Forelor

Forelor is a term used in speculative fiction and worldbuilding to denote a cultural practice and associated artifacts that combine collective memory with predictive judgment. The concept is typically presented as a social mechanism by which communities confront uncertainty by recording past events and projecting possible futures on shared records known as forelors.

Forelor refers to both the ritualized act of archiving memories and forecasts and to the artifacts used in the practice. During forelor ceremonies, elders, scribes, or councils inscribe events, outcomes, or forecasts on these records, sometimes with symbolic marks. The practice often culminates in a ritual reading where patterns are interpreted to guide policy, agriculture, or migration decisions.

Etymology: The term is fictional, commonly explained as a compound of fore- “before” and lor from a constructed memory-root in the lore of the world where it originated.

Usage: Forelor is invoked in fictional texts to explore themes of collective memory, foresight, and community governance. It may appear in worldbuilding resources, role-playing game settings, or anthologies exploring cultural memory.

See also: Archive, Prognostication, Forecasting, Memory politics.