Andarus (Planet)

History
Andarus is both the name of the planet and the main continent. For the planet itself, no one knows how it came into existence, and as such the philosophers and religious sects all have differing opinions on the subject. It’s believed by most of the common folk that it was created by Unir, a God associated with spring and beginnings. Because of Unir being the God of beginnings, it has never been portrayed singularly as male or female. There are statues that portray the God as being male, female, or even as a hermaphrodite, but the one thing that never changes about the God of Beginnings is the globe it holds between its hands. Some argue that this is proof Unir created Andarus, whereas others believe it a symbol of new life, that the sphere is a seed or egg. Equally, even the feminine depictions of Unir have the God sporting a pair of blossom-draped antlers, which have become just as recognizable as Unir’s symbol.

Andarus has two moons, and while one - Ulnis - goes through the expected orbital patterns and is only visible at night or at its lowest points in the winter, the second moon - Syn - remains fixed in place and can be seen at both day, when her shadow moves across the ground, and at night, when she glows purple. While not recognised as Goddesses by the religious sects, Ulnis and Syn are nonetheless worshipped by the commoners. Due to the bright light she radiates, Ulnis is considered a bringer of hope and good dreams, and it is common practice to attach a reflective object to the roof of a house for one year to capture Ulnis’ light for use as a medallion of luck and peace. Syn is more feared than worshipped by most because of her lack of movement and the odd aura of light that cloaks her at night. On the fifteenth night of winter, Syn eclipses Ulnis and prevents her guiding light from shining down. On this night many towns and cities enforce a curfew as the lack of light allows for many crimes to be committed with little chance of the perpetrators being caught. As such, Syn is a symbol of darkness and an omen of ill will: children born on the fifteenth night of winter are believed to be more susceptible to evil and corruption. It is not unheard of for an infant born on this night to be declared stillborn or to simply ‘disappear’.