Orientation Notes for Skyborn Scholars
As prepared by High Archivist Liraen Vaelith of the Skyward Cartographer's Guild, under commission by the Celestial Academy of Astherian Lore
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To the Novice Skyfarer and Scribe-in-Training,
You now hold in your hands a compiled codex of what we in the Guild call Astherian Anchors—knowledge fragments meant to orient and equip your mind for traversing the impossible beauty and terrible brilliance of Astheria.
This chapter offers a primer on how to read entries from skylogs, field documents, and recovered transmissions. Our records are often affected by the tides of time, sky currents, and fractal memory loss—but with a bit of wisdom and the right glyph-lens, even fractured truths can offer clarity.
Let us begin with a recent skylog entry from a routine patrol, and dissect what each segment means for your journey.
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Sample Skylog Entry:
Skylog Entry 332-B
Filed by: Sorsei Vex, Captain of the Edgewing
Patrol Location: Southern Arc — Periphery of Broken Horizon
Date of Entry: 2nd Selentide, Chronaether Cycle 644
Weather Conditions: Surge Storm: Class II rising to Class IV
Flow Stability: 57% and descending
Celestial Interference: Moderate. Echo drift audible.
Observations:
A Skygate flickered, an unprecedented event in this cycle. Markings indicate it was a Primach Gate, the earliest constructed passage. Aetherglass in the hull's compass spun without directive—compasses do not lie. A resonance, faint but old, pulsed through for about 16 Spirals like a heartbeat buried beneath thunder. The gate shimmered, and ath'ruun khaar, I saw a storm peering through. Unnatural. Not by our shaping.
A child's voice followed, words I cannot understand. Was this a Riftborn echo? Or a warning?
The flow recoiled, as if the currents of the sky suddenly moved backward for a moment.
But the Gate held. Barely.
> Recommend anchoring relay beacons around the perimeter. Too much strain and the gate might unseal the fracture itself.
> Sending a sealed shard of the beacon's imprint with this log, messenger: Skyserpent Verelin
If anyone reads this beyond the tidewinds—The gate is listening.
— S.V.
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I. Title & Log Code – "332-B"
Each skylog is cataloged based on Guild-assigned frequency and sub-events.
"332" refers to the 332nd formal log entered by that observer or station within the cycle.
The "B" denotes a secondary or fragmented log entry—often when the first was interrupted or supplemented due to sudden celestial phenomena or cosmic anomalies.
Think of it like a journal page number with a branch, usually added during storms or when new variables emerge.
II. Date of Entry – "2nd Selentide, Chronaether Cycle 644"
The Astherian year follows the Auroral Cycle, not bound by solar seasons but by the currents of light and celestial tide. However, in this skylog, the cycle used is Chronaether (millennium-based).
Chronaether Cycle 644: Marks the 644th turn of the known Astherian continuum since the Great Schism (a reckoning point akin to Year Zero).
Selentide: One of nine lunar-aligned "Tides", tied to Astheria's three moons and their influence on gravity, time, and magic.
2nd Selentide: Refers to the secondphase of this Tide. There are about 3–5 tidephases and each phase is often 5–9 Spirals long, varying based on celestial interference.
Note:If not erudite in Chronaether Cycle, follow Auroral Cycle.
(Refer to the appended Tide Calendar for full breakdown.)
(Refer to The Chronaether Cycle by Archivist Maeril Vosk, Senior Aether-Cycle Keeper of the Skyward Cartographer's Guild for in-depth breakdown.)
III. Weather Conditions – "Surge Storm: Class II rising to Class IV"
Since we know Astherian weather is a creature of emotion, sky current shifts, and ancient memory, here's your breakdown:
A Surge Storm is a volatile system infused with raw memory currents and unstable aetherglass resonance.
Class II indicates moderate disruption—winds can twist gravity fields and affect levistone stability.
Class IV is dangerous: lightning may carry glyph-burn effects, time loops can briefly occur, and Riftborn sightings increase.
Guilds advise all airships to dock or enter skysleep at Class IV levels, immediately.
IV. Flow Stability – "57% and descending"
In your previous studies, every sky current has a flow index, and tracking its coherence, navigability, and spell-effect amplification are important.
100% stability is rare and dreamlike—ideal for precise aetherglass use.
Below 60%: spells begin to behave erratically; minor sky fractures might occur.
"Descending" signals worsening instability, often a precursor to surge zones, skybreaks, or temporal drift.
V. Celestial Interference – "Moderate. Echo drift audible."
Celestial interference refers to how cosmic anomalies—such as moondrift clashes, starfall patterns, or Riftborn passage—disrupt clarity.
Moderate interference affects compass calibration, message sigils, and memory retention.
Echo drift audible means one can literally hear memory echoes or ghost-thoughts in the wind—a haunting phenomenon caused by time fractures.
Scholars recommend tuning one's skylog for clarity and use grounding runes during such drift.
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Closing Notes to the Novice:
The realm of Astheria does not tolerate those who cling too tightly to mortal calendars or static truths. What you carry now is not a map—it is a relationship with the unknown.
As you continue through this codex, remember: every Skylog, every burned page, every myth etched into aether-paper, is a vessel of memory, floating through the currents of our broken world.
You are not merely reading.
You are listening.
—High Archivist Liraen Vaelith, Skyward Cartographer's Guild, Moonvault Archive