Astrology

From West Of Vipers Gate

The vagaries of fate are well known to the majority of the sentient beings of the world. The Elves feel the pull toward death and remembrance, and their soul is split between the hatred of Spite and the sadness of Grief. The Dwarves feel the pull toward creation, so much so that all creations tug at their heart. And the tug of fate on all souls can be seen in the night sky.

The invention of the sextant and then telescope has allowed greater quantification of the stars, but people have been examining the constellations since time immemorial and this has lead them to understand that they are the key to fate. Only dwarven runes have any similar intrusion into fate, and the other divination methods pale in comparison.

The Zodiac

There are 13 Zodiac houses in the skies, each of which has an associated constellation, except two. The existing Zodiac are each associated with one of the speaking species. In order they are:

Dwarfs -

Elves - The Elm Tree

Roden - A series of small constellations that wax and wane throughout the year

Orcs -

Great Wolves - A cluster of small stars called The Pack

Kobolds -

Humans - The human Zodiacal house is known as the Dark House, as it contains no governing constellations at all

((The missing items are left for later expansion during play))

The Comets

The comets range between the house and the skies, streaking through the stars at regular intervals. It took astrologers millennia to figure out how Comets moved and were created, but it was the kobolds who leaked the secrets. When a Dragon becomes especially powerful, a comet finally becomes bright enough to see when a Dragon becomes a Great Dragon (or maybe vice versa).

As the Dragons go through the world, so too do the comets go through the skies, and this is how the astrologers steer clear of Dragons, or, less wisely, seek their counsel.