On Traveling Stars
"Why do you suppose they travel father?" "Well son, they could simply be going to a market somewhere in that vast sky. Or maybe they are fighting a battle none of use will really understand."Excerpt, Book of the Curious Sailor, Part 1
Overview
Some stars remain still, twinkling above. Others are brighter and move very slowly. Still others only appear temporarily, and they travel quickly through the sky to unknown destinations. It is believed that these traveling stars are in fact angels or celestial beings going about their daily business. According to the ancient records that can be gathered concerning Ancient astronomy, there used to be more of these traveling stars to be seen in the sky. As a matter of fact, some of these records imply that the Ancients helped these beings reach the sky using metal vessels of some kind. Remains of these vessels have been found in latitudes close to the equator of Awldor, and all of which were in various states of decay. Why a celestial being would need the assistance of mortals to reach the heavens, no one knows for sure. Perhaps they were fallen angels who had lost, or were denied, wings with which they could ascend. Perhaps this was a method akin to a ferry by which the Ancients could pay visits to the heavens, which would be an addition to their veritable bridge -the Skyward Tower.Traveling Stars Today
One can spot several celestial travelers on any given night, and one can only imagine the numbers during the heyday of the ancients. Their numbers are dwindling, however. It seems the travelers are leaving us one by one. Some appear to be landing back on our material plane as fireballs. Perhaps they yearn for us to begin our journeys to their plane once more, so they seek to walk among us. None of these beings can be identified however, for if they are indeed entering our plane then they must be doing so under disguises. Others have a more mundane explanation concerning the travelers: that they are not celestial beings at all. The travelers are simply more relics of a time long past, and that the metals from which they are forged are simply returning to this plane in fury of fire. There is some evidence to support this supposition, as those who have been able to reach the landing sites of star travelers find only a lump of metal.Different from Planets
The planets in our sky are distinguishable from the traveling stars by their slow movements across the sky. That, and their light is a permanent fixture to the celestial firmament. Meanwhile, the travelers can appear in the middle of the sky for only a brief moment before disappearing again. The traveler's movements are also far quicker than any planet, indicating that they move at either great speeds or- more likely- are merely close by.Note(s) from the Archivists:
I almost lost my life when one of these stars fell near my home. If any being left the site of the impact, I never caught them. All I got for my troubles- a ruined fence -was this lump of metal. I've considered selling it, but.. I just don't want to. It's possible its owner will come looking for it one day. - Archivist Edward We could also try making a sweet sword out of it. Think about it, a meteorite steel sword. A celestial being would probably appreciate that a bit more than you just holding on to a lump of metal for all these years. Just saying. - Archivist Bob Or, we could keep it in the archives untouched and maybe even display it for the masses to see for a fee. Fees that could be used to fund our continuing efforts. Fees that could fund expeditions to find more of the material. Just saying. - Archivist Taenya That is not a bad idea, actually. - Archivist BobRemove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
As always the Archivists are a delight!
Glad to hear that! :)