Superstitions

“Folk Beliefs & Omens”

Superstitions and Folk Beliefs

Never Say “I Feel Fine”: Invites illness/infection Black Veins on Strangers: Don’t make eye contact (spread risk) Whisper in Wind: Voice Beneath searching (cover ears) Three Coughs: Early infection sign (avoid that person) Touch Ironwood: Protection from corruption (superstition only)

Aviation

Name Your Ship: Unnamed ships doomed Never Whistle Aboard: Summons storms Storm-Serpent Sighting: Turn back (ignore = death) Void-Whale Song: Extremely lucky (or doomed, depends who asks) Black Clouds at Dawn: Cancel flight First Flight After Repair: Offering to constellation (prayer)

Constellation Omens

Constellation Brightens: That domain prospers Constellation Dims: Warning (misfortune coming) Star Falls: Someone died (one soul returning) Eclipse: Major change coming (rare, terrifying) Alignment: Powerful omen (interpretation varies)

Settlements

Cloud-Hopper in House: Good luck (don’t chase out) Sky-Rat Infestation: Bad omen (corruption approaching?) Ironwood Won’t Burn: Settlement protected Well Runs Dry: Time to leave (island failing) Child Born During Storm: Either blessed or cursed (debated)

Death

Cremation Smoke Rises Straight: Peaceful afterlife Ashes Scatter East: Soul reaching constellations Ashes Fall Back: Spirit lingering (troubled) Dream of Deceased: Message (pay attention) Three Deaths: Always happens in threes (confirmation bias)

Marriage

Rain on Wedding: Fertility blessing Storm on Wedding: Passionate relationship (turbulent) Cloud-Hopper Attends: Children blessed Break Glass at Ceremony: Ward off jealous spirits Marry During Alignment: Blessed by that constellation

Children

Seventh Child: Gifted (often become clergy) Born at Midnight: Sees beyond veil (Veil-Born) Born During Eclipse: Destiny (good or bad unclear) Difficult Birth: Strong-willed child Easy Birth: Gentle soul

Trade & Economy

First Sale of Day: Determines day’s fortune Price Ends in Seven: Lucky Merchant Won’t Haggle: Item cursed Unusual Customer: Fortune coming Deal Too Good: Trap (probably true, not just superstition)

Forbidden Actions

Never Kill Void-Whale: Catastrophic curse Don’t Mock Constellations: Divine punishment Never Steal from Dead: Haunting guaranteed Don’t Enter Hollow: Everyone knows why Never Wake Sleeping Storm-Sailor: Violence results

Protection Rituals

Salt Circle: Rot can’t cross (ineffective but comforting) Iron Nail Above Door: Evil spirits repelled Constellation Symbol: Protection charm (various) Void-Lotus Burning: Clears corruption (dangerous, illegal) Prayer Before Journey: Essential (may actually help?)

Weather

Red Sky Morning: Storm approaching Silent Birds: Danger imminent Warm Wind from Murk: Corruption spreading Frost in Summer: Constellation warning Lightning Seven Times: Voice Beneath active

Numbers

Seven: Lucky (constellations—eight, but serpent forbidden = seven) Three: Sacred (ritual repetition) Thirteen: Unlucky (High Constellation Council size = association with authority/restriction) Four: Completion (stages of corruption = fear)

Regional

Ironhold

Never Question Orders: Invites disaster Weapon Maintenance Before Battle: Mandatory luck Scar = Strength: Proudly displayed

Murky Chasm

Trust No One: Survival wisdom (not superstition) Black Payment: Bad luck (coins from corpses) Vex’s Name: Don’t misuse (pragmatic fear)

Storm-Sailors

Never Turn Against Storm: Work with it Clan Tattoo Missing: Dishonored (social death) Ship Speaks: Listen to creaking (maintenance awareness)

Truth vs. Superstition

Some Real: - Rot symptoms (three coughs = early sign, actually true) - Storm serpent sighting (real danger) - Void-whale song (real phenomenon, meaning unclear)

Some False: - Salt circles (ineffective against Rot) - Constellations responding to mockery (no evidence) - Number luck (pure psychology)

Some Unclear: - Prayer effectiveness (placebo? Divine?) - Omens (pattern recognition or prophecy?) - Haunting (no evidence, but…)

Why Superstitions Matter

Psychological Function

Illusion of Control: - Can’t control Rot, storms, death - But can control actions (don’t whistle, touch ironwood) - False comfort beats no comfort - Reduces anxiety

Pattern Recognition: - Humans see patterns (even random ones) - “Three deaths always happen” (confirmation bias) - But sometimes patterns are real - Hard to distinguish

Cultural Transmission: - Superstitions preserve survival wisdom - “Don’t mock constellations” = respect divine - “Watch for three coughs” = early Rot detection - Folklore is teaching

Community Bonding: - Shared beliefs create solidarity - “We all believe this” - Collective identity - Social cohesion

The Danger

False Security: - Salt circles don’t stop Rot - But belief might delay real action - Superstition can kill

Scapegoating: - “Bad luck” blamed on individuals - Persecution of “cursed” people - Social harm

Paralysis: - Too many superstitions = can’t act - Fear of breaking rules - Inhibits necessary risks

Constellation Clergy - Official beliefs
Folk Beliefs - Related practices
The Rot - Source of many superstitions
Daily Life - How superstitions affect behavior
Death & Burial - Death-related beliefs

In-World Documents

Children’s Rhyme (Teaching Superstitions)

Don’t whistle on the ship,
Don’t mock the stars above,
Don’t steal from the dead,
Don’t kill what you love.

Touch ironwood for luck,
Say prayers before you fly,
Watch for three coughs,
And never ask the void why.

Skeptic’s View (Scholar)

Half of superstitions are nonsense. The other half are survival wisdom disguised as folklore.

The problem is knowing which half is which.

“Don’t whistle aboard ship”? Nonsense. Wind doesn’t care.

“Watch for three coughs”? Wisdom. That’s early Rot symptom.

“Touch ironwood for protection”? Nonsense. Wood doesn’t prevent corruption.

“Never kill void-whale”? Wisdom. They’re rare, sacred, and killing one makes you pariah.

The trick is distinguishing practical advice from comforting fiction.

Most people don’t bother. They follow all of it. Safer that way.

Believer’s Response

The scholar calls it superstition. I call it survival.

My grandmother taught me these beliefs. She survived 70 years in the Aetherium. I’ll survive by following her wisdom.

Maybe salt circles don’t stop Rot. But they make me feel safer. And feeling safe helps me sleep. And sleep helps me survive.

Maybe prayers don’t work. But praying makes me think before acting. And thinking prevents mistakes.

Superstition or wisdom? Doesn’t matter. It works for me.

That’s enough.

“Superstitions in the Aetherium are mix of nonsense, wisdom, and hope. Some are survival knowledge preserved through folklore. Some are false comfort in uncontrollable world. Some are pattern recognition in chaos. And some are just… wrong. But they all serve purpose: they help people feel less helpless, they preserve knowledge, they create shared culture. Dismiss them as primitive if you want. But remember: the people who follow these superstitions have survived 287 years in a shattered world. Maybe they know something you don’t.”
—From Folk Beliefs of the Aetherium by Scholar Evian