Tusks
Shepherd counting slang:
| Yan | one |
| Tan | two |
| Tethera | three |
| Pethera | four |
| Pit | five |
| Sethera | six |
| Lethera | seven |
| Hovera | eight |
| Covera | nine |
| Dix | ten |
| Yan-a-dix | eleven |
| Tan-a-dix | twelve |
Yan, tan, tethera
it’s yain-a-dix for me
Pethera, pit, sethera
your money I will see
Lethera unto hovera
the tusks come tumbling down
Yan, tan, tethera
until I wear your crown
— Old shepherd’s poem
Tusks are tiles inscribed with symbols, originally made from ivory from the tusks of the kernu. Cheaper sets are made from wood or other materials, but ivory is still preferred by those who can afford it.
They are used in both gaming and by diviners to tell fortunes, in a manner similar to the rune stones of the Oppa.
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Gaming
Tusks are most often used in Moru Kel to play the popular game Elevens, which is also often called simply Tusks (though other games are played with the tusks as well). The rules of Elevens vary based on where it’s played, but the essential objective is always to line up rows adding to exactly eleven. Requiring both skill and luck, it’s most popular both among sailors/dockworkers and among the upper-class ladies of Moru Kel. High stakes games are common on the patio at Sylphia’s Tea House.
A typical game has 4–8 players.
Divination
Tusks are also used by diviners to foretell the future. Some tusk readers — especially those of the Lakeside Occult Society — are truly skilled augerers, while others are charlatans looking to take advantage of the naïve. As always, be careful!
Element Meanings
| FIRE | EARTH | AIR | WATER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 THE FATES (DESTINY) | A stroke of luck; a windfall (SAWEL) | A Lucky person, place, object, situation, etc. | A fortunate choice/decision. | Trust your instincts and your dreams. |
| INVERTED | Bad luck befalls you | Unlucky person, etc. | Your fate is unclear | Question your instincts |
| 2 THE KITE (CONFLICT) | Encounter a foe; make an enemy | Dangerous person, place, object, etc. | Confrontation, direct action, violence. | Ambiguity, conflicting signs, confusion |
| INVERTED | Avoid enemy, conflict, or challenge | You can trust a person, place, etc. | Diplomacy, evasion, subterfuge | Clarity, calm, peace |
| 3 THE SHIELD (PROTECTION) | Protect or defend | Safe haven, trusted people, places, etc. (SEMOZ) | Helping/saving those in need, just in time. (KOROS) | Honor, conviction, loyalty, strength |
| INVERTED | Need protecting | Shaky ground; self-sacrifice | You are alone in this. | Cowardice, dishonor |
| 4 THE TRAVELLER (A JOURNEY) | Discovery, change, transformation | A stranger or strange object/experience | Unpredictable, surprising growth | Formative and informative, |
| INVERTED | Stagnation | Deja vu | Gradual understanding | Painful change |
| 5 THE PUPPETEER (CLEVERNESS) | Figure out, outwit, discern | Puzzle, plot, trick, or lie. Betrayal. | Clever, quick, witty, charismatic | Tricky, flashy, with misdirection |
| INVERTED | Overlook, ignore | Straight answers. | Slow, honest, simple | Sly, calculating |
| 6 THE ARTIST (CREATIVITY) | Intuit, create, solve a problem | A creator, creation, realization | Unconventional, bold, risky, a different path | Inspired by the gods, sacred, blessed |
| INVERTED | Lose, forget, stray | Delay, frustrate | Beware the unusual | Heedless, selfish |
| 7 THE SCHOLAR (KNOWLEDGE) | You need knowledge to make a decision | A teacher, a source of knowledge | Good decision-making, rational choices | Good judgement, perception, understanding |
| INVERTED | Beware misdirection | Secrets, the unknown | Bad choice, flawed thinking | Bad judgement, misinterpretation |
| 8 THE RUNNER (MESSAGE) | Communicate, connect, unify | A messenger, news, invitation, gain in status or class | Prayer, openness to guidance, faith | Fairness, consideration, delicate negotiation |
| INVERTED | Miscommunication, disconnection | Distant, far, out of reach or range | Failure to listen, lack of faith, blind to signs | Injured feelings, resentment, grudges |
Moon Meanings
| FIRE | EARTH | AIR | WATER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAXING | Energy, newness, excitement | Wildness, nature, living in the moment (PASHAN) | Investigate, question, curiosity, tenacity | Love, new love, awe, captivating beauty (PTOMIR) |
| INVERTED | Unchecked power, chaos, immorality | Sowing seeds, long range plans, a goal | Transparent, obvious, nothing hidden | Infatuation, obsession, a stalker/predator |
| FULL | Virility, confidence, maturity, leadership (PURNOZ) | Fertility, ripeness, readiness, health | Nurture, healing, care, support, but also a burden | Passion, optimism, opportunity |
| INVERTED | Impatience, rage, impetuousness, jealousy, vengeance | Barren, sparse, hunger, need, drought, sickness, infection | Loneliness, bitterness, isolation, but also a thread of hope | Separation, doubt, insecurity |
| WANING | Warmth, relaxation, satisfaction | Harvest, fruition, wisdom (AERTA) | A gentle breeze, good omens, smooth sailing | A strong alliance, commitment, perseverance |
| INVERTED | Cold, regret, longing, loose ends, unfinished business | Failure, unwise, poor planning, unforeseen consequences | Doldrums, dead ends, lacking strength or energy | Breaking promises or alliances, betrayal, giving up |
| NEW | Sudden loss of comfort, material wealth, or short term happiness that is an opportunity to grow | Reincarnation; the end of one phase and beginning of another, involving loss/rebirth | A strong wind, an unpredictable but necessary change (DAWA) | A sudden great loss, war, a great journey, death, new developments in a long term situation |
| INVERTED | Being stuck or trapped, afraid of or resisting change | A narrow escape, cheating death, avoiding change | A dangerous storm, powerful enemy, overwhelming force or odds, disaster | Defeat, being vanquished, needing to reassess a situation or goals. |