Astralism

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The star-watchers, or Astralists, date their culture back over 7000 years. Allettare, the city that is the center of their culture, is called the city of stars. It is a terraced city on the river of stars, the Fiume Stellato. It is ruled by a council of elders, the oldest of whom is Fiorebella Lugli.

The city has many observatories and temples located on the highest terraces of the city, and the layout of the city is a series of curved terraces that correlate to the planets and zodiac. The observatories are home to magical lenses and star charts that allow deeper and more close observation of orbital bodies than mundane ones are capable of. (In fact, mundane telescopes have not even been invented yet.)

Their culture is rooted in astrology, astronomy, and cosmic observation. Every cosmic body has meaning - comets are omens and portents, planets are guiding forces, constellations are symbols of identity, falling stars/meteorites are calls to action, and the moons are markers of time and ceremony. Supernovae are sources of leadership and import.

Constellations also represent stories from their culture, folklore, and history. Click here for the zodiac and information on the planets, mesoplanets, and stars, and their place in the cosmic folklore:

Some cosmic entities they are aware of that most are not:

• Asteroids: they are aware of asteroids as chunks of rock and ice in vast quantities in the solar system. They view them as unmade planets.
• Blackholes: they are aware of blackholes, though they view them as mystical locations where the universe draws in its power.
• Centaurs: centaurs are small orbital bodies of rock and ice that are between a mesoplanet and asteroid in size. They have observed some of them and view them as lost moons.
• Comets: they are very interested in the movement of comets, as they view these as portents and omens of what is to come.
• Cosmic radiation: they think of radiation as “cosmic heat”, but they are aware of it.
• Cosmic void: they see the cosmic voids as “seas of the universe”. These are great expanses with no stars.
• Eclipses: eclipses are meaningful events when special ceremonies should be performed.
• Galaxies: they have observed other galaxies, which they see for what they are.
• Mesoplanets: these smaller planets (“dwarf planets”) are seen as what they are and mapped through the solar system.
• Meteors: they track meteors, especially those that fall to Shem, which they seek out for sacred materials.
• Nebluae: they have seen the scope of nebulae, which they see as vast cosmic clouds.
• Novae: super-, kilo-, and hypernovae have been observed by them. They know them as dying stars.
• Satellites: they view the moons of other planets and have counted most of them. They see them as they are.

Some astralists believe planets are the primary force influencing them instead of stars. They are called domicilists. Most believe the stars are the primary influence over the people of Shem, and they are astralists.

There are some comets that come predictably that your character would be aware of:

• The Returning Comet is seen over Talune every 75 years.
• The Great Allettarean Comet is seen in the area of Allettare every 59 years.

Your grandfather passed down to your parents that he witnessed a supernova in 1440 SE.

The next total eclipse will be in the winter of this year (1517). The last one was three years ago. Only the Grey Moon is large enough to create a total eclipse. The other two moons cause partial ones.

There is the Astralist zodiac, and a version coopted and altered by the imperial culture:

Constellation	Title	Culture	Month	Hours	Years	Meaning
Nautano	The Sailor	Allettarean	Pugnamens 1-31	2:01 pm to 4 pm	1494, 1506, 1518	The hero's sailor friend, the one who sails the ship. Capability, navigation, confidence, and support.
Hemerodromus	The Courier	Allettarean	Apertamens 1-30	4:01 pm to 6 pm	1495, 1507, 1519	The messenger who carries words through the cosmos. Communication, understanding, and movement.
Cleptor	The Thief	Allettarean	Fertilimens 1-31	6:01 pm to 8 pm	1496, 1508, 1520	The thief who stole light from the sky. Cunning, unseen help, lost things, and resourcefulness.
Baiulus	The Bearer	Allettarean	Reginamens 1-30	8:01 pm to 10 pm	1497, 1509, 1521	The bearer of the sky. Strength, vastness, diligence, constance.
Hospesta	The Visitor	Allettarean	Barbatamens 1-31	10:01 pm to 12 am	1498, 1510, 1522	The one who came from the stars. Foreignness, outside perspective, thinking outside the box.
Origo	The Source	Allettarean	Magnamens 1-31	12:01 am to 2 am	1499, 1511, 1523	The source of the universe, the fountain from which it flows. Originality, parenthood, starting from the beginning.
Sapiente	The Wise	Allettarean	Messimens 1-30	2:01 am to 4 am	1500, 1512, 1524	The sage who led the hero to the end of the universe. Guidance, wisdom, and teaching. Being a mentor. Listening.
Fortian	The Hero	Allettarean	Equumens 1-31	4:01 am to 6 am	1501, 1513, 1525	The hero who sailed the stars and saw all that is. Doing what must be done, bravery, determination, facing adversity.
Cantora	The Singer	Allettarean	Epulamens 1-30	6:01 am to 8 am	1502, 1514, 1526	The singer whose voice could make stars dance. Finding strength in unexpected places, beauty in what one is, and connection to the stars.
Vacca	The Cow	Allettarean	Hiemmens 1-31	8:01 am to 10 am	1503, 1515, 1527	The cow whose milk makes the galaxy. Nourishment, community, steadiness, and knowing one's place in the cosmos.
Serpenta	The Snake	Allettarean	Portamens 1-31	10:01 am to 12 pm	1504, 1516, 1528	The dangerous snake protecting the core of the galaxy. Adversity, tribulation, and hardship that can be overcome with cleverness. Deception.
Balaena	The Whale	Allettarean	Purumens 1-28	12:01 pm to 2 pm	1505, 1517, 1529	The whale that swims the cosmic void. Solitude, self-reflection, greatness, and patience.
Senti Rex	King of Brambles	Imperial	Pugnamens 1-31	4:01 am to 6 am	1498, 1510, 1522	Majesty, possession, achievement
Sacerdos	The Priest	Imperial	Apertamens 1-30	6:01 am to 8 am	1499, 1511, 1523	Faith, loyalty, piety
Clamare	The Screamer	Imperial	Fertilimens 1-31	8:01 am to 10 am	1500, 1512, 1524	Disconnection, disruption, volume
Ultor	The Avenger	Imperial	Reginamens 1-30	10:01 am to 12 pm	1501, 1513, 1525	Vengeance, pursuit, returning
Duellisti	The Duellists	Imperial	Barbatamens 1-31	12:01 pm to 2 pm	1502, 1514, 1526	Conflict, precision, interaction
Fabrica Ardens	The Forge	Imperial	Magnamens 1-31	2:01 pm to 4 pm	1503, 1515, 1527	Creation, hardening, power
Vulta	The Faces	Imperial	Messimens 1-30	4:01 pm to 6 pm	1504, 1516, 1528	Personality, communication, performance
Guttura Ferox	The Wild Maw	Imperial	Equumens 1-31	6:01 pm to 8 pm	1505, 1517, 1529	Ending, all-consuming, finality
Tauro Victorian	Bull of Conquest	Imperial	Epulamens 1-30	8:01 pm to 10 pm	1506, 1518, 1530	Conquest, dominance, power
Phasma	The Ghost	Imperial	Hiemmens 1-31	10:01 pm to 12 am	1507, 1519, 1531	The past, memory, emotion
Aditus	The Approaching	Imperial	Portamens 1-31	12:01 am to 2 am	1508, 1520, 1532	Arrival, reunion, finding
Colatus	The Purified	Imperial	Purumens 1-28	2:01 am to 4 am	1509, 1521, 1533	Purification, perfection, heritage

The three moons of Shem:

Moon	Cycle	Story	Description
Mati	28 days	The Mother, the source of witchcraft, a mother, a huntress, a figure of reflection	Called the Grey Moon by imperials, it is similar to Earth's moon, but darker grey
Devica	30 days	The Daughter, the one who learns, the vibrant moon, a healer, a gardener, a student	Called the Green Moon by imperials, it has a green, cloudy atmosphere and is smaller than the Grey Moon
Krona	24 days	The Crone, the ancient one, the wise one, the teacher, the cold one	Called the White Moon by imperials, it is much smaller and airless, empty, and maybe hollow

The planets, their meanings, and the dates associated with them:

Planet	Title	Ascendency	Satellites	Description	Meaning	Story
Colos	Messenger	Hiemmens 17 - Portamens 5	none	a small, molten iron and lava planet. It is small and fast.	Swiftness, movement, communication	Colos serves Sol Angelos, the sun, as a messenger.
Behial	Warrior	Portamens 6 - Portamens 29	none	a planet about 2/3 the size of Shem, made of lava and molten lead. It is an angry red dot in the night sky.	Conflict, strength, prowess	Behial is a powerful, angry warrior who was defeated only by his own hubris.
Jahur	Beauty	Portamens 30 - Purumens 23	Tsalib	a planet about 4/5 the size of Shem with a heavy, violent atmosphere that gives it a greenish hue. The stormy atmosphere hides wondrous gardens and strange fauna. Very bright in Shem's night sky, it is beautiful to see.	Presence, enticement, attraction	Jahur was a beautiful person who keeps a garden of wonders.
Shem	Valet	n/a	Mati, Devica, Krona	the world you are on	n/a	Mother Shem is the embodiment of nature.
Sallit	Blue Jewel	Purumens 24 - Pugnamens 20	5 Daughters of Shem	a beautiful blue ocean planet with no land above sea level. She is about half the size of Shem. Though it is very close, it is rarely visible in Shem's sky. It is a double planet with Shem.	Wisdom, chaos, love	Salit is Shem's wife, a blue jewel in the sky, often not visible. She represents love.
Kruurach	Stone Giant	Pugnamens 21 - Apertamens 14	11 moons	a massive megaplanet, almost large enough to be a small gas giant, but made of thick rock, massive mountain ranges, and deep craters (it occasionally passes through the asteroid belt). It has no native life.	Toughness, determination, stoicism	Kruurach is a giant made of stone, a colossus who stands sentinel over the solar system, blocking many meteors, comets, and asteroids that might otherwise harm other planets.
Avagen	Eye	Apertamens 15 - Fertilimens 9	none	a red planet of strange wonders and chaotic waters, half-gas planet, half-terrestrial. It is about a third the size of Shem and used to be much further out.	Surveillance, confusion, invasiveness	Avagen is a waching eye, a red world of strange wonders, and is said to have once been a dangerous and mysterious figure of chaos, killed by a flower and turned into a planet.
Inoxuil	Mindflayer	Fertilimens 10 - Reginamens 3	Xevenon and Cleoptis	a toroidal planet (a giant terrestrial ring) with a thick atmosphere and warm core that creates a massive jungle world. It is about twice the size of Shem.	Pain, tribulation, cruelty	Inoxuil is a ring that devours minds. A gateway that drives people made. A strange figure that is capable of warping reality.
Gallyneg	Happy Marble	Reginamens 4 - Reginamens 27	none	a super puff, a gas planet with a low mass but vast diameter. It is nearly the size of Weptaram, but made of very light, bright gases (orange and white).	Happiness, stories, creativity	Gallyneg is a happy place and a bringer of silliness and joy. Gallyneg is a wondrous clown.
Weptaram	Marshal	Reginamens 28 - Barbatamens 22	41 moons	the largest planet in the system, a massive gas giant. It is a vibrant swirl of colors with a series of beautiful rings around it. Its rings, known as the Crown of Weptaram, are one of the most magnificent sights in the system.	Authority, center, greatness	Weptaram is the marshal of the solar system, the huge presence who dominates all the others. His rings are a marvel and his glowing crown. He is a powerful figure of authority.
Thurudrill	Master ot Storms	Barbatamens 23 - Magnamens 16	37 moons	the second largest planet in the system, also a gas giant. It has two sets of rings that form Thurudrill's Cross over it, covering two different equators, possibly because of a wobble in the rotation. It is a rich, soft violet color. It is about 3/4 the size of Weptaram.	Patterns, loudness, energy	Thurudrill is a stormy planet and he represents turbulence. He is a figure of power and strength, but primal and natural.
Mytoth	Judge	Magnamens 17 - Messimens 10	11 moons	the third largest and last gas giant in the system, it has one tiny ring barely visible from Shem. It is a deep bluegreen hue and has a series of visible anomalies on its surface known as the Nets of Ceronius, a series of net-like formations that may or may not be storms. It is about 3/5 the size of Weptaram.	Neutrality, elegance, status quo	Mytoth is she who keeps things as they are. She is a judge, a maintainer, a figure who prevents radical change.
Daialoth	Ice Giant	Messimens 11 - Equumens 4	12 moons	an ice giant planet, about half the size of Weptaram. It is a blue and white mass of swirling cold gases and ice, mists and storms. It has a thin ring. It has poles made of massive solid ice. It is a double planet with Parsadus.	Coldness, distance, stasis	A giant colossus made of ice, like Kruurach, a protector. Also a figure of winter and cold.
Parsadus	Shield	Equumens 5 - Equumens 28	none	an iron megaplanet with a thin atmosphere. It is dominated by oceans of cyanogen and metallic continents. It has no moons, as they were all drawn into Daialoth's orbit.	Honor, malleability, hardness	A metal colossus, a warrior who dances with Daialoth, a protector, a shield against the violence of the universe.
Unim	Wanderer	Equumens 29 - Epulamens 22	none	a mysterious planet with irregular orbit, it is small and might have once been a very large moon of one of the gas giants. It is about 3/4 the size of Shem and has an atmosphere of pink crystals floating in the air. No ship has ever been able to penetrate this atmosphere.	Secrets, mystery, journey	A wanderer who ends up places they shouldn't be.
Ane	Daughter	Epulamens 23 - Hiemmens 16	Oe	the last planet, a tiny and cold place made of pink and yellow ice and blue stone.	Recursion, return, prodigality	A mysterious world, daughter of the other planets, a child who gets lost in herself.

Important stars and their meanings:

Star	Description	Abilities
Kyel Ennasrion	The chief star of the Kyel cluster; bright and powerful; wise and heroic	Authoritative voice, understanding of the cosmos
Kyel Harchem	Medium star in the Kyel cluster, patron of shipwrights	Knowledge of astral navigation, movements of stars, and shipcraft
Kyel Hyparia	Large star in the Kyel cluster, considered a leader	Leadership abilities and insights
Kyel Palyrus	Twinned with Sothasil, smaller star in the Kyel cluster, considered a warrior	Physical endurance, strength, and discipline
Kyel Shezeralaq	Medium star in the Kyel cluster; patron of artisans	Skill in crafts, fashioning, and teaching practical skills
Kyel Sothasil	Twinned with Palyrus, smaller star in the Kyel cluster, considered a scholar	Assistance in research, analysis, and writing
Kyel Tellurian	Medium star in the Kyel cluster, important in astrology	Deep astrological lore and cosmic history
Kyel Tithiana	Ancient star in the Kyel cluster; used for tracking cosmic time	An understanding of physics, time, and history
Kyel Viviane	Medium star in the Kyel cluster, considered a warrior	Skills in mathematics, physics, and archery
Kyel Yshael and Kyel Kyemechos	Twinned medium stars in the Kyel cluster, considered traitors	Political machinations, insights into motivations, and understanding of power dynamics
Kyel Yviqarim	Medium star in the Kyel cluster, important in astrology	Magical and mystical understanding of the stars
Miquelon	The "breathing star" (it pulses, fades, and brightens)	Deep astrological and astronomical knowledge and lore
Sol Aestate	Nearby star that shines brighter in the summer months	Warm and welcoming presence, strong and encouraging
Sol Felicitos	Nearby blue and violet star that is said to be lucky	A little bit of good luck, a little bit of charm
Sol Invictus	The invincible sun, nearest star, a powerful warrior	Incredible authority, intelligence, and revelations

And the mesoplanets ("dwarf planets"):

Mesoplanet	Location	Title	Description	Orbit	Notes
Eltevra	Near to Thurudrill, but out of his orbit	The Warrior	A black, rocky mesoplanet full of heavy metals, very dense	20.25 Shem-years	A warrior known for being immensely strong, able to lift mountains.
Elam	Beyond Ane	Son of Shem, Eternal	A blue and white icy dodecahedron mesoplanet	1,204 Shem-years	The Eternal, the one who never ages, never changes, never dies, a figure who will be the last one in the solar system.
Kena-Kunara	Just past Daialoth and Parsadus	The Hunter	A greenish, rocky mesoplanet with strange vegetation and animals on it, in spite of its lack of atmosphere	15.75 Shem-years	A hunter and patron to hunters of which many stories are told to guide hunters in how to act.
Yeltara	Beyond Ane	The Wraith	A grey, misty mesoplanet at the edge of the solar system filled with ghosts that got lost in space	810 Shem-years	Cursed into undeath, a ghost who presents great dangers to those around her.
Ziezi	Roves through the Angeldawn system	Son of Shem, Seafarer	A mesoplanet full of blue ice that was once vast lakes	Varies	A sailor who wanders the solar system in a magical ship.
Xaucha	Beyond Ane	The Spy	A mesoplanet near the edge of the solar system that has so little light that beings of darkness dwell there safely	256 Shem-years	A figure of darkness who finds things out, someone who shows up to guide the hero with impossible information.
Q'kzaaha	Asteroid belt	The City-State	A perfectly smooth mesoplanet on which some beings have built a massive megacity	4.5 Shem-years	A wondrous and mysterious city in the cosmos, said to be where powerful spirits dwell.
Arphaxad	Near to Weptaram, but out of his orbit	Son of Shem, Judicious	A red desert mesoplanet full of craters and jagged mountains	82.5 Shem-years	A wise, careful figure who does not like change.
Lud	Close to Jahur	Son of Shem, Strife	A red rocky mesoplanet with lakes of molten metal	212 Shem-days	A great warrior who embodies the violence of the universe, a figure who shows up when the conflict is at its height.
Nechozach	Just past Daialoth and Parsadus	The High Priest	A reddish, icy mesoplanet where an ancient, unexplained temple has been carved into the face of the planet	13.25 Shem-years	A spiritual leader whose beliefs were superceded by hubris.
Hijai	Asteroid belt	The Golden Child	A rocky mesoplanet rich with precious metals	5.75 Shem-years	A child who is made of gold, a child who is a guide and patron to merchants and traders.
Venok	Asteroid belt	Poison Pool	A rocky mesoplanet with pools of green vile energy, liquid poison	8.25 Shem-years	A place of poisons and antidotes, represented by an apothecary who does the same.
Asshur	Just beyond Salit	Son of Shem, Dragonborn	A rocky, volcanic mesplanet with great pools of lava	404 Shem-days	Child of a dragon, a great warrior and hero who is immune to flame.
Hieghedon	Asteroid belt	Child of Shem, Unknown	A small mesoplanet, almost an asteroid, unnoticed by most in the midst of many other asteroids, where secrets are kept	6 Shem-years	Debated as to whether it is a mesoplanet or asteroid, it is a figure of mystery. The only story about Hieghedon is one in which they speak up for the ignored.
Bossetta	Near to Mytoth, but out of her orbit	The Cruel Tyrant	A white, rocky mesoplanet kept as a slave-pit by various aliens	100.5 Shem-years	A vicious tyrant who was turned into a mesoplanet and hurled into the cosmos.
Aram	Just beyond Salit	Son of Shem, Exalted	Large, colorful, rocky mesoplanet with deposits of crystal that capture light and turn it into inspiration	514 Shem-days	An artist, a figure of inspiration.