The Astral Sage

Introduction

An Astral Sage is a practitioner of the mysterious and widely unknown art of astral magic. Sages study how the stars, planets, and other celestial bodies impact the flow of magic through the universe. Unlike normal students of the arcane arts, Astral Sages utilize the night sky to commune with a fairly esoteric form of magic known as The Astral Aura. This magical energy is present in all locations of the cosmos in some form, however collections of it can coalesce around large celestial bodies such as stars, systems, nebulas, and constellations. Long ago the ancient travelers and builders known as the Eldar’ai used this primal magic to create and breathe life into the Realms of Eldara.

Some scholars say that it was by their will that the realms were created, though others claim they acted as agents of a greater entity. Regardless of whether it was a gift or a discovery, the Eldar’ai used a series of shapes known now as Eldarai runes to focus and shape this Astral Aura to their will. Using large structures in the shape of these runes and aligning them with various celestial bodies, the Eldar’ai brought form and life to the many worlds of Eldara. Modern Astral sages seek to reclaim that ancient knowledge, and use the runes and alignment to cast and store magics of origination itself. To the untrained eye an Astral Sage may appear as a conjurer like any other, but their spellcasting carries a unique appearance and method unlike any of the other magical arts.

Way of the Astral Sage

  Although every sage is different, and the order at whole is only loosely organized, there are a few qualties unique to Astral Sages that identify them. In general sages are not quite as scholarly as their other arcane counterparts. While academia is important to them, a heavier emphasis on meditation and a balanced mind is placed on the order. Simply learning the runic symbols and the channeling techniques are not enough to evoke the powers of the Astral Aura. Sages place a heavy emphasis on alignment and harmony. Runes open up the path to the stars, and the alignment of constellations and worlds empower the spell, however the sage must be opened as a conduit for this power as well.   Sages will often spend time outside or in their sanctums meditating among Eldarai runes and glyphs to help focus their abilities. Becoming more in touch with the world around them as the cosmos at large is key to using its great power. Once a sage has a strong connection to the Astral flows, a deep knowledge on alignments, star charts, sky cartography, and runes is necessary to complete a spell. While precise locations and alignments are required for some of the most powerful spells that sages have access to, the day to day spellcasting generally only requires a sage to align their current relative position in the universe every rotation. An Astral Sage is one who uses the flows of the Astral Aura, however different sects within the order have their own ideals on what it means to be a sage and wield the powers of the cosmos. Most sages however place a heavy emphasis on archeology and uncovering the mysteries of the Eldar’Ai, as it is said that they could channel the universe to create and destroy worlds, breathe life into existence, and bring light to the dark void of space. Many of the great ruins still contain the presence and power to channel the Astral Aura, and are often used to perform rituals of creation or enchantment. Many sages spend their lives wandering in search of lost knowledge that would increase their command of their Astral arts. Because of this, many of them become adventurers orexplorers.  

History of the Astral Sages on Tellaria

  Little is remembered about history before The Night War, and the Astral Sage order of the Alari is no exception. Many of the masters who attempted to ward off the great evils of the calamity perished alongside the majority of the world's population. Those who stood the most brave against the evils of The Night War suffered the heaviest losses, leaving the Alari broken and dying. The Grand Temple was left ruined, and much of the ancient ways were lost. Over the centuries since, Astral Sages have continued teaching their ways to those who found themselves seeking the Eldar’ai, however they no longer act as guardians as they once did. Individual sages found themselves in small sects based on the Alari, however due to disagreements on how to continue their tradition there was a departure of many sages to find their own path.   Eventually there was a resolution on the new Alari council to seek out the sages of the world and collect themselves once more in a united order. The goal was to rern to their ways of sharing and preserving their knowledge, and to once again attempt to do good in the world. Unwilling to align with any countries or kingdoms, they have found little support from the established rulers of the world. This has left them largely acting in modest ways across the ancient Eldar’ai ruins of Tellaria. In recent times the order has been collecting itself in a greater way, searching out locations to once again build a great library monastery. Under the guidance of the unanimously well received Starspeaker Aurelia, the order has been making great strides to reach out diplomatically and offer their services in small ways to the rulers of the world. Astral Sages now find themselves allowed access to ruins deep within closed off borders, and acting as researchers at great universities and schools around the world. Though they are reintroducing themselves to the world on an official level, the great majority of astral sages still act as humble wanderers, seeking out ancient and lost knowledge, hoping to one day uncover the secrets of the Eldar’ai, the Astral Aura, and the universe itself.  

Tools of the Sages

  Astral Sages find themselves using all sorts of tools and equipment in their travels. They often carry with them transcribed star charts from before the Calamity. They keep great lenses to observe the sky, and tools of measurement such as sextants and astrolabes. Because charting the sky over various ruined sites takes quite a bit of time and expertise, Sages often find themselves carrying journals and logs to make their lives easier. In addition to their tools of sagecraft, they often carry the stories of the Eldar’ai and ancient lore to help them find leads for long forgotten mysteries. Every single sage considers themselves some mixture of researcher, conjurer, monk, and adventurer, so they tend to carry their lives with them, which can lead to bags full of trinkets and scrolls. Wealthier sages may also have a mobile research sanctum at the back of a carriage, full to the top of books, trinkets, relics, and books.   Of all the tools an Astral Sage uses to chart and channel the magics of the universe, the Astral Atlas serves as their most important and precious item. Constructed as a sphere with an arcane astrolabe in the center, it acts as a way to perform small calculations of alignment and rune assignment outside of casting, and a casting focus for most of their spells. An Astral Atlas can take the shape of a simple staff head, or a small trinket on the belt, however less experienced sages tend to need a larger version, which is generally easier to construct. Most sages of all experience choose a variant of the Atlas that floats near the sage, and is controlled by a jeweled gauntlet worn on one of their hands. This frees both of their hands up to wield a weapon or use tools required to explore tunnels and delve into the ancient ruins of the world.