Celestus

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Revision as of 09:35, 18 January 2024 by >RudleyDudley (Visual Guide, Innistrad)
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Celestus
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Celestus.jpg}}|250px]]
Characteristics
Origin Innistrad
Creator Unnamed hedgewitches
User Dawnhart Coven
Status In decay

The Celestus is a large, ancient orrery that is hidden in Kessig's Ulvenwald on Innistrad.[1] Built by hedgewitches centuries ago, its purpose was to track the movements of stars and the moon.[2]

Description

At times, it is said the arms shift about the central platform — which itself was as large as any village green. The broken rings with lenses rise from the earth, and carvings can be seen along its pitted surface. It was said that whatever purpose it once served, it was best left to the past.[1] According to Katilda, it could be used for righting the balance of day and night.[1]

Near the Celestus is the enclave of the Dawnhart Coven: branches and hides fashioned into tents, decorated with crescents and spheres. Floating candles, candleguides, lend the place an eerie light, as do the strange scarecrows throughout.[1]

History

The Celestus and the faces of the Moon of Innistrad

The Celestus was used by the Dawnhart Coven in a ritual at the Harvesttide festival.[3] In the first step of the ritual, a lock of bright gold at the center of the device, the Sungold Lock, had to be unlocked with the Moonsilver Key.[1] A team consisting of Arlinn Kord, Teferi, Chandra Nalaar, Kaya, and Adeline obtained the Key from Markov Manor and returned to the Celestus. Tovolar and his werewolf army attacked the Harvesttide festival before the ritual could start. Cathars, planeswalkers and witches fought the invaders to protect the humans, while Kaya took the Key to the central area of Celestus where Katilda waited.

The witches began the ritual and after Tovolar's army retreated, Arlinn went to Katilda to help finish the ritual. But Olivia Voldaren interrupted the ritual by taking the Key.[4][5][6]

With Sorin Markov's assistance, Arlinn and the Gatewatch raided Olivia's wedding to Edgar Markov. Aided by Sigarda and Katilda's spirit, they recovered the Moonsilver Key. Again they returned to the Celestus to complete the ritual.

When the Moonsilver Key and the Sungold Lock were joined, a flash of light flooded the Celestus. It was warm as sunlight, and the Celestus roared to life, shaking off centuries of overgrowth. With each passing of the arms, the light increased in intensity. Eventually only a single column remained, running from the Celestus to the moon itself. When the light faded, the moon had begun to descend. The balance between night and day was thus restored.[7]

Gallery

In-game references

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References