A Call From Beyond

Those who bring children into the world and love them, all share a common fear: the fear that their child might someday out of nowhere choose to gather their favorite toys, leave their home and family, and never return. It is believed, that as a kid, we have a unique ability to imagine and witness the fantastical beings, who live amongst the flickering stars and whirling cosmos. An ability that is lost and forgotten as age tethers us to the soil of the earth. But the Zodia are young boys and girls who sensed a beckoning from some unfathomable cosmic entity and left the world of adults to instead live amongst the stars. The child is protected and guided as they wander toward one of the Starlined Cities that roams the sky along the Avova Belt. The Belt is a long ring consisting of cometrocks and rubble from buildings that were destroyed in a cataclysm long ago, and now orbits slightly above the clouds. Upon somehow arriving in one of the cities, the child's eyes will forever glow like stars and their facial features grow just ever so slightly larger and more alien as they are now forever connected to the cosmos as a Zodia.  

Rules And Games

The Zodia are creatures that wield not only great imagination and whimsical but also ancient arcane abilities as they are the keepers of many secrets of the universe. Most of them act out according to their own impulses and passion, which some might interpret as selfishness, even if it stems from an innocent intention. While lighthearted and chaotic in most cases, Zodias are deadly serious when it comes to the rules of the games they play and their own internal logic. A child that is known to have broken a promise to another, will often have their little finger removed as a sign to others that they should be wary of playing with this one. They do not have much in the sense of a governing structure but adhere closely to the will of the beings beyond the stars, which forbids them from ever divulging any information about the Starlined Cities or the secrets their astral playmates have whispered into their minds. No adult has ever been able to penetrate either the Zodia's minds or cities to learn their secrets, no matter how powerful magical methods were used.  

No Children Harmed

Life within the Starlined Cities is colorful, fun, fantastical, and eternal. Here the Zodias will never grow old or die, thanks to the Somnians, who are living stars send as envoys of cosmic entities to nurture and protect a child. But few Zodias decide to never visit the ground again once they left it as children. Many instead want to visit their homeworld to play adventures and explore for a time when they have gotten a bit too used to their city. Others simply get lost and stumble onto the ground by pure chance or are exiled from their home by their friends for a limited time. When returning, the children will often find that far more time has passed than they thought, and the world has changed around them. But this time they spend on the earth also feels like a dream to them, where they can make friends and experience so many wonderful sensations. Some might search for fun things to learn, big monsters to defeat or even something their parents never allowed them to. As a Zodia they do not feel physical pain but still always choose to play along with the sensations inflicted on them. Should they fall during their visit, their soul will be gathered by a Somnian who then sacrifices themself to reincarnate the Zodia in their Starlined City. And while a fallen Zodia is unable to ever visit the ground again, they will live on amongst the stars and spend years telling their friends about what an exciting dream they had.