Release

In Asteria, when a creature dies, a ceremony similar to a funeral is held to release the soul and guide it to the afterlife. The creature's loved ones will release lanterns into the sky which the soul follows upward into the heavens. When the soul reaches the Celestial Kingdom, they gather up all the lanterns and take them with them through the rift, and in the heavens they place the lanterns in order to create some of the smaller stars in the sky. The deceased creature's soul also shines brightly in the heavens, which shines down as a bright star.