The Broken Tethers

The chains of a god

"ALARON was the Child of Burden, and the world his brother ruled was tethered to him by chains no god could break. The stars fled by him like raindrops of light. Silence echoed in his ears; praise and prayers in his brother's. Thus it was that when the Child of the Crown set about devouring the world, ALARON heard the voice of the people for the first time. And it was pain, and fear, and anguish that struck him to the heart.
For the first time since time began, he halted his flight. He turned, and saw fire on the world he had been given to protect. With Fear and Love in equal measure, he flew towards the burning earth. Clenching his fists, he shattered the chains no god could break and left them flailing in the stars." _{- The War of the Heavens, by High Librarian Septirnum, year 440 AC}

The Broken Tethers is a binary system, made up of two bright blue stars that orbit each other. They are notable in that there is no other constellation like them in the sky. While most stars will shift slowly with the seasons, the Broken Tethers move at a relentless speed. When they become visible in the darkening horizon they will swing round each other once every five minutes until the sunlight hides them again.
In this way they can be practically used as a short-term timekeeper on clear nights. Due to their constant rotation, however, they constantly throw off any attempts at navigation. Only mathematicians and astronomers prepared to make constant corrections to their calculations dare to use the Broken Tethers for any such wayfinding. The more common population tend to use the Shieldmother and the Beacon stars to lead them home.
Cultural Significance
According to the Old Faith, the Broken Tethers are the last visible remnants of the chains that once held Alaron, the Younger Ethelen. When the divine figure supposedly turned back to battle his brother, he abandoned the task his father set for him and freed himself from the chains of that burden. While the Twin Gods may have disappeared into myth, the binary star system was long used as a sign of belief, and a lovely illustration of the faith for children.
In later times, the more imaginative and irreligious would refer to them instead as the Mad Dancers. Especially in the present time when the Old Faith has all but disappeared, it is not uncommon to stumble out of a tavern with a friend only to be told to, "Dance with the Dancers!" and watch said friend twirl once before falling face-deep in horse muck. In this newer culture, rather than a solemn reminder of war and disobedience, they have become tokens of good luck, romance, and fun.

by NASA

Type

Star