Thirteen signs of the Xodiac

Of Blue Dome of Heaven

The great Authority is the sky-god, vast as the tangled grey-green wold below him.

The sun and the Opal Moon operate in tandem in the heavens of Isult- the Moon even deigns to tarry in the sky during the several days of the festivals. Not so the Xaos Moon, which charts it's nigh-unpredictable course, nor the Shadow moon, which moves methodically but by secret paths. The Verdant moon, known by some as the Sojourner for it's recent arrival in the skies, passes quickly across the sky, sometimes visible three times a night, for only a few minute's time as it makes its transit.

As the Opal moon passes through it's great cycle, it visits each of the great houses of the stars, and the influence of their dance is known in the hearts of mortals. Also imprinted is the fiery heart of the red moon, and the mysterious secrets of the ebon moon, as well as many other unfathomable things...

Xodiac Signs

1. Orion (and Limax!)
2. Draco (the dragon)
3. Eridnu (the city /archway /River)
4. Pliades (the dancers)
5. Kimori (pegasus)
6. Gleipnir (the chain)
7. Ophiucus (the sepent-bearer)
8. Sirius (the doggo!)
9.  Apis (the bee)
10.  Adrestia (the Nemesis)
11.  Vasuki (the peacock)
12.  Cetus (the sea monster) 
13. Merak (the Bear)

How to find out your character's astrological sign? Roll 1d13! Roll once for your sun sign, once each for however many moons you have, etc.

Orion traits: impetuous, resourceful, self - sufficient, martyr
Water sign
                      Limax traits: Limax is a slug!

   Creatures of enormity, an Orion does nothing in half measures. Although cunning and aware of their surroundings, their disregard for tradition, dignity, and the bounds of society often leads them down a blind path. In many ways, they are the trailblazers of the Xodiac. They seek out things in the darkness, where others would fear to go. However bad things seem, whatever the punishments heaped upon them, Orions persevere, seeking the next step on the path, and their next quarry. 

Draco: Multifaceted, obsessive, responsibile, stoic, petty
Fire sign

Dracian personalities bend towards the megalomaniac, magnanimous, larger than life types. In fact, reality seems to bend around them, and they often seem like the most real things in the room! The Dragon's delusions of grandeur are often superseded when the illusion turns out to be a reality, and thus people born under this sign often find they've bitten off more than they can chew- not that this will stop them from taking yet another bite. Despite their egocentrism, they often find themselves tackling other people's problems, especially when those difficulties are particularly sprawling- Dracians have no concept of mission creep.



Eridnu: worldly, psychopomp, transforms, methodical, messy, unconcerned
Earth Sign

Eridniuns give off an air of being absolutely bored by everything, and interested in anything that comes their way at the same time. They are great collectors, whether of objects, ideas, or people, and because of this they are seldom taken aback when an unusual specimen comes along- they've seen it all before. Although they can be clinical and detached, they're not afraid to get their hands dirty to get the work done. While they like variety in all things, they tend to dislike travelling, and are creatures of routine.



Pliades: playful, dedicated, graceful, careful, push boundaries, seek harmony
Air Sign

Poise and timing are the secret behind the mysterious smile of the Dancer. Despite struggle and strain to navigate the maelstorm of life, Pliadians seem to soar effortlessly as a leaf on the wind. Community-minded, Pliadians are always conscious of where other members of their circles are headed, paying attention to the rhythms and patterns that govern human events far more than conscious thoughts. Despite this, they can be meticulous planners- they know that to balance such subtle currents, every step matters.


Cetus: Deep, hidden, idleness, charitable, prudent,
Water Sign

Few people ever witness the true reach and potential of a Cetian, yet their influence can be felt everywhere, looming beneath the surface. Acting always with an air of inevitability, Whales hate most the prying eyes and thoughts of those who think only on the surface of things, not plumbing the depths of thought and emotion as they do. When Cetians choose to make a statement, they are nearly impossible to ignore. They are extremely patient and take the long view of everything, but at the same time they are prone to obsessive projects of vengeance, from which they will not be swayed.



Apis: Community, industrious, groupthink, aesthetic, pastoral

 Fire Sign

Always on the lookout for the next score, aesthetic delight, or problem to solve, the Bees never seem to stop working. This is partly an illusion, for they're always ready to slow down and smell the flowers, and they dedicate themselves to rest and leisure with the same gusto they put into work. Still, they can be anxious or high strung, as if they see even relaxing as a competition. While they enjoy solo projects from time to time, they like nothing more than bringing their discoveries into a team setting, and they often have trouble making decisions without one or two (or eight or ten) colleagues to sign off on it.

Gleipnir: ruler, indespensible, presumptuous, generous, steadfast, deceptively strong
Earth Sign

Resilient personalities, unorthodox methods, Gleipnirians are used to having the final say in everything. They know that the chain is only as strong as the weakest link, and they both look to exploit that, and ensure their interests are secure. Nothing gives a Gleipnirians more joy than winning one over on a long-term enemy, whether through a combination of impossible solutions. Strength, gile, or both, and once they have the upper hand they are unrelenting. They pride themselves on being flexible, but in fact you can only push them so far before they will refuse to budge- it's not 'their way or the high way,' it's just their way.



Kimori: team player, flighty, generous, pure,

 Air Sign

Pacifists with a saviour complex typifies Kimoris well. Consummate travellers, they crave change and can feel sick and stifled if not able to access the freedom they need. Although bravery rarely fails them, they lack initiative, and will often act aimlessly (though nobly) or lash out, unless given proper direction and guidance. Not just any leader will do, however, for they are extremely critical of authority, and however much they may crave stucture, they will tear down any unjust wall, and happily cut off their nose to spite their face, if it means gaining the 'moral' high ground.



Ophiuchus: healer/poisoner, sisyphian tasks, balance, challenging orthodoxy
Aether/metal/wood Sign

Ophidians see the world as made up of opposing yet complementary forces. This balance is constantly unraveling, and is rebuilt- a contradiction that the Snakes exemplify in their own lives. They can seem like they are perhaps being deliberately mysterious- while this is true, they can scarcely help it, any more than they could put aside whatever great struggle or cause they've taken up. Although normally soft-spoken, they abhor when things are truly easy, believing every moment of happiness enjoyed now must be paid back with some misery later. Their quiet demeanor melts away when it comes to rabble-rousing oratory, which they use to lance the boil within the human spirit.


Sirius: Loyal, irrepressible, optimistic, observant, fawning,
Air Sign

The enthusiasm of a Sirian knows no bounds. They will follow you to the ends of the earth, and they will never give up on a friend. Despite their goodwill, they can be naive, and if misled can seem brutish or ill-mannered- in fact, all Sirians have a tendency to eschew things like table manners, conversational timing, and the like. Similarly, if neglected or cruelly treated, they can become cruel loners. They are extremely impressionable, but nonetheless astute students of human character. Out of all the signs, they are the most likely to be TRYING to do the right thing, although they are not much more likely than most to be close to achieving it.



Adrestia: Oppositional, defiant, mirroring, impressionable, intuitive, skeptical
Water Sign

It can be almost impossible to tell when an Adresti is in the room with you- they blend into the crowd, or mirror people around them. Charismatic Adresti make this seem natural, but it can have a kind of 'uncanny valley' effect. Since this is primarily a reflexive process, it can be hard to turn off, and even they don't always know what they're really thinking- in a way, they really are the ever-changing reflection. When their wrath comes, it is all the more menacing, since their judgement seems to stem from within the mind of the person they consider unworthy. They can be very judgmental, especially since they often become better at 'being' the other person than the originals themselves ever were.



Vasuki: Vain, watchful, magnetic, finicky,
Fire Sign

Resplendent and impossible to miss, Vasukis seem to exist as if to prove that life can be beautiful. In the main, they succeed. No one can unite the mundane with the transcendent like one of these strutting birds. They reject ugly things, but seek to find beauty in the very real elements of the world, looking for the divine close to home: painting, dancing, swordplay. Some Vasuki fall prey to their excess, turning to drinking, gambling, and other worldly pleasures, but even then they inject a kind of poetry into it all.



Merak: prepared, undeterred, patient, formidable, territorial, moody
Earth Sign

The bears of the xodiac, Meraks are independent and make their own way. They are absolute lord over whatever room they're in, but their interest drops off quickly beyond whatever immediate horizon presents itself. They don't concern themselves with if, ands, or buts, and instead simply prepare for the exact problem they know is coming, be it war or winter. It is hard to change their minds about anything, but they allow themselves to adapt as they see fit. They often care most deeply about their family, and anyone or anything under their protection will be well cared for, whether it likes it or not, though they value all independence not only their own.

The Three Branches of the Faith

Because the Church is deeply syncretic, there exists room for many variations of belief- so long, of course, as the faithful give loyalty to the Authority and his Prophetess, first and foremost.

Annukism: The Abati believe in the Annaki, the Seven great gods who sit as judges in the underworld, and rule the underworld from their seat in Xibalba. Equal to them, in the heavens, are the Aesiri: warlike gods who protect Creation. While equal, the Annuki are the elder generation to the Aesiri, with the exception of Loki, Chronos's brother. On earth, the affairs of both of these pantheons are overseen by the Grigori, a host of lesser divinities and spirits, who may be nearly as powerful as one of the great gods, or as simple as a will o'wisp. Annukism holds that some mortal races, such as orcs and dwarves, are themselves mortal descendents of the Grigori.

The seven Annaki are ruled by Chronos, god of thunder, time, and agriculture. The others are Hecate, ruler of the dead, the sea goddess Tethys, Hyperion, god of light, Metis, goddess of reason, and Nergal, god of destruction. The hall of their judgement is Irkalla, in the city of Xibalba, beyond seven portals separating it from the world of the living. Souls that are deemed unworthy may be sentenced to Tartarus, and the blessed may be taken up by a patron deity, and even avoid going before the judges. Most of the dead simply end up in the netherwold, in the dreary city of Xibalba.

The Aesir include Loki, god of fire, entropy, and industry, Demeter, the poppy goddess, Ishtar, the goddess of war, Meness, god of the moon, Eris, the goddess of discord, Gabriel, the lord of dreams, and Pazuzu, lord of the south wind and of pestilence.

Between the two pantheons is Janus, neither Annaki or Aeseri, but the elder brother of both. The Carseks know him as the Authority, and he is most supreme amongst all the gods, for they have all given him a sliver (and sometimes much more) of their divine power. While of the faith of the Abati, and venerated by those who follow the pantheon, his church has their own branch and traditions. This is the order of the Janussaries.

Cthonic Cults: There are some divinities of the Abati cosmology that fall neither within the Aesiri or the Annaki, yet are older and more powerful than the numerous Grigori. Often these are the fallen, imprisoned Elder Gods, for example, the titans chained in Tartarus, deep in the underworld. Others, such as Dagon, are not bound, but still are distant. Faiths still exist for these divinities, and others spring up from time to time. Depending on their nature, they may be rooted out, or tolerated.

Grigori Cults: In some areas, a local god has risen to prominence, usually one of the Grigori who is the god of a specific lake, river, mountain, or simply the protector god of the region. These cults are generally more benign and friendly than the cthonic cults, since the Grigori are at least an important element of the core Abati religion. However, some of these local gods are bullies, or have aspirations for greater power, challenging the authority of the ruling pantheon.

Shalkism: The Shalks believe that everything, from animals, rocks, trees, rivers, to people and their ancestors, has its own spirit. These spirits provide guidance and ask for support in the form of prayer, for their role as protectors may be hard. While the Shalks acknowledge the existence of powerful spirits, they believe that the forces called gods are a manifestation of the ego of humanity. The Shalks strive to live in accordance and balance with nature, and in peace with the spirits of ones ancestors.

Most homes have their own small shrines dedicated to the family's ancestors, the guardians of the household.

The Shalk faith has room to incorporate many other gods, and it is not uncommon to find a Shalk adopting tenents of other religions. However, they are often under pressure from city folk, descendants fo the Carsek and Abati peoples, and especially after the Equinox War, some groups are very suspicious of outside beliefs, particularly Theologicism.

Elemental Cults: Some spirits are particularly demanding, or offer enticing rewards for veneration. The elemental spirits are particularly famous for this: Stribog, the god of winter, Fenrir, the North Wind, and Gargash, the Stone King. Many of these are violent and demanding gods, others are gentler manifestations of the forces they represent. The draconic spirit of a river might threaten floods if not paid in tribute, or the spirit of Fire might 'bless' all the children in a particular town with a pyrotechnic gift.

Tree Worship: Many Shalk communities and towns centre around a particular spiritual reverence of a living tree, a being that at once serves the community as a personal god, and as a focus for traditiona nd a residence for the ghosts of the ancestors. These small gods are similar to those venerated by Elemental cults, and there is often some overlap, but, aside from being much gentler, the tree spirits are also typically lords of a more limited area: while the deity may watch over the entire forest, they are not the god of the forest, they are the tree itself. This lack of brute force is more than made up by the personal connection to its worshippers, and as such Tree Societies are often the most resilient and able to stand up to the incursions of outsiders.

The Moirai: The Shalks faith puts a great emphasis on the home and the ancestors, but many of the People have been displaced, and lost touch with their past. The Shalk faith produced the mystery of the Moirai, gods of the cards. These gods of chance and luck also serve as a microcosm of the universe as a whole, each card having its own spirit, forming their own pantheon within the Shalk faith. Unlike the Elemental Cults, the Moirai integrate well into the faith of the Shalks, although more fervant adherents may seem like irresponsible gamblers, and be frowned on for neglecting the spirits of their ancestors. The followers of the Moirai might argue that their ancestors live on within the patterns of the cards.

Celeritas

Celerity is a faith based on reason, drawing adherents mostly from among the Carseks and their subjects. The followers of the Light believe that the world as it is presented is a trick, a corrupted, slow illusion concealing the true awakened nature of the world. The force of Consciousness or Reason was not integrated with the laws of the brute, dumb Material World at the moment of Creation, so their exists two powerful forces: mind and matter. Through these two forces flow all things, giving rise to the song known as the Unified Verse. Those gifted with magic are seen as Awakened, privy to the secrets of the world, and it is their duty to act as shepherds of the truth. While the true gods are unknowable, Celeritists believe that there are certain insights that can be divined about True Nature, and they apply themselves with vigour to the understanding of those truths. Several rival sects compete for attention, but to the population at large, these are largely academic concerns, and most Celeritists, even those who identify with a specific sect, mix the concepts fairly freely, mediated by their level of education and understanding of the subject.

Theologicians: the Theologicians see it as self-evident that there is a god or gods that work their will upon the world. They seek to study and understand the gods scientifically: their true nature, the source and impact of their powers, the mysteries of destiny, will, and faith. They support the faith of the Annaki and other deities, since they understand that worshipers keep the spirit world happy. However, they believe that there are more fundamental forces, and even beings, moving behind the scenes, and they seek to expose those secrets through their studies.

Luciferians: A cult perhaps, but a respectable one.The Luciferians believe that the world is a fallen one, ruled by a vengeful overgod. In this view, the Annaki and the spirits are pawns of the overgod, who has constructed the material world as a prison to contain the dangerous, dreaming minds of mortals, whose free willed nature threatens him. The Luciferians seek to understand free will. The fallen angel, Lucificer, is their patron, and it is through him that humans received the power of free will, and it is for this rebellion that both he and all of humankind has been damned. The entity Lucifer is identified as the Annaki Loki, and the Shalk's trickster figure known as Coyote or Raven.

Janusaries

Deserving of a special mention are the judge-priests, who serve the Authority directly. Founded on the Abati's worship of the god Janus, this sect of the Light draws followers from all three major human civilizations. Although Janus is a Abati god, the Janusaries have incorporated much of the Theologicians philosophy, as well as the Shalks insight into the natural order of the word of the spirits. Janus is neither a member of the Aesiri or the Annakki, but serves as an arbiter between them. The Janusaries are an order both apart from and integral to the overall Church.This neutral status provided the cornerstone to incorporate members of other faiths, allowing the order to grow. The judge-priests are often called on to settle legal disputes between members of different sects.

Inquisitors: The inquisitors are a faction of the Janusarries, who seek out impurities and cleanse them. They believe that the Grigori are no better than vampires, and they ruthlessly seek out and destroy undead, lycanthropes, and other dangerous sources of Taint. They have been successful in persuading a great many cities to institute mandatory magic-user registration, in an effort to check the spread of corruption, which they see as threatening all of the mortal world.

            Inquisititors accept the influence of a few benevolent spirits as necessary, and may pay homage or respect to these on occasion, but hardline Inquisitors offer allegiance only to Janus, or to spirits sainted or anointed by his grace.