First Star and Brilliant Stars

The First Star is a cosmic being responsible for the formation of the Lumen Vigil. She represents the forces of Light in their totality. She is known for being inhuman and otherworldly, often hard to contact or reliably communicate with, and is the closest thing the world has come to confirming deities as fact over faith. Those that pledge directly to the First Star usually do so because of divine intervention; they did not seek her out, but she found them at a time of great importance, need, or danger, and offered them a choice. This is very rare, and most Lumen Vigil pledge through one of the Brilliant Stars instead of directly through her.

Brilliant Stars

The Seven Brilliant Stars are lesser cosmic beings that serve the First Star. They are the First Star's chosen beings; once powerful Lumen Vigil that have been elevated to a celestial form, and often the ones responsible for accepting new Lumen Vigil pledges in the First Star's stead. Each star is closer to humanity than the First Star, but are still cosmic in nature and operate on a much grander scale than humanity. There are more cosmic beings that allign with the forces of light, but the Brilliant Stars are specifically alligned with the First Star.

Out of game, these are more closely related to extraterrestrial forces in most superhero universes. Thematically they're like the Aedra in The Elder Scrolls for those that know of them, but again, much less godlike. My intent is not to replicate Hyper, these will not be playable characters or have grant roles in the story unless someone wants to play a Cleric of a Brilliant Star, or a Warlock of one, or otherwise wants one deeply connected to their story. You are all welcome to do this, it is meant to be a world hook for you, but they will only play a big role if you all want them to. Mainly, these are meant to bring variety, definition, and personality to the various forces of light.

Dyaus, The Brave

Dyaus is the Brilliant Star most associated with heroics, optimism, and energy. He takes on the most pledges of any other Brilliant Star, and is the most active in guiding and teaching Lumen Vigils along their journey. Of all the Brilliant Stars, he is most likely to take humanoid form and walk among the people, and the most likely to take action against the forces of darkness directly. He is genuine and kind as much as he is relentless. He teaches through experience and will often send Vigils on adventures or quests to learn by doing. Those that pledge through Dyaus are extremely varied; warriors, mages, enchanters, bullwarks, plenty of fighting styles are mentored by Dyaus or by those that have learned under him over generations.

Prith, The Martyr

Prith is the Brilliant Star most associated with martyrs, self-sacrifice, perserverence, and dilligence. He represents putting others above yourself in the name of the greater good; whether that be fighting the darkness, achieving your life's dream, or protecting those that matter most to you. Sacrificing others for the sake of yourself will make you an enemy of Prith just as easilly as sacrificing your own safety will make you a friend. He is often seen accompanying Dyaus on his adventures, doing all he can to protect the idealistic hero, alongside Thalassa on occasion, and matching his optimism with cautious pessimism. He teaches all who pledge through him to master patience and understanding, and is one of the few original Brilliant stars to encourage his students to study darkness as much as light. He is most associated with warriors that wield both blade and spell, such as Paladins (focused on damage), Hexblades, Eldrich Knights, Arcane Tricksters, Rangers (focused on casting), and other casting-duelists.

Thalassa, The Oracle

Thalassa is the Brilliant Star most associated with prayer, healing, warding, and divination. She offers unyielding kindness and forgiveness, and is the origin of most unspecific divination. She has futuresight and is well attuned with fate, but will only act on her visions if called upon through divination spells or if she believes it is necessary to protect the forces of light from destruction. Otherwise, she is the most passive of the Brilliant Stars and stays out of the battle between light and darkness the most. If she is seen among the people, it is alongside Dyaus and Prith in extremely dangerous encounters or it is to guide skilled divination experts in their craft. She is most associated with Clerics, Paladins (focused on supporting), Druids, Bards, Occultists, and other supportive casters or divners.

Iara, The Mentor

Iara is the Brilliant Star most associated with the arcane, guidance, and knowledge. She spends most of her time and energy among the forces of darkness, combatting the darkness from within. She was one of the very first Brilliant stars; she witnessed several of her companions fall to darkness, including Moacir, and is constantly making efforts to prevent any more from suffering the same fate. She treads the realms of darkness searching for fallen Vigil and guiding them back to the realms of light, or suprising the forces of darkness by infiltrating their home field. Because of this, she is the least likely among the Brilliant Stars to walk among the people or directly mentor a Vigil unless they are in great need. Some of the most powerful mages are directly mentored by Iara, but this is often due to the Vigil falling deep into darkness and being saved by Iara. Long ago, on her deepest delve into the realms of darkness, Iara saved Gaichi and Tuulikki from the forces of darkness. She is most associated with Wizards, Occultists, Sorcerers, Bards, and other heavy arcane-focused classes / mages.

Gaichi, The Stoic

Gaichi is the Brilliant Star most associated with force, strength, and tenacity. She was once one of the first Brilliant Stars who fell, becoming a Caliginous Star taught by Athanios, but was brought to the forces of Light by Iara and has served the First Star with unwavering loyalty ever since. She still holds onto old ideals of brute strength and crusade, but has become more forgiving through Iara and chooses mercy more often than not. She teaches those that pledge through her how to redirect anger, vengence, and hatred in a more healthy, focused way. She is most associated with Fighters, Barbarians, Monks, Rangers (focused on martial), Paladins (focused on tanking), Wardens, and other tanks / low-to-no magic warriors.

Tuulikki, The Innocent

Tuulikki is the Brilliant Star most associated with agility, happiness, friendship, and naivety. He was originally one of the first Brilliant Stars who became corrupted by darkness, and was saved by Iara and brought back to the light. During his fall, Tuulikki became more associated with murder and grief, becoming master of assassins. Now, he is less naive than he once was but still cherishes and protects innocence above all. He interacts with every Brilliant Star on a regular basis and is a benevolent trickster. After his fall, he even maintains friendship with some Caliginous Stars, and has even convinced Azar to join the forces of Light. He also commonly walks among the people for the sole purpose of making friends and preaching kindness. His mentoring is unusual, moreso acting as a role model for those that pledge through him than a proper teacher. He is most associated with Rogues, Monks, Rangers (focused on movement), Bards, Tricksters, Illusionists, and other high mobility, stealth, or dexterity classes.

Azar, The Unruly

Azar is the Brilliant Star most associated with desruction, rebellion, and passion. They were once a Caliginous Star and still represents the same values as when they were alligned with darkness, but friendship with Tuulikki has brought them to the forces of light. They are the closest to the middle of the road in terms of allignment, and have a tendency to act against the First Star if they see a good enough reason to. They stand for doing the right thing no matter what, even if it involves dubious methods. They are closest with Tuulikki among the Brilliant Stars, but maintain friendships with some of the Calliginous Stars moreso than the rest of the Brilliant Stars. They refuse to act as a proper teacher and insists all who pledge through them to simply follow their hearts and do what their gut says is right, not listen to some old geezers who think they can put a definition to the word. Azar is most associated with Sorcerers, Warlocks, Paladins (focused on damage), Clerics, Rogues, and other high-damage/nuking classes.

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