Profile: The Kalendryan Society

The Kalendryan Society (also called the "Society of Kalendryas", Kalendryan Order of Stargazers or, simply, the Kalendryans) is one of the most ancient and revered factions in Aelyria. Charged with the eternal task of timekeeping, stargazing as well as writing, interpreting and maintaining astrological profiles, each member of the Society is a unique combination of scholar, zealot and wiseman. Kalendryans are a notoriously rigid and tight-lipped faction, following ancestral traditions and swearing nominal allegiance to the Empire and its officials but in fact possessing a complex, self-organized internal structure.

History

The history of the Kalendryan Society dates back to the pre-Aelyrian times of Insula Coronae. The origins of stargazing as a divinatory instrument are to be found among Gens Ine, a small group of Ancient Aelyrians believing in higher logic as the ultimate good and the embodiment of the emotionless traits of the ancient winged people. What remains of the great Tome of Reason, composed by this Gens, mentions their attempts at finding logical connections between the arrangement of celestial phenomena and events of the physical world. It was their belief that even the slightest gust of wind could be predicted and explained from the stars with sufficiently accurate instrument, though they never reached such a pinnacle of mastery.

Gens Ine's strong refusal to take leadership roles laid the foundation for the detached, supportive nature of the Kalendryan Society. However, the faction did not suddenly transform into what it is today; rather, it grew over time, incorporating new practices and know-how as more and more nations joined the Aelyrian Kingdom and, later, the Empire. The esoteric Kingdom of Daittern, located in the province known to modern-day Aelyrians as Sheria, is said to have been a source of great knowledge when it was forcefully annexed, as is the Sultanate of Arakmat with its advanced notions of machinery and Gadgeteering.

Gradually, the Ancient Aelyrians abandoned the top positions within the Society, allowing the younger races to take their place as their numbers dwindled. There have been no Ancient Aelyrians among the Kalendryans for several centuries now. What the new stargazers did was replace the physical immortality of their predecessors with immortality of tradition, setting the rituals, structure and practices of the Order in stone, further detaching themselves from active life to lock themselves away in their newly built sanctuaries: the Observatories.

Kalendryan Observatories were, for the most part, constructed with the technical supervision of the Kalendryans themselves, but funded by the Sovereign as a reward for the immensely important and sacred tasks they were charged with. One notable exception is the Imperial Observatory, currently the largest and most advanced structure of its kind and Seat of the Order. It is nestled in Arium utop the Great Mountains on a stretch of the mountains often called the 'Impassible Tracts', the 'Intractibles' or even, sometimes, the 'Impossible Mountains', due to their height and perils.

The Imperial Observatory in Arium was financed by none other than the infamous Duke Baxter Iracor, more widely known as the Archprelate Maximilian. It is largely believed today that the Duke of Chesley was trying to use the Observatory, which would be de facto under his control, to promote tools called Skycrystals for military purposes but under the guise of enlightened scientific progress. Skycrystals were large, reflective lenses that could project light over incredible distances to relay messages, and in the original plans of their constructors, also carry visions, spells and every kind of energy known to man. This would allow whoever controlled a Skycrystal network to deliver magical attacks remotely and across impossibly large distances.

Even though such a network of Sentinel Towers was planned, the project never came to fruition. When the Aelyrian Army took over the Arium Observatory, the project was deemed 'unfeasible' and apparently scrapped, though rumors speak of the Kalendryans actually possessing a Skycrystal prototype. It is not known whether the prototype is working or defunct, if it ever worked. What remains is the Imperial Observatory itself, a jewel of defensive architecture manned by Kalendryans reminding more of monks than scholars. Given its strategic placement, it is also one of the most impregnable Aelyrian fortresses and the highest point of Aelyria. It is from there that the top echelon of the Society has since studied the skies and the progress of time, delivering warnings and discovering changes in the fabric of the world.

Duties

The Kalendryas are, first and foremost, observers whose creed is best exemplified by their own version of the Sacred Three: 'I see, I understand, I speak'. As seers, they are tasked with observing both space and time, with a strong emphasis on the sky and its constellations. It is wisdom of old that a chart of the sky is never random, but rather a reflection of higher wills as well as the force of destiny to which everything is ultimately bound. Sometimes the connection is obvious and plain to see, such as the Crimson Sigil of Rak covering the sky and heralding the coming of the Planetar of Power. Most of the time, however, major events can be foretold by only minor variations in the stars, slight enough to be invisible to the naked eye.

Stargazing remains the Kalendryans' primary duty. They do so as best they can given the instruments at their disposal, and usually with religious fervor. They record the position of each celestial body with single-minded accuracy, noting the course of stars and planets upon their Kalenda, massive tomes filled with tables and charts. This activity is fundamental not only to determine strange behavior in normally regular stars, but also to document a large number of stellar objects that are utterly unpredictable, that is, objects that do not exhibit any recurring motion pattern but are very important when drawing an astrological profile.

Kalenda records are a vital tool for divination attempts in the future. In order to create someone's stellar profile, the astrologist will need their sky chart, which is a representation of the sky at the time and place of their birth. Unfortunately, the sky is ever changing and can look very differently from one city to the next due to several reflective phenomena, light pollution and local variations in the density of aether, the breathable gas that fills the Multiverse.

This is precisely why there are multiple Observatories: skilled astrologists can calculate an approximated sky chart from the records of three different Observatories with a technique called 'triangulation' for any location inside the imaginary triangle formed by the Observatories themselves. Since Kalendryans cannot observe the sky from every single location in the Empire, this is the best they can do with the resources at their disposal. It is not, however, uncommon for wealthy or important people to summon a group of Kalendryans with their instruments to perform a sky chart upon the birth of their children. Revenues from such activities mostly end up in the coffers of the Order, funding some of their abscure projects.

Interpreting a sky chart is no easy task, forcing the astrologist to reason by analogy and using their intuition as well their experience in hundreds of previous charts. While all Kalendryans are able to read the sky, only a cadre of them, the Orodisians or Prophets, are actually trusted with sensitive interpretations, especially when the events are of particular significance. Any interpretation made by a Kalendryan needs the seal of approval by a Prophet before it can be legally communicated to the receiver. The accuracy of their interpretations varies wildly depending on the availability of data and the nature of what is to be predicted.

The final task of the Kalendryans is one of forewarning the Empire about the findings of their stargazing. This is the activity that historically garnered them the highest amount of glory and respect, as their warnings allowed to act upon them and save countless lives. Of course, there are some among the lowest classes of society that blame any bad news on the Kalendryans themselves, and some of them have been lynched by angry mobs in the past, for example when they communicated that due to cosmological mutations, everyone was now aging three times as fast.

Structure

The Kalendryan Society has a rigid structure that is documented in their Statute and is unchangeable. It is headed by a Hierophant who is the ultimate authority and has the final word on any major decision they make. The Hierophant resides in the highest tower of the Imperial Observatory and can never leave it for as long as he or she serves in the role, perpetually watching. The Hierophant is assisted by ten high-ranking Kalendryans, the Hemicycle, thusly named because they sit in a half-circle around the Hierophant during their monthly meetings. The Hemicycle are the ten Overseers of as many groups of Kalendryans (the Orbits) named after the brightenings of the cycle. It is from them that a new Hierophant is elected when the current one dies or resigns, and the process may very well last eras. Hemicycle members are in turn appointed by the Hierophant, or they can nominate their successors among their ranks.

Every Kalendryan belongs to one of the ten Orbits, each with its specialty field and responsibility.

• Solarians. Solarians are especially concerned with the behavior and appearance of the Suns (Sol, Ignis and the now disappeared Lux) and the brightening/darkening alternation. Their ancestors, millennias ago, noticed that light and darkness ruled the sky in a proportion of 14 to 15, and decreed that for this reason the brightening was to be divided into 29 portions. Solarians produce the finest and most accurate candles for measuring the aptly named 'candlemarks'. A Solarian candle features 29 marks and lasts exactly one brightening of continuous lighting. Solarians also craft other kinds of accurate timekeeping devices, such as infallible sun-dials, the rarest of which can display the correct time even in the absence of direct sunlight, and many kinds of clocks.
  
  Furthermore, Solarians are tasked with predicting the occurrence of ominous sun-related phenomena, such as bifectaria (and, in the past, trifectaria) which happen when multiple suns coincide in the sky, creating the illusion of a single, gigantic sun. This is believed to have an enormous astrological significance, but is sometimes unpredictable.

• Dianarians. Dianarians are the treasurers, caretakers and bureaucrats of the Society. They are often looked down upon by other Orbits because of their relative detachment from the actual stargazing process, but their skill keeps the Order running, because they are the most earthly and practical of the Kalendryans. In fact, they are often in charge of the Society's public relations with other organizations, looking to expand it in new directions. Dianarians make sure that services requested of the faction are adequately rewarded, and while the Kalendryans could easily obtain Imperial funding if required, they always strive to avoid that since it would threaten their independence.
  
  Dianarians often select and hire people of talent to bring new knowledge into the Society. Of all the Orbits, they are by far the most proactive, marshalling resources, studying the feasibility of new Observatories and working in tandem with other specialists to further the faction.

• Ioannolians. Ioannolians are in charge of the Record Halls of each Kalendryan Observatory and maintain the enormous knowledge base gathered through stargazing. They compile both the Kalenda Records and lists of previous sky charts and prophecies for later reference. Ioannolians make great scribes as a rule, with some of them being downright exceptional, fast beyond words and yet always tidy and accurate. Books and tomes are continuously maintained and backup copies are produced and stored elsewhere in the event of disasters. Their ability as scribes is coupled with their incredible memorization skills. The finest Ioannolians pride themselves on being able to learn a book by heart by just reading it once.
  
  Ioannolians know many things about Alchemy and control the whole process of creating materials for their record keeping. They make their own special ink and parchment, able to withstand the test of time even when kept in unfavorable environments. Excellent at technical drawing, they can design sky charts as large as a room for their colleagues to interpret. They also know many secret codes and cyphers to keep information from falling in the wrong hands.

• Carmelyanans. Carmelyanans specialize in Constellations and their significance, and in general the metaphysical relationships between groupings of stars. Occasionally, new stars appear and old ones disappear. This is an important event, and Carmelyanans are tasked with finding whether the new star belongs to an existing constellation or a new one that must then be named and catalogued. They can fashion Deltalenses, lenses that filter all starlight out except that coming from certain stars and constellations. Either mounted on telescopes or worn as spectacles, Kalendryans use these lenses to focus on a single section of the sky at a time, avoiding unwanted distractions and eliminating the interference of brighter stars obscuring softer ones.
  
  Modified versions of their filtered lenses are also used to study the suns without incurring permanent eye damage. A more advanced tool known only to the best Carmelyanans is the Holistiglass, which allows the stargazer to actually see a constellation with lines connecting its stars; it is said that such a sight can gift a Kalendryan with greater symbolic awareness. The final task bestowed upon Carmelyanans is, when a star collapses, to calculate if and where a fragment of its core will land on Telath as an Eye of Eternity, a Reagent used by Archsorcerers.

• Aslanicans. Aslanicans are the esteemed technicians of the Kalendryan Society. They build, repair and maintain their optical machinery, including telescopes, binoculars, goggles and custom spectacles; they are also responsible for building sextants, astrolabes, and a number of other instruments for measuring altitude, azimuth, and light emissions of heavenly bodies. Gadgeteering is the prevalent skill among Aslanicans, though there are also Alchemists and Glassblowers involved in the lens making process. Common lenses would be totally unsuitable for astrological use due to their opaqueness and the presence of impurities; Aslanicans can make glass with such refractive power that it is almost invisible.
  
  The pinnacle of this Orbit's achievement is without a doubt the twin telescopes mounted on the Hierophant's tower in the Imperial Observatory. The top section of the tower is actually a rotating platform maneuvered through a series of levers and surmounted by two enormous optical telescopes (affectionately called 'Pa' and 'Ma'). They are both composed of ninety-nine lenses transmitting a binocular image of the sky to the seat of the Hierophant himself, as only he is allowed to watch the world through the eyes of the most powerful telescope in Aelyrian history.

• Therans. Therans are devoted to the Cardinal Star, the only star in the firmament that will always point North and never move across the sky; it is therefore important in navigation and loved by anyone who needs to find their way in the wilderness. The Cardinal Star is the cornerstone of sky charts and usually all stellar positions are expressed as angles between the Cardinal Star and the object being studied. Moreover, the altitude of the Cardinal Star upon the horizon can determine one's current latitude on Telath.
  
  Therans can fashion a device called Starcompass, basically a needle attuned to a single star that will always point towards it. Obviously Starcompasses attuned to the Cardinal Star are the most useful to the general public, especially because they work even below the ground, but Kalendryans have different uses for such items. In particular, Therans build and maintain dome-shaped rooms called Simulacra in their more advanced Observatories. A Simulacrum is a dark room in which lights are projected onto the curved walls to form a copy of the sky. While not as accurate or useful as normal stargazing, this allows the Kalendryans to study the stars even during the brightening or with a cloudy sky.

• Srennians. The domain of Srennians is nominally the other eight planets in Telath's star system (Aelyrius), widely believed to be barren, uninhabitable worlds rocked by giant cataclisms and torn apart by merciless natural forces. The outermost of nine planets, Telath seems to be the only one capable of hosting life in the form people are accustomed to. Kalendryans bear no love to these planets because they are of no use in astrology but they influence the orbit of Telath around the suns, perturbing sky charts. For this reason, the planets are not named and are simply referred to as 'I' through 'VIII'. However, Srennians are the mathematicians of the Kalendryans and know advanced techniques for filtering out the effects of the planets, among other secrets.
  
  Srennians are so useful to the Kalendryan Society that they are immune to the persecution of higher mathematics at the hands of the Church. Quite a few mathematicians of the past joined their numbers just to benefit from this immunity, and their calculations, as well as their theorems on geometry, are involved in many processes of the Society, from the making of lenses to the dynamic aiming of telescopes.

• Orodisians. Orodisians are the Prophets and undisputed masters of astrological interpretation. They do not necessarily stargaze themselves, though many only trust their own eyes, but they are the only Orbit entrusted with releasing interpreted sky charts. Orodisians are the most envied of the Orbits, though their numbers are among the scarcest. A majority of Hierophants also seem to come from their ranks as they are the most detached from earthly affairs, living in their worlds of trigons and conjunctions.
  
  While all Orbits have some level of training in the Astrology trade skill, Orodisians are by far the most proficient at it, and are the only Kalendryans allowed to actually teach the skill. When they are not busy crafting interpretations, Prophets serve as mentors and professors, sometimes giving public lectures on the art, though they rarely teach an outsider beyond the lowest level.

• Kurans. Kurans are the necessary glue to the network of scattered individuals and Observatories that is the Kalendryan Society. They serve as messengers and are responsible for devices that facilitate communication across large distances. They have invented the Photosemic language, based on flashes of colored light to transmit messages, which is now widely used in the Navy and by many other crews on the seas of Aelyria. A considerable number of Kurans know Sorcery in order to carry out their duties more effectively, but their most important contribution is without a doubt their unique Mobile Observatories.
  
  Kurans have perfected the art of turning pretty much any means of locomotion into a full-fledged Kalendryan Observatory. The task is incredibly difficult at times, given how sensitive their instruments are, but so far they have successfully retrofitted coaches, carriages, most kinds of vehicles as well as vessels, airships and even hot air balloons. While other Kalendryans sometimes scoff at such workplaces, they are often a necessity when following a particular astrological event that cannot be studied from a static location.

• Lunarians. Lunarians are lovers of the moons. These are technically two, Majora and Melora. They are twin moons and identical in appearance, but can be told apart easily enough with a telescope due to the secondary moon Chaendar orbiting Majora. Lunarians keep track of much more information than just the occurrence of lunar conjunction (the kind required for the Staff of Arcana rituals). The moons have a deep impact on the tides, the weather and behavior patterns. Lunarians build Moonmirrors to trap, reflect and redirect moonlight to achieve various effects of a therapeutic nature and as an aid in meditation and concentration.
  
  The moons are also among the few heavenly bodies in the sky that are almost entirely predictable, albeit fast-moving. The Lunarians take advantage of this in order to quickly calculate distances based on the location of the moons in the sky relative to their position. It is rumored that a Lunarian once compiled a complete map of Telath by calculating tiny disturbances in the moons' orbits, but the rumor has never been confirmed.

The Observatories

Kalendryan Observatories are scattered across the lands of Aelyria, trying to cover as much of the Empire's territory as they can. Some of these places are located outside cities and other inhabited centers, so as to reduce the ill effects of nighttime lighting on their observations. Those within a city's walls tend to be rather tall towers, in order to overcome the problem vertically. While not every major city has an Observatory, those that do are a majority, and even some smaller villages are blessed with one. Sometimes an Observatory is placed at a strategic location for watching a phenomenon, and it is speculated that in a few cases the purpose had nothing to do with studying the sky, but rather with keeping a place under close scrutiny on the Hierophant's order, possibly as a precationary measure in the event of a serious prophecy.

Observatories vary wildly in size, shape, and history. They range from one-person apartments with a small telescope sticking out of the window to the enormous Imperial Observatory, manned by over five hundred Kalendryans trained in a multitude of skills, even martial. Generally, however, the average Observatory is staffed by six to twelve Kalendryans, sometimes with the addition of non-Kalendryan personnel with housekeeping tasks. Not every Orbit is necessarily represented, though any officially sanctioned structure must have an Orodisian Prophet. The Kuran Orbit maintains communications between the Observatories, for example when everyone is required to aim their telescopes at the same point in the sky at the same time.

Stable members of an Observatory generally take turns at leadership, directing activity for half an era as 'Stellars' before they pass the duty on to the next Kalendryan. Guest Kalendryans are usually excluded from the sequence. The Stellar generally consults with the rest of the staff before making decisions; these include whether a Kalendryan should be allowed to become a stable member at the Observatory (unless said member was imposed from above by the Hierophant). The Stellar also represents the Observatory, both within the Order and outside.

Joining the Society

The only way to join the Kalendryan Society is through another Kalendryan in good standing, who will act as sponsor and needs to belong to the Orbit that the applicant wishes to join. Typically the aspiring member will undergo a probation period before the Stargazer decides to become their sponsor; this will involve one or more tasks or tests, at the sponsor's discretion.

Once the sponsor is convinced that the applicant would make a worthy addition to the Society, they will officially promote them to Novice status and begin intensive training until the Novice is ready to become a full-fledged member. The sponsor will then write a recommendation letter and require the Novice to travel to the Imperial Observatory in Arium to deliver it to the Overseer of their chosen Orbit. While the journey itself is filled with perils, it is customary for all applications to be accepted if the sponsor is in good standing. The newly made Kalendryan is now free to pursue the ideals of the Society as he or she wishes, either remaining at the Imperial Observatory and adopting the monk-like lifestyle of its denizens, or returning to the outside world.

Skill Listing

The following are the minimum skill requirements for anyone to be considered eligible as a full member of the Kalendryan Society. Many Kalendryans are considerably more skilled than this, especially at their primary specialization.

• Solarians: Stargazing (L2), Astrology (L1), Alchemy (L2)
• Dianarians: Stargazing (L2), Astrology (L1), and one of the following at L2: Rhetoric or Politics
• Ioannolians: Stargazing (L2), Astrology (L1), Scribing (L2)
• Carmelyanans: Stargazing (L2), Astrology (L1), Glassblowing (L2)
• Aslanicans: Stargazing (L2), Astrology (L1), Gadgeteering (L2)
• Therans: Stargazing (L3), Astrology (L2)
• Srennians: Stargazing (L2), Astrology (L1), Mathematics (L2)
• Orodisians: Stargazing (L2), Astrology (L3)
• Kurans: Stargazing (L2), Astrology (L1), one of the following at L2: Secret Codes or Gadgeteering
• Lunarians: Stargazing (L2), Astrology (L1), one of the following at L2: Mapmaking or Alchemy

Insignia

Kalendryans living at the Imperial Observatory and other organized outposts usually wear long, thick robes with the symbol of their Orbit embroidered upon the left breast. This can be one of the following: a candle (Solarians), a coin (Dianarians), a feather (Ioannolians), a shooting star (Carmelyanans), a gear (Aslanicans), a compass rose (Therans), a triangle (Srennians), an eye (Orodisians), a wing (Kurans) or a crescent (Lunarians). They also have a golden pin of the same shape and a certificate of membership signed by the Hierophant.

The coat of arms of the Society is 'Azure, a hourglass Or with sand Argent and three stars of the same in the chief'.

Benefits and Dangers

There are several benefits to being a Kalendryan. They enjoy great respect among the higher classes and are often found as trusted advisors and counsellors to people in high political offices. While they rarely engage in politics themselves, this stems from their usually detached personalities rather than a rule of the Order. Guards are less likely to inspect their luggage when they travel, and even when arrested, Kalendryans are usually allowed to be detained at the local Observatory rather than the Gaol as they await judgment. Moreover, a Kalendryan can request funding from the Society headquarters to pursue scholarly objectives, as long as this is properly documented and motivated. Of course, results need to be shown and demonstrated if continued financial support is to be granted.

Kalendryans have access to Kalenda records for the purpose of calculating sky charts. While these astrological data are sometimes disclosed to outsiders, any Kalendryan may consult them anywhere, with no questions asked. Moreover, members have full and unconditional access to the libraries of their Observatories, some of which are said to contain the only remaining copies of long lost books. This includes scientific material that would be considered heretical or forbidden in any other place. Finally, Kalendryans are much more likely to teach one of their own, and given the impressive array of skills the Society possesses, this can be quite an advantage.

Being a Kalendryan also presents certain risks. In addition to being mistrusted by certain portions of the lower classes, they often clash with the Church of Faith, since they are believed to wish to second-guess the gods themselves and they practice trades and skills that the Prelates consider borderline heretical. It is unlikely that a Kalendryan or former Kalendryan will be considered for positions within the Church.

Any Kalendryan found guilty of a crime will be dishonorably discharged, and unless their innocence is proved at a later time, forbidden from entering the Society once more. They will be stripped of all paraphernalia and symbols of the Order and their name will be appended to the Records of Shame kept at the lowest level of the Imperial Observatory. They can also be expelled from the Society at the whim of the Hierophant or the leader of their Orbit.