The night sky above the Sword Coast
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Long before compasses reached the Sword Coast, mariners and rangers navigated by the fixed stars. Ieriyn, the pole star, anchors the north. The Arrows of the Gods point east and west at the equinoxes, while the Eyes of the Watching Woman — a pair of bright blue stars — mark due south from Neverwinter's latitude. Bards speak of Faeraula, the "wind star," whose position relative to the horizon predicts storm fronts rolling in off the Sea of Swords.
A circlet of seven stars that wheels tightly around the celestial pole, never setting below the horizon in northern Faerûn. Sages call it the Castle of Night or the Crown of the North. The faithful of Mystra believe these stars are anchors of the Weave itself — fixed points where raw magic bleeds through from the Astral Plane. On nights when all seven blaze brightest, wild magic surges are said to ripple across the land.
A sinuous constellation of seventeen stars that slithers across the winter sky. Northern peoples name it Auril's mount — the celestial serpent ridden by the Frostmaiden herself. When its head star crests the horizon in late autumn, the first true frost follows within a tenday. The constellation's full visibility marks the depth of winter and is celebrated during the Simril festival.
Held on Nightal 20, the winter solstice, Simril is the longest night of the year — and the grandest stargazing event on the Sword Coast. In Waterdeep, revellers gather on rooftops and in the Field of Triumph. Neverwinter lights floating lanterns on the river to mirror the stars. In Luskan, the Ship Kurth hosts a raucous sky-watching feast on their island tower. It is said that wishes made under the Simril sky carry true.
Faerûn's calendar divides the year into twelve months of thirty days each, plus five intercalary holidays. The constellations follow a seasonal rhythm: the great hunter Doron Amar dominates the autumn sky, while the summer belongs to the Seldarine Harp — said to be Corellon's instrument cast skyward. Druids and navigators alike track the slow precession of these figures to mark planting seasons, tides, and migratory routes.
Not all stars are welcome sights. Ahghairon's Star — a dim red point near the pole — is said to flare crimson before catastrophe strikes Waterdeep. The archmage bound part of his ward-magic to it, and its brightening warns the Watchful Order. Shaundral, the "weeping star," trails a faint tail visible only in the clearest skies. Its appearance is an omen of plague or famine, and temples of Ilmater hold vigils whenever it is sighted.
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