Star Sign Religion

Mythology & Lore

Star Sign religion bloomed out of the Fallen Stars creation myth – where the earth was once inhabited by the ‘Old Gods’ who grew in powers and numbers with each passing year. The Old Gods were greedy things, each thinking they were the most powerful and the most deserving to control the rest. Their notorious infighting eventually brought the sky down upon them, whipping the Old Gods and their magic from this world. The Great Creator looked down at the destruction of earth and cried, so much so, that it washed away all the sins and blood of the past. The tears of the Great Creator mixed with the dust of the fallen stars, and from that the fae were created.
The worshipers of Star Sign believe that this might happen again one day, if they too cause so much destruction, that they will bring the stars down upon them. Many mystics will look to the sky and try to predict their fall.

Divine Origins

Star Sign is the oldest recorded religion on the continent. The beliefs of today have their origin in stories told over campfires of how the positions of the stars affected the lives of the people reading them. Reading the stars were once thought to be an ancient art passed down only to children born at night. Because of this thought, that one was born to read the stars, the initial ‘instructions’ to do so were never written down, even with writing being commonplace for more than 400 years.
Star Sign was first codified into writing in 644 by Star Seer, Arthura Janis. Born at midnight, under a great grouping of falling stars, they claimed that they were the ones to unify the art of star reading into a unified practice of religion. At the age of twelve (a holy birthday in the Star Sign religion), the meteor shower on Arthura’s birthday was particularly spectacular. This was their sign that they needed to travel around the region and collect the teaching off all the community star seekers and write down all of their teachings into one book – The All-Knowing.
It took Arthura 35 years to compile The All-Knowing. Along the way, they collected students who would copy the work and study at their feet. The students believed that everything Arthura said was akin to being spoken straight from the stars. Some would even go on to pen works of Arthura’s speeches, which would become for some, even more, popular than The All-Knowing. Arthura died at age 92, on their birthday, at midnight of the annual meteor shower, becoming the most quoted prophet and philosopher of all time. Their students dedicated the rest of their lives to passing on the teachings.
The annual meteor shower became the holiest day of Starfall.

Cosmological Views

The believers of Star Sign believe that they were made from the dust of fallen stars, from their great creation myth. Everything around them – the ground beneath their feet and the sky above their heads – was made by the Great Creator.
While scientists may have other theories of where life comes from and Sacred Flower believes we have all evolved from the ground, Star Sign believes we come from the sky. All of our destinies are written in those stars.  And in the end, to the sky is where we will return.

Tenets of Faith

1. There should be balance in all things, much like the balance of night and day.
2. Balance brings Peace, only through the unclouded sky can one see the stars.
3. When everything is in balance, there is true power, look to the moon which guides us.
4. The power you have is the power you have; a star can only be as bright as it is.

Ethics

The foundation ethics of Star Sign are very concerned with the idea that they could cause the collapse of the sky, thus ending the world, at any time. If the Old Gods before us could do it, there is no chance that we will not cause the same fate to happen to us. They are therefore very concerned with not causing too many tensions between members. They believe in very set structures of power, that there is a level of power and influence you were meant for, and striving above your station can essentially cause the world to end. 
The most devout of Star Sign does not believe in war, or having a standing army, becoming complete pacifists. This is harder for the more moderate believers, especially the ones in power to handle, with them arguing that armies are necessary for the achievement of peace.

Sins

Do not create conflict; the loss of peace, no matter how small, is the downfall of civilization. Do not give into anger; acts of violence are a great sin. Temper your joy; overt self-satisfaction and the celebration of yourself over others is a personal sin. Do not seek power; grabbing for power that was not given to you, especially if done so with violence or manipulation, is a great sin. Do not seek for more than you need; excess is a personal sin, especially when it is at the expense of those around you. Do not avoid the power given to you; dereliction of duty to your power is a personal sin.

Pious Acts

Strive for balance in your everyday life; extreme emotions whether positive or negative should be avoided. Meditation under the stars will help you find internal balance. Help out and be a service to those around you. Strive for connection and forgiveness over conflict. The stars will mediate any conflicts for those who listen. Keep to the holy days and pray to the stars; they will listen in return.

Priesthood

The priesthood of the Star Sign religion is called Star Seekers. They must be born at night, as it is traditionally believed that only night-born children have the ability to read the stars. Star Seekers read the stars of a person by dipping the palm of that person’s hand in blessed water, and the stars that are reflected in the palm of the hand are the ones that correspond to the fortunes of that person. Readings are a very personal affair and are not done in front of others.
Star Seekers are also responsible for preaching the works of the religion’s philosophers and prophets, and the services they hold are always done at dusk. They are also responsible for holding all religious ceremony, which often includes a reading of the community’s fortune in large sacred ceremony fountains that all citizens of that community are required to dip their hands into and bless themselves before a reading. On the solstices, this ceremony is especially telling for how that season’s crop will go, and it is a very important community activity to go down and see the reading.
There is usually only one head Star Seeker for a community, with up to 12 apprentices training underneath them. The head Star Seekers will hold the position until they die, with them appointing one of their apprentices to take their place. Age, wisdom, selflessness, and a level temperament are the most important qualities in a Star Seeker. This is not seen by them as a power position, because religion is fundamentally against personal power gains, but inevitable, the Star Seeker is a great leader in the community. All individual community Star Seerers look up to the regional leader (the Star Seeker of their kingdom’s capital), who then looks up to the head of the religion, located in the holy Rose City.

All answers are in the Stars.

Founding Date

122

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Demonym

Starist

Leader

Alina Besalt

Leader Title

Star Seeker

Location

Rose City