And a mystery it is, shrouded from even the greatest of our sages. We look up and see the glowing moon, the shimmering stars. Weird objects move through the sky, mists lurk behind the stars, and the enigmatic Dragon’s Eye appears and disappears, foretelling monumental events. And our eyes, in the random positioning of heavenly bodies, discern shapes and patterns, bringing life and stories to the sky.

It all began with the art of astrology, which was first interested only in the sun and the moon. To these early observers of the heavens, it was clear that the twin deities of the sky had profound effects upon us. They brought light and darkness, they enticed us to enter the dream realm or awaken to face the day, and affected our moods. The moon even moved the oceans, swelling them or lowering them with the tides.

The astrologers’ art was a primitive one back then, for it concerned itself not with the rest of the celestial family. Most of which was, in fact, quite invisible to their eyes.

Then came the scope.

No doubt inspired by the view through a waterdrop, it was soon learned that glass, if shaped properly, could shrink or enlarge the view behind it. We know not the name of the first genius that forged a scope, but when they did, they gave us entry into an unknown world. Suddenly, the shadowed ramparts of inaccessible Masallan ruins were visible to our eyes. Armies could see the enemy from vast distances. Animals could be observed without disturbing them at all. And the far-off stars could be brought that much closer to our peering gaze.

Three great facts were discovered which led to the development of a new concept of astrology.

First, the moon was found to be riddled with what appeared to be impacts, much like the depressions made by a stone against mud or glass.

Second, the mists of the heavens were seen to be not mists at all, but multitudinous gatherings of tiny stars.

And third, a differentiation was made between ‘enlightening’ objects, which created their own light, and ‘reflective’ objects, which, because of the presence of phases (shadows) upon their surface, were seen as lacking their own source of illumination.

The first fact, that of the craters, led to a startling observation – that the moon must indeed be an object floating up in the sky, and that other objects, presumably flying through the heavens, must be striking it. Because many people, at that time, believed that the night sky was more like a blanket with the stars upon its surface, this came as a revolutionary idea. Suddenly, the heavens possessed depth. It was surmised that dim objects might be further away, and bright ones closer.

This tied in nicely with the observation that the mists, especially the Great River, which is a bright band of stars that reaches from one end of the sky to the other, were pinpoints of light, instead of only a glowing aura. Although further mists could be seen through the scopes, it was easy to surmise that these, too, were gatherings of stars.

"The heavens are a boundless, vast expanse, stretching too far to imagine," said Asarin, one of the leading astrologers of those early ages. "Each time a more powerful scope is built, we discover only that the stars go on, and on, and on."

The third observation, that some objects were enlightening and others reflective, led to the most startling theory of all.

"Our world, that of Carador, has phases, just as the moon and many of the planets. The passage from night to day is the passage of that phase, as the shadow of night crosses over our world. We can only surmise, then, that if we were standing upon the moon, we would look out and see Carador, hanging oddly in the night sky, just as the moon does. How strange a thought!"

Carador, then, must be an object in the heavens, just as the stars and the planets! Truly, it is a dizzying thought, that our world may be something besides an endless flat surface which the heavens float above.

This led to even more dizzying thoughts, such as the realization that the moon, being round, and the planets, being round, might have a top and a bottom. If they are globes, as many astrologers suggest, then they have as many sides as a ball. Thus, if the Old World is on top of that ball, and if people dwell on the other side of Carador, then we can only conclude that they are upside down! What life must be like living in such a state is anyone’s guess, but it is possible, say some astrologers and mages, that the force that draws a thrown stone to the ground also holds the people on the other side of the world firmly planted. To them, they might seem upright, and we might be upside down! To defend that argument, they will point out that no matter how far one travels, even all the way to Jedda or Auralay, one never feels as if they are walking at a peculiar angle.

We have learned that there are five planets, defined as ‘reflecting objects in the sky’, which either go through phases or, when looked at through a scope, do not appear to be giving off the bright light which obscures all detail. This bright light, true of all enlightening objects, is the defining characteristic of what we call ‘stars’.

These five planets have at least eight names each, and the naming of them is always the most pressing and violent matter of debate among the great Masallan Guild of the King’s Astrologers. At present, various schools of astrology have given their own names to the planets, based on their interpretations of the planets’ significance, and these planets are used, in conjunction with the constellations, to determine the predictions of astrology.

The constellations, then, as shown below, are the only heavenly objects which have widely recognized names. There are, perhaps, thirty other constellations recognized by some schools of astrology, but these are not recognized by all, and their names and interpretations differ tremendously depending on whom you’re talking to!

Lastly, we should make some mention of the various unusual and sometimes haunting phenomena sometimes seen in the night sky.

The most famous, of course, is the appearance of the Dragon’s Eye. The great constellation of the dragon houses a strange object within its head, known as the Dragon’s Eye. When the dragon ‘awakens’, the eye glows fiery red, distinguishing it clearly from every other star in the sky. It appears first as a bright glow, laced with orange, which is said to last for the space of a few passages. Then it fades into a clear, reddish object that remains, sometimes, for years. Eventually it fades. The eye appears at irregular intervals, but the time between ‘awakenings’ is usually quite long – from twenty to a few hundred years. It last appeared twenty-three years ago.

What it is, none can say, but astrologers insist that when the eye appears, important events, often of a destructive nature, are soon to occur. They point to the fact that each appearance can be linked, historically, to a war, the death of a famous figure, or various natural disasters. In any case, it is a sight to see, and lends an entirely different attitude to the night sky.

Shooting stars are quite common, and might be either stars falling from the heavens or other objects streaking through the night. Many suggest that these are the objects which have struck and pockmarked the moon.

Comets are large shooting stars that move very, very slowly, and leave long streaks behind them. Why they could move so slowly and yet leave long streaks, as if moving fast, is a matter of great speculation.

The Glimmer is an odd phenomenon which occurs usually late at night, and appears as glowing bands of eerie light that shimmer and shift, changing colors and shapes before one’s eyes. Although a thousand theories have been suggested, the phenomenon is, in truth, a mystery. The most sensible suggestion is that made by some mages, that the glowing curtains are rising tides of magic, so thick and potent that they are visible to the eye.

Eclipses are a rare but well understood phenomenon, which occur when the moon blocks the light of the sun or Carador prevents the sun’s light from reflecting off the moon. Eclipses of the moon are much more common. Eclipses, of course, (especially eclipses of the sun) have given rise to some strange tales of widespread panic that can be found in historical writings, but today, most everyone knows that there is nothing to fear, and that the sun will, indeed, return.

And finally, the Halo exists as a phenomenon that continues to baffle astrologers. These beautiful lights begin as a silvery or golden haze seen during clear nights. They quickly spread out, forming concentric rings of light – anywhere from two to nine rings have been counted. The rings move softly but rapidly outward, and crystallize in brilliance for a few brief moments, some rings even highlighted with tiny points of very intense light along the rim. Then, just as swiftly, they fade away as each ring finds it terminus. The entire process takes but the space of a breath. Halos range in size from very tiny (about the size of the moon) to quite large, some of them spreading over most of the visible sky. On occasion, a single halo is seen, but often they come in groups, becoming most common near midnight. One astrologer counted over sixty in a single night. They are also said to be more prevalent during the winter moons.

The night sky will continue to enchant us with its mysteries, but for most Caradorians, it is enough to know that the moon will light a nighttime stroll, that the stars will provide for romantic evenings, and that the occasional shooting star or halo will bring magic or luck to one’s life.

The two star charts below show all the stars visible throughout the year from the Old World.  The stars revolve around the Dragon's Eye, which is always present above the northern horizon.  Thus, some stars are only viewable during certain seasons.  The first chart depicts the constellations, while the second maps the night sky.  Here are a listing of the most widely recognized constellations- the Falcon, the Grimoire, the Gryphon, the Sandglass, the Sword, the Reflection, the Galleon, the Dragon, the Cauldron, the Chalice, the Spider's Web, the Knight, the Babe, the Sorceress, and the Serpent.

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