A long time ago in Brectür, an old wizard names Heinrich von Glauzwitz claimed that by use of magic, he could defy fate. This angered Sera, and she sought to thwart Glauzwitz. She sent the famed thief Günther to kidnap Glauzwitz and bring him to a prison belonging to her priestesses. Günther had the luck of Sera, and avoided all of Glauzwitz’ magical traps, and seized the old wizard. In the prison, the powerful priestess told him that he was to be forever imprisoned for his blasphemy against Lady Luck. Knowing that Sera was a gambler, Glauzwitz offered her a deal. If the goddess would select a trick and he could guess the trick, he could be set free, otherwise he would become her prisoner in both life and death. Sera reasoned that the gift of Glauzwitz’ soul was worth the gamble, and besides, no matter how powerful a wizard, he could not know the mind of a goddess, so she could not lose. She selected as her trick, the turning of a coin. Being a secret, even a divine secret, the Lord of Secrets would know it, if he could but touch Sera. But, Sera, did not deign to appear before Ruornil, certain that he would share this knowledge with so powerful a wizard. But Ruornil knew another way. Eléole knows all secrets without exception. So Ruornil invited her to see his latest invention, a fruit that ripens in the winter. Eléole was intrigued, and so came to look that the new fruit within Ruornil’s palace in the night sky. Ruornil handed his daughter the fruit and clasped his hands around hers giving him knowledge of Sera’s requirements. That night as Glauzwitz gazed up towards the moon, it rapidly appeared to pass through all of its phases, giving the wizard the impression of a turning disk. How odd thought the old wizard, it must be a sign. If it were intended for me, it must refer to a disk that Sera would have recourse to as well. And so Glauzwitz, now gazing upon the new moon, flipped over the coins in his pocket. The anti-magic sphere of the prison was withdrawn, and Glauzwitz teleported back to his tower. Hearing of this, wizards all over began to turn their coins in their pocket on the appearance of the new moon, to win the favor of Sera by reenacting the trick as Ruornil had presented it. At first Sera was angered by Glauzwitz’ escape and Ruornil’s hand in it, but as wizards around Cerilia began turning their coins, it became obvious that Ruornil had created a ritual for all wizards to honor Lady Luck. This she accepted as a fair price for the vanity of one wizard. After all, it was not magic that had conquered luck, it was Ruornil’s invention of a new ritual. A fair bargain and a good exchange. For one act, Sera is still earning interest. Today everyone who seeks the favor of Lady Luck turns their coins on the new moon, and so Ruornil is honored by the time of the ritual, and Sera is honored by the act of turning a coin.

Kenneth Gauck
kgauck@mchsi.com