Constellations[]
Torar has 13 major constellations, each most prominent during the month named after the constellation. Stories revolve around the perceived drama that occurs between the constellations, offering many faces and motivations to the various figures. One thing for certain though is that no one has been able to explain why some formations of stars change positions while others remain static.
Guloc - The Ritual. This is the 1st month of the year. The Ritual is one of the Mage's charges, and he protects it from the Serpent. It renews the world and keeps time ticking correctly. Those born under the sign of Guloc have a variety of abilities, depending on the aspect of the moons.
Melethoc - The Tutor. This is the 2nd month of the year. The Tutor is one of the Thief's charges, and she protects her from the Serpent. She allows us to grow and learn and change. Those born under the sign of Melethoc learn more from their experiences and are passionate in all things.
Hiroc - The Lord. This is the 3rd month of the year. The Lord is one of the Warrior's charges, and he protects him from the Serpent. He oversees the planting season and the renewal of life after harsh winters. Those born under the sign of Hiroc can make better use of protective items and spells.
Golloroc - The Mage. This is the 4th month of the year. A wise and powerful man, he performs the ritual that renews the world for a new year, with the help of his apprentice and loyal golem. As a Guardian, his charges are the Apprentice, the Golem, and the Ritual. He protects these constellations from the Serpent and can be found near them during their months. Those born under the sign of Golloroc have a talent for spellcasting, but are often arrogant or absent-minded.
Dyoc - The Shadow. This is the 5th month of the year. The Shadow is one of the Thief's charges, and with its help she protects the Tutor's tower from the Serpent. It distracts the Serpent, leading it away from the rest. Those born under the sign of Dyoc can vanish from the sight of others.
Rochiroc - The Steed. This is the 6th month of the year. The Steed is one of the Warrior's charges, indeed is the Warrior's own horse, and he protects his mount from the Serpent. Those born under the sign of Rochiroc move more quickly, but are often impatient, hurrying from place to place.
Itsuloc - The Apprentice. This is the 7th month of the year. The Apprentice is one of the Mage's charges, and he protects him from the Serpent. While the Mage directs the flows of the Ritual, it is the Apprentice that provides much of the raw power; he is the source of forces like gravity and time, and it is the Mage's master touch that shapes and directs those forces. Those born under the sign of Itsuloc have an affinity for magic, but are more vulnerable to it as well.
Mythoroc - The Warrior. This is the 8th month of the year. He is the protector of the lord and lady, who oversee the planting and growing seasons, while atop his magnificent steed. As a Guardian, his charges are the Lady, the Steed, and the Lord. He protects these constellations from the Serpent and can be found near them during their months. Those born under the sign of Mythoroc are skilled with weapons of all kinds, but tend to have a short temper.
Hiriloc - The Lady. This is the 9th month of the year. The Lady is one of the Warrior's charges, and he protects her from the Serpent. She ensures the harvest is bountiful and sufficient to endure the coming winter. Those born under the sign of Hiriloc are kind and tolerant, the inner peace allowing their bodies to heal faster.
Rahmoc - The Tower. This is the 10th month of the year. The Tower is one of the Thief's charges, and she protects it from the Serpent. It offers shelter from the cold and security behind locked doors. Those born under the sign of Rahmoc find that locks rarely prove an obstacle for them.
Sarnoc - The Golem. This is the 11th month of the year. The Golem is one of the Mage's charges, and he protects it from the Serpent. He is the bearer of the Ritual, ensuring that there will be no troubles for the Mage and Apprentice when they enact the Ritual. Those born under the sign of Sarnoc are resistant to magic, even helpful magic.
Garthoc - The Thief. This is the 12th month of the year. She is the keeper of the tutor, who is cloistered away high in her tower and guarded by the thief's very own shadow to keep her from the Serpent's fangs. As a Guardian, her charges are the Tutor, the Shadow, and the Tower. She protects these constellations from the Serpent and can be found near them during their months. While not typically thieves, those born under the sign of Garthoc, they do tend to be luckier than most. This makes them risk takers and oftentimes ends in a shorter lifespan than others.
Lygoc - The Serpent. This constellation is not associated with a month, as it moves around the sky throughout the year. The great Serpent, sometimes seen as a snake and sometimes as a dragon, is the monster that stalks the other constellations throughout the year. Always hungry for power, it only sees in tones of jealousy and covets the power the others have. Those born under the sign of Lygoc have no common characteristics, except that they are always the most blessed and the most cursed.
Prominent Celestial Bodies[]
Torar has two suns, three moons, two definable comets, and thirteen zodiac star constellations. Here are brief descriptions of the Torian celestial bodies. The majority of the celestial body information was disseminated by astromancers in the past in order to stop a sudden crusade against them when a rumor that they planned to bring about a third Seed sprang up from an unknown source. Thus, through the spread of knowledge, they averted extinction of their order.
Torian Suns[]
The world of Torar has two suns that orbit each other vertically when compared to Torar's orbit around them.
Nerdoth, the Brilliant Star: Nerdoth is Torar's source of light and warmth. Its light is green, though when filtered by Torar's atmosphere appears yellow-white. Because of Torar's nonstandard orbit around it, Nerdoth exists in the Torian sky for 20 hours each day, give or take a few depending on where on the planet a person is. However, for four hours after it rises and four hours before it sets it is eclipsed by Torar's other sun, Suldoth (see below), meaning night comes with the sun still high in the sky and dawn rises well above the horizon. Because of the strange fashion of the two suns' orbits around each other a Nerdothian 'sunrise' (known as cycling primary) looks like a single star growing bigger and brighter in the eastern sky and a Nerdothian 'sunset' looks like the sun is slowly shrinking or being devoured by blackness.
Suldoth, the Shadowed Star: Suldoth is Torar's second sun and is dark. It is not a black hole, but a large, gaseous, dark star. Some astral mages believe it should not be given solar status but should be called a nebula instead, as Nerdoth actually passes through Suldoth in its orbit. Despite this, it is clear that Suldoth's gravity does influence Nerdoth, causing most astromancers to believe that there is a small, dense core to Suldoth that is giving off the aura of darkness.
Torian Moons[]
Torar has three moons, and one lunar cycle takes around 25 days to complete.
Nelkial, the Moon of Beauty: This is Torar's largest moon. It orbits the planet twice every day and is always full. This moon is always in the direct path of Nerdoth, and strangely its light reaches Torian soil with its native emerald green tint. Due to this it does not give off much light, about a third of a normal white moon's light. It rises the first time about an hour before Nerdoth cycles primary and the second time about an hour after Suldoth cycles primary.
Surkial, the Moon of Mystery: This is the smallest moon that orbits Torar and is a sister to Nelkial. This moon is even darker that Nelkial, having a deep, purplish light. This moon is known as both the Royal Moon and the Betrayer's Moon, making children born under its influence watched carefully throughout their lives. This moon orbits the planet once every 25 hours, making its rising and falling shift throughout the month. It is usually full on the last Baneday night of each month.
Xaenkial, the Moon of Enlightenment: The most enigmatic of the three moons, and the brightest. This moon's light is bright white, and is larger than Surkial but smaller than Nelkial. It orbits into view of the planet only once every 20 days, then staying for only a single 12-hour period. It is full on its 17th orbit, meaning it is full one month out of each year. Xaenkial is also known as Thiefbane, for its illuminating white light makes sneaking much more difficult.
This means that once every 11 years, 6 months, and 15 days all three moons are full and visible on the same night at the same time. This very rare occurrence is called Banath'toral, the Night of Destiny.
Torian Comets[]
Torar has two comets that infrequently come into view of the planet.
Somnan: This comet has a long, bright blue tail and it is thought to travel all the way outside of the Torian system and bathe in the light of a distant, alien sun. It is visible in the southern Torian sky for the first three days of the first week of the first month once every 37 years. It is thought to make the year especially prosperous financially.
Reaver's Tail: This comet has a long and wide flaring red tail and is thought to bring tidings of impending disasters. Thankfully it is only seen once every 150-200 years on the 7th day in the 7th month of the year. When it arrives it is visible for a single night, cutting across the heavens. This date is known as the Night of Hope each year, for most of the denizens of the world spend the first few hours of evening gazing into the sky, seeing if the dreaded red comet would appear. If it fails to, the night is filled with revelry and feasting until the next day's end. If it is seen, those with a superstitious, or maybe only cautious, bone somewhere in them paint their doors black and silver for the next 7 days to ward off its evil influence.
Torian Planar Alignments[]
Torar exists on the Prime Material Plane, along with all other planets, stars, and galaxies within the universe. However, there exist other states of being where the laws of physics and knowledge apply differently. This will list the various planes that are accessible from Torar with the right magics. For more in-depth information about the planes, see the Planes of Torar page. For detailed information about each plane, see the Category: Planar Cosmology page.
Prime Material Plane: All normal matter.
Transitive Planes[]
Ethereal: The ethereal plane, also sometimes called the Veil, surrounds the Prime closely. It mirrors the Prime but in a distorted way. It is here where most incorporeal creatures truly dwell.
Shadow: The plane of shadow overlaps the ethereal around the Prime, and also mirrors it.
Astral: The astral plane is less a defined plane itself and more the space between planes. It exists around every other plane.
Dream: The plane of dreams is where all minds go when dreaming, and is shaped by the will of the dreamers.
Inner Planes[]
The Elemental Planes: Each of the four primary elements: fire, earth, water, and air, have a plane unique to themselves. Where these planes interact there are smaller para-elemental or quasi-elemental planes, such as the plane of ash or the plane of lightning.
Positive: The plane of positive energy, sometimes called holy energy.
Negative: The plane of negative, or unholy, energy.
Outer Planes[]
There are a myriad of outer planes, from the Nine Hells to the Abyss to the Seven Heavens to the Far Realm and everything in between. They are constantly shifting, growing, shrinking, dying and being born. All the godly realms are found among the outer planes.