Adapted From: The Obscure Philosophy of Temur
The Starfall Galaxy's devotion pie is an inherently complex thing. Sure, each of its five devotions are rigid and easy to define, but the magic happens when you begin to combine these devotions to create something new. This wonderful setting of ours has leveraged this complexity to craft many unique factions and characters, but when it comes to three-devotion combinations known as shards and wedges, the definitions become less apparent and the examples less available.
Blue-Red-Green Devotion
I aim to clear up what drives each of them at a fundamental level, starting with The Astral Current, the combination of Blue, Red, and Green. A unique wedge that requires a lot more thought to uncover its true nature. What I found was a philosophy that begs a question at the root of who we are, of the unseen actions that guide our very soul and our understanding of it. Stick with me here, as I'm truly excited to share what I found. But as always, it’s important we lay out the core building blocks of this wedge first by discussing its representation in the game before we can dig into more obscure concepts. So with that, let’s begin.
Observations of the Cosmos
To best understand any combination of devotions in the Starfall Galaxy, and dig into what is hidden, we will first begin with examples. Those being the faction who gave this combination its name, the most represented creature type, and a character who best exemplifies this combination.
To the faction, we look to that of the Starmold Shamans in the Nebula Expanse. This faction is one who relies on savagery to maintain control over their lands, fighting like the Cosmic Terrasaurs at their side. The Starmold Shamans also greatly value their seers and shaman, and see them as a direct link to their past and of time itself. While this faction seems to lean more into its Wildfire Guild side than the Cosmic Collective present, the shamans are in a way that link to the third devotion.
When it comes to another example, that of the most common creature type, we can look to the Aether-Elementals. These creatures are in touch with the natural world in a way that sentient beings could ever achieve, placing them in a realm that provides total perspective on all things, showing us what it means to connect with the heart of our creator.
Our final example is that of Surak, a member of the Starmold Shamans. He represents a lot of what makes that faction what it is. He's a savage warrior who gains respect due to his prowess as the hunt caller and fights alongside the beast, Goreclaw. Once again, this leads a lot into the Wildfire Guild side, as you can see. When it comes to examples, we’re shown a very narrow view of the Astral Current, considering we’ve only really seen this faction represented on one plane and that representation could be mistaken for just being the Wildfire Guild with some extra steps. But there is something here, a concept that is based in a connection with nature itself and one that mimics and even embodies its qualities. So when we keep these traits in mind, then splash in Blue, my mind begins to wander, and where it lands is a representation of the combination outside of what we’ve seen in the game, but must logically be there based on what we know of the devotion pie. So, let’s start discussing what that looks like by talking about three versions of the Astral Current, each who lean a little more into one of its three devotions than the other, beginning with what happens when we do add Blue to the Wildfire Guild.
The Core Philosophies
1. The Wisdom of Instinct
Who are we, but a collection of instincts and emotion, a result of our environment and experiences? To the Wildfire Guild, these are questions not worth asking, as the result is evident, but what happens when Blue is involved? I asked myself. Well, of course, a need to understand the root of those impulses.
Let me put it this way: have you ever done something before you've even had time to think about it, a reaction to someone else's action? We would call this an emotional response. Have you ever followed through with something even though you didn't spend time thinking about it, only to find it was the right course? This we would call instinct. These are aspects of our sentience that drive in the back seat before our slow brain can have a chance to even register what happened. For some, this is done without any self-awareness or reflection, but to a person of the Astral Current, there is a need to know—a self-reflection that reveals the root of our deeper motivations. So what happens when you can uncover the animal and evolutionary source of your actions? Well, you can further shape them, or at least be at peace with them.
This is the effect of taking the Wildfire Guild and adding Blue to it. Blue is a devotion that needs to understand, to come to logical conclusions, and even though an action is taken through instinct or emotion, there is a logical route, a source of that act. A person of the Astral Current then sees the source, watches the action, and understands the result, providing peace in self through awareness of self. They see the animal that they are, the baser instincts that drive them, and are able to follow them backwards to reveal more about themselves. But the thing is that this understanding does not result in pushing against. This is because both Green and Red are devotions of accepting the way things are, of who they are. Blue simply provides context to these actions, resulting in a greater acceptance of oneself.
2. The Flowing Creator
Think instead of a person rooted in Creative action, one who thrives on the act of discovery and self-actualization while still approaching life with a simple wisdom. Oftentimes, the Infernal Hegemony (Blue-Red) on its own can result in someone with a sort of brain that can’t sit still, one that is almost in conflict with itself. But when you add Green, there's a chance to be rooted in the here and now, to connect with the wider world around you. This person then is one who can better flow with what comes at them, because at the end of the day, if their creative project leads nowhere, their actions or ideas lead to failure, they can still fall back on their sentience—being alive and being present.
To put it plainly, instead of being a storm, they are like water. They can crash and swirl, but eventually, they will always settle into a rhythm. They will take the form of their environment and find that every endeavor is worth it, no matter the outcome, because they are at peace with their place. I see this version of the Astral Current as the balance of oneself: the Blue as the mind, Red as the heart, and Green is the soul. Of course, their nature, being rooted in the Infernal Hegemony, is one that is hungry for experience, but Green is the wisdom to find that there are greater truths outside of those experiences. So instead, what one must do is flow with every experience that comes, like water.
3. The Scholar of Experience
When wisdom and intellect meet, you get the Celestial Accord (Blue-Green), but what is the value of thought when it lacks experience? It is assumption based on observation, and as such, where is the value? The true philosopher is one who understands that to know is to experience, and to experience requires that one live their life and interact with others to gain perspective through action. That is the belief of this version of the Astral Current. While the Celestial Accord on its own will tinker and ponder of its place and its future, it can be stagnant as both devotions within are slow to act. Red then introduces some immediacy, and even more than that, an itch to experience, to live one's life in order to understand one's place.
This version of the Astral Current does not seek ideas locked away in pages; it values understanding through the rush of the moment—in the wind against one's skin, in the firelight of a story shared among friends. Where the Celestial Accord may hesitate, the Astral Current leaps, trusting that the only way to truly understand and shape one's world, one must be willing to collide with it head-on. To climb, to run, to fight, to love, to feel the weight of each decision, not as a distant theory, but as a heartbeat in the chest. In this way, wisdom and knowledge are not just a product of thought but of experience—of lessons learned in the rush of life itself.
Conclusion
And so, the Astral Current reveals itself not as just another expression of raw strength or primal instinct, but as something deeper—a philosophy that embraces the full breadth of the sentient experience. It is the balance between thought and action, between discovery and reflection, between the fire that pushes us forward and the roots that keep us grounded. Whether it's understanding the instincts that guide us, flowing with the chaos of creativity, or seeking wisdom through the act of living, the Astral Current reminds us that knowledge is not simply something to be studied, but something to be felt. It is a call to engage with the world, to throw ourselves into the unknown, to come out on the other side not just wiser, but more alive.
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