How it All Began...
Long ago before the dawn of man, the universe was a blank canvas in a sea of cold darkness. There was no light. No warmth. No life for miles, not even on the millions of dry rocks that aimlessly floated across space. It would have stayed that way forever if not for the benevolence of The Stars- ethereal, powerful, beings who left a trail of new galaxies where ever they went. Filled with curiosity and a task they wanted to challenge themselves with, they stopped at the largest rock they could find and got to work. In a matter of time that would have felt like a millennia to any mortal and with a brilliant flash of light, The Stars turned this barren rock into a planet.
Rivers and lakes were carved into the earth which bled into oceans.
Land was raised and shaped like clay, forming mountains, canyons, valleys, and plateaus.
Life was breathed onto the surface, covering the soil in forests, fields, and creatures of all shapes and sizes.
The Stars were pleased with themselves. Never before had they made a planet with such sweeping meadows and pleasant breezes- all of their attempts before this only resulted in balls of inhospitable gas. But there was so much more they could do here. They wouldn't be able to watch this planet forever, so The Stars decided to create a being that could care for this paradise in their absence. This too turned into a challenge that was born from curiosity and with another glow of brilliant light, The Stars combined their magic to create three groups of people.
The Zodiac Beasts, the Voyagers, and the Star Gazers.
All of them were so vastly different from each other and it seemed as though they had nothing in common- they didn't even speak the same language- but this was something that was done on purpose. The Stars were interested in seeing if these three groups could work together peacefully to achieve a single goal. So they sat back and watched the fruits of their labor unfold.
The Zodiac Beasts- people who looked to be more animal than man- used their immense strength to plow the first fields, organize the first hunts, and build the first houses. Seeing that the other two races had troubles doing the same, they passed these skills onto them and soon with everyone’s cooperation towns and cities were erected and farms were built to help keep everyone fed.
The Voyagers- tall, gangly people who had uncanny features- used their intelligence to create medicines, craft tools, and write books. Noticing that the other two races had no way to heal their sick, make their work easier, or expand their knowledge the Voyagers passed their teachings along and soon infirmaries, libraries, and schools populated every village that was built.
And then there were Star Gazers- humanoid people who possessed no great strength or extraordinary intelligence- but were skilled in other ways. They were incredibly flexible when it came to working, learning, and completing tasks. They could adapt to situations in ways the other races couldn’t. But they also had a connection with the very gods that crafted the world and could speak on the behalf of their fellow man. With The Stars whispering in their ears and with the help of the other two races, the Star Gazers helped create laws and settle disputes that brought much needed peace to budding communities.
Appearances and language barriers be damned, the three races found ways to work and live together in harmony, even finding a way to close those barriers for good and communicate as equals. Pleased with their work and how the world was developing, The Stars decided to wander the vastness of space once more to bring more beauty to the universe.
This is what historians have called the "Golden Age". And perhaps- if it were truely meant to be- it would have stayed that way...
The Stars
They are the creators of the Falling Stars world and all of its inhabitants. The Stars are the god-like beings that fill the skies and roam deep space, with so many stars in the night sky it's easy to find a god to pray to but hearing back from one is a different story. Their powers are indescribable, their wisdom is vast, each one is bathed in a blinding light and speaks from the heavens with a voice that shakes the earth. Their influence is heavily documented, their existence is undeniable, however...due to some instances historians have described as "blunders" (i.e. not stepping in to stop a genocidal conquest until it couldn't be ignored any longer) belief in The Stars has waned. There aren't as many devout followers as there used to be and that number only gets lower with each new generation that's born.
They ARE out there, they are all knowing and powerful, but they're also uncaring and imperfect. There's a huge chance they were always like this and it just took something as big as the Age of Envy and all the years following it for everyone to realize that.
The Stars are complicated. It's hard to have a proper discussion about them that doesn't quickly turn into a roast on their incompetency, but there are a few hopeful followers out there waiting for the day they come back
...whenever that might be...
The Crown Bearer
An entity with a history that spans generations, the Crown Bearer is rumored to be a solution thought up by The Stars themselves in an attempt to reunite the three races. Legend says that when the cosmos sense the world is ready to heal, the mark of Cassiopeia or Cepheus will appear on the person The Stars believe is best qualified for the task. This person is known as the Crown Bearer and it is their duty to find a way to stop the fighting and unite the races, although the method of doing so is unknown. All known Bearers have been Star Gazers. Since they’re pretty much the reason why the world has gone to shit it’s theorized that a Star Gazer will be the one who fixes everything.
Unfortunately, as soon as the mark appears, the Crown Bearer dies.
It doesn’t matter how old they are, or where they're located, they are always discovered by their own people and slain.
No one is quite sure what the qualifications for being chosen as the Crown Bearer are; it seems as though The Stars choose someone at random but one thing is certain- the mark and title are a death sentence for those who carry it. There have been a few stories of Bearers who managed to evade death, live a full life, and die naturally, although their lives are solitary and often full of paranoia and grief.
In the modern age however, talk of the Crown Bearer is almost nonexistent and is only ever briefly glossed over during school lectures. Experts who have studied the legend concluded that either reports have became harder to document as years went by or The Stars just…gave up. There’s a rather large gap after the last documented Crown Bearer and there haven’t seem to be any more reports after it.
After hearing of the legend, a man by the name of Mathis was inspired to pursue a life of science in the hopes of discovering another way to stop the fighting. If the Bearer was always fated to die and The Stars were refusing to send down another, then he’d have to find a new way to unite the three races.
And then, as the cruel hand of fate would have it, a child is born and her parents are shocked to see the mark of Cassiopeia on her small body…
*Pictured above: Cassiopia and Cepheus
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