Star-Signs

Guided by the stars...
For people on Barram, the stars extremely significant. The constellations depict ancient heroes and monsters, and the alignments of various stars and mysterious signs known to trained astrologers can produce predictions and horoscopes of surprising accuracy. Consulting an astrologer is considered ordinary business practice for merchants and other business owners, and ornate horoscopes rendered in formal Shevrandi and artful calligraphy are common household decorations for the well-to-do. The star-signs of one's birth are believed to influence magical ability, personality and personal fortune, and tattoos or personal tokens depicting one's “guardian sign” - one of the thirteen most prominent constellations in the sky, said to preside over a mortal's birth – are very common.

...Marked by the stars
For the Fated, however, more so than anyone else, the star-signs are of tremendous importance. Every Fated is born with the points of a Guiding Ancient on their back, marked in silvery scars that seem to be years old even at birth. The star-signs of the Fated cannot be removed, though they can be concealed. The significance of these marks is not well understood, though some Fated learn to establish a mysterious connection between themselves and the Guiding Ancients which grants them additional abilities. When the Fated uses their ability to warp destiny, the scars are said to burn with a faint, cold and unearthly light.