The Orrery of the Spheres

Rumours had passed from the words of the Gods to their followers that in the past there were three landmarks of Ankyrean creation helped teach the Order about astronomy and mathematics. The first, the Horologe, had been rediscovered many years ago, and taught the Order of Ankyreans to measure duration of time. The second was said to be a mechanical Orrery, whose parts mimicked the motion of the planets in the heavens. It taught the Order the beauty of celestial movement, and the basic ideas of astronomy and astrology. The nature of the third landmark is strangely hidden from even the Gods, and maybe even from Varian Himself!

Knowledge contained in the storerooms of the Grand Aetolian Library revealed that at some time in the past, Queen Belladona learned to reverse the relationships of the landmarks. Using some unknown magic, she managed to make the relationship between the landmarks and the heavens mutual, instead of one-sided. By adding more sand to the Horologe, the day would speed up, or slow down. Likewise, the sun would darken suddenly if the orrery were painted black. The Mother of the Vampires took control of all three of the landmarks, and working her dark machinations upon them, caused permanent midnight to fall upon the lands.

The Order of Ankyreans quickly reacted, and found ways to counteract each of the Queen's actions. Pure white sand was found to thwart the dark sands in her clutches a formula for golden paint was discovered to restore the power of the Sun to the orrery. The Order and the Consanguine waged war against each other, eventually losing sight of what they were quarreling about. With the collapse of the Order of the Ankyreans, the landmarks were largely forgotten even by the children of the night.

And thus two of the landmarks stood, unused and forgotten for many years, until the Luminary, Jewel Rhashye, and the Arch Duchess Gracie Nebre'seir both began to inquire about the lost Orrery. Their journey took them to the Grand Aetolian Library, where the head monk was anxious about revealing what she knew of the landmark.

As it turned out, the Chroniclers had been the guardians of the Orrery for quite some time, for it stood a few hills down from their monastery. Once the head monk was convinced of the Gods' desires that the landmark be restored, she led the way to the ancient Orrery of the Spheres.

Using a manuscript found in the Grand Aetolian Library, Sir Koron Thylarian was able mix together the ingredients to remake the golden paint that would bring the Orrery out of its darkened state.

Just as the Consanguine and the Order of Ankyreans battled many years before, the struggle resumes with new allies on either side.