Name:
Dithlánis
Description:
A bright, yellow star which hangs over Idalos throughout all cycles, Dithlánis is responsible for the light and warmth of day the planet experiences. The intensity of its heat changes depending upon the season, with it being strongest in Saun and having no presence in Cylus. Dithlánis is the brightest and largest object in the sky of Idalos, many million times the size of any observable moon. Despite this size-differential, Dithlánis finds itself obscured by the moon Zili during the cycle of Cylus. This is the only season in which the star's constant cycle of rising and setting is broken, leaving Idalos rapt in the darkness of its absence.
History:
Named simply for the Vauni word meaning "fire", Dithlánis has existed for nearly as long as its creator Faldrun has. There are many competing myths surrounding the origin of its creation, but all well-regarded stories are sourced from the ancestral writings of Aukari priests.
The first myth states that Dithlánis is an extension of Faldrun himself. Created by plucking his own eye out of his head and tossing it high into the air, the orb became a way for the flame-father to watch the world below him; keeping a burning gaze out for any enemies that might try to usurp the Immortal's will.
The second myth claims that Dithlánis was made in direct competition with Tried, the Immortal of the moon. In this story, Tried and Faldrun were both competing for the attention of Fei. Tried claimed he could make something to rival the stars themself, and hung the moon high in the sky to impress his creator. Faldrun saw the gods folly, and made no imitation of the far off stars, but instead forged his own fire into a star itself. Faldrun's creation dwarfed Tried's unimpressive moon, and the Immortal of Flame hung the evidence of his supremacy for all of Idalos to see.
The third myth argues that Dithlánis was not made in competition, or even out of malice, at all. Instead, it argues that Dithlánis was only ever made to be a gift to Fei, Faldrun's first and true love. The sun was to be a symbol of the passion that the Immortal bore for the Original, so that every being on the fresh-forged world might feel the warmth of their love at least once a trial.
No matter the truth of its origin, Dithlánis' ownership has always been claimed by Faldrun. Only that Immortal could ever share the truth and intent behind its creation, and given his hatred of mortals, as well as his recent death, it is unlikely that the true impetus behind its creation will ever be revealed.
Name:
Eyrith
Description:
A roiling mass of darklight, Eyrith is an angry burning star of black and red coloration. Upon closer view with astronomical instruments, one can spy that Eyrith also has an irregular wobble in its orbit. This is known to be caused by the Great Barriers at the edge of the known world, but the consequences of that irregular orbit are still unknown. Eyrith is also much smaller than its sister in Dithlánis, and only visible during cycle of Saun. The addition of the star's presence in the sky during that cycle greatly increases the world temperature and the intensity of droughts, and it can even be seen dully simmering during Saun's nights. For one cycle, it hangs unchanging in the Idalos sky, never setting nor rising, and then vanishes for the remainder of the arc.
History:
The more mysterious of the twin suns, Eyrith is named after the Vauni word for "turmoil". Named so due to the great difficulties its presence causes for the environment of Idalos and the survivability of mortal species, Eyrith appears to be the manifestation of Faldrun's hate for the world. Many have speculated that the star's origin was meant to be just that, an everlasting curse on the mortal races. An unending heat meant to, one trial, consume the world in flames and leave Faldrun a monarch of ash and bone.
Some who know the flame god's history theorize that Eyrith is yet another tribute to the Original Fei, but of a darker sort. When Fei shattered, some say that Faldrun took to the sky and burned for hundreds of arcs. He burned so hot, so heartbreakingly angry at all of existence, that he burned a hole through reality itself. These theorists claim that Eyrith is not a star, but a scar. Tissue-threads of reality cauterized by Faldrun in the midst of his grief, which becomes a weeping wound every Saun.
With Faldrun's death, the mortals of Idalos may never know Eyrith's true origin. The fact that it still burns beyond its creator has yet to be determined as a blessing or a curse.
Author: Russel Kandor
