Turoch Marked
"Turoch Marked" is forboding term for Scarterrans born under a rare Zodiac Sign though "NIke Baby" is a more casual and polite term to refer to them.
Scarterra has two overlapping calendars, the Secular Calendar also known as the Farmer's Calendar and the Zodiac Calendar.
The Secular Calendar is split into twelve 30-day months with one 5-day month tacked on at the end of the year. The month names are based on things important to farmers such as "The Month of Harvest" which is when most harvests occur or the "The Month of Blooding" when its time to cull livestock before the onset of winter.
The Zodiac Calendar is split into nine 40-day months with one 5-day month tacked on at the end of the year. Each of the 40-day months are dedicated to one of the Nine in the order they appear on the zodiac: Maylar, Mera, Korus, Nami, Greymoria, Khemra, Zarthus, Hallisan, and Phidas.
The five-day month at the end of the year is called the "Month of Turoch" on the Zodiac Calendar and the "Month of Nike" (Nike means "victory" in Greek, but in Scarterra it is "victory" in either Draconic and/or Elven.
This five day periodis said to be the anniversary of the five day period where the Nine fought and eventually slew Turoch. During these five days, various unusual natural phenomenon occur, for instance the moon stops changing phases for these five days and is locked in whatever phase it starts the Nike in.
This period time period is considered unlucky. A disproprotionately high number of babies born during this period suffer complications but a majority of them do not though they are said to be afflicted by bad luck later in life.
Symptoms
A few Scarterrans believe that Zodiac Signs are a total farce, including those born under the sign of Turoch. This is a rare viewpoint.
More often, many Scarterrans believe that Zodiac Signs do have an impact on a mortal's future but most of the time the impact is relatively small barring a few extreme examples like favored souls.
Even skeptics tend to be hyper-aware around those born under the sign of Turoch.
Prognosis
Scarterra has a 9 year Zodiac cycle anda 9+1 month Zodiac cycle.
Scarterrans are said to be influenced by the god or goddess of their zodiac sign though opinions differ on how this influence manifest and how strong the effect is.
But since Turoch was a primordial monster and ultimate foe of the Nine, one can understand that children born under the "Sign of Turoch" are considered unlucky. Though children born during this period are also during the time where Turoch was overthrown and slain. Some consider those born during this time to be very lucky.
It is said that "Nike Babies" as they are sometimes called are fated to live interesting lives for good or ill.
A lot of Nike Babies die tragically young. A disproprotionately high number of famous heroes and villains were said to be Nike Babies. A disproportionately high number of people who have unlikely changes in social status (up OR down) are said to be Nike Babies.
Affected Groups
There are a few exceptions such as kobolds, but most Scarterran mortals don't have a "mating season".
Scarterrans in couples tend to have sex all year round, so babies tend every day of the year, including during the Month of the Nike. Statistically this would be about 1.3% of all births if mating was truly random but Scarterran is not quite purely random, and child mortality a little bit higher for Scarterran Nike babies than those born the rest of the year, so about 1% of Scarterran adults and adolescents have this Zodiac sign.
Many believe this is yet another sign that these five days of the year are unlucky, but skeptics point out that the Month of Turoch is the coldest point of winter, so of course infant mortailty is higher.
History
Mordock the Destroyer is probably the most famous person born under this sign, known across all of Scarterra, but the number of locally famous Nike Babies is beyond counting.
Fumaya the Half Elf is unsurprisingly well known in land of Fumaya and is widely celebrated as a great hero.
Dyrik Mykrrún is the most hated and infamous traitor from the Dwarf Kingdom of Meckelorn.
Lady Luceria married a fairly unknown adventurer who later became very famous and the first Duke of Palbuc and the Duchy of Palbuc's ruling province was named Luceria County in her honor. Luceria was the longest living noble in all Fumayan history making past 102, bucking the sterotype that Nike babies die young.
Nikolai Nerozik III, aka "Nikolai the Unlucky" is still lamented and/or joked about in House Nerozik. The golden child of the House struck down in his prime by dumb luck.
Cultural Reception
Nike Babies make up about 1% of Scarterra's mortal population. Many of them leave fairly unremarkable lives.
A lot of the superstitions around Scarterrans born under this Zodiac sign seem to be the result of the confirmation bias.
Even if a Scarterran born under the sign of Turoch seems to have a boring and safe life, their friends and family will bring up their birth sign every time anything even slightly out of the ordinary happens to them.
If for whatever reason, a person does not know his or her birthday, he or she is especially likely to either choose a birthday in this window or get assigned a birthday in this window. This is especially likely if a historical figure of yesteryear has an unknown birthday. No one knows when Vladimir the Conqueror was born or what day he became a vampire, but many assume one or both of those days was during the Month of Turoch.
Since storytellers and bards are not especially concerned with historical accuracy and most Scarterrans listen to them more than they listen to dusty "scroll heads", the made up birthdays of mythical figures often gradually become established "fact". This may or may not be the case with the legendary elf heroine Lensa Vaxidor who is widely assumed to be a Nike Baby.
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