Fildegard - Magic System (III): Sidereal

Asterknights

"Asterknights" is the name given by the first ruler of Zerzura to a nomadic group of highly trained mages that treated the Outlands as their home, seemingly unaffected by the frenetic magic running wild outside the Beacons' area of influence. They are descendants of those who were chosen by the gods of old—the generation who created the demon curse specifically—in order to fight demons. They were granted an affinity for a special type of magic which we refer to as astral magic, not to be confused with star magic, which I will address later.

Astral magic is not quite like the attributes my granddaughter explained. It was designed primarily for hunting demons, and as such, its use is highly specialized. Instead of channeling magic from the rings of the Cycle that surround us, astral mages seek out the Sidereal directly for their power source. This way, they are able to connect with their spirit animals and fuel any spell they need. All runes related to spirit animals, teleporting under the stars, piercing through dream magic, and a few other areas are astral magic. Although the unchosen are able to make limited use of astral magic if tutored extensively, most of it remains the exclusive birthright of the Asterknights.

As for the Asterknights themselves, under my wife's rule Zerzura established diplomatic relations with them. They take great care to evaluate any prospective pupils before taking them under their wing, and at first I was concerned they would consider it a slight against their culture or birthright for us to adopt some of their practices. However, as one of the chiefs I frequently met with explained to me, ever since the Unearthing, the culture has shifted to where the common consensus is that the gift of the stars is meant to be shared. Eventually, our ties were such that they volunteered a percentage of their own to our military. With them being so scarce in comparison to the one billion active duty soldiers we had at our peak, Empress Melisende moved them with measured hand; in our thousands of years in power, we never lost an Asterknight in the line of duty. They have often been put in leadership positions, which may or may not have been the wisest decision, given what we know now. Still, despite the risk, nothing came of it in the end, all Asterknights remained faithful to our alliance.

We know regrettably little about their lifestyles and culture in the Outlands, as they have always been extremely secretive and reserved in that regard. The main point we've observed is that the line between themselves and their spirit animal seems somewhat blurred. They don't give their companions a name either, instead dedicating a large portion of their early lives to "discovering" their companion's name. There are many rites an Asterknight must have undergone in order to be seen as an adult by their peers, and these rites are not at all linked to the individual's age. For instance, we once met with a tribal chief who had only ten winters, and she was listened to as an adult by everybody else. A curious state of affairs. The rites, as far as we have gathered, are tied to spirit animals and a sense of "oneness" and unity. On that note...

Spirit Animals

Spirit animals have been a part of life in the Empire of Zerzura since it began the expansionist phase that cemented it as, well, an empire. The source of this was Catherine Cramoisi, first wife of Zerzura's only ever empress. I, as the third of those wives and Catherine's research partner, unfortunately cannot tell you as many details as you might be hoping for. I first learned about spirit animals on one of my official visits to a passing tribe of Asterknights. My Starchasers and I were there for trading purposes, but one of us thought to ask about the diversity in animal companions our astral mage allies seemed to keep. We expected to hear a story of caring for orphaned and wounded animals who would then choose to walk by their sides in their travels; however, they then bestowed us with a tale of connection, weaving a bond with the very stars above our heads. I relayed all of this to Catherine upon my return and she insisted on joining me for the next expedition. Thus began the testing period that would ultimately lead to all citizens of Zerzura becoming starbound.

The empress has never been the kind of person to let others take a personal risk before she did. She was the first on the front lines in every war she led us through, and she was the first of us to attempt the bonding ritual, attended by the Asterknight chiefs we were friendly with. It was only a few years after she took the throne, which I imagine is the reason her lion spirit animal became as synonymous with our homeland as the empress herself. From there, the curiosity Catherine and I have always worked to foster in our people took over, and every day we would be visited by scholars and children alike, brimming with questions about Mel's new spirit animal. We never did find many answers to those questions. However, Catherine woke us all up once to present her extensive new plan. Spirit animals grant more than simple companionship to their starbound; they provide the wisdom of the stars, assistance in magic, combat, and daily life tasks. She saw the potential of how our people could benefit from the same ritual that had been adapted for an unchosen like Mel. We are to serve the common folk, after all, and so their desire to experience it was soon rewarded. As the consort in charge of all civilian affairs, I have to say we saw significant positive growth in every area once the new policy was set in motion and Catherine got that printing press she sponsored to print out pamphlets about it. Cyrah, being Mel's second wife and the one in charge of military affairs, had to request Catherine's help drafting new protocols because in only a few decades, every new recruit had a spirit animal at their side.

Unlike the Asterknights, we did not have the ability to even entertain the notion of special training, but we did what we could to learn about our new companions, and they became a part of life, as natural as breathing. Only minor stars, yet still stars who saw fit to answer a meager human's call and join them until their final breath. The greatest spell we discovered during the Great Expansion, however, was one that would allow the human to fuse with their spirit animal temporarily. We hesitated to call it a spell, and I remain uncertain as to whether it is or not. Catherine, though none of us knew, had been practicing it for years. She never said so, of course, as lying—particularly to a spouse, metamour, or other life partner—is punishable by death in Zerzura, depending on the severity. We have simply learned to read her. At the time, we were unaware of any ill effects and overjoyed to have such a powerful weapon at our disposal. One that Mel did not deem dishonorable, as the spell took much time and skill to accomplish even once, and it took even more practice being in that form to be able to use it in battle effectively. This power served us well. I wager it may have been the reason we prevailed over the Yokai Federation so many times, their own internal squabbling aside. This joy and pride twisted on the day only known as Starfall.

The Yokai Federation is hard to make generalizations about. They are, by nature, diverse and not often too well-aligned. Imagine our surprise when they struck down one of our fiercest warriors, who had fused with her spirit animal before the battle, and a star went out in the sky. The battle had stretched into the night, though no one would notice the lights being snuffed out until a dozen warriors similar to the first had been slain. By that point, the rest of them were not listening to orders, their eyes flooded by white light. A Zerzuran soldier never defies orders. Not even if it would save their life. And in this case, following the order to fall back would have saved it. Stars fell one after another, streaks of every element known and unknown following in their wake; we never saw them land. Later, we would find out from the treacherous Oracle that the white light in our fallen soldiers' eyes had meant they were under the direct control of the Sidereal, which wished to put the Federation's troops in their place but severely overestimated the capabilities of the human body. While the Federation did face heavy losses and were forced to surrender, our loss felt somehow greater. Further information became frustratingly scarce. Mel banned the usage of that spell and, for the first time, ordered all records of the knowledge destroyed. Our efforts stagnated. We never dabbled in fusion again—except perhaps Catherine. I cannot confirm it, I just would not be surprised if she ignored the decree, much like she did with the honor code and any other law, written or not, that didn't suit her.

The Sidereal

Of the Sidereal itself, we do not know much. What we do know is that the only point of access to it is in the abode of the gods and that the Seven Realms of Fildegard are suspended in it. Research suggests that all magic in the Cycle originates from the Sidereal and returns to it briefly to cool down. It has been theorized and evidenced by old records from Welkin that star magic is something unique to the Sidereal, an energy that can take any shape for any amount of time, limitless magic. A blank slate, almost. Star magic created everything, from the ground beneath our feet to the invisible force we channel through our bodies. In this way, it's almost the opposite of astral magic, which was itself created for highly specialized missions. New magical attributes can be created, and the Sidereal accepted the existence of blood magic a long time ago, which was then hardwired into vampires as an evolutionary advantage, even though those who invented blood magic were humans.

The other example is animation magic, and this one I did bear witness to. I saw Catherine seize star magic from its hallowed source, the Sidereal somehow caught off-guard. I presume a timeless and formless entity has a hard time grasping the idea that one of the puny humans beneath it would commit such sacrilege. I am not discounting Catherine's studious fervor or her skills in magic, of course, and I'm sure anyone else would have been eviscerated on the spot. And yet, for some reason, Catherine's animation magic flourished. It took some time to manifest in full, possibly because she only took but a sliver of power, less than a pencil shaving's worth, which then of course slipped away and back to its home. The treacherous Oracle duly informed us that the Sidereal was displeased, but seemed amused by its distress. We have not been able to confirm whether the traitor had any ties to the Sidereal.