Cosmology of Astria

Astria is one of the three major continents, along with Alaxia, and Perion, on the planet Tellus.

Tellus is orbited by three moons: Marun, Cynthus, and Tychon. In addition to the three moons, the night sky of Astria is also filled with stars and a single planet called Eridan.



The Moons of Tellus
See Moons of Tellus.

Eridan
See Eridan.

The Stars
Over the course of the year, only about 400 unique stars are visible. Beyond the stars, moons, and other planet, nothing has ever appeared in the night sky. As far as people can tell, the only thing in the inky blackness are these stars. Furthermore, older records record different numbers of stars, with some records showing over 100 unknown stars. However, these records tend be fractured and inconsistent, and thus should be treated with caution.

Constellations
A number of constellations are commonly identified and codified into star charts. They are commonly grouped into the seasons in which they appear. At the beginning of the season, every constellation that can be seen at once is grouped into that season. Hence, it is possible to view every summer constellation (on a clear night) on the night of The 1st Sun. This does not mean that they are not visible in other seasons. For example, The Oathkeeper, Sword of Chara, is visible in its entirety beginning on The 330th Sun. A list of constellations follows:

The Summer Constellations
The summer constellations are mostly named for Solum and the First Five. It is said that their deeds were so great, they and their tools were etched into the night sky. Also the great wave of Barnard's Point is also visible during the summer, commemorating the wave and ensuing flood of 323 YS. The view of the night sky on the 360th Sun is shown below.



The Fall Constellations
As the temperatures drop and the weather gets colder, the night sky is dominated by three constellations. Silvermane, Solum's trusty steed, as well as the Greater and Lesser Vessels, Manavi and Mirati. The view of the night sky on the 90th Sun is shown below. Note that Solum's Crown is best viewed high in the night sky on the 135th Sun.



The Winter Constellations
During the winter Suns, the stars seem to form a rough map of Astria south of The Divide. The lower altitudes are filled with the two great rivers of Astria, as well as the Twins of Alaphor. Vonbach's Range also appears at centre stage towards the end of winter. The three brightest stars in the sky also make up the simplest constellation of all, the Sun Spear. The view of the night sky on the 180th Sun is shown below.



The Spring Constellations
As the snow melts in Solum's Gate, soldiers and people across the Union remember the new year of 931 YS, when Taurion the Ultimate became the second Archon ever to awaken the Sun Spear. He battled and destroyed Xanithor, King of Beasts on that fateful day, ending the Century of Siege and bringing an end to over 80 years of terror. The view of the night sky on the 270th Sun is shown below.