The Sacred Numbers are a concept within Altmeri society that places value upon certain numbers. It is seen to a lesser extent in other cultures and religions, such as the number eight being venerated in the Faith of the Eight. Within the concept of the Sacred Numbers exist the Good Numbers and the Bad Number.
The Good Numbers[]
There are four known Good Numbers in Altmeri society: three, five, eight, and sixteen.
Three is the number of the 'Prime Celestials': the sun and two moons. Five is the number of elements according to Altmeri culture: earth, fire, water, air, and aether. Eight is the number of planets, as well as the sum of three plus five. Finally, sixteen is the sum of all the good numbers together, and is considered a particularly powerful number.
The Bad Number[]
The number two is the Bad Number in Altmeri culture. It is considered to be a number that "lacks vision", as it attempts to display a duality, which is considered impossible according to Altmer—the world is far too nuanced to be broken down into a duality[N 1].
Notes[]
- ↑ Despite this, dualities and binaries are seen throughout Altmeri society, indicating that the Sacred Numbers are a small societal quirk rather than something Altmer truly base their every day lives around. Perhaps a social caution to dig deeper during philosophical debates, and to not be satisfied with simple answers.