
goal of Magnagoran Fatalistic philosophy, and the details of construction and
naming of the city’s nexus, the Stone of Truth, combine both planes into a
unified whole. The Geomancers were thought of as truth-seekers and prophets of
the Earth, whilst Fatalists would approach the issue from a religious
standpoint, bringing pilgrims to Shallamar and the Shallamurine Cathedral to
find enlightenment in the words of the Holy Emanations.

After the foretold transformation did, in fact, sweep the Basin of Life, a
drastic change in how the Fates were perceived occurred in Magnagora. This shift
in perception is perhaps most prevalent in Nihilistic beliefs since their
pre-Taint counterparts, Fatalists, were the closest to Shallamar and the Three
Sisters. Their abandonment of Shallamar and lack of a meaningful warning
regarding that which is to occur, coupled with the rebirth of Tainted
Necromancy, has drawn the Nihilists away from Fatalism and pushed into its
precise antithesis - glorification of freedom from a pre-defined Fate. No longer
did Magnagorans rest their fate into the hands of the fickle Three Sisters or
anyone else for that matter, seeking to pry free of the Tapestry of Fate. The
Geomancers have changed as well but on a much lesser scale â€" Earth still being
their muse and inspiration. The Libellus Geomancie reads, ‘Ande we are
truthe-speakers stille. For the Tainte is the Truthe, and the Megalithe is
stille the Stone of Truthe.’

The prophecised transformation turned out to be rather flippant in its form as
the Magnagora of old was destroyed in the wake of Soulless God Kethuru’s
assault upon Lusternia. Initially, the transformation has been thought of to be
more symbolic and a matter of a scientific and philosophic research that the
House of Prophets indulged in, whilst it turned out to have little to no
connection with pursuits of the city as a whole. One might say that ironically,
it simply served for a crucible and focus point for the events to unfold, but it
did take the right people with the right mindset to harness the powers bestowed
upon the reborn Engine of Transformation.

That said, any manner of divination has henceforth been considered not only a
waste of time but also an abomination. However, there is a branch left that is
not considered esoteric but pure science - Astrology. Why, even the Nihilists
have embraced this ancient lucidian art dating back to Xyl Himself and dare any
to dismiss or question it, let alone compare it to the primitive practices of
old. Nay, Horoscopy, the sub-branch of Astrology itself, is vastly different and
practised within Magnagora to this day.

The oldest records date back to rather frivolous, yet eerily accurate, attempts
at nativity readings taking place during Nokraenom d'Erlette and Nymerya
Koicei's wedding reception at the Wailing Woman Inn, done by the ex-Heresiarch
himself. I am not aware of further studies done in that area till the Nihilists
have reintroduced the art to the Engine during the Bloodfaire, the Magnagoran
Festival organised periodically by the Cultural Presidium of the Engine.

The Bloodfaire nativity readings pride themselves with a tradition of their
own. Called the Magnagoran Mystic, they always take place upon Nil and for a
small fee, later donated to the city, the curious citizens are lined up at the
Megalith and led by the assistants to any Astrologer who is currently free.
Myself, I always take residence within the ruins of the Sanctuary of the Oracles
where the three cracked thrones of the Fates loom over the surrounding
landscape. Irony? Indeed, I find it deeply amusing to chart the sky upon
parchments of paper spread across the cracked Oracular Stone. My brother, Othero
d'Iasani, always resides within the Cloisters of the Keeper, Prince Baalphegar's
pit, for the ironic value apparent to select few.

The Magnagoran Mystic tends to last a couple of days and is held no matter the
circumstance. Even in the event of the wild nodes being let loose or revolts,
there is always at least one Astrologer on duty upon Nil. The common folk always
make way for the warriors who hastily descent down the Megalith from Astral or
other plane, so that their fortune may be read first before they return to duty.
It is also a tradition by now that at least one person makes a commotion upon
Nil and accuses the Astrologers, through their ignorance, of practising
Fatalistic divinations. It is, always, a welcome and droll distraction and
allows us to enlighten the gathered citizenry in a rather audible and oft bloody
fashion.

All things considered, the history has so far shown that nothing is certain as
far as Magnagora is concerned. It has been glorified, made grand promises, only
to be torn apart viciously and then rebuilt even stronger and more magnificent
than before. Perhaps the Tainted powers and philosophy that it now holds dear
are but a stepping stone still to something else, or perhaps it holds the key to
the transformation of the entire Lusternia. Is the mortalkind capable of feats
of such a scope? We shall see.