Celestial Events

In the centuries following the Syzygy, when the skies darkened over some civilizations for the last time, events that involve the alignment of celestial objects have become ever-so-slightly more sinister for the surviving peoples of the Material Plane. Though their scientific knowledge of these events has surpassed that of even peak pre-Syzygy scholars, most common folk still view them with a healthy mix of skepticism and fear, for many still wonder what significance such large-scale occurrences hold for their fragile world.

The oddest of these cosmic events only occurs once every 1303 years: the passing of Puhonua’s Comet. Resembling a mundane comet, if not brighter and more teal-tinted to the naked eye, many folk miss this object entirely; but those who worship Herne know better, for it is actually the body of a Titan named Puhonua: a gigantic dragon turtle who was created (and later slain in battle) by the Antlered One himself. During the Pantheonic War, when Herne struck Puhonua with his axe, the final blow shattered her once-shatterproof shell, scattering its pieces across the night sky. Then, he took her up by the tail, and after a few spins, hurled her remains into the stars, never to rest upon solid ground again. Though Puhonua herself remains the largest of all known comets, the smaller pieces of her broken shell also continue to streak through the world’s skies.

More prominent and predictable than comets, the most common type of celestial event is an eclipse, of which there are two types: lunar eclipses take place when Sol’s orbit lines up with the Material Plane, casting a circular shadow onto the surface of Luna, while solar eclipses take place when the obit of Luna lines up with the Material Plane, blocking Sol’s light and turning the day into night. Though these alignments are often as certain to occur as any equinox or full moon, sometimes they happen out of sync from their typical cycle; a phenomenon that is watched closely by the two elven cultures of the Isles. On the island of Ebonos, lunar eclipses are widely celebrated, as they are believed to be the precursor to an important birth. In contrast, the elves of Cylbaros commemorate solar eclipses, believing them to portend events that will define eras.