The Compass Rose
Mythos of Ardia
The mythos of Ardia is based on the supernatural description of 4 prominent stars: Galus, Fira, Valeria, and Zaur. Galus and Fira can only be seen in the northern hemisphere while Valeria and Zaur are only visible in the southern hemisphere. Although the inhabitants of each hemisphere have tendencies to worship the deity that corresponds to the two stars visible in their hemisphere, all 4 stars are known and, therefore, all 4 are worshipped. Worshippers of divinities whose stars are not visible in that hemisphere tend to worship other characteristics of them, e.g. the west or the eagle for Valeria in the northern hemisphere. These worshippers are also more likely to revere the moon. The stars and their corresponding constellations are described slightly differently depending on race and culture.
On Ashtar (and its associated colonies), each deity has a priestly order led by either a patriarch (Galus and Zaur) or matriarch (Valeria and Fira). There are sects within each order that hold special reverence to the associated divine spirits, symbolized by the thirteen constellations.
Galus is the main deity worshipped in Ealdur and Lettan with Fira having a smaller, but significant following there. Valeria has only a small presence of worshippers in these lands. Zaur is considered to be unholy and organized worship of him is outlawed in Ealdur and Lettan. Worshipers of all four deities exist in significant numbers in the CTL. Followers of Zaur are mainly to the east, but have gained some numbers in the westerly parts of the CTL of late.
The aboriginal people of the West Hanum Archipelago revere or worship spirits associated with aspects of nature, like plants, animals, and celestial bodies. Some believe that their pattern of worship follows the same basic tetralogical theme as the colonial pantheon. This has not been confirmed by colonial theologians as there has not been much interest to do so. Efforts at conversion to the Ashtarean way of worship seem to have been given more attention.
For millennia, the Labreyan people have been practising the art of body drawing (tattoos). The Gul and Ulgar have adopted the tradition over the centuries. It is an outlet for creative and spiritual energies. Many of the drawings resemble revered animal spirits, like the dolphin. Some are more abstract in nature. All are believed to contain the essence of celestial bodies.
Deities of Ardia
|Name||The Just||The Lost||The Benevolent||The Malignant|
|Animal Spirit||Burrowing Snake||Eagle||Dolphin||Dragon Lizard|
|Schools of Magic||Abjuration||Enchantment||Divination||Illusion|
|Weapons||Greataxe||Crossbow, hand||Harpoon||Flail, light|