The Path of Armaros
The history of the Sinti is perhaps one of the closest kept secrets of the People, their lore kept in the hands of the elders of the various camps that travel across Kith Kanaan. The legends say that the Sinti arrived in Kith Kanaan first with the people of Anansie, dragged across the world by magic gone awry, while more arrived with the Joshuites, having crossed Midiron with the refugees from the heartlands. If asked, however, neither the scholars of Anansie nor of the Joshuites could tell you what nation the Sinti are from.
The magic used by the Sinti is uncommon, only manifesting in those of pure blood. Unlike nearly every other form of magic, the magic of the Sinti is inherited, passed from parent to child as long as the blood line is kept intact. Scholars of the Brotherhood have studied this problem and concluded that the Sinti are an aberration in the Tapestry, as if they came from somewhere else, and that the Tapestry is attempting to assimilate them. The magic of the Sinti is a part of this aberration, and not a part of anything found in Creation, and thus the Tapestry has attempted to ‘correct’ this peculiarity.
A Sinti with pure blood will come into their magic in their teenage years, though a few whose blood has been diluted may not find themselves capable of magic until their adult years. Once it has been realised the Sinti is capable of magic, they are taken to a vjestica for training. If the Sinti is male, they are expected to dress and act as a woman during their apprenticeship, emphasizing that the magic of the Sinti is matrilineal. Apprentices are trained until their mentor is satisfied with their knowledge and ability. This may be a matter of months, or years, depending on the vjestica and her relationship with the apprentice.
The apprentice is trained in the history of the Sinti, which stretches far back into the days of the lost city of Enoch, and beyond. This oral tradition is kept carefully intact, and the apprentice is expected to be able to tell the story of the Sinti verbatim without any errors or changes. The apprentice swears to keep their blood, and the memory of the Sinti, pure. Once the vjestica is satisfied, the apprentice is released and declared a full ‘witch’ of the Sinti.
The Armaros learned long ago that their understanding of fate was somehow severed upon coming to Creation, and that they would need to alter their understanding of the world if they wished their magic to survive. To facilitate this understanding, the goddess Talis granted them access to her brother’s Fate Cards, allowing them the ability to peer at the Tapestry through the art of divination. The Sinti adopted these cards and created their own version, which are now called talis cards. While these cards are used for divination and, the Armaros learned that the cards were useful for a number of different effects.
Titles: Armaros, Vjestica (female), Viestae (male)
