Steampunk Era: Mad Abield

"Whether we, the Astrologers of the Westland, or the Diviners of the Eastern Land, those of us who make our livelihood by observing the heavens are profoundly devoted to Fate. Fate guides our path forward, as exemplified by the Astromancers of the Eastern Land—an exceedingly rare profession..." Constantine Julius, standing at the podium, swept his gaze over the young students in the lecture hall. These youths, his juniors, had all sworn to become Sages. Yet among them, perhaps none would live long enough to achieve that day. Still, Constantine held deep respect for their courage.

"What’s the difference between Astromancers and us Astrologers?" a curious child asked.

Constantine had a soft spot for such inquisitive youth: "We, Astrologers, are but a minor branch under the Sage Sequence—a replaceable existence. Astromancers, however, belong to a rare and independent Sequence discovered only in the Eastern Land. The greatest difference lies in this: Astromancers only appear among the disabled."

At that point, Constantine recalled his own shock upon first learning of this, a sentiment mirrored now on the astonished faces of these students.

He sighed: "Astromancers are likely fragments of some Legendary Sequence, an independent shard of sorts. Some disabled children are born carrying this fragment. To this day, the Thanans remain puzzled as to why this occurs. They only know that when a child becomes disabled, they are already a potential Astromancer."

"That’s so strange. Mr. Constantine, does such a Sequence fragment even have a purpose?" a young voice posed the question, perplexed.

Shaking his head, Constantine admitted he had no answer: "There seems to be no purpose. Thus far, it’s been confirmed that Astromancers can perform divination under the night sky without relying on any form of Transcendent ability. However, this process severely taxes the mortal mind. For an Astromancer who overuses this power, surviving to adulthood becomes a near impossibility. They become a coordinate—a coordinate for Chaos. As a result, for a long time, the Thanans hunted down Astromancers."

"Astromancers are too dangerous. I think the Thanans were right," one child commented.

Many other students nodded in agreement, but Constantine refrained from telling them that the Thanans had ceased killing Astromancers centuries ago. This was because they discovered that Astromancers’ abilities were, in fact, incredibly powerful—they are the only beings unaffected during deep diving. Astromancers can remain unobservable by and imperceivable to all chaotic entities during such sequences.

Today, every Astromancer is a student coveted beyond measure by the Thanan Sages.

After undergoing specific surgeries, these children become entirely insulated from Chaos and Subspace. No matter the time or place, they are excised from the perception of all Subspace entities.

However, Astromancers are extraordinarily rare—decades or even centuries could pass without a single one being found.