Rudolf's Comet

There have been multiple recordings of Rudolf’s comet throughout history, though unfortunately these recordings report more speculation and superstition than hard fact. It has made it hard to trace whether the comet truly has supernatural properties, or if there is a series of bizzare coincidences revolving around ghosts, the dead walking, and other unnatural phenomena. I came across an interesting article recently theorizing that we could use Rudolf's comet to truly discern the nature of the soul-if we can see how the soul interacts with the comet, we can discern if it is a true 'thing' or something only used by religious crackpots to impose their moral codes on others.
— ~Dr. Octavio Ackenrough
  Rudolf's Comet is a celestial body that passes the Mortal Lands roughly every twenty years. The comet is named for Rudolf Goodvich, who was the first to realize this celestial body was a reccuring event and not a series of coincidental comets. This discovery, in the 1500s as the age of innovation began to reach new steam, was the rapture of astronomers the world over. Professional and Amateur astronomers and astrologers flock to empty fields every twenty years hoping for a clear glimpse of this specatular sight.   Those who are not conveniently standing in an empty field may be in for quite another suprise.  

The Astral Layer

Theologians and recently, physicists have posited an 'Astral Layer' that rests over the Mortal Lands like a layer of gauze, protecting those on the mortal plane from the sheer glory of the Celestial Home, the fires of the Infernal Realm, and any matter of spiritual beings that reside between. Whether this 'Astral Layer' is a phsyical, observable phenomenon or a metaphysical rule of the universe has not been determined; if it is observable, an instrument has not been designed yet that can see it.   Regardless, it is also posited that when Rudolf's comet passes over the Mortal Lands, this 'Astral Layer' lifts or weakens just a bit, introducing a wide slate of supernatural phenomena upon the land. While there is little evidence for the 'Astral Layer' itself, there is no shortage of stories of absurd, strange, or supernatural events that occur when Rudolf's comet passes overhead.  

Legends and Stories

While it took over two thousand years for the comet to have a name, its influence on the Mortal Lands has been felt for far longer. Sightings and occurences include, but are far from limited to the following:

The Ghost of The Archiapelago

Date: Reoccuring   Location: Lunis Archiapelago   A 'ghost' which has appeared on a ruined pier on the coast of the Archiapelago, always looking out towards the sea. The ghost only appears when Rudolf's comet is passing overhead, and the pier at this point is too decayed for any mortal to stand upon it safely. strangely, though, the pier itself has not completely deteriorated.
   

The Garden of the Dead

Date: May 8, 1923   Location: Mira   Two explorers stopping into the town of Fallor's Rest after a delayed train spent the night rescuing a child from the Garden of the Dead, a cemetary dedicated to Fallor's Legion.. They reported, rather than rows of silent mausoleums and graves, ghosts walking around attemping to defend their sacred resting place from intruders. While the intruders were put down and the ghosts returned to their rest, no small amount of damage was done to the cemetary. That Rudolf's Comet was passing overhead at the time was not noticed until the next morning.
 

The Night of Falling Crowns

Date: May 3, 1903   Location: Global   The Infamous The Night of Falling Crowns, in which near all governments, monarchies and republic leaderships were laid low in a single night. While most of the particular circumstances regarding the fall or deaths were mundane, it was far too coincidental to not have some supernatural attribution. Rudolf's Comet was widely reported to be bright in the sky that night, just before the first deaths in Cailar were reported.
 

The Disappearance of the Astrovanis

Date: May 3, 1903, May 8, 1923   Location: Eastern Sea   The Astrovanis, a freshly comissioned ship by King Gustavo II, vanished on its maiden voyage. While this would normally be counted under the Night of Falling Crowns, the ship being encountered again when Rudolf's comet passed over by Aramis 'Headwind' earned it its own entry on this list. Aramis' testimony is still being examined by professionals, but it mentions Rudolf's Comet several times. It also mentions Dr. Ackenrough, one of the foremost experts on the comet, who was sailing on the Astrovanis when it vanished. The testimony states that the ship was trapped in a fog- a fog that was not present before or after Rudolf's comet began to pass. It has been theorized that the fog itself is a sort of 'pocket' in the Astral Layer.

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