Astrolatry

Astrolatry, also known as The Celestial Faith or Phosphorism, is the veneration of the stellar entities called the Celestials, and the monodominant religion of Adrastea. While its races and nations are varied and often at odds with each other, the realm’s greatest uniter, aside from a distant common ancestry, is this shared worship, with the vast majority of the world’s peoples actively practicing. Those who do not follow the faith are either incredibly isolated, concealed, persecuted, or some combination of the three.

Practice
A diverse religion with a thousand different sects, schools, and denominations spread over two continents, Astrolatry has no standardized set of beliefs and is only united as a faith by two tenets.

The first is that the three Celestials (Sola, Luna, and Stella) exist, are divine, and created the Tetrad. By extension, Astrolatry also teaches that there are no other gods or divine beings in the universe; any but the Celestials are impostors or myths, their worship to be toppled and worshippers (known as pagans) to be converted.

The second is that Anathema, the Dark entity from beyond the universe, is the root of all evil and to be destroyed wherever it is found: in the undead, the aberrant, or in the so-called "Old Gods" and their followers.

Beyond these universal teachings, Astrolatry is a diverse and varied faith. Some sects maintain that the Celestials have set out strict rules regarding propriety and morality, while others claim that only following the two tenets above is enough to consider oneself a follower of the Celestials. Certain cults focus on the veneration of one Celestial (while still acknowledging the others' divinity, of course), while others consider them aspects of the same god.

As it stands, the most fervent practitioners of Astrolatry are the Dwarves and Humans of the Eastern Continent. The High Elves are also faithful followers, although their frequent use of arcane magic puts them at odds with the religion at times. The majority Orcs and Wood Elves have adopted the Celestials as gods, although they are hesitant to shed many of their pagan superstitions and beliefs. Only the most condemned of their tribes and the infamous Fomoire deny the divinity of the Celestials and worship pagan gods still.

Divine Magic
The Celestials grant a small portion of their power to their most devoted followers: this is known as divine magic. Faith and practice are needed to cast such spells, as is a special substance known as Starstone. Falling from the sky, these gems are direct conduits of the Celestials' power and enable a wielder to channel their might.

Each of the Celestials has their own domain that they specialize in. Sola bolsters and rejuvenates, Luna transforms and transports, and Stella perceives and predicts.

Though the distinctions differ, of course, from sect to sect, in general, divine mages can be divided into three subtypes: priests, clerics, and paladins. Priests are the first and by far the most common of the three. Unlike the latter two, they rely on faith alone to channel divine magic. As such, most are not as magically potent as their more militant counterparts, lacking the Starstone needed for more powerful spells, but the lack of a material requirement means that their numbers dwarf both clerics’ and paladins’ combined. Priests tend to stay attached to static communities, acting as apothecaries, moral voices, and leaders.

Clerics are the second, and are perhaps the most versatile. They rely on Starstone (which has been worked into a holy item on their person) to channel divine magic and cast spells. Most clerics study a large and diverse array of spells to aid them in their chosen life of wandering to carry out their gods’ will, be it healing, helping, or fighting, wherever they are needed.

Paladins are third, and are, in terms of pure fighting prowess, the most powerful. While like Clerics they rely on Starstone to channel divine magic, instead of focusing on flexibility and versatility, paladins have opted to concentrate entirely on combat in their study of spellcraft. This is to aid them in their roles as the soldiers of the Celestials; Paladins act either as strike forces against the forces of Anathema or, in certain cases, a sort of military police for mundane armies.

History
Celestial worship dates back before recorded history; by the beginning of the Age of Empires, it was the dominant (but not all-encompassing, as it is now) religion in the world. During this time, however, paganism was still practiced in great numbers: with entire tribes and city-states of Humans, Wood Elves, and Orcs still practicing. The might of the Infinite Empire and the Kaiserreich, both fervent adherents of Astrolatry, helped spread the faith.

Practice waned during the Elder War, as the conflict was condemned by Celestial priests as both sides turned to extraplanar aid and darker magicks to gain the upper hand. Their blasphemies would culminate in the destruction of the Dwarven Kaiserreich, the creation of the Great Maw, and the beginning on an epoch of darkness: the Age of Indigence.

Though pagan cults indeed grew more powerful during this time, more and more turned to Astrolatry in a bid to keep the dark forces at bay. Many of the more militant clerics began to band together as organized armies of warrior-monks: the beginning of the modern paladin brotherhood as we know it.

The greatest organization of Celestials would come about when, facing the threat of a pagan incursion, the secular city-state of Beacon summoned a Star to Adrastea and pledged every soul in the nation to its service. With the Star's aid, the invaders were driven back, and the government of Beacon then became known as the Ecclesiarchy, its army the Inquisition.

Quickly taking on a position as an international protector, the Ecclesiarchy's might would usher in a new age for Astrolatry.