Magpie Lore (Aka Serendipiti )

Magpie
Serendipity
In the universe of Magpie certain individuals who have committed grievous sins are given the ability to influence a cosmic good luck/bad luck energy known as the Fatestream with the help of a symbiotic creature. Organized into an autonomous but respected organization, older Serendipiti (those who can influence Serendipity, pronounced “Seren-dip-a-tie”) teach the hopefuls how to repent and accept their deeds as well as control their power. Their logo is a Magpie (So they have earned the nickname “Magpies”) due to its nature of searching for colorful things and brining it back to the nest. (“We are but Magpies searching the universe for redemption.”)

The Symbiode
A small creature about half the size of an adult human stomach with long tendrils is swallowed and allowed to take root. It extends a small fleshy appendage up threw the body and out of the mouth in order to respirate. It interlaces its own awareness of the Fatestream with that of the person it is bonded to. In order for a potential Magpie to join their ranks, they traditionally hunt in a sea on their Symbiode’s home planet. (It is VERY hard to do as they are bastions of luck) It is said that luck is responsible for the joining of a Magpie and its Symbiode. (Symbiodes are affectionately called “Fish”)

Song of the Magpie
One is for sorrow and Two's for mirth…
Three's a blessing and Four's a curse…
Five's a battle and Six is a birth...
Seven is heaven but Eight’s in hell…
Nine’s devil, dark and fell…

This song is the mantra of a Serendipiti. It originally was meant to teach prospective that luck is fickle. However, it has become used as a form of divination used by some Magpies. (However that goes against the teachings of the Magpies) Most Serendipiti use it as a guide to how not to fall to evil. (See “Death” below)

The Serendipiti Scroll
-Serendipity is chaos. It cannot be known. It can not be controlled, nor swayed.
-Fortune does not favor us. We favor fortune.
-You are a conduit of chaos and must conduct yourself like a patron of peace.
-The definition of good and evil is intent. Master this and your will shall be the law.
-Search long and hard before your journey arrives at a conclusion.
-All things are temporary. All things are void. All things exists somewhere between threes two states.
-A Serendipiti simply knows. A wise Serendipiti knows simply that he does not know.
-Evil is not cleansed from the body. It stains you forever.
- Humility is the mark of a good Serendipiti but selflessness is the mark of a great one.

Pandorism
There are those who are more interested in self gain than repenting. They are selfish and continue down the path of evil. They dance on the knife’s edge between life and death. A Serendipiti’s power is related to the cleanliness of their soul. A Magpie’s ability to influence good luck on the world weakens as they sin and get closer to evil but gain more control over the ability to enact bad luck on those around them. Only those who embrace the concept are called “Pandori”. Their ability to influence the negative is great and terrible, much greater than that of the Serendipiti. (The Serendipiti only loose their power but the Pandroi always increase their power)

The Fatestream
Luck is an ether-like stream with ups and downs. (looks like a randomly generated bump map overlaid onto the material plane in 2D) The deeper the pocket, the worse the luck and the more raised it becomes, the greater the chance for good luck. Serendipiti bump that map up in an area around them. Pandori depress it merely with their presence. It normally takes about 10 pretty major offences to be counted as “evil”. (Hence the number of verses in the Magpie Song) A malicious act is anything you consider wrong but do anyway. A major offence is something that hurts someone else grievously. (Killing a person in cold blood is about this level) These “sins” cannot be wiped. They cannot be counterbalanced with good deed. They are simply a stain you cannot remove.

Death
In the universe of Magpie, only the truly evil die forever. People can suffer physical injuries; however they will not pass on if they are good people. Evil people can die and tend to rather quickly. Good people who have their bodies destroyed exist as spirits.

Phantom Limbs
A soul is a tangible, yet incorporeal thing. It’s not uncommon to see soldiers walking around with a ghostly red arm terminating in a stub. It takes a great deal of focus, but they can turn it caporal for a short time. They can sense real world feelings as a very dull ache or tingle and are ethereal. They do not provide much in the way of support for other body parts- however due to their unique interactions with the body they seem to be able to support it a little. Their feeling can be akin to a strong wind flowing and they appear as transparent red. Phantom limbs start to deteriorate and become harder to caporalize with the more stains you have on your soul. A Magpie’s soul is so connected with the Fatestream that they can see the very stream by looking into a phantom limb they have. (Most sacrificially maim themselves in the repenting process)

Slang Terms
Serendipity- The influence Serendipiti have on the Fatestream.
Magpie- A Serendipiti or Pandori. A slang, informal term. Normally used as a derogative term. (“Fuck’en Magpie!”)
Hook Lip- A derogatory term for Magpie.
Fish- The Symbiode of a Magpie.
The Devil’s Luck- The luck of a Magpie. (“See that! He’s got the devil’s luck!”)
Red Coat- A person who’s lost a good amount of their skin. (“Let’s give him a read coat?”)
Floss- Picofilimant. (Thin enough to cut threw the bonds of atoms, strong enough to support a full grown man)
Shade- A “bad” spirit. (“That shade-son-of-a-bitch!) Alternately it could just refer to a bad person with phantom limbs.
Walking Dead- A bad person. (“Your’s nothing but a walking dead! Next bullet between your eyes ends you bitch!”)
Thieves’ Fingers- A nickname for phantom fingers only. (“If you’re not a shade then why are you sporting thieves’ fingers?”)
Undead- A clone made for labor. They live and entire life in a simulator (up to 21) while they grow in the pods. They are made to run jobs for people and they LOVE it because it’s what they are made to love.

The Undead
The working part of the world is comprised entirely of clones. Undead live an entire life in a dream world while they grow that much resembles that of 20th century earth. Their lives make them perfect at one thing. There are 16 models (each referring to their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator).

(Composer | Crafter | Performer | Promoter)
(Inspector | Protector | Provider | Supervisor)
(Champion | Counselor | Healer | Teacher)
(Architect | Fieldmarshal | Inventor | Mastermind)

Soldier- Efficient killing machines. These brutes stand 6’6 with a grotesquely muscled body and a neck as thick as they come. Always perspiring they are dominating towers of pain. Not able to process thoughts not given to them beyond basic pre-programmed ones before the mission they are nicknames “Toy Soldiers”. They have no pain receptors and three hearts to handle the excessive amounts of drugs dumped into their bodies. Their life expectancy is only one mission due to the dangerous situations they are put into and the drugs they are fed. They are biologically created to run at the maximum levels a human form can reach for 24 hours only. After that they die. (If they do not do so prematurely) They have no “Pre-Life”- just conditional training. Soldiers can takes a full clip from a hand gun and keep moving with no concern for themselves.

The Fatestream & Karma
From a writing perspective the Fatestream is essentially karma. When you do good, good things happen. When you do evil, evil things happen. The Fatestream is not actually “randomly” created as the Serendipiti believe- it is pocked with good and bad discussion. It passes like a river throughout all existence and freezes any action taken into itself.