Awldor's Moon
It's soft light is always welcomed to the traveler.The single moon of Awldor has become a powerful symbol for most societies. It is often used to keep track of the changing seasons, to light the day during the night, and has been the object of portent and fortune. The Queendom of Lunaria has a particular fascination with the celestial object. They believe it to be a purer and kinder source of light than the sun in contrast to the Kingdom of Helia as it appears to share the sky with the stars. The moon also has a very real physical effect upon the world as it is responsible for the ebb and flow of tides across Awldor. This phenomena is a subject of much studies in places of learning such as at the lleuadalas Academy. It also helps light the way during the night, especially during its full moon stage.
Appearance and Cycles
The moon appears as a grey, silver orb in the sky. It appears as if it has been stained over time due to darkened patches across its surface. These dark patches are accompanied by several scars left over from the The Great Collapse. These scars show that the calamities of the great collapse were not restricted to the surface of the world. It also changes throughout the year in phases, from a new moon, to a waxing crescent, to a full moon, to a waning moon, and finally back to a new moon. This cycle then repeats throughout the year and it is this cycle that is often used to measure the months of the year. Full moons and new moons have a special significance in many parts of the world as these two phases affect certain magical effects like lycanthropy (werewolves). Various other kinds of magic also draw from the essence of the moon, the potency of which is affected by which stage the moon happens to be in. Blood moons, or a lunar eclipse wherein the moon takes on a reddish appearance, can bring about or supercharge truly dangerous forms of magic- those involving blood in particular. There is also a belief that such a sighting is a portent of great violence to come. In fact, such a moon was spotted over the Quassus Continent in 1266AGC during the month of Luna.The Ancients left their secrets in other places besides our earthly realm.
Ancient Ruins?
While it cannot yet be confirmed from the ground, many scholars suspect that a secret Ancient Order stronghold exists on the Moon. Considering the capabilities, alleged or proven, of artifacts recovered and places discovered so far such having a place on the moon would seem to be within the realm of the capabilities of the Ancient Order. Despite this, such a place still seems like a truly fantastical thing to contemplate. If proven, a moon stronghold would show that the Ancient Order had magics that were both powerful enough and reliable enough to make such a journey safely- maybe even made it routine. This stronghold has yet to be discovered by the sharpest eyes and the advent (or re-emergence, depending on the time frame used) or the telescope (even when enchanted). This has led to some speculation that such a stronghold must exist underneath the Moon's surface. As for what such a place could contain? There are many truly fantastical theories ranging from portals to other realities to the grave secrets of the most powerful archmages of the pre-collapse world.
Alternative Name(s)
Luna, Silver Light
Type
Planetoid / Moon
Helian Regard
Many could be forgiven for thinking that the Helians have no regard for the moon in comparison. It's true that they believe the sun to be incomparable, but they also recognize the value the moon brings during the night. The moon obtains particular significance during solar eclipses, when the moon blots out the sun for a brief period of time. There are some in the Kingdom who worry about the existence of this phenomena in light of the upcoming war with Lunaria. The Lunarians have a similar relationship with the sun, that there is not a complete disregard as an outsider may have assumed.A Lost Moon?
Some art recovered from the order seems to show two moons in the sky rather than the one- the second one appearing to be less than half the size of the known one. Some believe that these artworks are an empirical account of a second object that no longer exists in the sky. That perhaps it was destroyed during the collapse. This theory has little evidence as such an event would certainly have left a trail of debris across the sky. A more plausible theory is that the second moon represented in the recovered artworks represented a great aspiration of the Ancient Order: to create their own celestial object in the likeness of the moon.Note(s) from the Archivists:
Could you imagine if we had more than one moon? What would that be like? - Archivist Enna It would be like we had an extra moon. - Archivist Bob Thanks Bob. - Archivist EnnaRemove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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