Izu'a'ir

The Great Compass of the Izu'a'ir is the symbolic representation of the eternal struggle between the forces of nature, and the delicate balance that must be maintained between them. The Compass itself is drawn as an eight-pointed star, just as a typical compass would be drawn. The cardinal directions of the Compass correspond to the major elements of existence, the diagonal directions correspond to combinations of those major elements, and the center corresponds to balance itself. The layout of the Compass is as follows:

Thus, the "rows" of the Compass correspond to the Shadow, the Flesh, and the Dream. The "columns" of the Compass correspond to Water, Air, and Land. The name Izu'a'ir comes from the columns of the Compass. In ancient Elder, the vocalization " u " (pronounced "oo") means "water," the vocalization " a " (pronounced "ah") means "air," and the vocalization " i " (pronounced "ee") means "land." Hence the idea of "everything" or "the universe" would have been spoken as u'a'i (pronounced "oo-ah-ee"). Over time, this became Izu'a'ir. (note the "oo-ah-ee" at the heart of the word) It is believed that the shadow and dream elements of existence are metaphysical (i.e., not manifest in this world) and only the flesh defines the world we can see and touch. Accordingly, in some discussions of the Great Compass, the term "flesh" is dropped completely, and the middle row reads simply Water - Air - Land (because "flesh" is implied). All known forms of magic rely on manipulating the shadow or the dream.

The Guild Compass or "compass of Guild neutrality" depicted on banners flown by the Old Guilds, is based on the Great Compass of the Izu'a'ir.