Nom

I should have known the fire would not work, for the Great Wolf has been walking the horizon

— Diary of Virginia Blake, 1908

Nom is furthest-right star at the feet of the Great Wolf constellation. It is named after the Imk word for claw, as it represents the front claws of the wolf. Many Astromythologists believe Nom is the star around which the homeworld orbits.

The Great Wolf

The Great Wolf is a constellation of thirteen stars sometimes also known as The Mother Fox. As most groups on Nideon bear little interest in astronomy, The Great Wolf is not well known among lay-people, though it is found in some texts among the Huxoth people. It is also significant to the Healers of Awe, who believe that it strengthens water magic and suppresses fire magic, particularly while it is on the horizon, before the Desert Cactus constellation rises. Anthropologists believe it is significant to both groups because the rise of the constellation generally coincides with the brief wet season in the Northern Desert. They also believe this is the reason the Huxoth have shown more attention to the stars that other cultural groups, as a signal of rainfall is necessary for groups living in the desert.

Astromythological Significance

Though I know I will no longer sit at the feet of the Mother Fox, I know her love each year when she sends the rain.

In the 19th century, astromythological studies led to the translation of a creation myth from a religious cult in the Old Kingdom of Alaj which spoke of people coming from the feet of a fox. The mention of rainfall in these texts led the Healers of Awe to believe that the Mother Fox was another name for the Great Wolf constellation. Since astromythologists discovered this connection in the Virginia Blake Observatory library many have held a theory that the homeworld orbits the star Nom, representing the front of feet of the fox. Though much research has been conducted around this star, no further evidence has been found of a colonized planet near this star.

Alternative Name(s)

Salora
The Rain Star

Type

Star

What's in a Name?

The ancient Alajan texts refer to the star as Salora in conjunction with the Mother Fox, and though most astromythologists believe this to be the same star as Nom, no one has yet been able to translate the word, which could settle the debate for certain.