The preferred divination tool of the Nomads of the Arid Steppe.

Divination bones are tools that allow Moon Mages to predict the future, without using the 'vision' method. They can currently be bought in 2 towns, Therenborough, and Muspar'i.

The origins of divination bones can be traced back to the Nomads of the Arid Steppe sect. In times of old, the Nomads of the Arid Steppe would take the bones of a vanquished enemy and fashion them into 'divination bones'. Today's divination bones are usually crafted from less... unusual materials, such as wood, amber and certain types of semi-precious stone.

Divination bones have several advantages over the PREDICT verb, as well as some disadvantages. I will point out some of each below.

Advantages:
Can make use of the ALIGN verb for predictions on specific skills.
Divination bones teach you Mechanical Lore.
Thanks to the Moon Sphere, you will more often see the skill that is affected.
They let others see the prediction results, and make for good "Role Play."
Results are based off tool quality and attunement, rather than the hidden prediction counter.

Disadvantages:
Divination bones are not free. Starting price ranges between 6-7 gold lirums.
Your set of bones will eventually break, and need to be replaced.
The magnitude of predictions doesn't seem as powerful as those generated with the PREDICT verb.
Results are based off tool quality and attunement, rather than the hidden prediction counter.

THE BONES:
Krr-tich - The closer the bone points towards you, the stronger the magnitude. Each direction is a range, not a constant.
Sek-rith - The closer the bone points towards you, the longer the duration. Each direction is a range, not a constant.
Moon Sphere - Tells you what skill is affected.
Sun Disk - Determines if the prediction is "good" or "bad." White is "good," and black is "bad."

Using Divination Bones:
When you first get some divination bones they are un-attuned. You can use your bones in this state, but your predictions will suffer. The plus side is that you can lend your bones to another Moon Mage and he/she can use them, though I doubt anyone keeps a set of un-attuned bones so they can let others borrow them. If you want your bones to give better results, and you will, then you should attune them to yourself. To attune them, simply RUB BONES one time. From that point on the bones are attuned to you, and no other Moon Mage can use them. If you RUB attuned bones, you may feel a tingling sensation. It is unkown to me at this time what, if anything, that signifies.

Now, lets say that we have observed the moon Xibar. We know that Xibar lets us predict the Lore skill set. Now we're ready to 'cast' the bones and predict the future for a Lore skill. First thing you should do is KNEEL. This greatly reduces the chances that the bones will be damaged when you make your prediction. Now you can either ROLL or THROW the bones at yourself, or someone else to make the prediction. Most Moon Mages prefer the verb ROLL, because of the belief that it is less likely to damage the bones. The syntax for this is as follows: ROLL BONES AT <NAME> or THROW BONES AT <NAME>. You can use your own name, or someone else's. Let's look at an example of a Lore prediction done with the bones.

You cast the bones on the ground before you. <-Prediction Start
The Krr-tich bone skitters across the ground. <-*These next 2 lines should be magnitude
It points almost directly towards you.
The Sek-rith bone bounces three times. <-*These next 2 lines should be duration
It points directly away from you.
The Moon Sphere falls to the ground with a dull *Thud*.
It comes to rest and depicts a podium. <-Podium represents the Teaching skill
The Sun Disk teeters for a moment.
It tips over to land white side up. <-White side. This tells us it's "good" prediction
Your knowledge of the heavens made this so. <-You 'turned' the prediction from bad to good.
You scoop the bones back up. <-Prediction End

If you get a prediction on a skill that is currently under the influence of another prediction, then the latest prediction will not be applied to that skill. This happens regardless of the type of prediction (bonus, or curse). The message you will see is this:

Moon Sphere Pictures and corresponding skills:

LORE

MAGIC

SURVIVAL

DEFENSE

OFFENSE

Final words on Divination Bones:
Well, by now you should be able to use divination bones as good as anyone.
Some final comments deserve mentioning though. There are several other messages that you can get while using bones. I am uncertain as to what all their meanings are though, and need to do more research. The following are messages the bones may generate when rubbed or 'cast':

Feeling a tingling sensation when you rub your bones - ???
Feeling a strengthening of the bond between you and your bones - A bone increasing attunement.
Feeling a weakening of the bond between you and your bones - A bone decreasing attunement.
Damaging a bone - *I think this produces a negative prediction that rivals a "skull vision" in magnitude. It also decreases the quality of the bone damaged.

That's it for divination bones.

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