[RPM] Gem Lore, Lapidaries and Precious Stones as Traditional Trappings

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Not specific to meteoric iron, but it occurs to me that, as an ouroboros is often considered a symbol of eternity, a skeletal ouroboros may be good to represent an end to eternity, or even an eternal death. Plus, it would look f***ing metal. A bit of Google searching reveals, unsurprisingly, that I'm hardly the first to think of that interpretation (although your cultists are probably more likely to use a snake or human skull design than something that looks to have come from Alien, I'd think). A part of the Alchoboros' description also indicates something with the Greek letter omega could be appropriate (probably best for your New Age-type members, I'd think, as I don't recall you having any cultists with significant links to Greece). A broken ouroboros, infinity sign, ankh, etc could also work.

Very nice ideas!

I'm particularly enamored of the symbolic significance of a broken ouroboros, infinity sign or ankh as occult objects for the cutists of the Keepers of the Last Hearth. Which of these would work best as jewelry or other decoration that would be recognizable as a broken symbol of eternity or life? I'm concerned that a broken ouroboros might just look like a coiled snake and the other two as absract symbols and would be very interested in designs that clearly convey the 'broken' part.

Originally Posted by Varyon

Thinking of how to possibly appropriate the omega concept to the other cultist's culture made me realize your Chinese cultists (and possibly the Japanese-American leader of the New Age-types) probably have some thematic connection to the number "4" with their mystical paraphernalia, as that's often considered to be an unlucky number associated with death in those cultures (indeed, I know in Japanese one of the pronunciations for the number is a homophone for "death," and I believe this is also the case in at least some Chinese dialects).

Good point.

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Due to the name, they could perhaps be used in spirit summoning to pay the spirit in 'food.'

Ah, indeed so!