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'''The Study of Omens and Celestial Portents'''<br>
By Pentaith Illistim


We Moon Mages study the stars and the heavens in order to
know what will come. There are, of course, other methods.
The Skindancers and their corpse-bones, the Tezirites and
their gruesome mirrors, the Prophets of the deranged madman
G'Nar Peth. (Strange people, to gouge out their eyes and see
the future in enruned bowls. Not a pleasant life.) Each is
the inferior device of a lesser sect, when all is said and
done. The blood of the Celestial Compact runs in my veins,
and the stars call to me. I would rather hold a sturdy
telescope in my hands than a nightmarish mirror or a bag of
entrails. And so, it is about the heavens that I write.

The stars have always been linked closely to the gods. It is
said in some myths that "Phelim strew the stars in the sky
by gathering some of Tamsine's tears and setting them
against the velvet black of the heavens, then bid Kertigen
hammer for him four moons, which he then nestled along with
the stars in the heavens, and set to turning." (From the
Immortals, by Rowan Windlyric and Amritam Gweththew) Many
other myths about the Immortals and their stars abide,
(such as the common folktale about Meraud wandering
Elanthia when the wolf howls at Katamba), but we cannot
confirm these to be either true or false. What we do know
is that the stars can often reveal information about things
closely tied to their god through observation. This is
accomplished either through the simple process of
predictions, or the more complex celestial events, detailed
below.

Throughout the ages various forms of celestial phenomena
have taken place, omens that reveal things of the future
not readily apparent to a novice seer. Through the
understanding and interpretation of these omens, we can
greatly increase our foresight abilities on a scale far
arger than seeing one person's future. I share my
knowledge of these occurrences in the hopes of advancing
the study of astronomy for everyone in the Guild of Moon
Mages.

Note that though these omens have all occurred before (some
on multiple occasions), what they portended then may not be
the same in the future. Foresight is an ever-changing
process, and (no pun intended) is highly unpredictable.
One of the most common celestial omens involves the
constellation of the Raven. This constellation consists of
seventeen stars, and it rests in the North. The Raven is
the emblem of Kertigen, god of craftsmen, precious gems,
and wealth. Kertigen is worshipped by traders, metalworkers,
and jewelers alike. So festivals and merchant gatherings are
events that hold a special place in the heart of this god.

When the Raven is seen flashing, or winking, it is an omen
of a coming festival, or merchant. The Raven blinked and
flashed in the year 346 (followed by the arrivals of several
merchants), and in Ka'len 353, the Raven flashed again. Also
seen then was a vision of a Raven over a tower with a
crystal dome. This omen foretold of Ten'ra Agalith an
Ilithian celebration to the gods of darkness, intending to
appease them so that they do not spread chaos and
destruction amongst us.

The Viper is a constellation made up of eighteen stars, two
of which are bright red. These two stars are the animal's
eyes. The Viper is the emblem of Ushnish, god of famine, ice
age, flood, earthquakes, disease, and other such things.
When the two stars that make up the Viper's eyes glow their
brightest, pestilence will spread through the lands, caused
by Ushnish. Our powers of foresight are small defense
against such horrifying disasters, but we must use the
knowledge to prevent as much suffering and death as is
possible. Such is the burden we bear.

The Phoenix constellation is just a single star in the sky.
It is the emblem of Murrula, goddess of beauty and music.
When the Phoenix star pulses, it is a portent of great music
and festivity coming soon. The last time the Phoenix pulsed
in this manner was to announce the restoration of the Bardic
Guild, which had been ashes for more than three hundred
years due to the slaughter carried out by the Dragon
Priests.

After the pulsing of the Phoenix, the then-High Priest of
the Dragon Priests, Tenebraus, came to the Crossing in an
attempt to capture and kill Siryn, a woman attempting to
restore the Bard Guild. Siryn and Tenebraus were both
killed, and the Bard Guild in the Crossing was reopened, led
by Silvryfrost, a student of Siryn. This occured in the
month of Lirisa, the year being 349.

A few months before Ilithi became accessible again, a
blazing white star was born in the skies. At specific
intervals of time, the star would flash in the sky. Stars
like it had been seen before, but they were rare. Its birth
foretold many possible things. The forging of a powerful
artifact, the signing (or breaking) of a great treaty, the
birth of a new nation. In the case of this specific star, it
foretold the restoration of the trade roads from Zoluren to
Ilithi by way of Leth Deriel's Deobar Bower Gate and the
Obsidian Pass gondola. The Deobar Bower Gate's opening took
place in the year 350, during the month of Uthmor the Giant.

And finally, one of the greatest, and most frightening,
omens. The Bloodworm Comet. The Comet is seen against the
constellation of the Mongoose, emblem of Rutilor. I was
first alerted to this phenomenon by another astronomer,
Penelope, who had been studying Bloodworm for centuries. She
was an old woman, who remembered well the days of the great
Empire of the Seven Pointed Star.

Penelope truly was one of the finest scholars our Guild has
ever known. She taught Amiss DeRhi, famous as a seer and
magician, and Taramaine Ennis-Braun, the Guildmaster Prime
(or Grandmaster, as some prefer to call the position) of the
Moon Mage Guild.  Her loss is still a grave wound to us
all. I have since kept a close watch on the comet since
Penelope's death, continuing the magnificent research that
she began.

The Bloodworm is an ancient omen. What it foretells is a
frightening thing. When the Bloodworm appears, the power and
existence of the gods themselves will be challenged. This is
why it appears in the constellation of the Mongoose, as
Rutilor is the defender of the gods. Penelope said she had
never discerned if the Bloodworm came about as a result of
this "challenge", or if the comet somehow caused it.

The last appearance of the Bloodworm was during the time of
the Empire of the Seven Pointed Star. The Emperor then was a
man by the name of Chezarek. Imperial rule was not enough
for this ambitious man, as he knew that in seven years he
would be forced off his throne, his power lost. So Emperor
Chezarek made a pact with a demonic force. He would release
the force, in exchange for great power. However, once free,
the demon killed Chezarek, and very nearly destroyed the
Empire. The Bloodworm Comet watched it all from its throne
in the heavens. As of the time of my writings, we still do
not know for what reason the Bloodworm is currently here,
but we do know the comet will not go until its purpose is
fulfilled.

On a side note, there are several celestial omens which
have never been fully interpreted. Years ago, the Vulture
constellation, emblem of Alduath, flared bright red for
several nights. The cause of this is still a mystery. In
addition, Hodyrn, the primary star of the Unicorn
constellation (Emblem of Hodierna), is currently surrounded
by a corona. What this means, we do not yet know. I hesitate
to write these things, as they will surely make this book
dated. However, after thought, I have decided to include
them to encourage future generations of Moon Mages to
continue this research. With some more study and
observation, the answers will hopefully be revealed.

May your research be blessed by the guiding of Firulf,
and may Phelim direct your eyes through the heavens.

By my hand,
Pentaith Illistim