The Crook

The Northern Crook or, more simply, "The Crook" (ARV. Al Ira), is an important constellation and navigational marker to the native peoples of the Pāll-tanír. By finding the point of the crook's hooked end and measuring, arm outstretched, three thumbs' widths from that point along the direction that the crook is pointing, one is able to find North.

History

The first recorded reference to the constellation known as "The Northern Crook" was found carved on a stone tablet at an archaeological dig site at the remains of a temple dating back to the age of the city-state of Sun'im. The accompanying text sheds light on the reason for the constellation's shape and name, likening it to the shepherd's crook that is the symbol of the goddess Isilra. Further, the text notes that the constellation is a reminder of Isilra's love and guidance, a symbol to her flock that she is always watching and that she will always guide them home.
The text further ascribes significant astrological and spiritual importance to the constellation, such as that giving birth when the Northern Crook is at its highest is a portent of one's child growing up to be a great and kind leader. Indeed, surviving records from Sun'im suggest that the majority of its leaders claim to have been born under the auspicious light of the Northern Crook at its zenith though many scholars believe that such claims were largely propagandistic in nature. It is believed that the modern Madresha superstition that the summer solstice is an auspicious day for mothers and leaders stems from this belief as it is well-established that the Northern Crook is higher in the sky in the middle of summer and at its highest during the summer solstice.
Though the first recorded reference to the Northern Crook as such is attributed to Sun'im, the first reference altogether is believed to come from an old Kastaen story, passed down from one generation to the next as part of the great gravel plains' rich oral tradition. Dominion and Arventiri scholars alike agree that the story likely hails from shortly after the genocide of the tussari centhiri for a number of reasons. Although referred to as "the Shepherd's Staff," the name by which the Northern Crook is known in Kasta to this day, there is little doubt that the constellation described in the story is one and the same.
The Northern Crook is especially important to inhabitants of the Pāll-tanír who reside near its greatest danger: the Shār. Because of the abundance of life in the thick woods of the Shār, hunters from the region are known to enter the jungle in search of game. Though most have the good sense to retreat from the jungle during the day, sometimes a hunt can stretch into the night. Though the Northern Crook is impossible to see beneath the thick jungle canopy, if one is able to find a clearing, or if one scales a tree, it is easily recognizable and will always point to the north.

Alternative Name(s)

The Northern Crook, Al Ira, or the Shepherd's Staff

Type

Star System