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Mine sign
From Discworld & Pratchett Wiki
Mine sign is a dwarfish cultural phenomenon arising out of the often cramped conditions of living in mines and habitually carrying axes all the time. Getting along becomes incredibly important, lest someone become tempted to put the non-mining and non-prospecting blade of their axe to use, hence the habit of drawing unattributed symbols on the walls, or anything else to hand, as a kind of system of gossip.
Known mine signs
- The Long Dark: A circle with a horizontal line through it. The most common symbol, it merely signifies a mine.
- The Following Dark: A circle with two diagonal lines through it. Means things are getting really bad.
- The Closing Dark
- The Calling Dark
- The Waiting Dark: The dark that waits to fill new holes.
- The Summoning Dark: Like a circled eye with a tail. This is the most dangerous sign of all, and when drawn it's considered safest to keep it exposed to bright light at all times; there is some kind of quasidemonic entity with which it is associated, which can be called down as vengeance by a sufficiently determined, and presumably dying, individual. Even when this happens, it cannot take action on its own but must take control of and work through a person.
- The Guarding Dark Also known as the Watchman. The only entity that can master, defeat and contain the brooding vengeful violence of the Summoning Dark. The Guarding Dark appears to have no known minesign. But it is clear that where the Summoning Dark goes, the Guarding Dark follows, at its own steady inexorable pace. The only known example of this was in the extraordinary head of Sam Vimes whose rage and desire to be Lawful means that he watches himself, and governs his own bestiality. More here:-
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