Oculus
The observer
I'm not leaving this port until Oculus is Relaxing. I couldn't give a damn what the Clan says, its my ship and she's staying put until it's safe.The sole moon of the Wilde Blue, Oculus has superstitious importance, at least among the older population. Each phase is thought to have influence over the success or failure of various things, from voyages to proposals. The safest time, according to these superstitions, is always when the moon was nearly invisible, or 'Sleeping'.
Appearance
Oculus sits very high above the Blue, wandering across the sky. Its path is fixed, but varied, and so with a combination of phase and position in the sky, the exact date can be determined. During the day, it can still be seen, though only faintly. When Watchful, it appears like a dim star. During the night, it can range from dominating over the stars to only visible away from cities, as a dark patch amongst the stars. It, like the sun, dips below the depths and cannot be seen close to half of the time, though the exact amount changes.Phases
The bright part of the moon changes in a very predictable way, first growing smaller until it entirely vanishes, then growing larger again. This bright patch shrinks on the top and bottom in slim arcs each night, giving the impression that it is an eye slowly closing and then re-opening. The name of each phase reflects this idea, though few currently believe it to be an observer.Waking Cycle
Dozing Cycle
Sleeping: 
Lasts three days
by Griclav
Watchful: 
Lasts three days
by Griclav
Stirring:
Lasts 23 days
From:
To:
by Griclav
by Griclav
Relaxing:
Lasts 23 days
From:
To:
by Griclav
by Griclav
Waking:
Lasts 23 days
From:
To:
by Griclav
by Griclav
Weary:
Lasts 23 days
From:
To:
by Griclav
by Griclav
Rousing:
Lasts 23 days
From:
To:
by Griclav
by Griclav
Lulling:
Lasts 23 days
From:
To:
by Griclav
by Griclav
Watchful:
Lasts three days
by Griclav
Sleeping:
Lasts three days
by Griclav
Social Importance
Oculus as a whole is thought to be a bad sign. It purportedly exerts a sort of malevolent influence over whatever it is gazing upon, the strength of which depends on its phase. The worst of it occurs when it is Watchful, and the least of it when it is Sleeping. Scraps of Fullblooded myths that survived the Imperial purges claim the to be the eye of the creator, "Caedis", torn out of its head and always watching its creation. Ceadis' ire, then, is the source of this malaise. More realistically, a Watchful Oculus dampens many stars in the sky, causing early travelers to lose their way, and this associated the brightest phase with bad luck. In modern times, with advanced maps and powered lights, Oculus has little actual effect on the people of the Blue. However, the superstition remains, especially among smaller communities. Ships' voyages will be delayed at least until Oculus has passed beneath the Depths, and some captains refuse to leave land during a Watchful Oculus. The holiday of Temersday, a celebration ritual of the Fullblooded sect known as Fular's Eye do not celebrate during a Watchful Oculus, instead postponing the festivities until after it has started dozing.<image goes here>
General Information
Cycle Legnth: 150 daysWritings about Oculus
- The Bloodwar: The myth that tries to explain Oculus' origin. Sadly, only a partial text remains.
- Relationship of Celestial Objects: a scientific study that attempted to find some connection between the stars, sun, and Oculus.
- Distant Dreams: a work of fiction that imagines what the view from Oculus' height might be like.
That was a neat article about a moon. You packed quite a bit of worldbuilding within the text :) As someone who does not know astronomy, I do not know if any of the lengths or shapes of the moon are accurate, so I won't comment on that. I did love how every single phase had its own name, including depending on whether it came from a full or new moon (aka: waking or lulling). I think you should lean heavily into that and stay true to the terminology you have established. For example, instead of saying "instead postponing the festivities until after it has started to Doze." substitute "Doze" for an actual moon phase. I think it'd tie everything together nicely. I was confused by the sentence "Oculus is traditionally a bad sign". The moon itself is a bad sign? So it's only not a "bad day" when it is in new moon/sleeping, which only lasts for 3 days? I personally find that unlikely, but if that is the way you are going, I think some more explanation could go a long way in how did that end up happening. Also: I love that you included a chart, it's very helpful and informative!
As someone who does know a little bit of astronomy, it's pretty much impossible for a moon to be shaded in this way. I don't care, because I like it. The idea behind Waking and Dozing is that it is similar to Waxing and Waning on our world. You might say "The new moon was a bad sign, so people stayed indoors until it started to Wax." I do like your suggestion, though, so I might just change it. I probably will rework that last paragraph some, it's a bit odd and doesn't really meet my personal standards. Thanks for the feedback! <3
Fair enough, that's the wonderful thing about worldbuilding, you can make things be what you would like them to be! Aaah I see. I guess the doze part makes sense then, but I would potentially not write it with a capital letter (if you decide to keep it).