6.1 Astronomy
The Prime Material Plane of Aetolia follows a geocentric model loosely based on the Ptolemaic system, with the planet Aetolia at its centre. All celestial bodies orbit around this first world, moving across the backdrop of the celestial sphere where the fixed stars reside.
[0;1;33mTHE SUN[0m
The sun of the Prime Material Plane was created by Dejaani, the Guardian of the First Flame, during Her eternal battle with the Shadow Mother. In Her pursuit of Her nemesis, Dejaani carved through the planar fabric itself, creating a massive tunnel that pierces through both the Plane of Fire and the Plane of Spirit. This cosmic wound manifests as the brilliant sun that ended the Albedi Age of Darkness Unending.
Known by many names across different cultures:
- Sol Eos (Aetolian)
- Vapsura - "Sun of Mebrene's Fire" (Kalsu)
- Aevoi fio Oihia - "The Star of Divine Fire that Protects" (Illumine)
[0;1;33mTHE MOON[0m
The moon, sometimes more formally referred to as the Eschatonic Moon by the Albedi people, holds deep significance to the Eschaton. However, its true purpose remains one of Creation's many mysteries. Its importance is such that the Eschaton has personally intervened multiple times to preserve it:
- When the God Jox destroyed it upon Its release, the Eschaton immediately restored it. (Events posting #245)
- In 503 MA, when Haern and His Duiran supporters attempted to pull it from the sky during the Ritual of Lunar Turmoil, the Eschaton prevented its fall. (Events postings #318,#319)
The moon maintains a predictable cycle of phases and can be viewed using the VIEW MOON command. It is visible approximately half the time, though not exclusively during nighttime hours.
[0;1;33mTHE STARS[0m
The stars are theorised to be ancient wounds in the fabric of reality, created during a cataclysmic event in Aetolia's distant past. These celestial pinpricks form various constellations across the night sky, with major formations comprising the Mejevsavelnel. The stars exert mysterious influences upon mortals (see HELP CONSTELLATIONS for more details).
An oral account of their beginnings, passed down by the Albedi people, can be found within events posting #230.
[0;1;33mTHE SEVEN WORLDS OF THE PRIME MATERIAL[0m
Following the Eschaton's unprecedented act of Creation in the year 7 A.C., six new worlds were brought into being beyond Aetolia. Each world orbits the original planet in complex patterns that astronomers have yet to figure out. Visions of each world were granted to dozens of adventurers during the monomyth incident of the year 8 A.C.
[0;33mThe First World - Aetolia[0m
The original world and the centre of the Prime Material Plane, around which all other celestial bodies orbit. Home to the triune continents of Sapience, Albedos and Vorostra.
[0;33mThe Second World - The Nascent Cradle[0m
A world gifted with an entire civilisation at its genesis. Its largest continent hosts an emerging empire marked by colossal buildings and ziggurats stretching skyward. Militant forces in scalemail and concealing helmets patrol the lands, pursuing tribal peoples who resist civilisation's advance. The realm is watched over by mysterious divine figures, including a multi-eyed feline being who accepts bloody sacrifices from devoted priests.
[0;33mThe Third World - The Untamed[0m
A planet dominated by vast, pristine jungles teeming with alien life and utterly untouched by civilisation's hand. Strange predators with unnaturally jointed bodies prowl through dense undergrowth, while bizarre insects and creatures of every hue maintain a complex ecosystem. The jungle's deadly residents possess hunting adaptations unlike anything seen by the mortals of the first world.
[0;33mThe Fourth World - The Fathomless[0m
A waterlogged world where vast oceans dominate the landscape, broken only by a sparse ring of land circling its equator like a belt. Deep trenches that never see sunlight crisscross its surface, while iridescent coral reefs flourish in the shallows. Its turbulent seas host epic ship-to-ship battles and vessels hunting monstrous leviathans and other mysteries from its unconquerable depths.
[0;33mThe Fifth World - The Canvas[0m
A peculiar anomaly among the Eschaton's creations, this world remains featureless - a blank slate devoid of oceans, mountains, or distinguishing features. It exists as pure potential, awaiting some unknown purpose or intervention.
[0;33mThe Sixth World - The Storm[0m
A massive gas giant wreathed in perpetual storms, where violescent clouds and cobalt lightning rage eternally. Rather than solid ground, it hosts floating islands of cosmic particulate held together by chains and elemental forces. These precarious havens are home to mana-suffused beings who dare to dwell amidst the raging tempest, though many are lost to the cataclysmic storms.
[0;33mThe Seventh World - The Dark Mirror[0m
Perhaps the most unsettling of the new worlds, this planet appears as a twisted reflection of Aetolia itself. It bears three continents in familiar patterns, yet every feature seems subtly wrong - as if viewed through a warped lens. Buildings and landmarks exist in disturbing variations, following a divergent history. The world is home to dark doubles of Aetolian inhabitants, whose malevolent nature makes contact between the worlds perilous.
[0;1;33mOTHER PHENOMENA[0m
The Empyreal Vault, as the cosmic gulf around Aetolia is known, contains numerous other astronomical features:
- Comets and meteors streak across the night sky.
- Nebulae form vast, colourful clouds of cosmic gas.
- Asteroids drift in the darkness between worlds.
- Various other cosmic formations exist due to the Eschaton's recent acts of Creation, waiting to be discovered.
See also: HELP CONSTELLATIONS
