The Constellation was a sorcerous society in Zakhara that was composed entirely of astrologers.[1]
Organization[]
Only Zakharans were found within the Constellation, but the membership was roughly equal between men and women. As of 1367 DR[note 1], there were fifteen members of this group. The Constellation did not actively recruit new members unless one of their current members died.[1]
The group was founded during the mid–11th century DR by a woman known only as the Matriarch. She was still alive and well and in control of the Constellation as of 1367 DR. The Matriarch was considered the most powerful astrologer throughout the Land of Fate, so the other astrologers within the Constellation followed her every command without question, unwilling to risk her ire and lose access to the priceless star charts of the observatory.[1]
The priceless star charts were managed by an individual called the Keeper. Other members of the Constellation would often curry favor with the Keeper by offering gifts in exchange for access to the charts.[1]
The Scribe was tasked with updating the star charts. This was performed on a monthly basis for a three day period.[1]
Activities[]
Members of the Constellation studied the stars in order to gain magical insights to enhance their spells and other powers. They spent the vast majority of their time secluded within an observatory studying the night sky. All major astrological events including shooting stars, the appearance of star formations, and the visibility of planets, were recorded on massive charts contained within the observatory.[1]
An astrolger who dutifully studied the observatory's star charts for an eight hour period could temporarily raise their spellcasting abilities for a lunar month. This could only be done once per year per astrologer, and the Matriarch was resrictive about who gained this kind of access to the star charts.[1]
Astrologers who spent a few hours studying the star charts could determine the exact outcome of a future event. The distance in the future of the event depended on how much time was spent studying the charts to a ratio of one week for each hour spent studying. This activity was strictly regulated by the Matriarch so that it was not abused.[1]
Tactics[]
Contrary to most organizations in Zakhara, the Constellation did not have a spy network to gather information throughout the Land of Fate. The Matriarch believed their accurate predictions negated the need to waste human resources in the field for such matters. This was an area of hot debate within the organization as some believed that while accurate, the information received from predictions could arrive too late to be used.[1]
Base of Operations[]
An isolated observatory deep within the Great Anvil served as the base of operations for the Constellation.[1]
Relationships[]
Given their relative isolation from other groups of power, many societies in Zakhara did not view the Constellation as a threat to their ways. The Red Eyes, a group of wicked human sorcerers, wanted to send an invisible stalker to spy on the Constellation, but were worried the creature would get caught by a genie en route through the Great Anvil.[1]
Powerful independent astrologers were sometimes granted access to the Constellation's star charts if they were trusted by the Matriarch.[1]
The Constellation sometimes worked alongside members of the Society of Shifting Sands since their paths often overlapped in their search for ancient artifacts. When the two groups worked together it was agreed that the Constellation would be given any texts or items related to the stars or related magic, and the Shifting Sands could take anything else. The Constellation provided the Shifting Sands with detailed navigational aid as well as predictions on the success of their quests.[1]
The Mechanician's League also worked closely with the Constellation by constructing intricate orreries for them in exchange for their services in predicting the outcome of various mechanical experiments. The Mechanician's League sometimes went against the predicted advice of the Constellation, often with deadly results.[1]
Viziers through Zakhara sought the advice of the Constellation, though the astrolgers were careful to never divulge any information that provided military advantage.[1]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Canon material does not provide dating for the Al-Qadim campaign setting. For the purposes of this wiki only, the current date for Al-Qadim products is assumed to be 1367 DR.