Unlucky
Working with wizards is really not so different from working with regular people. In my time working at the Grand Celestio Council of Wizards as a Mid-Level Mage, I’ve spent many hours simply observing my surroundings, taking note of different customs and endeavoring to memorize different pieces of jargon and nomenclature in order to set myself up for success in the long run. Through this observation I know that wizards at work are just like regular people at work: some are messy, some are organized; some are more efficient in the morning, some are more efficient later in the day; some talk loudly and lead the discussion, some sit back quietly and take vigorous notes. The list goes on and on, but in my observation I’ve noticed one thing that sets wizards apart from the average worker, and that is their immense distrust of “unlucky numbers.”
Statistically, according to my coworkers, even numbers are far less likely to be unlucky than odd numbers, so, for example, when setting up desks in different areas of the demi-plane, or gathering a number of ingredients for spell work, always try to make sure it’s an even number you end up with. However, this even number cannot be 4 or 6, which I did find out the hard way.
During one of my first weeks on the job as a Mid-Level Mage, the potion I was working on required several cloves of garlic (vampire repellent) and without a specific number listed in the recipe I was following, I simply grabbed four cloves without thinking too much of it. As I turned to head back to my station, I saw the two wizards closest to me (not even other Mid-Level Mages, just wizards passing by) grimace and shake their heads at the components in my hands. A different mage quickly filled me in on the unluckiness of the number four, so I grabbed two more cloves, and was quickly informed by about ten mages that six was even worse. I ended up going back to my desk with eight cloves of garlic, and after experimenting with the potion for a while, it turns out you only need one clove per serving. I made note of this in the instructions, and rushed to put the remaining cloves back before anyone could see me holding seven of a thing, which would have surely made them faint.
As far as I can tell, there is no equivalent sort of “lucky” numbers agreed upon among the wizards I work with, but I have a theory that everyone has their own favorites. 9 and 1 are some common ones I’ve observed. Many of the desks I pass have nine candles placed somewhere around them, and I know there’s no recognized spell-craft reasoning associated with this. And if there’s only one of something, be it snack or spell component, there’s always a rush to get to it first, but maybe that’s more greed than superstition. Either way, I try to keep a logical mind while working my magic, but even I must admit there are times when I find myself counting my surrounding without even realizing it.
May the moon shine favorably and without hesitation upon you,
Alexan Drytus
