Geometric shapes made of broken and unbroken lines, the Seals are holy symbols that are part of the city’s culture and religion.
When one is walking through Deshret, it’s common to see these tattooed or even carved into skin. They’re stitched into linings of clothes, sold as cheap peel-and-stick stickers in markets, marked above doorframes.
The canonical story from Sepulchre is that they are blessings, sacred geometrical shapes passed from Marrow for the people. They of course offer this as a service: and the clerical inscription of these geometrical shapes onto your body is the posh variant, whereas the street imitations are a cheaper alternative and what most people use.
There are eight Seals, each associated with a Saint, and while they have a canonical name, most people prefer the street slang variants:
Lake/Flesh
Used for health, for recovery during illness and injury. Very common among surgeons and medical personnel, and associated with Saint Vael. It is the most bodily of the blessings: heavy-industry workers tattoo it over old scars, and families who can afford the tithe pay Sepulchre priests to paint a sanctioned Lake seal over the door when a loved one is dying. Mothers hang it above cribs for the health and well-being of their children.
Wind/Mind
Used for clarity, memory, remembering, focus. Apprentices cramming for their guild entrance examinations use this frequently, and it is frequently seen on cheap necklaces worn by the elderly. It’s scratched into the doorframe of guilds’ libraries, and there’s superstition that this seal allows you to talk with the soul of the city itself, that some people can hear it guiding them towards their purpose. Associated with Saint Lyra. Also very popular among deckers, who usually are the ones that buy into that superstition anyway.
Thunder/Motion
This is used for safe travel and signifies crossing thresholds and boundaries, associated with Saint Vesper. It should come as no surprise that Outriders carry this seal, and it is their patron mark. It’s just as common among couriers and smugglers, though. Merchants hang Thunder charms above their stalls, as they believe it will ensure their business is uninterrupted and keeps flowing.
Earth/Matter
Endurance, strength, perseverance. Associated with Saint Ferro. Many, many buildings have this carved somewhere on them regardless of what kind of building it is. The heavy blast doors of the surface gates bear the mark. Very common among guardsmen, gangers and muscle of any kind as there is belief that it will allow your body to take one more hit before you go down.
Fire/Energy
Transformation and raw power. The seal associated with Saint Cinder, this seal is also frequently used by gangers and guardsmen alike: carved on weapons and etched on knuckles. Unlike Earth which is to keep yourself standing, Fire is to make sure your opponents do not remain standing - violently. Newly wed couples carry charms of Fire during their honeymoon night.
Mountain/Self
Willpower and identity. Associated with Saint Wren, this seal is very common among monks. On the other hand, it is also frequently seen on chem-addicts or those battling addictions of any kind as the city believes this will give them the power to escape those bonds. A few famous rebels advocating for the slums have worn only the Mountain seal and nothing else, and this has become a form of identity among dissidents: so if people see you carrying only the Mountain seal visibly and nothing else, then expect strange looks.
Heaven/Fate
Used for luck and good fortune. Considered the most positive seal out of all the seals, it’s associated with Saint Marrow. Funnily enough, it’s -very- popular among gamblers. Lottery booths bundle them as charms along with their tickets. Any kind of new venture and any kind of good luck. The brightest seal for the Founder of the city. What else could you expect?
Water/Void
Endings and death. While not canon and borderline heretical, many people also associate this seal with Saint Marrow. This is rarely seen inscribed anywhere: and people do not wear it (at least openly where others can see). Getting it inscribed on you voluntarily is the kind of thing that makes your neighbors stop inviting you to dinner. It is, however, sometimes seen on people whose work involve death: from corpse-haulers to assassins. Neither are a sight that anybody wants to see. People sometimes use these charms as a sort of death mark and a threat, when delivered to their opponents. Be very careful with this seal; displaying it or using it as a threat can carry unwanted, unforeseen consequences!
The Seals:
