There are seventeen major constellations that are visible on most clear nights in Thylea. Each of these constellations serves as a guide to one of the islands in the Cerulean Gulf and the Forgotten Sea.
Stories of the Stars#
Every island has narration text that describes its associated constellation. Whenever the heroes choose one of the constellations with the Antikythera (appendix C), Kyrah delivers the appropriate narration. If Kyrah is not present, then the narration should come from another character who is familiar with Thylean lore.
Gears of the Antikythera#
Each of the constellations has an associated numeral on the Antikythera. To navigate using a constellation, one of the heroes must calibrate the device and align its gears to the appropriate numeral.
Table of Constellations#
Use the Constellations and Destinations table to determine which constellations are associated with each island.
I: Constellation of The Gygan#
This constellation leads to the Island of Yonder in the Cerulean Gulf.
“In the stars to the east you can see the figure of a sixarmed, one-eyed giant: the Gygan. “When the Dragonlords first arrived, there was much strife between the newcomers and the native races of Thylea. Blood was spilled, but none reveled in the slaughter of warfare as much as Estor Arkelander, who was the general of the Dragonlord armies. In one brutal battle, he wiped out every gygan warrior to the last. “After the massacre, the children of the gygans prayed to Sydon and Lutheria for protection. Moved by their plight, the great Titans rallied the centaurs, the nymphs, all the native races. They attacked the settlements of the Dragonlords across the islands in retaliation for Estor Arkelander’s crimes. The First War had begun.”
II: Constellation of The Prisoner#
This constellation leads to Fire Island in the Cerulean Gulf*.*
“Chalcia, the Goddess of Swiftness, was the only god to escape when her siblings, Sydon and Lutheria, decided to destroy their brothers and sisters. She escaped to an island of fire, pursued by Sydon’s storm of wrath. She hid deep in the island and waited for the storm to abate. You can see her cowering in those seven bright stars. “But Sydon and Lutheria did not leave. Instead, the Twins reached deep into the roots of the island, shifting rock and stone to trap their sister in a tiny chamber at the island’s fiery heart. Look! You can see the red star beneath Chalcia. It represents the everlasting torment she suffers, trapped at the island’s center.”
III: Constellation of The Heart#
This constellation leads to The Golden Heart in the Cerulean Gulf*.*
“The brightest star in the night sky is called the Golden Heart. You can see it high above us on any clear night. It represents the tree that sprang up when Thylea, the Great Mother, sacrificed herself to create our land. If you look closely, you can see a cluster of fainter stars scattered around the Golden Heart; these represent all the islands that sprung up from her roots. “And if you look slightly to the west, you’ll notice a single red star watching over the Golden Heart and the islands: Kentimane, Thylea’s husband, who honors his vow to protect his lover with an endless vigil.”
IV: Constellation of The Trickster#
This constellation leads to the Island of the Chimera in the Cerulean Gulf.
“See those stars that are shaped like a flower? That’s the constellation of the Trickster. There once was a nobleman who took great pride in the vast rose gardens that bloomed on his estate. Eventually, these roses attracted the attention of the great trickster goddess, whose name has been forgotten. “The goddess admired the nobleman’s beautiful flowers, but she mocked his boasts: it was his servants who deserved the credit, for they tended his gardens. So the nobleman made the goddess a wager—if he could grow a field of red roses without the aid of his servants, then she must agree to marry him. “She agreed, and for a year the nobleman tended a plot in his garden with his own two hands: planting the seeds, cultivating the soil, watering and weeding every day. It was humbling, back-breaking work for the vain nobleman, but the seeds eventually took root and grew. But when the bushes finally flowered, the petals were not red, but white—the goddess had switched the seeds to teach the braggart a lesson!”
V: Constellation of The Bard#
This constellation leads to the Island of the Fates in the Cerulean Gulf.
“During the First War, Pellenia, a famous bard, was captured by Lutheria, the Goddess of Dreams and Death. Terrified as to her fate, Pellenia sang songs of dark humor that made light of the First War’s atrocities, won Lutheria over, and so won her freedom. “But as she departed, Pellenia grew overbold and tried to steal Lutheria’s treasures. She was captured again and taken to the Island of Oathbreakers. There, Lutheria made her an offer: if Pellenia could make her laugh with one last song, then all would be forgiven. Before Pellenia could take up her lute, Lutheria reached out with her claws and ripped out the bard’s tongue, forever silencing her beautiful voice. “The five stars in the constellation of the Bard remind us of Pellenia’s tale. The two brightest are the singer herself; the next two symbolize her lute; the small, flickering star between them all is her severed tongue.”
VI: Constellation of The Warrior#
This constellation leads to the Island of the Exiles in the Cerulean Gulf*.*
“You see that cluster of stars to the south? That’s the Warrior, which the people of Mytros call ‘Pythor, the God of Conquest.’ In this case, his conquests came in the bedroom rather than the battlefield. One night, he is said to have entertained five beautiful sisters, one after the other—and then all of them at once! “Tales of this legendary deed reached the ears of the green dragon Hexia, a former lover that Pythor had abandoned. Fueled by her jealousy, Hexia captured the sisters, turned them to stone, and placed the statues on her island as a warning of what would happen to any of Pythor’s future conquests. “Each of the stars is one of the sisters, a reminder of Hexia’s jealousy. Even so, Pythor still seeks out new romantic conquests. Perhaps he seeks to add new stars to his constellation.”
VII: Constellation of The Centaur#
This constellation leads to Scorpion Island in the Cerulean Gulf*.*
“These two groups of stars are sometimes called the Centaur and the Scorpion, after a very old tale. “A centaur came across a scorpion stuck in a puddle of mud. The scorpion begged for help, but the centaur was afraid of getting stung, and so he trotted away and left her to die. “A gust of wind blew a branch into the puddle, and the scorpion was able to scramble along it and escape. She
then followed the centaur’s hoof prints, seeking revenge on the selfish beast that had refused to help her. She found the centaur sleeping in a shady glen and stung him in the throat. “As the lethal venom coursed through his veins, the centaur thrashed about until one of his hooves landed on the scorpion, crushing her. ‘If you hadn’t sought revenge, we’d both be alive!’ the centaur lamented with his dying breath. ‘If you had helped me, I wouldn’t have sought revenge!’ the scorpion replied.”
VIII: Constellation of The Queen#
This constellation leads to Indigo Island in the Cerulean Gulf.
“That circle of stars? It’s the constellation of the Queen, Mytros, the Goddess of Dawn. Some say those stars form a crown, signifying her status as Queen of the Five Gods. Others believe the stars represent the walls of a fortress, or the outline of a shield, for Mytros protects us from the ravages of the Titans. “It was said she first appeared to the original settlers in their hour of need as a pale woman with kind eyes and silver hair. Soft-spoken, kind-hearted, she fought valiantly to protect them during the founding of the great city that proudly bears her name. She heralded the dawn of civilization on these shores, and that is why she is the Goddess of Dawn. “But it has been many centuries since anyone other than her priests have seen her. Though she is silent, she has not abandoned us. She watches over us still, and that is what the stars truly signify: not a crown, or a shield, but the eternal vigil of the silent goddess.”
IX: Constellation of The Twins#
This constellation leads to the Island of Themis in the Cerulean Gulf.
“The two stars directly above us are the Twins, named for Sydon and Lutheria. One day, the Great Tree (from which all Thylea was born) blossomed with seven shimmering fruits. Seeing this luscious bounty, Kentimane reached from the ocean and devoured the fruit, casting the spike-covered pits aside. “The pits floated on the water, taunting Kentimane. In his anger, he smashed them to the bottom of the sea, pricking his hands on the thorns and leaving a wash of blood in the waves. The next morning the seven pits floated back to the surface and split open, and the Titans, the children of Kentimane and Thylea, burst forth, fully formed. “But one of the seven pits gave birth to a pair of Titans, Sydon and Lutheria. The youngest of Kentimane’s children, they would eventually overthrow their siblings and conquer all of Thylea in their lust for power.”
X: Constellation of The Ant#
This constellation leads to Titan’s Folly in the Cerulean Gulf.
“If you use your imagination, you can see how the stars of Titan’s Folly resemble an ant. This is a reminder of the punishment of Talieus, first-born child of Thylea and Kentimane. Talieus was the God of Crafting, vain and prideful. In the end, hubris— overwhelming pride—was his downfall. He created something which has been lost to time, something that cannot be named. “For this terrible crime, Kentimane stripped his eldest son of all his power and gave it to his brother Sydon, while Talieus himself was enslaved by his sister Lutheria. She severed his arms, blinded him, and sewed his lips shut. She forced him to pull her throne across the endless waters of the Nether Sea, with a great chain wrapped around his neck. He toiled endlessly, blindly, for the benefit of his queen, just like an ant …”
XI: Constellation of The Dragon#
This constellation leads to the Island of the Dragon in the Forgotten Sea.
“The greatest constellation in the night sky is the group of bright stars called the Dragon. “In the beginning, this land was populated only by the fey creatures: nymphs, centaurs, gygans, and satyrs. The first of the civilized races to arrive on Thylea’s shores were refugees and castaways, survivors of ships buffeted by the storms and whirlpools that protect these islands. They carved out a meager existence, living in tiny villages on the coast while the children of the Titans dominated the rest of the realm. “But then everything changed. The Dragonlords, astride their legendary winged mounts, discovered this land. With the power of the dragons, the native races were pushed back into the forests and steppes, and Thylea was claimed for the mortal settlers. “The constellation of the Dragon is a tribute to the victories of the Dragonlords, and a reminder that we are living in Thylea’s Golden Age.”
XII: Constellation of The Nymph#
This constellation leads to the Aerie of the Roc in the Forgotten Sea.
“See those stars that look like a tree? That’s the Nymph, and her story is tragic. While out on a hunt, King Lacanus of Pythoria stumbled upon a small grove with a single silver tree growing in the center. There he found the most beautiful creature he had ever seen—a dryad with silver eyes. He instantly fell in love. “The dryad was smitten with Lacanus as well, and she agreed to marry him, even though it meant leaving her birth tree behind. But on the long journey to his palace, she grew feverish and ill. Within a week, she withered and died. “Heartbroken, Lacanus ordered his soldiers to chop down the silver tree so it could be used to build a suitable coffin. As the first axe struck its trunk, Lacanus screamed out in pain and fell dead. By marrying the dryad, he had bound his spirit to her birth tree—and so by felling the tree, he joined his wife in death.”
XIII: Constellation of The Spear#
This constellation leads to Typhon in the Forgotten Sea.
“In the western sky at dusk you can see the Spear of Sydon. It reminds me of the tale of Galimus, a soldier who broke his oath to serve the King of Estoria. “Galimus was a lazy, brutish coward who preyed upon the weak. Recognizing this, his officers banished him from the army. Bitter and resentful, Galimus prayed to Sydon. If the Lord of Storms would transform him into the greatest warrior in Thylea, then he would kill the very king that he had vowed to serve. “In answer to his prayer, Galimus was transformed into a powerful minotaur. Reckless with power, he rampaged throughout the king’s palace, trampling and killing all who crossed his path. Eventually the king rallied his men against the monster. They stabbed him a thousand times with their spears until he lay dead. “Because of Galimus, the people of Estoria and Mytros regard minotaurs as untrustworthy brutes, even to this day—but Galimus was a monster long before he became a minotaur.”
XIV: Constellation of The Chariot#
This constellation leads to the Garden of Helios in the Forgotten Sea.
“Look at those stars, scattered across the zenith of the sky. That’s the constellation of the Chariot, which represents Vallus, the Goddess of Wisdom. “There was once a young priest who travelled all the lands of Thylea, seeking out tomes and texts to bring back to the great library in the Temple of the Five in the city of Mytros. He spent decades on his quest until, on one of his journeys, he met a beautiful sorceress. “The sorceress made him an offer: marry her, and she would use her power to summon every book ever written onto the shelves of his library. The young man refused her. The journey to obtain knowledge, he said, was just as important as the knowledge itself. “The sorceress revealed herself as Vallus. She placed her hands upon the priest’s eyes, and forever afterwards, he could read books in every language—even those long forgotten. This was a most beautiful gift from the goddess to her most loyal servant.”
XV: Constellation of the Blacksmith#
This constellation leads to the Island of Time in the Forgotten Sea.
“Look! The Blacksmith. It represents Volkan, the God of the Forge. See how the constellation is shaped like a hammer? There’s a legend that tells of an old blacksmith who, in his prime, had been the master of his craft. In all his long years, he never found a worthy apprentice and, fearing all his knowledge and expertise would be lost, he prayed to Volkan for help. “The God of the Forge took pity on the old man, and in his own forge he created a golem, a lifeless figure of iron that would follow the old smith’s every command perfectly. Volkan then transferred the spirit of the smith into the empty golem, and whisked it away to his secret workshop beneath the mountains of Thylea. “They say the old smith works there still, whistling and hammering away, joyfully crafting tributes to the Forge God, his skills untarnished by time.”
XVI: Constellation of the Titan#
This constellation leads to Praxys, the Tower of Sydon in the Forgotten Sea.
“That line of stars to the west is called the Tower of Praxys. This constellation brings to mind the Titan Hergeron, and his unfortunate fate. Once the Lord of Battle, Hergeron challenged Sydon, the Lord of Storms, to a duel. Sydon had stolen his power from their eldest brother Talieus, and Hergeron sought revenge. “But though Hergeron was unmatched in strength and valor, he had no mind for strategy. He greatly underestimated his younger sibling’s newfound strength, and Sydon dealt him a crushing defeat. “As punishment for his failure, Hergeron was cast down and imprisoned in the foundations of Sydon’s newly-erected stronghold—the Tower of Praxys. Hergeron carries the full weight of the tower on his shoulders, and he will continue to do so for all eternity.”
XVII: Constellation of the Dreamer#
This constellation leads to the great whirlpool of Charybdis in the Forgotten Sea.
“That black patch of sky … don’t stare at it for too long. “There was once a beautiful wheel of stars there, but they were swallowed by the ravening mouth of the Dreamer. You can see her just below, cresting the horizon. She sleepwalks through all the sky, harvesting the other stars one by one, in preparation for the Great Feast at the end of time. “There have always been two kinds of sailors in Thylea. Some who grow old and wise, and some who sail toward the Dreamer. I would not advise going that way, unless we have no other choice.”