Northern Diagonal Flare
"Look north, little one, what do you see?"
Giggles meet this statement.
"You think I am funny, do you?"
"Grandfather. if I look north, I'll see the Northern Flare, of course."
"What is it?"
"The Northern Diagonal Flare is a line of stars, of varying brightness, along a straight line. A straight line across the north pole, everyone knows that." The child, a girl of about eight arnds, looked up, seriously at her grandfather.
"Why is it so important?"
"Because it's visible all year?"
"Well, actually, we don't see it in the summer, too many other bright sources, from Seylon, that is."
"Hmm, you're right, we don't see the Southern Diagonal Flare all year either, don't we?"
"Why do you think that is?
"We're... south..." The child thinks deeper,... "of the equator?"
"We are, but we are close enough, both poles get outshined by other things. I'm very proud, you have been paying attention in class, haven't you?"
"I have been trying, Grandpa, is it important?"
"There are ten constellations in the sky of Arnd, eight around the equator, and two at the poles. Kingfisher, Firebat, Windknight, Merewolf, Scales, Crown, Mask, Hourglass, Nurturemother, Soultwins."
"Why are the two at the poles not named after the elements, grandfather, seems they... aren't like the others?"
"They are not. The ones around the equator are the ones we're used to dealing with. They have links to our history and beliefs. The ones at the poles are kinda like divisions of the others, highlighting contrasts, like how Kingfisher/Advantage is different from Firebat/Forbidden, even though they both are of fire, but Firebat is of South while Kingfisher is of North." He didnèt mention to the child the fifth element, and its link to both Diagonal Flares.
"Does it mean south is Evil? or Good?"
"Neither, at least, good or evil isn't that simple, child."
Type
Star System
Location under
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