The Serpent's Eye

If you gaze upon the stars, do not let your eyes linger on the Eye. To look at it for too long invites misfortune and ruin.

— Old Imperial superstition

There are many stars in the sky, and there are a few which stand out to the people of Erisdaire. Among these stars are guiding beacons, and symbols of good or ill omen - the 'Serpent's Eye' is in the latter category. A bright and pale green star, it is visible almost year-round from the southern sub-continent and can be seen occasionally in the more northern reaches of the world during winter. Due to being brighter than other stars, it can sometimes be visible early twilight in a clear sky.

Cultural Significance

Most Imperial subjects associate this star with ill omens, bad luck, and evil. The detail of superstitions vary from region to region, but almost all of them associate the Eye with misfortune or impending doom. As the influence of the Empire on humanity has helped shape cultures, this interpretation has become common even to those living outside the reach of the Imperium on Erisdaire - with one notable exception. In eastern Erisdaire, the pursuit of ancient knowledge and lost legends have changed the meaning of the Eye to be an unattainable goal. With most of the sources for the Eye's identity erased or otherwise lost, "chasing the Eye's meaning" has come to be used as a phrase meaning "a lost cause" among the Sages.
Beyond humans, there's more interesting variety to reactions concerning the Serpent's Eye. Dwarves aren't commonly known to dwell on the meaning of things in the sky beyond the obvious celestial bodies, so the Eye is mostly known as 'the jade star' due to its color and brightness helping it stand out. As the cultures of elves tend not to connect omens with events in the sky, they more often see the Serpent's Eye as one of the reliable 'guiding stars' during the winter months. Tieflings have a tendency to connect various events into strings of omens, but also do not seem to impart particularly bad omens to this particular star. - only in conjunction with other omens does it gain any significance. Dragons seem to have attached some significance to the star and its locations in the sky, but refuse to give any information, much as is usual for them.

History

The Serpent's Eye was part of a constellation known to a few pre-Imperial kingdoms which became folded into the early Rhyliss Empire, known as simply "The Serpent". Over time, the constellation's arrangement of stars fell out of use and it became forgotten itself. However, the bright star retained the name of 'the eye' even as the reason it was called such was lost. Interestingly enough, as new sets of constellations arose "the eye of the Serpent" was never re-incorporated into any new ones. As such, a bright star which has no place amidst constellations steadily became associated with something outside established patterns in the minds of each generation. Since it doesn't "belong", the association continued to change into an assumption of ill reputation, which became real after many generations passed.

Type

Star