Mystical Fatalism and Ethereal Mastery - the Seer
Seers are a rather unique and mysterious people. Their power is drawn from the stars, and they operate mostly from a distance - from within darkened rooms using brightly flashing seeing-stones. Seers are trained in both the arts of sight through seeing stones, and the multifarious skill of mystics. They learn, even at an early age, the arts of cursing and blessing. Seers tend to be thinking folk, diplomats and manipulators of events from afar. Their prowess was epitomised by the first Seer of the modern age - Anskiere, founder of the Thakrian branch of the guild. Seers establish spheres of influence over which they can exact their enormous power, and through the might of the seeing stones, they are able to battle their enemies. Seers are less effective, though, in face to face combat and often find themselves having to flee from the field of battle to influence the course of action from the safety of their fortified towers.
The Seer profession is one of those with an innate option for specialisation avaiable to those members whose skills have reached maximum potential. Specialisation is optional, since it involves a proverbial fork in the road: one way the oracle, the Farsight expert, the other route is the truemystic, the Mysticism specialist. The Oracle and the Truemystic represent the paradigm of the profesion's founding ideals: a solitary symbiosis with the ethereal and ability to affect whole swathes of the land, or a worker of mystic ways (like the ships of the dead, the netherworld, voodoo) and deep-rooted telepathy/prescience
The Seers Guild is based in the city of Thakria and was refounded by Anskiere the Dark Seer in the late seventh century after being dormant for centuries. He broke away from the Astrologers Guild in order to pursue his own ambitions, and with the aid of the Thakrian seeing stone, a guild was founded about him. Seers are a secretive people, often said to be cowardly in the face of physical adversity, but powerful when back in the safety of their fortresses. The Guildhouse of the Seers can be found on Emperors' Walk to the east of the great Thakrian city square. It is but a stones throw away from the temple of the god of stars.
The Guild of Astrologers is the original home of the Seer profession and was founded centuries ago by the god of the stars himself. They are to be found in an impressive tower on the eastern docks of Parrius, overlooking the Eastern Ocean. With most guilds occupying the same profession, it is easy to draw distinctions between their outlooks. This is not true with the Astrologers and the Seers Guilds. Their members are all individuals, and while some Astrologers lean towards the dark side of the art, some Seers likewise lean towards altruism and light. Both guilds have the same skills and the same potential for progressions.
The Mystics Guild can be found adjacent to the temple of the sea-goddess in southern Mercinae, founded by Merlin the Peaceful to avoid the hurly burly of the Seers and Astrologers Guilds. The Apostles, fourth exponents of their profession, are based in Silverfalls.
