Juk (dʑʌkʰ)

Juk, the red moon, the urchin moon, bastard moon, or the ugly moon is the smaller moon in the night sky, the other being Weol. It is rust-red and usually appears lower in the sky than Weol. It has a slightly irregular, lumpy shape that changes throughout its cycle. Juk never tends to be a good sign, and is of particular ill omen when Weol is waning and Juk is full.
The proper name of the moon, Juk, comes from the West River language family (Steel Nation, Confederation of the Free, and Giraguk) and means either red or enemy. The name is consequently used the most in those cultures and Fora, while the Kingdom of Sur most commonly uses bastard moon. The Sun Kingdom generally calls it the red moon.
Juk's shape changes over time, though it is always lumpy. It usually has a hazy glow about it, similar to sunlight shining through a cloud of dust, and unlike Weol, its features tend to evolve over time. The careful astronomer can discern that the shape and features of Juk are periodical over many years, but to the general public Juk is a constantly shifting and capricious moon.
In literature, Juk is associated with many negative concepts. Betrayal, war, conflict, and illness tend to arrive with a rising Juk, and duplicity or lies are sometimes associated with Juk as well. Folk tales of Juk generally center around its creation. It is theorised that Weol was created first, and Juk arrived later. Followers of Gira, God of Conflict believe that Juk was lifted into the sky after a particularly vicious fight between her and Djang, God of the Forge, but this is contradicted by the fact that Juk is mentioned in records predating the arrival of the Inheritor Gods.

weol and jeok

A painting of the two moons of the Story, Weol and Jeok.

Type

Planetoid / Moon