DawnStar Ritual

Believed to be a critical sign of the Iteration, this particular ritual is borne forward by nearly every religion, dating back to the first recorded occurance, in the early days of the Second Iteration.  In fact, a periodic appearance of the system's primary star, known to Nycos as Helios, occurs once per iteration, when the Nycos Orbit around Nimbus allows it to also recieve the light of the primary, and heralds the Light of Days, when both solar bodies - Nimbus and Helios - are both in the sky, before Nycos once again falls back into the heliosphere of the gas giant, lost to the primary once again. The occlusion of Helios, however, has been complete for three Grand Cycles however, and though the promise of a DawnStar spawns the ritual, it has been unfulfilled for the past three iterations.
The ritual consists of the High Holies, those religious leaders that ascribe to it, climbing to the Highstairs Pass, and before the Stairway to Heaven and the Highway to Hell, they make offerings and petitions, in an extreme expression of unity and humility.  Over the past four iterations, since the last recorded Dawnstar, the greatest conflicts over the ritual have been about the order and precedence of the Faithful making thier particular petitions, and a belief has formed that the most sincere of the faiths will be the one that marks and ushers Nycos into a new Golden Era of peace and prosperity. For this reason, in the second century after an Iteration ends, great theological and philosophical debates are called for in all the courts of Nycos, to choose the delegates, their preferred precedence order, and their particular offerings, sacrifices, and ordinances they wish to offer.
In this, the Ninth Iteration, the agreement to meet at the Highstairs Pass, has been delayed. The Initial Signs of the Beginning have not come. The brilliant lights of the Silent Sisters, as the Asters are called (stars) are being studied by the magi and other wise folk, for their existence has only been in the times since the Ending of the Eighth. Thier appearance has confounded the Eldrin, Mortal, and Grundim leadership, and the younger species are as challenged as confused as the elder of them. 
Yet even now, the magi are beginning the call. Perhaps the Iteration will be heralded by Helios. Perhaps the Faithful will be given the Sign. But still, the prophet has spoken. The voice has not been heard. And the Dawn Star may yet rise.